The Fête du Citron takes place in Menton, a city in the French Riviera, on the Italian border. Every year for about two weeks, the city residents go wild for lemons and oranges, decorating the surroundings in bright colors. A common attraction is a giant fruit display. This year's displays include nods to the Olympics, including a giant swimmer made of lemons. Town officials have said that they used more than 500,000 lemons and oranges to craft this year's decorations.

The festival began in 1928, as a local hotel augmented its exterior with displays of flowers and fruits. A few years of more and more, and the town launched the first Fête du Citron in 1934. The festival has a theme each year. This year's theme is From Olympia to Menton. Previous years' themes have included nods to the sea, the town history, the books of Jules Verne, myths and legends, and even the movies. A large parade, featuring giant floats, is part of the festivities, as is a giant craft fair, which annually attracts thousands of visitors.

The town of Menton was once of the largest lemon-growing regions in Europe. The festival is a nod to that past.