Pétanque began in 1910 in the town of La Ciotat, near Marseille, France. Today, it’s played all over the world, including right here in Asheville, NC. It doesn’t get any more French than that! Michel grew up playing after a big Sunday lunch, and now you can too! 

Every Wednesday, Asheville Pétanque hosts an educational session to teach you how to play before the games begin at 5:00 p.m. and on Friday they play for fun at “Cocktail Pétanque.” Read on in the sections below to learn more about Asheville Pétanque, Carolina Pétanque, tournaments, and more opportunities to play.

Ah, Fanny! In pétanque, “Fanny” is a term used to describe the situation where a team loses a game without scoring a single point. When this happens, it is said that the losing team “has to kiss Fanny”.

The origin of the term is a bit unclear, but according to one popular story, Fanny was a waitress who worked at a café near a pétanque court in the town of Marseille. The story goes that Fanny was a kind-hearted and generous woman who would console losing players by letting them kiss her on the cheek. Over time, the tradition of “kissing Fanny” evolved into a humorous way of acknowledging a defeat in the game of pétanque.

Today, the image of Fanny has become a familiar sight at pétanque clubs and competitions throughout France and beyond. It’s not uncommon to see a picture or statue of Fanny displayed prominently at pétanque courts, and many players even have a special ritual or song that they perform when they “kiss Fanny” after a loss.

At RendezVous we respect history. However our Fanny will not be humiliating, instead it’s a delicious lager beer made especially for us by our friends at Asheville Brewing Co.

Just yourself! We have boules on-hand for all players to use and, of course, an extensive wine list, cocktails, beer, and French food to keep the fun going all evening long. Outside food and alcohol is not permitted.