Saint-Tropez is an annual celebration held in the middle of May when people of the town celebrate their patron saint, Torpes of Pisa, and their military achievements. One of the oldest traditions of Provence, it has been held for more than 450 years since the citizens of Saint-Tropez were first given special permission to form a militia to protect the town from the Barbary pirates. During the three-day celebration, the various militias in costumes of the time fire their muskets into the air at traditional stops, march to the sound of bands and parade St. Torpes's bust. The townspeople also attend a mass wearing traditional Provençal costume. Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez Each year, at the end of September, a regatta is held in the bay of Saint-Tropez (). Many yachts are entered, some as long as 50 metres. Many tourists come to the location for this event, or as a stop on their trip to Cannes, Marseille or Nice. Traditional dishes The Tarte tropézienne is a traditional cake invented by a Polish confectioner who had set up shop in Saint-Tropez in the mid-1950s, and made famous by actress Brigitte Bardot. Demographics Infrastructure Transport to and from Saint-Tropez By sea The 800-berth port with two marinas hosts boats, including ferries. In the summer season, there is a ferry service between St-Tropez and Nice, Sainte-Maxime, Cannes, Saint-Raphaël. Private yachts may also be chartered. By air There is no airport in Saint-Tropez, but there is a charter service to and from clubs, the town and Tropezian beaches by helicopter. The nearest airport is La Môle – Saint-Tropez Airport (IATA: LTT, ICAO: LFTZ) located in La Môle, (8 NM) southwest of Saint-Tropez. Other main airports are: Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (IATA: NCE, ICAO: LFMN) (~95 km) Toulon-Hyères Airport (IATA:TLN, ICAO:LFTH) (~52 km) Marseille Provence Airport () (IATA: MRS, ICAO: LFML) (~158 km) By land There is no rail station in Saint-Tropez. The nearest station is Saint-Raphaël-Valescure, located in Saint-Raphaël ( from Saint-Tropez), which also offers a boat service to Saint-Tropez. There is also direct bus service to Saint-Tropez, and the rail station is connected with bus station. There is a bus station in Saint-Tropez called the , located in Place Blanqui. It is operated by Var department transport division , which employs other transport companies to operate routes. There are taxi services, including from Nice airport to Saint-Tropez, but they are expensive because of