| « Back to Paris Guide |
 Events : Events
Rich in heritage, Paris is blessed with abundant occasion for celebration and community. Bastille Day, one of the city’s grandest events, commemorates the beginning of the French Revolution and the storming of the Bastille. It’s marked by parades, troop reviews, and fireworks. Athletics come into play with two world-renowned competitions. The Tour de France pits long-distance cyclers against each other in a three-week contest of will and fortitude. Its final stretch runs along the Champs-Elysees. The French Open, then, lets top-ranked tennis players test their mettle on the red-clay courts of Stade Roland Garros. Even equines get in on the competition at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, a horse race that couples high speed with high society. And there’s no more politely contentious occasion than Paris Fashion Week, when 100 catwalk shows present the most fabulous creations by design’s shining stars. Family-friendly fun is at its height during springtime’s Foire du Trone, a huge fair characterized by rides, attractions, and entertainment. Perhaps the most welcome “local event,” however, is the month of August, when much of the city takes an annual holiday.
|
December 4 - December 5, 2009
99 rue de Rivoli Carrousel du Louvre, Paris 75001 • +33 (0) 143 16 47 10
99 rue de Rivoli Carrousel du Louvre, Paris 75001 • +33 (0) 143 16 47 10
Description: Held at the Carrousel du Louvre, this fine wine event offers guests a wide array of the world's best wines. Guests at the show take part in wine tastings, seminars and interesting demonstrations. Over 20,000 visitors peruse the booths of more than 100 wine bottlers.
December 24, 2009
Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris 75004
Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris 75004
Description: This annual holiday celebration draws a multitude of celebrants to Notre-Dame for a joyous late-night service. Traditionally, the religious event follows an evening dinner that consists of goose or turkey and a traditional chocolate Yule log (the büche de Noël). METRO: Notre-Dame
December 31 - January 1, 2010
various locations, Paris
various locations, Paris
Description: In Paris, residents and visitors alike celebrate all things French beginning on New Year's Eve and continuing into the New Year. On December 31, a parade in nearby Chantilly, called the Grande Parade de Chantilly, has a large array of floats and features live music, marching bands, dancers and miscellaneous acts. The Paris Parade Festival is held on January 1 at the Trocadero beneath the Eiffel Tower. Fireworks, wine tastings and plenty of goodwill add to the celebration.
January 28 - January 31, 2010
Lawn of Reully Cirque Phenix, Paris 75012
Lawn of Reully Cirque Phenix, Paris 75012
Description: An unusual festival, this event welcomes talented circus performers from around the world, including acrobats from the Beijing Circus, the Moscow Circus and the Knie Circus in Switzerland. Exhibits, workshops and competitions keep visitors duly entertained and wondering, "How do they do that?"
March 2009
Place Salvador Allende Maison des Arts, Créteil 94000 • 01 49 80 38 14
Place Salvador Allende Maison des Arts, Créteil 94000 • 01 49 80 38 14
Description: Visit this exciting film festival and see what's going on in the world of film where women are the producers and directors. The Maison des Arts hosts most of the activities, and the event focuses on premiere screenings and introducing filmmakers from around the world. Two additional venues include Cinema La Lucarne and Cinemas du Palais.
April 2009, May 2009
Bois de Vincennes, Paris 75012
Bois de Vincennes, Paris 75012
Description: The city's largest fair is held each spring and features rides, games, live music and offerings for the entire family. Among the attractions you'll discover are acrobats, jugglers, a ferris wheel, roller coasters, fortune tellers and haunted houses. METRO: Porte Dorée
May 1, 2009
232, rue Saint-Antoine Place de la Bastille, Paris
232, rue Saint-Antoine Place de la Bastille, Paris
Description: Enjoy this annual holiday on May first. Pretty much everything closes down in the city, and residents and guests alike enjoy the parade that marches down the Champs Elysees toward the Place de la Bastille where most of the day's festivities take place.
May 2009
Route des lacs Bois de Boulogne, Paris 75016
Route des lacs Bois de Boulogne, Paris 75016
Description: This historic race began in May of 1874 and has continued since then, and today it stands as one of the premier French racing events. This exciting race stretches 5800 meters and includes 23 obstacles. Before the race, a grand parade of splendid horse-drawn coaches snakes along Foch Avenue ending at the entrance of the Hippodrome d'Auteil.
May 24 - June 7, 2009
2, av Gordon-Bennett Stade Roland Garros, Paris 75016
2, av Gordon-Bennett Stade Roland Garros, Paris 75016
Description: Along with the Australian Open, the US Open and Wimbledon, this international tennis tournament forms the Grand Slam. Thousands of fans annually attend the red-clay event at Roland Garros Stadium, watching the world's best players – and their own favorites – compete for the coveted trophy and millions in prize money.
June 6 - July 26, 2009
Parc Floral de Paris, Paris
Parc Floral de Paris, Paris
Description: Held on weekends at the Parc Floral, this annual summer event features outstanding jazz musicians from across the globe. Concerts are free, but a park entry fee applies.