Something for the Weekend (October 26th - 28th)

Make the most of this weekend - it will last one hour longer than all the others this year! That said, it's a rather quiet weekend in Paris with no major events scheduled, but here are a few ideas for you to make the most of that extra hour nevertheless.

Street Fishing

This Saturday, over 200 anglers will gather on the Seine for the Open Street de Paris 2012 fishing event. They will be coming from far and wide too - including Belgium and Holland - all for the opportunity to see who can pull the most fish from the river (before of course safely putting them back in again - as the 'street fishing' community likes to point out, this is the 'no-kill generation'!)

The meeting point is on the Quai des Célestins (M° Sully Morland) on Saturday morning, but you'll be able to observe them in action all day along the Seine near the Ile Saint Louis. 

After the fishing is over, you'll also be able to mix with the participants at the excellently-named 'Night fishing is not a crime' Hip-Hop and reggae post-event part at Le Petit Bain.

For more information on the philosophy of street fishing, read the article I published on Invisible Paris: http://parisisinvisible.blogspot.fr/2009/01/carp-diem.html

Foire d'Automne

Although we're passing into winter time this weekend, this show reminds us that we're still very much in autumn. Seemingly a curious mix of vegetables and interior decoration, it should at least give you the opportunity to taste food and wine and follow a series of cookery lessons. 

Entrance to the fair is normally €8, but you can get free tickets by clicking on the following link and using the code 'MATIN': http://www.foiredautomne.fr/La-Foire-d-Automne/Invitation-code-promo

MaMa Festival

Music is à la fête this weekend in Montmartre with over 80 concerts in 20 different locations across the 9th and 18th arrondissements. In some ways it is a kind of mini SXSW festival, organised each year in Austin, Texas, but probably with a bit less sun.

The event is also a convention for the independant music industry, with a series of debates and conferences being organised - although these will probably only be of interest to those working in the industry.

More information: http://www.mama-event.com/

Something for the Weekend (October 19th - 21st)

Another weekend, another list of ideas...

 

The FIAC

Every year I seem to say that same thing when I look at the FIAC event - €35 for a ticket! I honestly find it difficult to imagine who is ready to pay that kind of money, but then again I guess there are plenty of people who wonder exactly who pays €50 to go and watch a PSG game.

Of course, like top-level football, no-one is interested in making modern art democratic and affordable, and it is in fact in everyone's interest (artists, dealers, collectors) to keep it exclusive. If you've got money to burn (or are interested in watching other people burn theirs, you'll find all the information you need at this link: http://www.fiac.com/

Those with smaller budgets needn't feel completely excluded though, as several - free! - outdoor projects have also been organised: http://www.fiac.com/parcours-doeuvres.html

Cutlog

With the FIAC monster in town, other events have sprung up to try and attract collectors towards 'under the radar' galleries and 'emerging' artists. Cutlog, at the Bourse de Commerce de Paris is the principal event for this market - and entrance is only €10!

http://www.cutlog.org/cutlog-art/en/

Paris Burlesque Festival

Now in its 4th edition and firmly established in the annual calendar of events in Paris, the Burlesque festival mixes performances with live music, cinema, discussions and exhibitions. This year's theme is the 'Fiesta de la Muerte', or a celebration of the Mexican day of the dead!

http://www.parisburlesquefestival.fr/eng_home.php

The Baron Samedi's 5th birthday

A little while ago I wrote about my local bar and one of the interesting events that is organised there (incidently, Sylvanie de Lutece will be organising some events at the Paris Burlesque festival, mentioned above). Given the often short life-span of neighbourhood bars in Paris, I'm pleased to announce that it will be celebrating its 5th birthday this Friday. Come and help them blow out the candles!

www.aubaronsamedi.fr

Demain dans ma vie

An interesting open days event this weekend is the 'demain dans ma vie' (tomorrow in my life) initiative. It aims to put a focus on the role Paris plays in the research and development field - across all disciplines - by opening the doors of the various specialised centres around the city. As well as giving us the opportunity to see some pretty cool new technology (3D virtual reality visits around Paris at the 104 centre...), it also gives us the chance to visit some interesting locations around the city (a converted electricity sub-station in the 15th arrondissement...).

The full programme and list of participating locations can be found here: http://www.demaindansmavie.com/

Something for the Weekend (October 12th - 14th)

After a brief hiatus last weekend, Paris Weekends is back with more suggestions for things to do in Paris.

The Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre

Incredible though it may seem, this event, which celebrates the grape harvest on the slopes of Montmartre, is the third most attended event of the year in Paris, after the Nuit Blanche and Paris Plages. I'm not sure how they actually go about counting these things, but what is sure is that it will be a busy, noisy, tipsy event!

It is basically a celebration of food and drink, with a parade and fireworks on Saturday. Strangely enough, for an event that celebrates grapes, one of the most interesting events could be the Saturday evening beer conference and tasting session (followed by punk concert!) at the Centre musical Fleury Goutte d'Or.

http://fetedesvendangesdemontmartre.com/

 

20 kilomètres de Paris

A far more healthy event this weekend will be the annual 20km run around the streets of Paris. Over 25,000 people will be setting off from the Pont d'Iéna at 10am on Sunday, with the fastest amongst them hoping to arrive at the finish line at the feet of the Eiffel tower around an hour afterwards.

http://www.20kmparis.com/web/index.asp

The Banquet des 5000

Combining food and health is an initiative this Saturday which aims to highlight the amount of food that is wasted each day. A giant vegetable curry will be cooked up in front of the Hotel de Ville, using only items that have been rejected by distributors because of their shapes and sizes. Anyone can visit and take away a portion of curry, and fruit and veg (and recycling recipes!) will also be distributed.

From 1pm. More details here.


The Fête de la Science
Finally, a bit of food for the brain. The annual national science festival offers not only free entry to the Cité des Sciènces at La Villette or the Musée des Arts et Metiers, but also a whole host of events across the city.

The full programme can be found here: http://www.fetedelascience.fr/