Something for the Weekend (November 16th - 18th)

This weekend in Paris seems to be purely dedicated to photography. Here are a few of the events.

Paris Photo

The big photo event of the weekend is Paris Photo under the glass roof of the Grand Palais. For its 16th edition, it brings together over 150 exhibitors (galeries and publishers) displaying the photos of over 1000 photographers.

Big event in prestigious location means big prices though. Entrance is €28!

http://www.parisphoto.com/

Photo Off

When there are big events though there are also smaller 'off' events. Supporting young and emerging photographers, Photo Off at the Bellevilloise also brings together galleries and photographers, but also a 'Photo Off' prize for best gallery, and a 'Photo After' evening event with live music.

http://www.labellevilloise.com/2012/10/salon-photo-off-2012-2/

Mois de la Photo

After taking a break last year, the Paris-wide 'mois de la photo' (photo month) event sees exhibitions and happenings throughout the city during the whole of November.

See the official website for full details of all the events: http://www.mep-fr.org/moisdelaphoto2012/en/

Something for the Weekend (November 9th - 11th)

Some interesting things to do in Paris this weekend.

Braderie Sol en Si 

Judging by the lights in the streets and the windows of the main department stores Christmas is coming soon. This event - a sale of clothes and goods donated by top brands in aid of an AIDS charity - is your chance to find some bargains and donate to a good cause at the same time.

Saturday and Sunday at La Cartonnerie, M°Goncourt

Full information here: http://www.solensi.org/braderie-sol-en-si-2012-les-10-et.html

Salon de la Photo 

The Salon de la Photo is the biggest photography event of the year in Paris, covering both equipment and the art of photography.

Entrance to the event, at the Porte de Versailles, costs normally 11 Euros, but you can get a free invitation by filling in this form: http://www.invitationphoto.com/formAmateur.aspx. The invitation should arrive immediately afterwards by e-mail.

Food truck festival

There was a time when the food track served nourishment to the common man, but now instead of being parked up alongside a construction site, they are invited to festivals in the courtyard of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Vans from Denmark, Marseille and New York will be serving the food, at €30 Euros a pop.

http://lefooding.com/evenements/2012/la-pompe-a-bulles/#.UIqUZWf6mSp

Paris Polar

First mystery of this crime fiction festival is deciphering the (noir) website. Once cracked, you'll learn that at the town hall of the 13th arrondissement there will be two days of readings, debates, conferences and the chance to meet several leading authors.

More information (if you look hard enough) here: http://parispolar.fr/

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/

Something for the Weekend (28th - 30th September)

Some suggestions for things to do in Paris this weekend.

Bastille Quartier Libre festival

Organised now for a third time, this annual festival aims to celebrate the independant traders, artists and craftspeople of the Bastille district (although why a hairdressing and wine selling chain are involved remains a mystery). Events are taking place in shops, galleries, workshops, bars and restaurants across the area on Saturday and Sunday, with one or two highlights. Most interesting might be the brunch organised on the rue des Taillandiers. The street will be closed on Sunday and covered with grass, and the restaurants and traiteurs of the area are preparing 'brunch boxes' that you can eat as a picnic on the grass!

Download the full programme here.

Love Life Parade

The Bastille district will be a busy place this Sunday. Alongside the Quartier Libre festival the Place de la Bastille will also be the starting point of the Love Life Parade, a Solidarité Sida (AIDS) charity event. The parade will be a procession of thirty floats, each of which will be a stage for live music performances by many of France's leading bands and artists (Skip the Use, Zebda, Naive New Beaters). The procession begins at 2pm, with an arrival at Opéra estimated at around 7pm (via the Rue de Rivoli and Palais Royal).

Biennale de Belleville

Centred on the Pavillon Carré de Baudouin and the CENTQUATRE arts centre, the biennale de Belleville aims to bring together the numerous art galleries in this district of Paris around central themes and programmes.

Until October 20th

http://www.labiennaledebelleville.fr/

Portes ouvertes des atelies de Menilmontant

It is a curiosity of the calendar that during the Biennale de Belleville there should also be an open days weekend of artists' studios in the area. Whilst the Biennale de Belleville focusses on international artists and wants to put Belleville firmly on the world map of art, this event is more a celebration of local amateurs. As usual with these events though, the art is almost secondary to the opportunity it offers to visit bucolic courtyards which are normally hidden behind closed doors.

http://www.ateliersdemenilmontant.org

Going back in time at the Hotel de Ville

Nine giant screens, each 10 metres across, will be installed on the Place de l'Hotel de Ville this Saturday evening, displaying virtual images of the history of Paris.

5,000 years of the history of the city will be displayed on the screens, mixing docufiction recreations, aerial views and 3D images. To get a better idea of what this might entail, watch the trailer!

From 9pm, Saturday 29th September. Free entry

Something for the Weekend (September 21st - 23rd)

It's another very busy weekend in Paris. Here's a few suggestions to help your plan your time carefully!

Park(ing) Day

Park(ing) Day started in San Francisco in 2005 and has since then spread across the world. It is a kind of anti-car 'Occupy' movement, encouraging people to find alternative uses for parking spaces in cities. A number of events are being organised in Paris and across France on Friday, including picnics, parties and pop-up art galleries, with the event HQ being set up alongside the Palais Brogniart (Bourse).

Click here for the full list of events: http://www.parkingday.fr/

The Fête des Jardins

Every weekend seems to see some kind of fête or other organised in Paris, and this weekend is no different. Indeed, there are at least two, including this event that aims to get people into the city's parks. The most interesting thing about this particular event is not the activities organised in the public parks, but rather the access it gives to unseen gardens, mostly surrounding religious buildings on the left bank.

A full list of gardens taking part can be found here.

Whilst you're in some of these parks, you may notice that there are bandstands that never seem to be used. A festival, Kiosquorama, running throughout September and October is trying to put them to good use, organising free concerts with up and coming French bands each weekend. Visit the official site for a full list of parks/concerts: http://www.kiosquorama.org/

Fete de la Gastronomie

The other 'fête' this weekend is to celebrate French food (as if it isn't already being celebrated every day of the week). A whole host of events is being organised across France this weekend, including tastings, cooking lessons, special offers in restaurants and many other things that have probably been fully booked for months.

See the official website for full details: http://www.fete-gastronomie.fr/en/events/. Typically, although an English version of the website is available, it only translates the section titles and headers, not the descriptions of the events themselves. But then all visitors to Paris speak French don't they..?

Figures libres - an original night-time walk

Paris and the surrounding towns often seem completely divorced from each other, so it is interesting to see an initiative that attempts to stitch them together. Figure Libres, organised jointly by the town of Bagnolet and the 20th arrondissement of Paris, is an organised walk through the streets of the two areas. Featuring giant projections of the local residents on surrounding buildings, including the twin Mercuriales towers, and performances in the streets, it should offer an interesting perspective on a fascinating part of the city.

Click here for full details, including meeting points and times.  

Spectaculaire + 1st birthday of La Rotonde

La Rotonde restaurant and bar, housed in an old Ledoux tax collection office on the bassin de La Villette, will be hosting two parties this weekend. On Friday evening it will be celebrating its own first birthday. On Saturday and Sunday it will be the focal point of the annual Spectaculaire festival, an event which promotes upcoming cultural events in Paris with live performances and special offers.

Full details here: http://evenement.spectaculaire.com/

Festival America

A biennial literature festival, held in Vincennes, celebrating writers from the 'Americas'. Readings, discussions and signings are held across the town throughout the weekend.

See the official website for a full list of events and the writers taking part: http://www.festival-america.org/

Nouvel An Belge

As the official website says, after the Russians and the Chinese, the Belgians will be celebrating their new year...

Held across the 18th arrondissement, it is of course a celebration of Belgian creation, particularly the country's music scene. You might also find beer and frites on sale during the events!

Full details here: http://www.nouvelanbelge.com