Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [2]
March–May
BANLIEUES BLEUES
www.banlieuesbleues.org, in French
The ‘Suburban Blues’ jazz and blues festival is held over five weeks in March and April in the northern suburbs of Paris, including St-Denis, and attracts some big-name talent.
PRINTEMPS DU CINÉMA
www.printempsducinema.com, in French
Cinemas across Paris offer filmgoers a unique entry fee of €3.50 over three days (usually Sunday, Monday and Tuesday) sometime around 21 March.
FOIRE DU TRÔNE
www.foiredutrone.com, in French
This huge funfair, with 350 attractions spread over 10 hectares, is held on the pelouse de Reuilly of the Bois de Vincennes (metro Porte Dorée) for eight weeks from late March to mid-May.
MARATHON INTERNATIONAL DE PARIS
www.parismarathon.com
The Paris International Marathon, usually held on the first Sunday of early April, starts on the av des Champs-Élysées, 8e, and finishes on av Foch, in the 16e. The Semi-Marathon de Paris is a half-marathon held in early March; see the website for map and registration details.
FOIRE DE PARIS
www.foiredeparis.fr
This huge modern-living fair, including crafts, gadgets and widgets, and food and wine, is held from late April to early May at the Parc des Expositions at Porte de Versailles in the 15e (metro Porte de Versailles).
ATELIERS D’ARTISTES DE BELLEVILLE: LES PORTES OUVERTES
www.ateliers-artistes-belleville.org, in French
More than 200 painters, sculptors and other artists in Belleville (metro Belleville) in the 10e open their studio doors to visitors over four days (Friday to Monday) in mid-May in an event that has now been going for two decades.
LA NUIT DES MUSÉES
www.nuitdesmusees.culture.fr, in French
Key museums across Paris throw open their doors at 6pm for one Saturday night in mid-May on ‘Museums Night’ and don’t close till late. Some also organise special events.
FRENCH TENNIS OPEN
www.rolandgarros.com
The glitzy Internationaux de France de Tennis – the Grand Slam – takes place from late May to mid-June at Stade Roland Garros (metro Porte d’Auteuil) at the southern edge of the Bois de Boulogne in the 16e.
June–August
FOIRE ST-GERMAIN
www.foiresaintgermain.org, in French
This month-long festival of concerts and theatre from early June to early July takes place on the place St-Sulpice, 6e (metro St-Sulpice) and various other venues (see website) in the quartier St-Germain.
FÊTE DE LA MUSIQUE
www.fetedelamusique.fr, in French
This national music festival welcomes in summer on Midsummer’s Night (21 June) and caters to a great diversity of tastes (including jazz, reggae and classical) and features staged and impromptu live performances all over the city.
GAY PRIDE MARCH
www.gaypride.fr, in French
This colourful Saturday-afternoon parade in very late June through the Marais to Bastille celebrates Gay Pride Day, with various bars and clubs sponsoring floats, and participants in some pretty outrageous costumes.
PARIS JAZZ FESTIVAL
www.parcfloraldeparis.com; www.paris.fr
There are free jazz concerts every Saturday and Sunday afternoon in June and July in the Parc Floral de Paris (metro Château de Vincennes).
LA GOUTTE D’OR EN FÊTE
www.gouttedorenfete.org, in French
This week-long world-music festival (featuring rai, reggae and rap) is held at square Léon, 18e (metro Barbès Rochechouart or Château Rouge) from late June to early July.
PARIS CINÉMA
www.pariscinema.org
This two-week festival in the first half of July sees rare and restored films screened in selected cinemas across Paris.
BASTILLE DAY (14 JULY)
www.paris.fr
Paris is the place to be on France’s national day. Late on the night of the 13th, bals des sapeurs-pompiers (dances sponsored by Paris’ firefighters, who are considered sex symbols in France) are held at fire stations around the city. At 10am on the 14th, there’s a military and fire-brigade parade along av des Champs-Élysées, accompanied by a fly-past of fighter aircraft