Paris In The Fall

Fall is a particularly great season to visit Paris, for several reasons. September bursts forth with energy as Parisians return to the city from their extensive summer vacations for the rentrée, after the ghost-town feeling of August. The weather, particularly in September, October and November, is usually great; pleasantly warm during the day and cooler at night, without being burning hot like it can be in summer. Also, the number of tourists has thinned out and prices on hotels, flights etc. are usually reduced. Finally, there are so many great things to do during this time of year; many of which involve food, wine and culture…read on for the exciting list!

         Autumn Festival: A number of venues all over Paris host a four-month-long arts festival which includes dramatic performances, movies, live concerts, such as the month-long outdoor jazz festival in the Parc de la Villette, dance and opera, and is the largest festival of its kind in the world. Held throughout the Fall. Visit here for more information.

         Nuit Blanche (first Saturday in October): The mother of ‘all-nighters.’ This cultural festival originated in Paris and has been copied in cities throughout the world. Many attractions and the metro are open all night for free to the public, as well as concerts, film festivals, art, photography and multi-media installations and every other conceivable form of entertainment and culture. This festival is highly publicized in Paris, and free brochures detailing the huge numbers of events are available everywhere.

         Fête Des Vendanges de Montmartre: Celebrated during the second weekend in October, this is when the grapes are harvested from the vineyards in Montmartre, with a parade and all sorts of other activities going on for the festival. While the wines largely suck in comparison to most French wines, the festivities are fun. Official site, click here.

         Beaujolais Nouveau: Beaujolais Nouveau comes at the strike of midnight on the third Thursday in November. Throughout France, everyone heads out to their local café, resto or wine store to celebrate the newest wine offerings, made famous worldwide by the brilliant marketing strategies of Georges Duboeuf. Best to leave behind any wine snobbery about new vintages, and just enjoy the new wines for what they are.

         Le Grand Tasting: A brand new event introduced in 2006, this venue gets added as a permanent ‘must-do.’ Held at the end of November at the prestigious Carrousel du Louvre at the Louvre Museum, the 30 € admission gets you unlimited tastings at 200 stalls, featuring over 1,500 different wines and champagnes, the majority of which are from France. Eat a filling meal before you go as only bread is offered at some stalls.

         Salon Des Vins Des Vignerons Independants: Parisians attend this festival religiously, where hundreds of wines from independent wine makers throughout France can be sampled and purchased. Visit here for more information.

         Prêt A Porter Paris: The Porte de Versailles Convention Center hosts vendors of ready-to-wear women’s clothing and accessories in an exposition for international designers and buyers, preceding Paris Fashion Week held at the Carrousel du Louvre. Held in early September, and also in January or February. Visit the official site here or more information.

         Marche au Chocolats: The Bourse de Commerce de Paris hosts an annual exposition of French chocolatiers, douceurs and confectioners, with lots of free samples, in mid-October. Call (33) 42 85 18 20 for more information.

         Salon du Chocolat: The Carrousel de Louvre hosts tastings and demonstrations by renowned chocolatiers and douceurs, including participants from the Cordon Bleu cooking school, at this annual exhibition, which features a Chocoland for children who can experiment with chocolate makeup. Held from the end of November to the beginning of December. Visit here for more information. The 13^th Annual Salon du Chocolat at Porte de Versailles is held every October.

         Villette Jazz Festival: This yearly musical celebration (end of August to September) puts the emphasis on innovative and experimental jazz and features a series of free open-air concerts, which take place at Parc La Villette in the 19th, as well as other venues throughout the city. Performances blend music, theatre and video installations. Visit here for more information.

         JVC Jazz Festival: The JVC Jazz Festival Paris covers all corners of the City of Light for ten days every October when the world's most exciting performers converge on Europe's jazz capital. Visit the festival’s official site here.

         Lalique Ice-Skating Trophy: Champion ice skaters from all over the world put on a show and compete for this coveted Grand Prix, at the Paris Bercy Palais Omnisports in mid-November. Call (33) 40 02 60 60 for more information.

Karen Henrich spends her time between Paris, France and Vancouver, Canada, running a tour company (www.NuitBlancheTours.com) and writing about joie de vivre. She is constantly on the look-out for cool Parisian sites to see and memorable experiences to be had. Karen pens an internationally popular newsletter, Paris Café, where readers get to live vicariously in the City of Light, and is a contributing writer for TripAdvisor.com, Journeywoman.com, Bonjour Paris and Paris Woman.