Special Events in Paris

New Year's Day, 1 Jan, national holiday, throughout the city.

Salon International de l'Agriculture (International Agriculture Show), late Feb/early Mar, animal specimens from rural France displayed alongside regional produce, Paris Expo, place de la Porte de Versailles, 15th.

La Nuit des Publivores (The Night of the Adeaters), mid Mar, 500 advertisements (publicités) are fêted by 6,000 people in two night-long events, Grand Rex, 1 boulevard Poisssonnière, 2nd.

Festival du Film de Paris (Paris Film Festival), late Mar/early Apr, Cinéma Gaumont Marignan, 27 avenue des Champs-Elysées.

Le Marathon de Paris (Paris Marathon), early Apr, starts approximately 0900 on avenue des Champs-Elysées, finishes avenue Foch.

Foire de Paris (Paris Fair), late Apr/early May, fair for tourism, multimedia and gastronomy, Paris Expo, place de la Porte de Versailles.

VE (Victory in Europe) Day, May, national holiday.

Fête de la Musique (Musical Fair), 21 Jun, free concerts throughout Paris (and the rest of France), in the streets and various venues, such as Sainte-Chapelle, the Musée d'Orsay and Palais de Justice

Gay Pride March, late Jun, along République and the Bastille plus club events.

Bastille Day, 14 Jul, national holiday with festivities and fireworks to commemorate the storming of the Bastille in 1789.

Paris Plage, Jul-Aug, stretch of riverside expressway turned into leisure oasis, banks of the Seine between Tuileries Tunnel and the Henri IV bridge.

Grandes Fêtes de Nuit de Versailles (The Night of Versailles Grand Feast), Jul-Sep, son et lumière display evoking the era of Louis XIV with costumed dancers and music, gardens of Versailles.

Le Cinéma en Plein Air (Open Air Cinema), mid-Jul-end Aug, free outdoor film festival, Parc de la Villette, 19th.

Le Tour de France, late Jul (finishing on last Sun of Jul), the grand finale of the world-famous bicycle race, finishes on avenue des Champs-Elysées.

Journées du Patrimoine (Heritage Day), mid Sep, nationwide weekend festival; historic buildings, including the president's residence and the Palais de l'Elysée, open their doors to the general public, various historic buildings.

Festival d'Automne (Autumn Festival), mid Sep-Dec, international contemporary drama, dance and music festival, Théâtre de la Ville, Odéon and other venues.

Mondial de l'Automobile (Automobile World), late Sep/Oct, next one in 2008, biennial international motor show, Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles, 15th.

Foire Internationale d'Art Moderne et Contemporain (FIAC - Contemporary Art Fair), late Oct, Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles, 15th.

Remembrance Day, 11 Nov, national holiday with laying of wreaths, military parade and review of troops by the President of the Republic, place Charles-de-Gaulle, 8th.

Mois de la Photo (Photography Month), late Nov, biennial photography exhibitions, various museums and galleries throughout Paris.

Fête du Beaujolais Nouveau (Nouveau Beaujolais Fair), third Tues of Nov, first availability of the season's Beaujolais Nouveau wine, wine bars and cafés everywhere.

Festival d'Art Sacré (Festival of Sacred Art), Dec, free concerts, various churches throughout the city.

Réveillon (New Year's Eve), 31 Dec, crowds celebrate by the thousand, along the Champs-Elysées.