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Paris Events Calendar

Paris Events Calendar – November 2013

October 19, 2013
Heather Stimmler

Through November 2
The French actually celebrate Toussaint (or All Saints Day) on November 1st, which is more festive in Mexico. Join in the annual Mexican-style El Día de los Muertos at the Belleville art gallery Association pour l’estampe & l’art populaire on October 31st from 6pm. A tour of the artworks on November 1st, live music on November 2nd.

Through November 2
The last big electronic music festival of the year, the Pitchfork Festival, takes place over three days at the Grande Halle de la Villette (Parc de la Villette, 19th). Headliners include The Knife, Hot Chip, Yo La Tengo, Disclosure, Darkside, Panda Bear, etc. One-day passes €49, two-day passes €79,  three-day passes €129.

Through November 3
If you don’t have enough Halloween candy to put your body into diabetic shock, head over to the annual Salon du Chocolat, the city’s largest fair dedicated to the delectable sweet in all of its formats, from bean to bar. It takes place at the Porte de Versailles – Paris Expo, tickets €13 (get the tickets in advance online to avoid lines). Open 10am-7pm. Note: eat a full meal before you go to stave off the munchies. There are enough free samples to make everyone blissfully ill by the end of the day. 🙂 

Through November 3
Get your tickets now for one of the sexiest shows of the season, Chantecler Tango. Straight from Buenos Aires, Mora Godoy’s excellent troupe combines theatre, dance and passion at the illustrious Théâtre du Châtelet. Tickets from €32-€88 available at FNAC. 

Through November 3
The Potager des Princes, the lovely gardens next to the Château de Chantilly, are selling the apples from their trees before closing for the winter. Varieties include Golden, Granny Smith, Cox Orange, Canada , and Belle Fleur, €2/kilo. The apples have not been chemically treated. Open every afternoon 2-5pm.

Through November 3
A bit like a smaller, cosier version of the Foire de Paris, the Foire d’Automne at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles is a trade show of food and wine, home decor, beauty and fashion, and all French arts de vivre. Open 10am-7pm, entry €8 (or get two free tickets online with the discount code ANOUS, thanks to the A Nous metro magazine).  

November 1-30
Think you’ve got a novel in you just waiting for a bit of coaxing out? Join thousands of others in France for National Novel Writing Month, aka NaNoWriMo. Nanowrimo France has its own group and Facebook Pageorganizing different events around town to help participants get to that mythical 50,000 word count by the end of the month.

November 1-3
Shop for local produce, meats, dairy products, honey, oils, and other products directly from 120 local farmers at the Pari Fermier food fair, at the Parc Floral (Bois de Vincennes). Open Friday and Saturday 10am-8pm, Sunday until 6pm. Entry €6, or go to the website to print off a free invitation for two.

November 4-7
Artcurial, the auction house in the historic Hôtel Dassault on the Rond-Point des Champs-Elysées, is hosting a special sale “It’s Only Rock & Roll” on the theme of Rock & Roll history from the 1950s through today, with 350 lots of rock memorabilia, electric guitars, signed platinum records, motorcycles, leather jackets, artworks, photographs and other signed objects. On display November 4-6, on auction November 7th. 

November 6-12
Want to become part of a collective art project? ‘”To mark the release of the film Inside Out project, about the trajectory of the larger scale participative project of the same name, JR is taking over the esplanade of the Palais de Tokyo for three days, letting visitors print and post their photographs in the public space as part of a monumental collective installation.” Get yourself over to the Palais de Tokyo from November 6-8 between 1-7pm (they will stop letting people get in line at about 5pm). Then the exhibition will continue from November 10-12 at the MK2 Bibliothèque. Free. 

November 7-10
The Salon International du Patrimoine Culturel at the Carrousel du Louvre is a show of 350 stands from 15 countries representing those who work to preserve and promote cultural treasures around the world, including restoration artists, local and regional tourism offices, publishers, and museums. There will be artisan demonstrations each day. If you’re in the hood have a peek, entry €11. 

November 9-17
The 38th annual Salon Marjolaine, the largest organic fair in Paris, takes place this week at the Parc Floral (Bois de Vincennes) with 550 stands selling everything organic you could imagine: produce, meats, cheeses, artisan oils, wines, essential oils, herbs, teas, cosmetics, beauty products, household cleaning products, clothing, shoes, accessories, home decor, books, gardening supplies, as well as stands for environmental tourism, different green activist groups such as Greenpeace, etc. There are also plenty of food stands for lunch onsite, a vestiaire, and a little shuttle from the metro Château de Vincennes to the entrance of the Parc Floral. Open 10:30am-7pm. Entry €8, but you can get a €2 discount voucher on the website to print out in advance. You can also see my article and video from my visit in 2010. 

November 9-11
The Château Vaux le Vicomte is hosting its annual Palais au Chocolat. The palace will be decorated with chocolate artworks created by some of the biggest names in chocolate, including a special homage to the French gardener Le Nôtre by the Japanese pastry chef AOKI. There will also be a series of demonstrations, chocolate-making workshops for adults, special ateliers for kids, plenty of tastings, a presentation on whine and chocolate pairings, and may more sweet surprises in a magical setting. Tickets are €16 (€13 for kids 6-18), which includes access to the château and gardens and exhibits throughout the estate; you can reserve them in advance online. Open 10am-6pm. To get there by public transport, take the RER D from Gare de Lyon to Melun (€7.90, leaves every 10 minutes, takes 25 minutes, about ) and then catch the ChateauBus shuttle (€7, going to the chateau at 10am, noon, 2pm and 3:30pm; returning to the station from the chateau at 1:10pm, 3:05pm, 4:40pm and 6:10pm). 

November 10
It’s cold outside, perfect weather for a bowl of hot soup! Head up to Montmartre  on the Place des Abbesses for the annual Amoureusement Soupe festival of soup to profit the France Parkinson charity. From 11am-4:30pm there will be a dozen different soups available for €7/bowl, as well as different events like a blind cheese. tasting. 

November 10
Vintage clothing, vinyls, home baked goods, books, accessories, home decor, etc. at the Motel Flea Market , at Le Motel (8 Passage Josset, 11th), free entry.

November 12
Shop for vintage Hermès at Artcurial, the auction house in the historic Hôtel Dassault on the Rond-Point des Champs-Elysées, with bags, scarves, belts, ties and other items from Hermès. On display Nov 8-10, on sale November 12th at 10:30am and 2:30pm.

November 13-17
Shopping for some supplies for your creative projects? Head down to the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles for the annual Création & Savoir Faire show. Scrapboooking, knitting, gardening, baking, sewing, crafts, and decorating ideas for the holidays. Entrance €12, open 9:30am-6:30pm (until 9pm Thursday). 

November 13-18
To raise money for AIDES charities, 80 contemprary artists, both famous (Robert Mapplethorp) and emerging (Secrets of Paris friend Marcus McAllister) have donated their paintings, photographs, sculptures and drawings for the exposition/sale ART IS HOPE, at the Palais de Tokyo. Here is the full catalog.

November 16 – March 2
See 25 years of Pixar Animation Art at Art Ludique Le Musée at Les Docks. Tickets €14. Original artworks from Toy Story”, “Le Monde de Nemo”, “Ratatouille” and “Wall-e”.

November 18
The non-partisan lobbying organization Association of Americans Resident Overseas (AARO) is celebrating its 40th anniversary tonight with a reception and talk by Simon Winchester, author of “The Men Who United the States” at the Mona Bismarck American Center. Cost: 30€ for AARO Members and Family; 40€ for non-members.

November 21
Although it’s rather low-key in France compared to the hype it gets in America, the annual Beaujolais Nouveau festival takes place in wine bars throughout Paris today. Read all about the history and the different varieties (good, bad, ugly) and where to celebrate in Paris in this excellent article by Aaron Ayscough, The Redemption of Beaujolais Nouveau. And for fun, here’s a link to the little video I made at the Beaujolais dinner I attended in 2010 with Meg Zimbeck of Paris by Mouth and Bryan Pirolli. 

November 24
It’s time to get ready for the 4th annual Cup Cake Camp on November 24th in support of the Make-a-Wish Foundation in France. Register to donate your own homemade cupcakes (lots of prizes to win for the best in different categories), or sign up to attend and shop for the sweet delights with all profits going to Make-a-Wish. Last year there was record attendance and some really fabulous cupcakes, so this year they’ve moved into a larger venue, Café A 148 rue du Faubourg St-Martin, 10th) from 3-5pm.  

November 26-December 7
The second annual Secrets du Chocolat, a Chocolate Museum in a Train with an exhibition, tastings and workshops, is taking place on a TGV parked in the Gare de Lyon from Nov 26-27, at Gare d’Austerlitz from Nov 28-29, Gare St-Lazare Nov 30-Dec 1, Gare de L’Est Dec 4 and 6, Gare de Montparnasse Dec 5, and Gare du Nord Dec 7. Free entry.

November 29-December 1
The Maison Vintage Market takes place this weekend at 17 rue des Commines, 3rd, from 4pm-8pm on Friday, 10am-8pm on Saturday and 10am-7pm Sunday, featuring the largest collection of stands selling vintage home decor and furnishings from the 1920s-1980s. There are usually a few stands selling food/drink. Entry €3.

November 29-30
The annual food bank collection for La Banque Alimentaire takes place this weekend all over France at participating supermarkets. Add a few dry and canned goods to your shopping cart and drop them off after checking out to the volunteers in flourescent orange vests. This is the only public collection that takes place each year for the food bank, so please donate what you can afford, or better yet, become a volunteer for a two-hour collection shift. 

November 29 – December 1
The Designers de Mode at the trendy Docks en Seine at Quai d’Austerlitz (that big green thing in the 13th) is hosting a stylish Christmas Market with 100 créaturs selling accessories, home decor and gifts from around the world. Open Friday 3-10pm, Sat-Sun from 11am-8pm. Entry €5. 

November 29-December 1
Get in the winter spirit in St-Germain-des-Près, where Rue Princesse and Rue Guisarde have been transformed into “Saint-Germain-des Neiges ski station”, with snow, chalets and activities promoting skiing holidays in France. Free entry. 

November 30
The Halle Freyssinet (55 blvd Vincent Auriole, 13th, M° Nationale) is hosting a Grande Vente de Noël holiday market today from 10am-6pm to benefit the children’s charity Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque Enfants du Monde. There will be good deals on perfume and cosmetics, books, toys, jewelry, home decor, clothing and accessories, porcelain and gourmet foods. Free entry. 

November 30-December 1
Shop for local produce, meats, foie gras, dairy products, honey, oils, and other products directly from 50 local farmers at the Pari Fermier food fair, in the 15th on Rue St-Charles between rue de la Convention and le Rond-point St Charles. Open 10am-7pm, free entry. 

November 30
Best-selling British author Stephen Clarke is signing his latest book, The Merde Factor, today at WH Smith Paris (248 rue de Rivoli, 1st) from 3:30-5pm. 

November 30
The public is invited to attend an artists’ open house featuring the prints of Marie-Laure Genelot and the ceramicist Amanda Jayne Pouillot,  today from 2pm-midnight at the home of Marie-Laure and Olivier Geneot (6 rue Mizon, 15th, code 61973). Tea and cake from 4pm; wine and cheese from 7pm. RSVP to amandajayne_2@hotmail.com 

December 4-5
Blending culture with social, Sinfonietta Paris brings you an evening of Ravel, Debussy and Brahms exquisitely performed by SPCO artists Rika Masato and Askar Ishangaliyev for an engaging and sensational experience. Hosted in the intimacy of a beautiful private residence in Paris, this occasion is designed as an exclusive event for music lovers and generous patrons to promote the artistic growth of Sinfonietta Paris. Sit closely to the performing artists; afterwards, enjoy an excellent presentation of wine and mingle with musicians and fellow culture lovers. From 8-11pm. Tickets €25 (wine and hors d’oeuvres included). The address will be mailed once confirmed; the performance on the 4th December is in the 17th; on the 5th December it’s in the 1st. Register on the website; places limited to 40 participants. 

Through January 5
Looking for a fun show? Porte-Jarretelles & Piano à Bretelles is a comedy burlesque at the Alhambra Theatre. It helps to know French, but it’s still a fun show even if you just enjoy the moves. Tickets €27-42.

Through January 26
One of my favorite exhibits of the season, Yousuf Karsh: Icons of the Twentieth Century, with stunning black and white photos of movie stars, artists, writers, and worls leaders over the past 60 years. At the Mona Bismarck American Center (a gorgeous Parisian mansion near Palais de Tokyo worth the visit alone). Entry €7. Open Wed-Sun 11am-6pm. 

 

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