What’s On in Paris – November 2021

Note that the Pass Sanitaire is still required in most (but not all) monuments, concerts, and other entertainment venues.

November 3
We can all use a good laugh right now. Laughing Matters in Paris presents British stand-up comedian Mark Maier from 8:30pm at Chez Georges (11 rue des Cannettes, 6th), tickets €20. Book old school via email on http://anythingmatters.com, or call Karl Beer at 06 1213 0202. Get on their mailing list if you’re interested in English comedy in Paris.

November 5-21
A photography exhibition of Paris in the snow, “In a Paris Moment” by expat photographer Meredith Mullins is at the Galerie Maître Albert (6 rue Maître Albert, 5th), with vernissages on the 9th and 17th from 3-9pm. Regular gallery hours Mon-Sat 10am-6pm. Free entry.

November 6
Feel like singing your heart out in front of a bunch of strangers with your very own live rock band singing back up? Don’t miss tonight’s legendary Ullmann Kararocké at the Bus Palladium (6 rue Pierre Fontaine, 9th arr) from 9pm, entry €10.

November 6-14
The annual Salon Marjolaine, the largest organic fair in Paris, takes place this week at the Parc Floral (Bois de Vincennes) with 560 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 coat check, and a little shuttle from the metro Château de Vincennes to the entrance of the Parc Floral. Open 10:30am-7pm. Entry €10, but you can get a €3 discount voucher on the website to print out in advance.

Through November 7
The Jour des Morts will be celebrated again this year at the Association pour l’Estampe et l’Art Populaire (49bis, rue des Cascades, 20th), a print-making gallery and artist atelier in Belleville. Each year they create an offering for the Jour des Morts and artworks available by 20 artists each day from 3-8pm. For more links to similar events, check out the article “Mexico in Paris” or official events in Paris here.

November 11 Armistice Day (Bank holiday)
This is an international holiday celebrating the end of World War I (November 11, 1918) and all war veterans. There will be a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe at 11am (it will be broadcast on French TV). Post offices, government offices and some restaurants and shops will be closed. Department stores open a bit later than usual (either 10am or 11am). Most museums and monuments are open as usual (but check in advance, because a few like Le Petit Palais are closed).

November 12-13
The charity shop Emmaüs Alternatives is having a “Grande Vente au Kilo” at the Palais de la Femme (94 rue de Charonne, 11th) from 11am-7pm, €10 per kilo of clothing and accessories.

November 13
On the anniversary of the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, there will be official ceremonies in the morning at the memorial plaques where the attacks took place: Le Bataclan, Stade de France, Le Petit-Cambodge, Le Carillon, La Bonne Bière, Le Comptoir Voltaire and La Belle Equipe. While these are reserved for city officials, victims, and their families, the public can pay their respects from a distance until the ceremonies are over.

Through November 14
The Galerie Sakura (21 rue du Bourg Tibourg, 4th) is hosting an exhibition “Sneakers Generation” featuring 400 international artists who have created an original artwork using the legendary Air Jordan 1 Mid triple white as a canvas. Each will be sold for the same price of €450. Check them out online even if you’re not interested in buying (they’re going fast!), or visit the gallery, open Tues-Sat noon-8pm and Sunday 2-7pm.

November 15 – January 17
A photo exposition of Afghan women, “Aux Côtes des Femmes Afghanes: Résister” (Standing with Afghan Women: To Resist), will be displayed free to the public on the Avenue des Champs-Elysées at the corner of Avenue de Matignon. The exposition comes from the cover story from the September 16, 2021 edition of ELLE France magazine, by journalist Ava Djamshidi and photos by Philippe de Poulpiquet.

November 18
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, as well as at the Le Food Market (open-air food market in Belleville with no dishes over €10) from 6-10:30pm (free entry, no reservations, dress warm!)

November 18-19
Enjoy a classical music concert in an intimate setting followed by wine with the musicians in this month’s Music by the Glass concerts by Sinfonietta. This month features the artists of Quatuor Hermès — one of the top 10 quartets in Europe — performing Leoš Janáček’s Intimate Letters and Franz Schubert’s Death and the maiden in D minor. The November 18 concert will be in the historic space of the Salle Colonne in the 13th arrondissement, and November 19 will be in the elegant space of the Musée National Jean-Jacques Henner in the 17th arrondissement. From 8pm. Tickets €25. Book online here.

November 18-20
The 10th annual Salon Idées Japon features all kinds of arts, decor, foods, and clothing from Japan just in time for the holiday shopping. At the Espace Cinko (12-18, Passage Choiseul, 2nd). Open 11am-7pm.

November 19-21
Discover the local artisans of Paris this weekend through “Paris Local”, a Tourism Office initiative to promote the restaurants, artisans, and artists of Paris through visits and activities. It’s also a great way to find the addresses of all the local artisans and restaurants specializing in locavore cuisine.

November 19 – January 9
Don’t miss the Lumières en Seine, a dazzling light show in the gardens of the Domaine de Saint Cloud (west side of Paris accessible via metro). “From the very entrance at the Clémenceau gates, this special light trail will take you on a magical journey through fire gardens and frosted forests, over fields of fairies and illuminated waterfalls. Along the way you’ll pass by a charming merry-go-round and Santa’s sleigh as well as a cozy rest spot, where you can enjoy mouth-wateringly good food, mulled wine and hot chocolate.” Tickets are €20 for adults (€22 Fri-Sun ), €18 for kids 5-14 (€20 Fri-Sun) and Family Tickets for two adults and two kids for €72 (€80 Fri-Sun and holidays). Purchase online in advance and dress warm!

November 20
Eclair Day! For each éclair purchased on Saturday in participating pastry shops (there are a dozen in Paris), 100% of the proceeds will go to “Imagine for Margo”, the charity that helps fund research to fight childhood cancer. Here’s the map of the shops.

November 20-December 18
Stand-up comedian Julie Collas stars in the one-woman show (in English), “Oh my God, she’s Parisian” every Saturday night at the Théâtre BO Saint-Martin (19 blvd St Martin, 3rd). Tickets €19.50-€26, available here.

November 21
Cookbook author David Lebovitz will be at La Cuisine cooking school (80 Quai de l’Hôtel de ville, 4th) today for a book signing and get-together 3-4:30pm. There will be copies of Drinking French, L’Appart and The Perfect Scoop available for purchase and signing (no credit cards accepted on site, you can pre-purchase here) or bring books you already have for signing. And La Cuisine will be offering samples of wine, cheese, and cocktails.

November 21
The holiday illuminations on the Avenue des Champs-Elysées will be inaugurated tonight at 6pm by the Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, and remain up through January 9th.

November 26-28
Les Banques Alimentaires — French food banks — are holding their annual collection drive this weekend to stock up for the winter. You’ll see them just after the check-outs in supermarkets where you can purchase food and hygiene products to contribute, or you can also donate the same items or funds directly online via monpaniersolidaire.org

November 27 and December 9th
MyDomos is offering guided visits of a private mansion in the 16th arrondissement, the Hôtel Kergorlay Langsdorff “Built in the 1880s by the famous Belle Epoque architect Paul-Ernest Sanson, this mansion houses an important collection of historical objects from General de Caulaincourt, close to Napoleon I and direct ancestor of the de Langsdorff family. A rare mansion which still belongs to the sponsor’s descendants, a member of the Kergolay-Langsdorff family will welcome you to tell you the history of the place with passion. The visit will be followed by a refreshment with a glass of champagne.” Tours are available for up to 15 people on November 27th at 10:30am and on December 9th at 6pm. Tickets are just €39, book online.

November 29-January 30
The Jardin des Plantes (5th) is hosting another evening illuminations festival in their gardens over the holidays. This year’s theme is “The Enlightening Evolution” featuring more than a hundred light structures representing the many strange and wonderful species that have populated the Earth over the past 600 million years. “You will see “celebrities” from the past, such as dinosaurs, but also little-known species that will surprise you with their astonishing shapes and unique lifestyles.” You can see them for free in the daytime during regular garden opening hours, but will need tickets to see them lit up at night, from 6-11pm. Tickets €12-€15, AVAILABLE ONLY ONLINE here.

November 29-December 5
Benenova, the platform for volunteer opportunities in France, is hosting their annual Semaine de l’Engagement, or Commitment Week, to encourage civic engagement. It coincides with the National Food Bank Collection (Nov 26-28), Giving Tuesday (Nov 30th), and the World Volunteer Day (December 5th). There are a bunch of different activities throughout the week you can participate in, from wrapping holiday gift donations and making homemade holiday cards for the elderly, to helping on a construction site for a non-profit community center or delivering food to the homeless. And if you’re not free this week, check their schedule for ongoing volunteer opportunities throughout the month of December (and, of course, all year long).

November 30
Ground Control (behind Gare de Lyon) is hosting a special dinner to raise money for “Enfants d’Afghanistand et d’Ailleurs” refugees as part of the Refugee Food Festival. There will be a round-table discussion followed by a grand Dinner of Solidarity cooked by six chefs volunteering for the event: Romain Meder, Chloé Charles, Sugio Yamaguchi, Marion Goettlé, Clarie Feral Akram & Olive Davoux. Tickets are €50 to participate in the event — a five-course dinner and a glass of wine or soft drink included (vegetarian option available). Doors open 6pm, dinner starts at 8pm. Sign up here.

Through December 18th
Throughout the fall, the art gallery/museum La Fab is showcasing Graffiti and the French designer agnès b.’s historical relationship with this movement since 1985. “The Graffiti movement will take over all the interior and exterior spaces, private and urban, of La Fab. The agnès b. collection, the Galerie du Jour, and the Place Jean-Michel Basquiat offer a fascinating retrospective of history and discovery.” Artists include Banksy, Blek Le Rat, Dennis Hopper, Jef Aérosol, Jérôme Mesnager, Shepard Fairey / Obey Giant, and Jordane Saget, among others. Open Tues-Sat 11am-7pm, entry €7. Le Fab. Place Jean-Michel Basquiat, 13th, M° Bibliothèque.

Daytrips from Paris

November 20 – January 2
The family-owned Château Vaux-le-Vicomte (the 17th-century palace that inspired Versailles) becomes a Christmas wonderland in December. For the 16^th year of “Vaux-le-Vicomte en Lumières” and in honor of the 400th anniversary of the birth of Jean de La Fontaine, the château will be decorated in thousands of lights and setting recreating the world of Fontaine’s famous fables. This year will also have a 360° projection recounting the fable of the Fox and the Squirrel in the Grand Salon. Every night ends in a sound and light spectacle projected on the façade of the château. Dress warm! Open Wed-Sun from November 20th to December 17th, and every day from December 18th to January 2nd (closed Christmas and New Year’s Day). Entry €19 for adults, reserve in advance online, €15 for kids 6-17 years old. TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED ONLINE IN ADVANCE, NO ON-SITE PURCHASE IS ALLOWED. More info here.

November 27 – January 2
The Château de Chantilly will be decorated for the holidays, with choir music, Père Noël and a small Christmas Marché from December 18th. There will be special guided tours and even a whipped cream (aka “chantilly”) workshop. At the moment all the info for those is only in French, so it’s possible there are no English options (at least not posted on their website).