Noël à Paris: Events

Will you be in New York City, London or Paris this December? If so, Charlie from Manhattan User's Guide, Taryn from Urban Junkies and myself cooked up a three-part series for you, sharing holiday suggestions in our respective cities. Topics covered: events today, food tomorrow, and shopping on Friday!

[New York City events] [London events]

And if you're in Paris, the monthly specials include...

Le Salon Saveurs

Don't miss this twice-yearly food show, held at the Espace Champerret in the 17th. Taste your way through stalls upon stalls of delicious products, meet food artisans from all over France, and fill up on food gifts for your friends and yourself. The December edition has a special focus on Christmas delicacies -- foie gras, oysters, truffles, glazed chesnuts, chocolate, champagne -- and there will be a section this year with specialties from Italy. My advice is: go early to avoid the crowds, bring a large tote bag to carry your bounty, and go easy on the samples (it's easy to get carried away) to save your appetite for those products you really want to taste.

From Dec. 2 to Dec. 5, 2005.
Fri 10am-10pm, Sat-Sun 10am-8pm, Mon 10am-7pm.
M° Porte-de-Champerret.
Admission is 8€, but I recommend buying the December issue of the food magazine Régal (3€), which includes a free admission coupon on page 114.

Paris sur Glace

Two temporary open-air ice-skating rinks will be set up this year: one in front of the Hôtel-de-Ville, and one in Montparnasse. Admission is free, you can bring your own skates (the shoes, not the fish) or rent a pair for 5€. Professional instructors will supervise the fun, and give classes on Saturday and Sunday mornings (10am-12am). The Hôtel-de-Ville site also offers a separate rink and a sled run for children.

From Dec. 3, 2005 to Feb. 26, 2006.
M° Hôtel-de-Ville ou Montparnasse.
Information and hours of operation.

Joyeux Noël, the Movie

Too cold outside? How about catching a little warmth in the darkness of a movie theater? "Joyeux Noël" is the story of a truce between French, British and German soldiers on Christmas eve in 1914. This French-directed and French-spoken movie is, suitably enough, a very European production, with actors and technicians from France, Germany, Great-Britain, Belgium and Romania. Presented at the Cannes movie festival last spring, it is the movie that will represent France in the 2006 Oscars. Lyrical and full of good sentiments (tooth-achingly so, some might object), this is a typical Christmas movie that you will enjoy if you like shedding a tear or two (and watching men in uniforms).

Visit the movie's website and check for show times.

Paris dans l'Oeil de Willy Ronis

There is much more to Paris photography than Robert Doisneau: Willy Ronis is a French photographer who spent years capturing the spirit of Paris with superb talent, but didn't gain wide recognition until very late in his life. On the occasion of his 95th birthday, the city of Paris celebrates his work with an exhibition in the hall of the Hôtel-de-Ville, retracing 75 years of his career, with stories and reminiscences by the artist.

Until Feb. 18, 2006.
Mon-Sat 10am-7pm (closed on national holidays).
M° Hôtel-de-Ville.
Free admission.
More information (in French) on the Mairie's website.

Dada

Le Centre Georges Pompidou is currently showing an exhibition on Dada, this short-lived and purposefully controversial art (or anti-art) movement. Between 1916 and 1924, fueled by a revolt against classifications and conventions, artists from France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Japan and the US produced a broad range of creations using old and new media, questioning and criticizing the "modern life" of the 1910's and 1920's. Over one thousand paintings, sculptures, collages, photography, print work, recordings and movies are on display, showing the many dimensions in which Dada has influenced today's artists.

Until Jan. 9, 2006.
Everyday (except Tuesdays) from 11am to 9pm. Thursdays until 11pm.
M° Rambuteau.
Admission 7 or 9€.
Exhibition's website.

[If you have events and recommendations to share, please feel free to submit them in the comments.]