Quai François Mauriac, 75706 Paris Cedex 13

At any time of the year, the BnF will have wonderful expos within the basement level of their complex. This time, I was lucky enough to see the Tolkien Exhibit - Tolkien, Voyage en terre du milieu (voyage to middle earth). 

Saint-Ouen

Explore antiques and vintage objects from all over France and the world. You will find amazing jewelry, old maps, original records from the 1960s, fireplace mantles from former castles, and more. 

Central Paris

Last Saturday in June, annual

Celebrate LGBTQ pride in the center of Paris and support your friends or family by marching along the beautiful streets while enjoying some of the best club music coming from one of the many floats of the parade. 

All over Paris

Third Friday in June, annual

We attend this free, and fun, event every single year! We personally enjoy the Montmartre area's ambiance, so we stick around there. Walk around the city and experience all types of music from jazz to electronic while partying with your friends or family. An activity all ages and backgrounds can enjoy! 

Avenue de la Plaine des Aigles, 60500 Chantilly

Mid-June

If you want to attend a fancy yet laid back event near Paris, this is the one! Think 'Kentucky derby meets France' with a backdrop of the draw-dropping chateau de Chantilly in the distance. Only 20 minutes from Gare du Nord, it's an easy trip from the city to feel like you're truly in the countryside.

Place d'Armes, 78000 Versailles

End of June

One of the most epic events you will ever attend in your life. Take this opportunity to experience a ball at the famous castle of Versailles. It is pure decadence! This event takes place once a year towards the end of June and requires a good deal of preparation, but it well worth it. Over a thousand people usually attend this, all decked out in 18th century costumes and powdered wigs! If you need some magic in your life, this is the event to go to. 

Château Vaux-le-Vicomte, 77950 Maincy

May to October

This event had to be one of my favorite memories of the summer. During the warmer months, Vaux-le-Vicomte keeps their doors open late. Taking a small break to close the museum for about an hour, they light every room (and the gardens) with candles, and then reopen the castle to tour. It gives such a historic ambiance, and almost magical feel. If you stay until the end of the night (11pm), you will experience the fireworks!

Place de la Concorde, 75001 Paris

November to January

The Christmas market is one of my favorite things to experience during the holidays. It's a great event for anyone to enjoy! It's free entry and a good place to get gifts. The snacks and food are out of this world, including vin chaud (hot spiced wine), hot chocolate, croustillants (fried dough with sugar), sauerkraut, sausage, and more. 

Montmartre, 75018 Paris

Second week of October

A very fun event in the Montmartre area of Paris. You can taste wine, champagne, and try lots of different kinds of food including saucisse (dried sausage) and foie gras.

It wraps around Sacré-Coeur, so you can finish the visit with a tour of the basilica. If you go to the left side of the building, you will see the underground entrance to access the viewing tower. There is an entry fee, but it's worth it.

40 Boulevard Haussmann, 75009 Paris

This is a nice place to shop, but I mostly like to go there to see the beautiful stained glass dome in the center space. Also, around the holidays (late November through end of December) they do gorgeous window displays and lights on the exterior.

Make sure to check out the rooftop bar called La Terrace. It has a breathtaking view of the city!

11 Rue Berryer, 75008 Paris

Beginning of April

For only 15-17€ you can taste an unlimited amount of champagne, from the morning until the evening, in a luxurious mansion from the late 1800s. We spent about three hours at this tasting, which was just the right amount of time! This was one of the many tastings hosted by Terre de Vins year-round. 

Champ de Mars, 5 Avenue Anatole France, 75007 Paris

All year round

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A dinner atop the iconic Eiffel Tower for our second-year anniversary of living in Paris. Click on the picture to read more about what our experience was like and what to expect. 

8 Rue Scribe, 75009 Paris

All year round

We decided to try an opera at the Palais Garnier. Usually, if you just take a tour, you are limited to the areas of the building you could see. If you see a show, you have relatively full access. So, we bought nose-bleed seats and shoe-horned our bottoms into them. I advise to do full research on the opera you are interested in seeing. The opera we chose basically had no sets, and was visually not interesting at all. So, at intermission, we got drinks in the ballroom and explored instead of going back for the second act. This was great, as we had no people in our photos (a rarity in this building!). Worth it if you're an architecture and/or music lover.