Paris can seem like a ghost town during the month of August. The normal buzz of street activity is reduced to a steady hum as shops shut their doors and Parisians head out to the far corners of the Hexagon for several weeks of rest and relaxation. September marks a return to Parisian normality, as the population lets out a collective sigh as they head back to work and school sporting tans and fresh memories of vacation. Despite the buzz-killing return to business, or perhaps because of it, the city of Paris treats its citizens to one of the biggest and most-diverse festivals of the calendar year just as they shake the sand out of their work shoes.
Taking place in the 1st arrondissement, the Festival d’Automne de Paris, or Paris Fall Festival, has been a cultural institution for 39 years and has helped to take the sting out of la Rentrée for Parisians each year. From September to December the fall festival rolls out a non-stop lineup of international singers, dancers, playwrights and just about every other type of artist you can think of. The Festival d’Automne is a truly multidisciplinary celebration of art. Equally impressive is the diversity of venues that constitute a festival that drapes its influence over every corner of the city as the leaves slowly change color. Largely an event designed to appeal to Parisians; savvy travelers have found the Fall Festival’s events as an off-the-beaten-path option to more popular cultural attractions in the city. Guests to the city smart enough to attend one of the events will find themselves mingling among Parisian art-lovers, not gawking tourists.
New York Habitat still has many accommodations in the 1st arrondissement available for the popular fall season. Below are a few special apartments to help get your search started:
-This 2-bedroom rental apartment in Rivoli, le Louvre (PA-4318) accommodates up to 5 guests features a mix of contemporary and eclectic pieces from South Africa, Brazil and India. Enjoy the wooden parquet floor, modern appliances and a nice view of the courtyard below.
-This 1-Bedroom Rental in Le Louvre (PA-3889) features hardwood floors, stylish stone walls, an entrance gate protected by a coded security system, and a jacuzzi.
I love film festivals. It is always cool to be able to know that you are one of the first people to see a movie when they premiere at the festival.
It doesn’t say film festival. The major film festival in France is in Cannes. This is about the “fall festival”, Festival d’Automne de Paris.
A festival is a festival!