Expert recommendations of the top events—with tips on how to best experience these celebrations.
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Fête de la Musique
June 21. An idea from the 1980s minister of culture that has become a national institution. Free concerts of all kinds all over Paris. http://fetedelamusique.culture.fr
Fête des Vendanges
Second weekend of October. Annual Montmartre grape harvest festival. Jolly neighborhood party with music and fireworks. www.fetedesvendangesdemontmartre.com
Fête Nationale (Bastille Day)
July 14. Dancing on the site of the Bastille, a big parade on the Champs-Elysées, fireworks around the Eiffel Tower after dark.
Gay Pride March
Late June. Its organizers claim that Paris's is the world's biggest. Parade from Montparnasse to the Bastille, followed by a concert. http://marche.inter-lgbt.org
Paris Plages
Mid-July to mid-August. Parisian life transformed by more than a mile of temporary beach along the Seine embankments. Palm trees, music, and parties in the evenings.
