Here is the 2nd part of my guide to free events to enjoy this summer if you are staying in (or passing through) the capital. Once again, it’s an opportunity to prove to you that staying in Paris during the summer is not necessarily a punishment.
This part will be dedicated to other events and festivals that I didn’t get a chance to mention in my first article.
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Table of Contents
L’Été du Canal de l’Ourcq
This event, which returns to liven up weekends in Paris and Seine-Saint-Denis on the banks of the Canal de l’Ourcq, will run from July 8 to August 27, 2017. For the festival’s 10th anniversary this year, gastronomy is in the spotlight for this new edition.
In total, 2 months of coolness along the Canal de l’Ourcq to enjoy numerous festive and cultural activities that unfold according to the stops: to be shared with family, friends, or as a couple, with your feet in the water.
On the program: river shuttles at 1 € (on Saturdays) or 2 € (on Sundays), street art, barge balls, festive cruises (gourmet, musical, discovery, and nocturnal), canoeing, concerts, outdoor cinema, nautical activities, children’s shows, exhibitions, brunch or aperitif-concert cruises, etc.
I had the chance to test a brunch cruise prepared by Marmites Volantes, and frankly, it was really lovely.
These brunch cruises take place every weekend during L’Été du Canal, on Saturdays and Sundays, and the cruise lasts from 12:30 PM (be sure to be on time for departure!) to 2:30 PM. Since places are limited, it is best to book if you wish to try this brunch cruise on the Canal de l’Ourcq.
Price: 27 € / child menu at 16 € (cruise + brunch)
L'Été du Canal Until August 27, 2017
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Summer Garden at the Musée du Quai Branly
As every summer, the Musée du Quai Branly offers an original and free program related to the Pacific theme, as part of the Summer Garden (Jardin d’été), an event with multiple summery vibes.
For the first time and throughout the summer, the rooftop terrace will be open and accessible to the public from 06/21 to 09/21 (price 3 €, and free on the first Sunday of the month).
On the program: workshops, storytelling, initiations, readings with also a reading lounge and nomadic books, performances, concerts, and shows…
Musée du Quai Branly 37, quai Branly – 75007 Paris Until September 2, 2017 from 4 PM to 6 PM Free and open access
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La Clichy Plage, near Paris
La Clichy Plage, near ParisThe City of Clichy offers its residents summer activities with Caribbean colors, around the Gérard Durant swimming pool.
Until August 20, for only 1 € (free for children under 3), the people of Clichy will benefit from the wellness area, outdoor activities, water games (swimming and aqua gym classes), and the climbing wall.
Clichy Plage
Gérard Durant Swimming Pool
until Sunday, August 20, 2017
every day from 10 AM to 8 PM
Clichy Adult Resident: 1 € / Free for children under 3 / Free upon presentation of the Sport Pass available at the pool and the One-Stop Shop (Guichet Unique)
Free activities_
Paris Plages
Like every year, Paris Plages sets the pace for the capital’s summer by transforming the quays into beaches with refreshment stalls and parasols, and the city takes on the appearance of a seaside resort—except this year, there is no sand, and it feels a bit weird (yes, in the photo above there is some, but that’s because it’s a memory from the 2012 edition)…
On the program: numerous free activities offered throughout the summer from July 8 to September 3 in 4 locations (Voie Georges Pompidou / Port de Solférino and Invalides / Parvis de l’Hôtel de Ville / Bassin de la Villette)
Paris Plages banks of the Seine / Bassin de la Villette from July 8 to September 3, 2017 / from 9 AM to midnight All activities are free
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The Tréteaux Nomades Festival
The Tréteaux Nomades FestivalThis traveling festival of the Arènes de Montmartre returns to meet Parisians from August 21 to September 3, 2017.
On the program: shows for all audiences and young audiences around Commedia dell’arte in 2 Parisian locations (Arènes de Montmartre, courtyard of the Hôtel de Beauvais) with 4 troupes that reinvent the classics through a very contemporary interpretation: La Carabela, Les Passeurs, Les Croqueurs, and Le Mystère Bouffe.
The great deal: introductory workshops to Commedia dell’arte for adults will be organized from August 21 to 27 from 3 PM to 5 PM (fee-based and by registration only).
Tréteaux Nomades Festival from August 21 to September 3, 2017 Courtyard of the Hôtel de Beauvais (75004) and at the Arènes de Montmartre (75018)
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Les Traversées du Marais Festival
Les Traversées du Marais FestivalFor its 3rd edition, the Les Traversées du Marais festival offers balls, concerts, dance, theater, screenings, conferences, and workshops around the theme of carnival in several cultural venues in the Marais, members of the "Marais Culture +" network.
The great deal: the program is free for all audiences and for the vast majority of events
Les Traversées du Marais Festival 3rd edition from September 8 to 10, 2017
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To give you other outing ideas this summer in Paris, feel free to take a look at my other article in this same theme of my Parisian summer guide.
- Part 1 of the free Paris summer guide: musical festivals
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez and Mademoiselle Bon Plan
