With over 1,100 stands and 4,600 animals to see, this event can be pretty daunting, but the 49th edition of the agriculture show does its best to make visiting more manageable by organising itself into four themes, and proposing eight different routes to see the things that will interest you most…

photo by arbyreed used under cc licence

It’s easy to get lost at the Salon de l’Agriculture, as it fills almost all the halls of Paris’ giant exhibition space, the Porte de Versailles, but with these four main zones, perhaps you’ll find your way more easily:

- Animals – everything, from livestock to cats and dogs

- Gastronomy in France and abroad – everyone knows that you can eat and drink cheaply (and most of the time for free) at the Agriculture Show. In fact, people often come with their shopping trolleys! There ar also lock-up boxes where you can store your goodies while diving back in to get more!

- Crops and plant sectors – a « Natural fashion and beauty » village, events, workshops…

- Services and trades – discover the different jobs in the sector, the training on offer… learn all about an industry that has plenty of jobs on offer!

photo by Tim Deering used under cc licence

The eight proposed visit itineraries seem quite fun too, with New and unusual flavours pour essayer des goûts inédits, and – thank goodness – an express visit for those of us who don’t have time to dilly-dally!

You can also learn how to drive a tractor, attend the animal parade on 3rd March, and of course eat, drink, eat, drink, eta and drink to your heart’s content (in not your stomach’s)… Look how it all went down last year!

The 2012 Paris Agriculture Show is at the Porte de Versailles (here) from 25th February – 4th March 2012

Opene every day from 9am – 7pm (11pm Friday 3rd March 2012. Last ticket 10.30pm)

Admission: 12€ / 6€ (6 – 12 year-olds) / free (for children under 6 years old)

Official site in English: www.salon-agriculture.com

Facebook page (in French): hereFrench-speakers can consult the press release below. Click the first button bottom right beneath the image (to go into fullscreen mode), or simply click here.

The foire internationale d’art contemporain, the biggest modern art fair of the Parisian calendar, stay in its grand venue of the Grand Palais but expands to expose certain works in a new space (for them), the Jardin des Plantes…

photo: Emmanuel Nguyen Ngoc

It used to be split between the Grand Palais and the Louvre, but thanks to some renovation, the Grand Palais can now hold 105 of the FIAC’s stalls in the giant main room, plus another sixty-odd in adjoining rooms. That makes a total of (around) 2,867 artists in all!

Each year, a number of large works are shown in the Tuileries Gardens (well worth seeing, and free!) but this year – for the first time – there will also be a selection in the lovely Jardin des Plantes, one of our favourite garden in Paris (and not far from our hotels!).During the art fair, there is also a late night opening of various Paris galleries that you can check out (Thursday 20th October). Check out the map with the full list of participants here (PDF).

And then there’s the Marcel Duchamp prize, the Lafayette prize…

The 2011 FIAC is at the Grand Palais (and elsewhere) from 20th – 23rd October 2011

Open from midday – 8pm each day

Admission: 32€/16€ (tickets here)

Official site: www.fiac.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/fiacparis

Twitter: www.twitter.com/FIAC

Unmissable if you like your literature, and not limited to French-speakers…

photo by lactulli used under cc licence

The themes for the 2011 edition?

- Spotlight on Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden!

- Crime and thrillers (novels, mangas, graphic novels)

- An invitation to discover Buenos Aires, named World book for 2011 by UNESCO

- La littérature des outre-mer

- Serial readers: the Stieg Larsson novels, Twilight, and more!

photo by lactulli used under cc licence

There are also talks, meet ‘n’ greets, exhibitions, signings… andyou can be sure that there will be plenty of iPads around this year.

The Paris Book Fair (le Salon du Livre de Paris) is at Porte de Versailles (here) from 18th – 21st March 2011.

Open Friday 18th from 10am – 11pm, the weekend from 10am – 8pm, and Monday 21st from 1-6pm.

Admission 9€.

Official site, much of it in English: www.salondulivreparis.com

3,500 animals, free grub ‘n’ booze on 1,000 stands… and 650,000 visitors. It’s ginormous! Here’s what to expect.

Photo de Ted Van Pelt used under cc licence

For the last few years the Agriculture Fair (or Salon International de l’Agriculture, if you please) has been promoting itself as the world great green hope, despite the fact that we know how inefficient animal farming is, and that way too many pesticides are used in agriculture. This year is no exception. You’ll see green everywhere – in the logo (the press pack boasts of it even), on the official site, and the ads cobbled together to promote the event…

Apart from rampant greenwashing, expect to see three new ‘villages’ (one for green tourism, another for beauty and fashion, and a third about building), and 6 pavilions about cultivating livestock & fruit ‘n’ veg, gardening for we mortals, pets (?), and.. and.. YES ! Delicious food and drink not only from France bu around the world. Everyone knows that the Agriculture Fair is a big meal ticker (with a wine chaser) so make the most of it!

Photo by Geoff R used under cc licence

The Salon de l’Agriculture is at Porte de Versailles (here) from 19th – 27th February 2011.

Open every day from 9am – 7pm. Late night on Friday 25th February until 11pm (that’s going to be a very long dinner).

Admission: 12€ / 6€.

Official site: www.salon-agriculture.com (look for the button on the right to choose the English version)

If you like shiny things with cool curves that go fast, you’re going to be in heaven…

It must be frustrating to look at so many new cars – and prototypes – and not be able to afford them. The Paris Motor show is always like this; part pleasure, part frustration, but that doesn’t stop a huge number of people going. It’s one of the biggest events on the calendar, filling the entire exhibition site (which is huge)!

Photo by StuckInCustoms (Flickr) used under cc licence

This year, new energy sources should be the star of the show, with a number of electric and hybrid cars being presented.

And if you can’t get there in person, you can easily keep up to date with all the news by going to the official Facebook page, checking out the official photos on Flickr, catching up with the Twitter feed, or watching the live webTV: webtv.mondial-automobile.com

Photo by pixelpyro (Flickr) used under cc licence

The Paris Motor Show is at the porte de Versailles (here) from 2nd – 17th October 2010.

Open every day from 10am – 8pm. Late night opening until 10pm on 7th and 14th October.

Admission 12€ / 6€

Official site: www.mondial-automobile.com

Photo by Pgd (Flickr) used under cc licence

Chocoholics beware: celebrating its 15th year, this show might make even you feel a little ill!

Photo by scubadive67 (Flickr) used under cc licence

If you have no willpower, our advice is not to go: the Salon du Chocolat may well scupper your dieting plans, with 14,000m² of stalls, demonstrations and the now-famous chocolate fashion show. Yep, ladies dressed only in chocolate (and a token bloke, although he seems to have cheated by wearing a bit of bread too).

Photo by thrig (Flickr) used under cc licence

This year, the theme is opera, symbol of purity in musique and excellence in cake-making: the opéra cake is now a French classic, although it was only created 50 years ago by Gaston Lenôtre. To celebrate 15 years of chocolateness, Dalloyau will be making a giant opéra cake of IMPRESSIVE proportions.

Photo by RIPizzo (Flickr) used under cc licence

ANd as usual there will be workshops for the kids, the « Chocolate Awards » (don’t ask), and a preview of the chocolate museum that should be opening in Paris sometime soon.

The 2010 Salon du Chocolat is at Porte de Versailles (here) from 20th October – 1st November 2010. Open from 10am – 7pm. Admission 12€/6€. Free for… under 3s!

Official site: www.salonduchocolat.fr

It’s the major photographic fair of the year with over 100 galleries showing their photographic wares under the Louvre. Your annula chance to see what’s hot on the photo market at the moment, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of Paris Photo Month….

Christophe Luxereau, Vanités. (c) Christophe Luxereau, courtesy filigranes éditions

For this year’s Paris Photo event, central Europe is the invited region, with over 90 Hungarian, Polish, Slovak, Slovenian and Czech artists being represented by a third of the galleries present.

In addition to the thousands of photos on show, there are also almost a hundred signings being organised and – as ever – the BMW prize  (on the theme of   »Electric vision ») and the SFR young talents prize (on the theme of movement).

Carlo Van de Roer, Yoko Okutsu. Copyright the artist, courtesy of M+B Gallery, Los Angeles

You can download a PDF file (in French) with more details of other photo exhibitions around Paris the same month here.

Paris Photo 2010 is at the Carrousel du Louvre (here) from 18th – 21st November 2010. Open every day from 11.30am – 8pm (7pm Sunday). Admission: 18€ / 9€. Free for under 10s!

More information: www.parisphoto.fr

Stéphane Couturier, Melting Power Alstom #6. Courtesy Galerie Polaris, Paris

If your knowledge of Japan stretches only slightly further than Sudoku, here’s your chance to catch up with Japanese tradition and pop culture in all its forms, even themost bizarre: cosplay, J-pop, manga, karaoke, martial arts, video games… a voyage halfway around the world without even leaving Paris…

photo de magic-spoon utilisée sous licence cc

After having celebrated its 10th anniversary in style last year, Japan Expo is back in force this year with a few surprises. For exmaple, did you know that baseball is the national sport there? Or that they love car tuning? You’ll see both at the Expo, as well as:

- Fashion. With a wide range of Japanese influences, all the big Japanese brand will be there, plus small designers too. Anything goes!
- Anime. Exclusive, pre-release showings! World premieres!
- Culture. Demonstrations of Kimono, Ikebana, conferences, Nihon Buyô, tea ceremonies…
- Shopping. Mangas, objects, a rare chance to find something a little different.
- Videogames. The Japanese love them even more than the French! All the main companies will be present, and you can even take part in a tournament of your favourite game.

- Sports and Martial Arts. Kendô, Jûdô, Karate, Aikidô, Viêt Vo Dao, Wu Shu… lessons for beginners and demonstrations. Over 4000m²!
- Games and Activities. Traditional Japanese games like Go, Othello, Shôgi and – of course – Mah-Jong.
- Traditional Culture. Time for a rest with soem origami, Ikebana (Japanese floral displays), calligraphy, painting, plus the French Shiatsu Institute, a Yoga space and tradition asian massages.
- Special guests. You might not know their names (I didn’t) but the fans will be lining up to meet Hideo Kokima, Morning Musume。, Noriyuki Iwadare and Tsukasa Hôjô, plus X Japan et a lot more (including the group Root Thumm, below).

But let’s not forget one of the most important aspects of the event: Cosplay has taken over Japan Expo, and you’ll people in all sorts of wacky attire, supposedly looking like their favourite videogame or comic book hero. Unmissable!

photo de flexgraph utilisée sous licence cc

So get ready for a huge (but agreeable) culture shock. A fun day out for both adults and kids!

photo de Jamiecat * utilisée sous licence cc

Japan Expo is at the Parc des Expositions at Villepinte (here) from 1st – 4th July 2010. Open every day from 11am – 7pm (or from 10am if you’ve bought your tickets in advance).

Admission costs between 9 and 14€ depending on which day you go (see here).

Official site: www.japan-expo.com

It’s one of the most popular shows open to the public of the entire year, filling up almost all the halls of the enormous porte de Versailles exhibition space with a zest interior deco, a touch of ecology and – this year – a light tropical breeze! Wonder what we mean? Here’s the details…

photo of the Foire de Paris by "François @ Edito.qc.ca", used under cc licence

In the past few years the Foire de Paris, sometimes considered a little naff in the Internet era, has done its best to try and catch up with the times to become the city’s premium show of shows: there’s practically nothing you can’t find there!…

- Construction and renovation. 16,000 m² and 150 exhibitors: Construction – Real Estate – Building materials / insulation – Interior & exterior woodwork – Wall coverings and decoration – Security and protection – Professional advice

- Kitchen, Bathroom and Domestic appliances. 22,000 m² and 180 exhibitors: Fitted kitchens – Bathrooms – Large appliances – Small appliances

- New energies and comfort. 11,300 m² and 90 exhibitors: Tradtitional heating – Thermic solar panels – Photovoltaic solar panels – Windpower – Air conditioning – Water treatment – Geothermic energy

- Gardens. 15,300 m² and 120 exhibitors: Garden furniture – Exterior deco, balconies, terraces – Outdoor equipment – House extensions (verandas, etc.) – Barbecues – Garden trimmers and lawn mowers – Garden preparation and upkeep – Plants

- Furniture and decoration. 40,000 m² and 300 exhibitors!: Furniture – Living room solutions – Storage solutions – Bedding – Lighting – Home fabrics – Art galleries – Rugs and carpets – Tableware – Decorative items

- Image & sound: Image (screens, cameras, home cinema, video…) – Sound (hi-fi and musical instruments) – Mobile devices – Home fitting solutions

…plus everything you need for the swimming pool, your chimney and – wait – there’s more…

There’s the well-being and relaxation section spread over 13,000 m² called (oh dear) « Woman’s World« , 12,000 m² for DIY and over 4,000 m² just for camping-related stuff! Add to all that four other areas devoted to cultures from around the world, wine, gastronomy, crafts, 55 shows, late)night opening on Friday 7th May until 11.30pm, inventions (and the ‘Lépine’ inventions prize), workshops, kids areas… You get the picture: you’ll have a hard time getting round it all.

Let’s hope that there is not only quantity but also quality. In any case, there’s nothing else in Paris quite like it!

You’ll find a lot more information (in French) on the official site: www.foiredeparis.fr

And if you want to have a look at some of the official videos of the event, have a look here! (below for example you can see our mayor, Betrand Delanoë, opening the 2009 edition).

You want boats? How about 1,400 boats?!!! And lots more…
It’s one of the biggest shows of the year, spread over four pavilions at the Porte de Versailles exhibition space; 1,400 botas of which 300 are new models, 600 motorboats, 500 sailboats, 300 various other types of craft (kayaks, canoes, surfboards) and over 250,000 visitors each year. Pretty impressive…

Our favourite event this year? Cuisine à bord, (Cooking on-board) with well know chefs showing you the latest kitchen gadgets whilst making a meal, perched on a galley on a 20° slope!

And don’t miss the special Xmas area with its giant tree and selection of gift ideas, such as Gore-tex boots, the gift that everyone dreams of receiving.

Nautic is also a good family event, as under-16s go free, as do students under 27 who register on the site and show up with their ID.

Nautic – the Paris Boat Show – is at Porte de Versailles (here) from 5th – 13th December 2009. Open every day from 10am – 7pm, late night opening Friday 11th October until 10pm. Admission: 13€ / 7€

Official site : www.salonnautiqueparis.com