Does anyone know the dates of Nuit Blanche - usually beginning of October? We'll be there until Oct. 4th and I'd love to participate in the all night activites. The City opens numerous venues, etc. for two nights, all night, to encourage the Parisians to get out, dance, and meet each other. I'm hoping that is the weekend before we depart.

Thanks,

Nina

Nina,
By any chance do you wear all white to these events? Thanks.

It's the 1st and 2nd of October this year.

Thanks Jody. Maybe you wear white pajamas? Has anyone partipated?

Nina

You don't wear anything special, and in fact the event itself isn't really anything special. I was there for it last year, and it's just a lot of commercial establishments (art galleries, jazz clubs, movies, restaurants, cafés, etc.) stay open all night. It's not even very noticeable that it's going on.

I was there last year also. We were staying in the Marais. The place was a zoo, because there were many places open & free that night - Victor Hugo's house, the Marie (special art exhibits brought in ), etc. The lines to get into Victor Hugo's house must have been 1-2 hrs long & wrapped around much of the Pl de Vosges.

I don't think I would go out of my way to see it - we just happened to be there at the same time. Too many people and too much congestion. After dinner, we walked around a little, but got tired of the scene real quick. We're in our 50s, so a "party night" is not our thing, however.

Stu Dudley

I was there last year and loved it. We started on the Pont des Arts, waiting for the official opening, a flotilla of barges "playing" a concert with their horns...they had actually orchestrated it. It was great, and a wonderful opportunity to talk with others also waiting. Then to Chatelet where an opera video was shown on the place side of the theater, with enormous speakers, then to Hotel de Ville, which was open for an enchanting art piece with lights and huge voile panels hanging everywhere, then Notre Dame, with a choir singing.

It's crowded, noisy, and takes a lot of walking and waiting, but not to be missed if you're there, at least once. Unfortunately I'll miss it by a few days this year. And by the way, Nina, it's only one night, not two.

Well, I guess the 7th isn't much of a Nuit Blanche venue. There wasn't much of anything noticeable going on at all that I saw. Next time I'll head for the center of town!

The 7th is known for its large population of retirees. The Nuits Blanches tend to go completely unnoticed in that part of town.

<i>Nuit blanche</i> means &quot;sleepless night&quot; or &quot;all-nighter.&quot; It's just a special day when a lot of places stay open all night, in some parts of town. But don't hold your breath for the 7th, as they roll up the sidewalks there early in the evening (except for the Eiffel Tower, which normally stays open until midnight every day).

Thanks for reminding me of this -- I was suffering a momentary blanc de memoire*

*Cdn franglais -- I think the correct French is trou de memoire. Experts, comments?

Jody said that it was Oct.1 and 2 and I thought that it was two nights also. Interesting how each of you had a different take on it. I stay up late, but am not one to be out in mob scenes and detest waiting in long lines. It might be fun, or it might be 'amateur night'. We just might wander around and see for ourselves.

St. Cirq, I was just kidding about the white PJ's, in response to wliwl's post.

We'll be at the bottom of the 5th, on the edge of the 13th, so we may just stay home that night, but it is an option.

Nina

It sounds like a field day for pickpockets.

After I wrote 1 AND 2nd I realized that could be confusing ! It is the night of the 1st and into the morning of the 2nd!

tedgale, just as an homage to your perfectionism: yes, the correct expression is &quot;trou de m&eacute;moire&quot; !