Paris Events In December 2023 – Markets, Lights & Lots Of Food

December is the biggest holiday month of the year in Paris, and there's a lot to experience. The city is filled with seasonal activities — from Christmas markets and gaily-decorated store windows, to thousands of Noël lights on the Champs-Elysées. So, grab your holiday spirit and discover the best Paris activities & events this December.

• 50 Perfect Holiday Activities in December in Paris…
• Christmas in Paris – Le Plus Merveilleux Time Of The Year…
• 22 Stellar Things to Do on New Year's Eve…
• 10 Best Christmas Markets In Paris For 2023…

Noël – Christmas Day

December 25 is a French National Holiday. Museums will be shut tight as well as department stores and most shops. If you're not planning to cook in your Paris apartment, you'll want to be sure to make your Christmas dinner reservations well in advance.

Christmas Lights on Champs-Elysées

Each Christmas season, 400 trees on the iconic avenue — from Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe — are decorated with a bevy of colorful, energy-efficient lights. Each year a celebrity flips the switch to turn on the lights in a special star-studded ceremony. In past years Catherine Deneuve, Vanessa Paradis, Marion Cotillard, Laetitia Casta, and Charlotte Gainsbourg have been the lucky ones to switch on the lights. This year's special guest will be announced in early November. Stay tuned.

• Avenue des Champs-Elysées
• Late November to mid-January
• Information…

The Best Christmas Decorations in Paris

Christmas lights always set Paris twinkling. Extra-special care is put into decorating the lavish department stores and shopping districts that dot the Paris landscape. Here are few of our favorites streets and stores —

• Galeries Lafayette, Boulevard Haussmann
• Printemps, Boulevard Haussmann
• Le Bon Marché, 7th Arondissment
• BHV, in the Marais
• Faubourg Sainte-Honoré, 8th Arondissment
• Forum des Halles, 2nd Arondissment
• Place Vendome, 1st Arondissment

Top Christmas Markets in Paris

Celebrate the season by visiting some of the Christmas markets found throughout the city from late November to the end of December. There are over 100 Christmas markets in public squares, parks, avenues, and train stations in Paris. Here are few worth a detour —

• NOTRE-DAME CHRISTMAS MARKET
  More than fifty exhibitions dedicated to Christmas arts and crafts. Just steps away from the iconic Notre Dame cathedral, the market will be brimming with crafts, seasonal decorations and delights.
  • Square René Viviani, 2 rue du Fouarre, 5th Arrondissement
• MARCHÉ DE NOËL À MONTMARTRE
  Head up the hill to the former artist's village that is Montmartre to shop at the eclectic collection of thirty wooden chalets near the Sacré-Coeur
  • Paroisse Saint-Pierre de Montmartre, 18th Arrondissements
• NOËL DANS LES ETOILES – A STARRY CHRISTMAS
  This Christmas village features seventy chalets selling holiday crafts, decorations, and seasonal foods. Head to Place Joachim-du-Bellay in the 1st Arrondissement near the Fontaine des Innocents at Les Halles.

Salon du Cheval de Paris

The horse show premiered in 1979 and is still going strong. Salon du Cheval de Paris hosts a program of national competitions, demonstrations, exhibits, and clinics. This year's competition includes all the horsey essentials from jumping, dressage, harness, vaulting, and hunter to Western riding. The program also includes national, professional, and amateur trials with prize money valued at €40,000.

The three key events are the Paris Longines Masters horse jumping competition; the Nuit du Cheval, an equestrian show; and the World Arabian Horse Championship, a three-day competition featuring the world's most beautiful purebred horses. It's the only one of its kind in the world.

• Paris Nord Villepinte
• Information…

Le Grand Tasting Paris

Attention wine lovers! Hundreds of French and global winemakers will gather at the Le Festival des Grands Vins in Paris to offer tastings, workshops, and culinary events.

• Carrousel du Louvre
• Information…

Salon Nautique de Paris

France's largest boat show features all things water sports — from sailing boats, fishing, and motorboats to board sports and shows off all the latest gadgets and new technologies. If you are a lover of leisure activities on the water, this is the event of the year. Don't miss the the huge Nautic Spot, a massive waterslide and beach in the center of the exhibition.

• Porte de Versailles
• Information…