March is the beginning of spring, the season where Paris seems to reborn, with its flowering trees. The days get longer and the walkers rediscover the gardens and the banks of the Seine, on foot, by bike or on rollerblades.

Main Events in Paris in March

1/ Paris International Agricultural Show

Paris International Agricultural Show is one of the world’s largest and most important agricultural shows, drawing larger crowds than any other exposition in Paris except the Foire de Paris.

This event was first held in 1870 as the Concours général agricole, its name changed in 1964, but the Concours still exists and is one of the main attractions of the fair.

This annual fair takes place end of February or beginning of March at the Porte de Versailles.

2/ Salon du Livre

The Salon du Livre de Paris is an event devoted to books, created in 1981, held each spring in Paris, at the Porte de Versailles.

The event welcomes both large and small publishers and is representative of the book trades. Its originality is to be open to the general public and the professionals. On several days, numerous meetings are held with writers, authors, designers, etc.. The diversity of participants, autograph sessions, major thematic debates make this meeting a great cultural and festive time.

The Salon du Livre hosts around 1 200 publishers from 25 countries. All booths covering a floor area of 55 000 square meters.

3/ Paris semi-Marathon

The course consists of a single loop of 21.097 kilometers in the east of Paris. The start and finish taking place on the esplanade of the castle of Vincennes.

The first trail takes the paths of the Bois de Vincennes to arrive in the streets of Paris. The runners pass, among others, place the nation, place de la Bastille, rue de Rivoli, to return by the Seine right bank. Finally, the last 7 km are held in the Bois de Vincennes.

Semi-Marathon de Paris is the largest running race in France after the Paris Marathon.

March Must Do’s in Paris

1 / Stroll the cafes

On the return of warm weather, the cafes of Paris with their terraces will delight the tourists. You’ll find a place to drink and relax in every corner of Paris. Among the many drinks, you can choose the  “petit noir”, a strong and typically French coffee, or a “March beer”, a strong amber and low in alcohol beer specifically proposed in March. Most cafes offer you the Parisian newspapers unless you’d rather watch the passers parade …

2 / The booksellers of Paris

Les Bouquinistes, the riverside vendors who peddle used books, have set up shop along the Seine in the Latin Quarter since the mid-1500s, when shops and stalls lined most of the bridges in Paris. The term bouquinistes comes from the Dutch word boeckin, meaning small book. Early dealers used wheelbarrows to transport their goods, but they eventually fastened trays with thin leather straps to the parapets of the bridges.

After the Revolution, entire that libraries were seized from nobles and clergymen found their way onto the second-hand market here. In 1891, bouquinistes received permission to permanently attach their boxes to the quaysides. The waiting list to become one of Paris’ 250 bouquinistes, today, is over eight years.

Each bouquiniste is given four boîtes (boxes)–each 6 feet long, 14 inches high, and 2.5 feet deep, and rent is paid only for the stone on which the boxes rest (currently less than 100 per year) with the most coveted spots awarded based on seniority. Maintenance costs are paid by the bouquinistes. While tourists tend to be drawn by the lure of cheap magnets, keychains and posters, the city allows no more than one box of souveniers for every three boxes of books. Bouquinistes are required to open at least four days a week, and keep everything locked up inside when they aren’t.
3 / Enjoy the seasonal dishes

The month of March is as everyone knows the beginning of spring. The new season offers a multitude of new fruits and vegetables. The shelves of many Parisian markets are full of carrots, cabbage, leeks, bananas, oranges, pears and other fruits and vegetables … The warm atmosphere of these markets certainly inspire you to prepare delicious dishes of the season, unless you prefer to go to a french restaurant …

Weather forecasts for Paris in March

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