Paris in September is Design Week, which includes the huge Maison et Objet fair (left). A woman walking through a show room at the Festival d'Automne home decoration fair in Paris (right).
Paris Design Week / Infidèles © Steff Stessel – Festival d’Automne

September marks la rentrée in France, the moment when summer holidays wind down and the French get back to their daily lives. As Parisians return to work or school, the city wakes up from its August lull and offers a wide range of events that make it a great time to be in Paris.

September is a particularly interesting occasion to visit the city’s museums, which propose several new exhibitions starting this month. Lovers of the Art Nouveau movement won’t want to miss the Musée du Luxembourg‘s retrospective of Czech artist and designer, Alphonse Mucha (September 12- January 27).

HiP Paris Blog rounds up what's on this September like a Giacometti exhibition.

HiP Paris Blog rounds up what's on this September like exhibitions at the Grand Palais and the Musée du Luxembourg.
Top image: Musée Maillol. Below images: Grand Palais / Musée du Luxembourg

The Musée d’Orsay and Musée Picasso have teamed up to present the Cubist’s 1900 to 1906 work in their collaborative exhibition, Picasso. Bleu et rose.

Italian painter and sculptor Alberto Giacometti is featured at Musée Maillol this month, with over fifty sculptures on loan from the Fondation Giacometti from September 14 – January 20. Italian artists are also featured at the Grand Palais, which has curated a selection of paintings, sculptures, drawings, and performances that celebrate the vibrant Venetian cultural scene in Eblouissante Venise!

A poster for September events in Paris like the Paris Heritage Days (left) and satellite events for Paris Design Week (right).
Journées Européennes du Patrimoine © L’Atelier Cartographik / Paris Design Week

Another fall favorite is the annual Heritage Days, which take place on September 15 and 16 this year. Explore Paris’ monuments and gain access to city buildings and spaces that are often closed off to the public during these two days of portes ouvertes.

Colorful shell tiles (left) and a coral theme vase (right) at September's Maison et Objet design fair in Paris.
Elitis Matière au Cœur – Paris Design Week

The worlds of design and fashion embrace the back-to-school spirit by hosting major events in Paris. From September 8 to 16, Paris Design Week takes over the city and brings designers from around the world to share their latest creations. September 25 kicks off Paris Fashion Week, with fashion shows and other swanky events taking place around the capital.

Every September in Paris, mini farmers' markets pop up all over the city like at arty hub Ground Control.
Ground Control

Foodies should head to 12th arrondissement hangout, Ground Control. Every Saturday this month, the space will host a mini farmer’s market featuring locally sourced vegetables and artisanal products.

In September in Paris, the sun starts shining again and locals settle at cafe terraces for food and drinks in the sunshine.
France Quintessence / Ground Control

France Quintessence, a salon and tradeshow dedicated exclusively to French spirits, will delight Francophile drinkers on September 9 and 10.  And from September 21 to 23, Goût de France celebrates the French gastronomic scene with tastings, apéros, masterclasses, and more.

Foodie event Goût de France, a fair of French food and spirits from all over the country, takes place in Paris every September.
© Eric Perez – Goût de France

The Festival d’Automne brings together theater, music, dance, film, and visual arts in venues across the city throughout the season. Enjoy one of the festival’s participative artistic events by joining Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker’s Slow Walk on September 23. Another inventive festival worth checking out this month is Kiosquorama, a politically motivated event that invites artists and musicians to help raise public awareness about sustainable development, using the city’s many kiosques as venues. Head to the 18th arrondissement where former train station turned cultural space, Le Hasard Ludique, welcomes indie artists for Paris Popfest on September 21 and 22.

HiP Paris Blog rounds up what's on this September including music and dancing events all over the city like 'Slow Walk' in République.
Slow Walk – Festival d’Automne

Sporty ladies won’t want to miss out on La Parisienne, a women-only 16 km run taking place on September 9. Last year’s race drew an impressive 20,000 participants. Not up for the run yourself? This year’s women would love to be cheered on!

HiP Paris Blog rounds up what's on this September like La Parisienne, a women-only running race in Paris, which runs through the city, in front of the Eiffel Tower (left). The crowds gather in front of the Eiffel Tower for La Parisienne race in September in Paris (right).
Gerard Sanz / V Krieger – La Parisienne

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Written by Emily Dilling for HiP Paris. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, London, Provence, Tuscany, Umbria or Liguria? Check out Haven In.

WRITTEN BY

Emily Dilling

Emily Dilling is a France based writer and author of My Paris Market Cookbook: A Culinary Tour of French Flavors and Seasonal Recipes. In 2005 Emily moved to Paris from her native California and began exploring the cities markets, restaurants, and cafés. In 2010 she founded the blog Paris Paysanne, where she writes about her favorite addresses and artisans in the city. Emily currently lives in the Loir-et-Cher region of France, where she writes and works in the grapevines.

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