How San Francisco Francophiles are Experiencing the Paris Olympics

The last time Paris hosted an Olympics was in 1924 – 100 years ago. At that time, to experience the Olympics one had to attend the Olympics. For everyone, updated information on the events came in the form of person-to-person telephone conversations (telephone – what’s that?) or reading about the results in a newspaper.  

The ways to experience the current Paris Olympics have changed thanks to communications driven by the internet, smartphones and live broadcast television. Add the addition of social get togethers to watch live events and that is the way the French and Francophile community in the San Francisco Bay Area (and all others) will be experiencing and enjoying the Olympics. Although some will be traveling to France or other countries in the French Republic for a personal experience of the games, most will be sharing the event with friends and family via today’s great technology. 

“We will be watching ceremonies and events, or part of them, and a few of the finals on TV with our family,” said Thomas Célerier, Co-Chair of the French Heritage Society (FHS) Northern California Chapter and on the Board of Directors of Alliance Française Silicon Valley. 

FHS members can enjoy the French fencing competition as a group on Sunday, July 28. Held in a private San Francisco home, attendees will watch the fencing competition live from Paris and then enjoy an al fresco lunch. The fencing competition will be held at the Grand Palais in Paris which has been undergoing a restoration. The French Heritage Society provided a grant of $114,000 to support the restoration work. 

The Alliance Française San Francisco has already started the Paris Olympics party. On July 9 in partnership with the International Ocean Film Foundation, they hosted a screening of the French film, Daughters of the Waves. The film features two Tahitian sisters following their dreams to be surfers, including many of the challenges faced by female surfers. The Olympic connection is that one of the sisters will represent France in the Olympic surfing competition held in Tahiti.

There are several ways to enjoy the Paris Olympics via television. NBC Universal is the main broadcaster of the events, including the opening and closing ceremonies. But for the first time, the events can be enjoyed in a movie theatre on a really big screen, including IMAX screens. AMC Theatres has partnered with NBC Universal to bring the Paris Olympics to 160 theatres across the United States. NBC’s coverage of events will be broadcast live and tickets are available for every event.

There are many French and Francophiles from the Bay area who plan to attend the games in Paris. One is Monique Audiat-Rewick who will be traveling to France with her nine-year old son. She is excited to travel to France, visit family and “take advantage of the Olympic spirit.” Her son is a football/soccer fan so their trip will start in Marseilles for an Olympic football game then on to Paris to stay with her family and enjoy events around Paris. 

“With the Olympics there, I thought it would also be a great opportunity to visit family and experience something as grand and historical as the Olympics in our ‘second’ home city,” said Audiat-Rewick. “We want to experience a safe, positive, convivial atmosphere of bringing all cultures together in a truly French way that is organized, with good food, artistic, etc.” 

If a trip to the Paris Olympics isn’t possible but you want to enjoy an opening ceremony Olympics party, here’s some of the ways the French and other Paris Olympics fans will enjoy the parade down the Seine in the Bay Area.

Olympics Opening Ceremony Watch Party at Manny’s, San Francisco 

Friday July 26, 10:30am – 2pm PDT

Held at Manny’s, an event center, the opening ceremony along the Seine will be broadcast on a big screen for all to enjoy. Attendees are encouraged to attend in the attire of any country they want to support and can enjoy drinks and food. 

Olympics Opening Ceremony Watch Party at City Center Bishop Ranch, San Ramon 

Friday, July 26 at 7pm PDT

The opening ceremony held earlier in the day will be big screen rebroadcast but there will also be Olympians from former USA teams in attendance. There will be a selfie station to take pictures with them along with games and prizes. 

Que les jeux commencent (let the games begin) and enjoy them on a big screen with friends and family, if not in person.