Olympic fans can eat, drink and cheer in a mini World’s Fair in Paris park
PARIS (AP) — Sip a cool caipirinha cocktail in Brazil. Sample a spicy samosa in India. Boogie down with a DJ in France ’til the early hours. Or, do all three in a day — and perhaps meet some athletes, too.
If you’re in Paris but don’t have tickets for the Olympics, organizers want you to know that you can spend your days — and boozy nights, too — at the Parc des Nations, or Nations Park, which is hosting 15 festive national team clubhouses in what amounts to a mini-World’s Fair on the edge of Paris.
The project gives a temporary new name to Parc de la Villette, a sprawling 135-acre (55-hectare) space in the northeastern corner of the capital. It opens Saturday, once Friday’s ambitious opening ceremony on the Seine River is over, along with its enormous security demands.
Imagine one huge, multicultural fan zone. The idea is for visitors to connect with each other, with Olympic athletes (who will come for medal celebrations) and with the Games themselves, organizers said.
“The slogan of these Olympics is ‘Games Wide Open,’ and we wanted to bring that to life,” said Amelie Guignabert of Paris 2024, the Olympic organizing committee. “We really believe in it.”
All they need, she noted, is the fans — and officials are advertising in the Paris Metro and elsewhere.
Certainly, there is room for them. The biggest house is not surprisingly, Club France, where there is capacity for 5,000 to 6,000 people inside and 20,000 in the outside spaces, which include two huge fields.
Other team clubhouses are Casa Brazil, Canada Team House, Casa Colombia, Czech House, India House, Casa Mexico, Team NL (Netherlands) House, Mongolia House, Serbian House, Slovak House, Slovenian House, Chinese Taipei Pavilion, Volia Space (Ukraine) and Ekhaya South Africa.
Inside Club France is a large stage, where athletes will appear after winning medals and where nightly music events will be offered, including sets from DJs like Bob Sinclar, said Arnaud Courtier, executive director of Club France.
“We like to party,” he said.
Fans can pay 5 euros ($5.42) and stay as long as they like, watching Olympic competitions on a giant screen and athlete interviews, cheering medal winners and buying food and drink. Or, they can buy a package that could run up to 385 euros ($418) for an all-night open bar and a prime spot on the stage.
Outside are some 20 makeshift pavilions designed by architecture students that house various French sports federations. Among other activities, visitors will be able to learn from coaches and try their hand at sports.
The project started with a decision to put Club France at La Villette, said Sophie-Justine Lieber, the park’s general director. Then, countries that didn’t have clubs elsewhere decided to join in.
The park, with its many structures, was able to accommodate particular needs — for example, Slovenia and the Czech Republic wanted places with kitchens to emphasize their national cuisines, and Mongolia wanted outdoor space to erect yurts, the traditional circular dwellings.
As for beach volleyball? That’s an attraction at Brazil’s house, along with music like samba and funk. And, of course, the national cocktail, caipirinha, as well as pao de queijo, the Brazilian cheese bread.
Organizers at India’s pavilion announced it was the country’s first house at an Olympics, a step toward their dream of bringing the Games one day to India.
India House spares no effort to highlight the country’s rich culture — it has brought in a huge loom, for example, where artisans are weaving traditional saris and carpets. Among many exhibits, one wall displays Gond art from the state of Madhya Pradesh, along with photos of every Indian athlete competing this year.
A key face among them: javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, a star in India who has 9 million Instagram followers.
There will be Indian food, of course — samosas, spiced chai tea, savory dhokla and more. Bollywood music will play, and fans will be able to try yoga and cricket.
Organizer B. Srinivasan, greeting the media Tuesday evening, declared these Games a perfect moment to introduce a new India and pointed to the many notables India has exported to the world – including political figures with Indian heritage like Rishi Sunak, the former British prime minister. And, in the most timely of references, Kamala Harris, the U.S. vice president who is now running for the top job after President Joe Biden ended his campaign for a second term.
By JOCELYN NOVECK
AP National Writer
