By P.A. Geddie
The second largest Paris in the world doesn’t officially share the same tag line as its “City of Love” sister city in France, but even so, expect a lovely time in Paris, Texas. Radio personality Paul Harvey once said it is a city “where tomorrow fell in love with yesterday, and side by side, they lived happily ever after.”
An influx of Europeans in the 1880s created a cosmopolitan atmosphere in the rural town of Paris, Texas. After two devastating fires took out most of the downtown area, rebuilding in the first half of the 1900s included mostly brick materials. The national trend of eclecticism in architecture is clear. Historical preservation remains an important component to citizens of this unique and culturally rich city. The most-recognized attraction in Paris is the “Texanized” sixty-five-foot Eiffel Tower replica, topped off by a red cowboy hat with a ten-foot brim and four-foot crown. It is a great photo opportunity, as are several creative downtown murals and “ghost signs” from the past.
The Texas Eiffel Tower in Paris
In the Nationally Registered Historic District in downtown Paris are easily accessible and unique shopping opportunities. Guests find one of a kind Paris-themed gifts and souvenirs, an array of children’s and women’s clothing boutiques, and specialty shops for home decor and kitchen needs.
Entertainment in Paris includes live music at several venues. The Paris Municipal Band plays concerts in the park during the summer. A growing arts effort includes galleries and several shops featuring works by local artists. Nationally acclaimed comedy shows, an eight-screen movie theater, and the Paris Community Theatre offer more fun things to do throughout the year.
Bywaters Park in the Historic Paris District has a beautiful 1931 Corinthian peristyle with the unique design of a Grecian temple. It is often the site for concerts and special events. Annual events celebrate a bicycle rally, pumpkins, and wine. Lodging choices include hotels, and several downtown loft rentals.
Participants in the annual Tour de Paris bike ride.
Taking center stage in downtown Paris is the Culbertson Fountain, made of Italian marble and surrounded by an inviting plaza with green grass, large trees, and attractive landscaping. It is a favorite landmark for those participating in the annual bicycle rally that takes riders downtown around the plaza before traveling along the Trail de Paris, part of the one hundred thirty-mile Northeast Texas Trail running through nineteen towns and seven counties. The trail goes through a ninety-acre wooded area in Paris and beyond with sites featuring unique bridges, creeks, rippling water, huge sugarberry and other varieties of trees, crape myrtles, honeysuckle, fireflies, underpass art, wildflowers, and pastoral scenes.
Walkers on the trail enjoy picking up a meal from a local restaurant or buying picnic ingredients from the local farmers’ and artisans’ market and finding a perfect spot to enjoy the day. There is no shortage of good dining opportunities in Paris, both downtown and on the loop that circles the city. Texan Parisian dining offers outdoor patio and indoor seating with a variety of culinary choices, including comfort foods like chicken-fried steak and bread pudding, plus steaks, gourmet tamales, street corn, Italian gelato, buffalo wings, and waffles on a stick. An artisan bakery sells European-style breads and pastries. Many locations offer craft beer and wine.
Other things to do in Paris include visits to the Red River Valley Veterans Memorial, Lamar County Historical Museum, the Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site, and the Valley of the Caddo Museum & Cultural Center. Several parks and lakes adorn the Paris landscape. Lake Gibbons is a refuge for geese. Lake Crook is perfect for fishing, boating, and picnics. Pat Mayse Lake is used for recreation and is the entrance for the Barber Hills Bike Trail.
Learn more about Paris on VisitParis-Tx.com.
This article is an excerpt from the book, Upper East Side of Texas, Small Towns & Cultural Districts, available on www.speckledcrow.com.