The concept of the Foire de Paris was aired in 1889 by a jeweler named Gustave Sandoz, but was dropped as preparations began for the Exposition Universelle of 1900.

In 1903 an organizing committee was established by the Chambre Syndicale des Jeux et Jouets, and the first fair was opened in March 1904.

[5] In 1923 the Parc des expositions was created at the Porte de Versaille to accommodate the fair and the exhibitions organized by the Ministry of Agriculture.

During World War II (1939–45) the fair was held in 1940, closing on 10 May 1940 on the day of the great German offensive.

The 1948 fair covered 45 hectares (110 acres) and included luxury goods such as leather and shoes for the first time since the war.

In 1950 President Vincent Auriol advised the French people, "Let all who are melancholic and sad come to the Paris Fair, their sorrow will give way to optimism.

[11] In 2012 the Foire de Paris, which is the largest general fair in Europe, lasted for twelve days and closed on 8 May 2012.

[13] The 2015 Foire de Paris again ran for 12 days from 29 April 2015, with 200,000 square metres (2,200,000 sq ft) of retain area, equivalent to twenty hypermarkets.

There were 3,500 exhibitors and 1,800 brands organized into five sections: Home & habitat, World Crafts and Culture, Wine and Gastronomy, Beauty and Wellness, Leisure and Practical Life.