Seattle Center's French Fest to Celebrate International Francophonie Day

Seattle Center Festál: Seattle's French Fest: A Celebration of French-Speaking Cultures, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday, March 20, in Seattle Center Armory, presents music, dance, food and fashion to highlight French influence around the world and in our region. À bientôt!

Now in its fourth year at Seattle Center, Seattle's French Fest draws inspiration from International Francophonie Day and celebrates the diversity of Francophone cultures and traditions. The festival's opening ceremony includes the Honorary Consuls of France, Canada and Belgium.

Musical performances showcasing songs in French and English include Carol Rossio and Rossio Rhythm, North Seattle French School Children's Choir, La Famille Leger, Heather Keizur Band, Alliance Française Choir and Melomachine. Te Fare O Tamatoa Tahitian Dancers return to the festival, enlivening the Armory with Tahitian drumming, dance, music, history and culture.

Seminars run throughout the day, with sessions exploring the history of fashion in France, France's wine growing regions, cooking and a musical presentation on the history of the Statue of Liberty. The University of Washington's French Department sponsors La Dictée, a school exercise that tests spelling and grammar, for beginning and advanced French students of all ages.

A French marketplace offers French gifts for the kitchen and bath, household décor, custom gemstone jewelry, art and books in French. French chef and television host Jacques Boiroux curates a menu of French cuisine featuring merguez (spicy sausage), pistou soup (bean and vegetable stew topped with pesto), mussels, brioche, crêpes, croissants and pain au chocolat. Vote in the "Best Baguette" competition by sampling baguettes from a variety of local bakeries.

Children's activities include face painting, art projects, a presentation of French short films and a special festival "passport" allowing young festival-goers to earn a prize by collecting passport stamps.

The Salon de l'Emploi job fair focuses on career opportunities for those with French proficiency. Booths featuring local and multinational companies and employers offer current and future job seekers the opportunity to network, 12 p.m.-5 p.m.

As Seattle Center Festál prepares for a milestone in 2017, the 20th anniversary of this illuminating series of ethnic cultural events at Seattle Center, we celebrate the diverse arts, crafts, foods and family activities presented on weekends throughout the year. The 23 Festál events, organized by ethnic/cultural organizations in partnership with Seattle Center, form the bedrock of our free, public offerings at Seattle Center, captivating and enlightening festival-goers as they experience the distinct cultures that influence the character and course of our broader community.

Seattle Center Festál is a program of Seattle Center Productions. Admission is free-of-charge. For more information on this collection of ethnic cultural events and other Seattle Center public programming, visit www.seattlecenter.com or call 206 684-7200. Learn more about Seattle Center Festál: Seattle's French Fest: A Celebration of French-Speaking Cultures at www.fenpnw.org.

Seattle Center Festál 2016, a collection of 23 cultural events presented on weekends throughout the year, highlights the diverse cultures and common threads of ethnic communities in our region with traditional and contemporary art, music, foods, youth activities, workshops, marketplaces and more. Seattle Center Festál is produced with the generous support of KUOW 94.9 Public Radio, Coca-Cola, Alaska Airlines and T-Mobile. Additional support is provided by the City of Seattle and Seattle Center Foundation.

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