Seattle Center Festal Hosts Seattle French Fest Today

Seattle Center Festál presents Seattle French Fest: A Celebration of French-Speaking Cultures, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m., today, March 24, in Seattle Center Armory. Explore and experience the French way of life as it is lived throughout the world through performing and visual arts, hands-on activities, cars, and a lively marketplace.

This first annual Festál event features A Celebration of French Speaking Cultures to promote and raise awareness of Francophone cultures and traditions. Live music, theater and dance well as international food and wine add to the celebration of French culture and regional presence. This inaugural celebration of la Francophonie in Seattle, will feature many of the over 70 member states included in Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.

Performance highlights include:

Tahitian dance by Te Fare O Tamatoa, Louisiana Cajun music from Folichon, French-Canadian tunes and percussive dance by Podorythmie, gypsy jazz from Pearl Django, and traditional French language songs from around the world by the Alliance Française Choir and the Théâtre Français Choir.

Festival-goers are also invited to informational seminars on French fashion in Seattle with Seattle's Fashion Incubator, the Canadian Métis in the Pacific Northwest with Robert Foxcurran, the Francophone world with University of Washington French and Italian Studies Chair Richard Watts, French politics with Deputy Consul General of France Corrine Pereira, and readings of French language poetry from around the world with Misa Bourdoiseau of Éducation Française Greater Seattle. Also on the schedule are performances by many of the area's French language schools, traditional French dictation exercises for both beginner and intermediate levels organized by University of Washington French Studies students, and chef demos from around the French-speaking world.

Creative activites for children of all ages organized by the Alliance Française de Seattle and booths hosted by Biot-Tacoma Sister City Association, Canoe Island French Camp, Éducation Française Greater Seattle, the French American School of Puget Sound, the French Bilingual Association, the French Immersion School of Washington, Maison de France, Seattle International Film Festival, Seattle-Nantes Sister City Association, Théatre Français de Seattle, Vive la France and more will compliment these interactive performances and seminars.

Au menu in the international bistro festures: Louisiana fried oyster po'boy sandwich, sandwich Parisian (ham baguette sandwich), bisque de tomate (creamy tomato soup), salade de crudités (trio of fresh salads) and Belgian moules frites (steamed mussels with fries).

Seattle Center Festál, a series of 22 celebrations presented by community organizations in partnership with Seattle Center, considers themes of importance to ethnic cultures in our region, revealing their common forms of tradition and expression, while highlighting their unique contributions to the Pacific Northwest and the world.

Seattle French Fest is produced in partnership with France Education Northwest under the auspices of the Consular Agency of France. For more information on Seattle French Fest, visit www.fenpnw.org. Click on www.seattlecenter.com or call 206 684-7200 to learn more about Seattle Center Festál and other outstanding public events offered at Seattle Center.

Seattle Center Festál 2013 presents a series of 22 world festivals on weekends throughout the year highlighting the distinct cultures and common threads of ethnic communities in our region through traditional and contemporary art, music, foods, youth activities, workshops and more.

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