Events with a French Flair

To view our online photo gallery of recently completed events, click here.

Event Schedule: June & July 2008

Events are held at the Kamm House unless otherwise noted. Address: 1425 SW 20th Ave., near the Goose Hollow max stop.

Alliance Annual Dinner at Fenouil Restaurant - May 29

On Thursday May 29 at 6pm the Alliance will hold its third annual dinner at Fenouil Restaurant in the Pearl. This event will feature a multi-course meal and wine, served family-syle. Seating is limited, please call 503.223.8388 to reserve your seat with payment by credit card (online payments coming shortly). Price per person, including the meal, wine and gratuity, is $60 for Alliance members, $65 for non-members. For menu and details, click here. This event sells out quickly, reserve soon.

Alliance Quarterly Open House - June 12, at 6pm with Special Guest Raphaël McFeat

Alliance members and prospective students are cordially invited to visit the Alliance in the historic Kamm House on Thursday, June 12, at 6pm for the quarterly Portes Ouvertes (Open House), to visit with our teachers and staff, and/or to finalize registration for the summer term. Special guest speaker at this event will be Raphaël McFeat, who is the Assistant Consulaire - Chargé d'affaires culturelles, in the Seattle office of the French Consul Honororaire. Raphaël, who is fully bilingual, will be present to visit with the public and also will do a presentation from 6:30pm-7pm in the Grande Salle, mostly in English with some French.

CD-Signing: Up Close with French Recording Star: Tété - June 25 at Uptown Billiards

It's not too often you get a chance to chat with an internationally renowned recording star. Meet platinum-selling French singer, Tété, at 7:30pm on June 25 at Uptown Billiards at 120 NW 123rd Ave. He'll have his CDs on hand for signing and will sing a couple songs to warm up for his concert which will be held the following night at Berbatis Pan, with Scott Fisher and Eric John Kaiser. (Note: must be 21 or older to enter Uptown Billiards). Photo credit: Lisa Roze.

Fête de la Musique USA Tour Featuring Tété, Eric John Kaiser and Scott Fisher in Concert - June 26 at Berbatis Pan

A CELEBRATION OF MODERN FRENCH MUSICAL CULTURE: Featuring NW Multi-Cultural Stars and the Internationally Lauded Tété from Paris! Every June since 1982, the French holiday, la Fête de la musique, welcomes musicians -- both amateur and professional -- to join an ecstatic and eclectic cultural happening. In Paris, hundreds of thousands of performers and listeners take to the streets and clubs to engage in a joyous celebration of music. In 2008 the Fête de la Musique will reach Portland in the form of the first USA Tour featuring Tété, a platinum-selling French recording star who plays contemporary French soul, mixing old school with a new school vibe. Tété will partner with two of our very own Northwest artists of Franco-American heritage, Eric John Kaiser and Scott Fisher, for this West Coast tour. The tour opens June 21 in San Francisco and will be in Portland on June 26 for an 8pm concert featuring all three performers, at Berbatis Pan on SW Ankeny. Click here for additional info and check out the next bulletin for more info on this tour's visit to Portland! More info: click here.

Portland's First "Concours de Tartes aux Fruits - July 8 at Oregon Culinary Institute

The Alliance Française will hold Portland's first "Concours de Tartes aux Fruits" from 5:15 - 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8, at the Oregon Culinary Institute, 1701 SW Jefferson (three blocks from the Alliance). The event brings together the French tradition of a culinary concours (competition) and the opportunity to enjoy fruit tarts made by some of best pastry chefs in Portland, many of whom have studied with French chefs pâtissiers. Participating pastry chefs are from: Carafe, Fenouil, the Heathman, Beaverton Bakery, Elephant's Deli, Ken's Artisan Bakery, La Petite Provence Bakery & Bistro, Nuvrei Fine Cakes and Pastries, Pix Pâtisserie, and St. Honoré Boulangerie. Three student chefs who have trained with Chef Robert Parks at the Oregon Culinary Institute will also prepare tarts for the judging. Open to the public; reservations required; for complete details click here. Merci Alliance members Elaine Cuyler and Sherry Charles for their work in coordinating this event, and thanks to OCI for hosting.

July 12 - Bastille Day Celebration in Jamison Square Park, 11-6. See the Bastille pages for more info!

Forward Calendar 2008 - Major Events

Oct. 17 - Fresh French Film Festival, co-organized with the Northwest Film Center, chaired by Alliance volunteers Carole Giraud and Kyia Clayton. Film submissions: click Fresh French Film Event.

Nov. 21 - Beaujolais Nouveau at the Heathman, co-organized with the French-American Chamber of Commerce.

What We've Been Up to: Recently Completed Events

FACC/Alliance NetwWine Evening - May 14 at Square Deal Wine Company - 20 attendees.
Fête du Muguet at the Alliance - May 4 at the Kamm House - 30 attendees
Visiting author/artist Christophe Blain from Paris, French Author on USA Tour - April 30 - 25 at the Alliance, 30 at Floating World Comics.
Laurence Raybois Seminars on Living and/or Working in France - April 25 at First Congregational Church - 40 at each seminar.
Feb. 15, 2008 - Alliance Pre-film Reception and sponsorship, with FAIS, of film in Portland International Film Festival, attended by close to 400.
Feb. 14, 2008 - Reception for Consul General Adjoint, at the Kamm House
Feb. 8, 2008 - Cercle de lecture (fluent speakers' book club meeting)
Feb. 3 & 24, 2008 - Hosted 2 meetings of the Salon du dimanche group
January 24, 2008 - Presentation on Alliance Loire Immersion Program
January 22, 2008 - First Monthly Conversation Group at Fenouil Restaurant (in the bar)
January 6, 2008 - Alliance Quarterly Open House
December 7 & 8, 2007 - Alliance Sponsors FAIS Holiday Market (LW)
December 3, 2007 - Paris in Portland - French Immersion Dinner at Le Bouchon - sell-out/45 (LW)
November 16, 2007 - Beaujolais Nouveau at the Heathman, co-organized with FACC PNW - 400 revelers (LW)
October 2007 - French Flair online auction (followed by onsite auction at the Heathman)
October 2007 - Alliance Cercle de Platine Patrons Dinner (BV/JR)
Alliance Portes Ouvertes (Open House event) on September 6, 2007, with VIP guest Claudine Fisher, Consul Honoraire de France
Helped promote the photo exhibition of Paris photographer François Diascorn, July 24 at the Freimann Building; 80 attendees.
Portland Bastille Day in the Pearl, July 14, 2007; 30 exhibitors, 5,500 attendees.
June 14, 2007 - Alliance Portes Ouvertes - Open House at 6pm
World League Volleyball, France vs USA, University of Portland, May 26 & 27, 2007.
Alliance participated in the PFS "En Plain Air" Market on May 12, 2007, from 10-5pm.
French Elections Forum organized by the Alliance and hosted at the French American International School on May 2; attended by 50.
Social Event March 27: La Bouffe at Touché Restaurant & Bar
March 22, 2007 - Alliance Portes Ouvertes - Open House at 6pm
Portland Art Museum NW Film Center Pre-Show Reception Feb. 18, 2007 - attended by 200-300.(KS/All)
Beaujolais Nouveau Festival at the Heathman on November 17, co-organized with the FACC, attended by 400
Film Reception at the NW Film Center, Andrée Stevens Room, attended by 100
Marché de Noël hosted by Dufossé and featured Provence linens, wine and hand-crafted goods, December 9
Alliance Portes Ouvertes (Open House events) on December 7 and September 6, 2006
Alliance Exhibit at FAIS International Family Fair and Conference of Translators (PSU), both on September 30

Merci All, for a Fun Bastille Day in the Pearl

As highlighted in the Oregonian, a crowd of 5,500 visited the 30 vendors and exhibitors and the entertainment acts on July 14 in Jamison Square Park in the Pearl. Click here to see a slideshow of pictures from the event. The lucky winner of the Air France tickets was Alliance student Carol Porto. The winners of La Course des Serveurs (Waiters Race), organized by Paul Diaz of Fenouil and Bev Voytko, were: Mens’ Division: 1st: David Huey of OBA, 2nd: Jim Bailey of Bluehour, 3rd: Michael Street of Three Degrees. Womens’ Division: 1st: Farel Fozzard of Bay 13 Restaurant, 2nd: Naomi Hatfield of The Heathman Restaurant, and 3rd: Alicia Peterman of the Carlyle.