Bonjour Octobre
October at the Alliance: Boules, yoga, watercolors, wine & other perfectly reasonable priorities.
At Alliance Française de Raleigh, we take fall very seriously. Which is why we have absolutely no intention of celebrating it with pumpkin spice. We have standards.
Our original plan was to kick off October with pétanque and croissants on October 3. But Mother Nature has other ideas. With rain in the forecast, our Pétanque Contest has been rescheduled to October 17. Mark your calendars, polish your boules, and start negotiating with the weather gods. Croissants are counting on you.
Balade en français through Umstead Park on October 4 is also at risk of cancellation, so please check for updates before heading out. Even the French have their limits when it comes to la pluie. Especially when it threatens their hair.
Prefer your French indoors, where the weather is someone else's problem? We've got you covered. Café on October 3 gets things started, followed by Conversation du mardi, and our fall classes are getting underway. Because there's no better time to brush up on your French than when the leaves are falling and your excuses for not studying are multiplying. Je n'ai pas eu le temps is not going to conjugate itself.
Meanwhile, our Wilmington Apéro takes place October 15 at Caprice Bistro, Yoga en français returns to Raleigh on October 10, and and Ciné-Club on October 11.
On October 18, Watercolors with Lynda invites you to explore your artistic side - and perhaps your willingness to discover that your beautiful fall leaf may look suspiciously like a potato. No worries. Great art is subjective, and wine is coming later in the month.
Speaking of wine, on October 30, we're uncorking something special: our first-ever Wine Tasting workshop, featuring six wines from Burgundy. Your guide is Laurent Drouhin, a wine enthusiast who hails from Burgundy himself. No previous wine knowledge required, just a curious palate and the ability to swirl without redecorating the person next to you.
And if all this French immersion leaves you thinking, « I have to go to France », we have excellent news: a few spots remain on our Aix-en-Provence immersion trip, March 20–27, 2027.
Curious? Join our Zoom information session on October 16 to learn all about the trip, ask questions, and discover why « I've always wanted to visit Provence » is not, in fact, a valid excuse for waiting another 10 years.
We can't promise you'll become fluent. But you will have a very good time trying.
And remember: whether you're speaking French, painting questionable potatoes, perfecting your downward dog, or sampling Burgundy, there's always room for one more at the Alliance.
Just bring your curiosity, your sense of humor, and perhaps an umbrella. Pumpkin spice is strictly optional.
Click HERE to see all upcoming events
