October: a Carousel of Events

This month our Members are bringing you timeless fun and memorable entertainments!

• Fun for the Whole Family
• Go Around to Cultural, Social, Gastronomic Events
• Did you Know? The Origins of the Carousel
• Scroll down our Agenda

Fun for the Whole Family

Soirée Alsace: Dinner & Culture
18 October at 6:30 PM
Location: French Embassy, D.C.
Do you know what the Statue of Liberty, Firestone Tires and the Marx Brothers have in common?

Join us and find out at an unforgettable evening at the French Embassy in DC on Friday, October 18th, starting at 6:30 pm.The event will start with an interactive presentation about the region of Alsace in France, where you’ll discover Alsace’s contributions to the world... and have a chance to win prizes!

The presentation will be followed by a 3-course sit down dinner, with Alsatian specialties.

Buy your tickets here

Tickets available:

• General admission: $65
• Alsace DC Member: $50

Alsace DC members get discounted pricing. If you would like to become a member and get the discounted price, email us at alsacewashingtondc@gmail.com (Annual membership: $30/individual, $50/family).

Menu details

• Appetizer: Crudités and Paté en Croute
• Main: Baeckeoffe, a hearty stew consisting of meat, potatoes and vegetables
• Dessert: Blueberry Pie

One drink is included: a glass of Alsatian white wine or soda.

A cash bar will be available to purchase additional drinks

Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe
20 octobre à midi
à l’Ambassade de France

Grand déjeuner en plein air, organisé par le Comité Tricolore pour la communauté française de Washington, dans les jardins, et sur une invitation de l’Ambassade de France

Details and Tickets here

Cette année en association avec nos membres, les Maîtres Cuisiniers de France, l’Académie Culinaire de France et le National Capital Club de Pétanque.

Le dimanche 20 octobre 2024 de midi à 16h. Fin du service à 14h00. Nous serons à l’intérieur s’il pleut.

Au menu: Plat chaud, salades variées et desserts, cafés, boissons sans alcool et vins français au cash bar (au verre ou bouteille).

• Rencontres avec les associations françaises et franco-américaines de la région de DC, membres du Comité Tricolore.
• Jeux et animations pour les enfants et les adultes: ping-pong, pétanque, badminton, jeux de société, et activités pour les plus petits.
• De l’excellente musique Blue Grass Live avec les Red Line Ramblers: https://www.facebook.com/RedLineRamblers/
• Activités ludiques (dessins, autocollants & coloriages).

Buy your tickets here

Go Around to Cultural, Social, and Gastronomic events

Opera Lafayette: Ensemble Amedyez and Kalanidhi Dance
21 October at 7:30 PM at the Kennedy Center
22 October 7:30 PM at the Dupont Underground

This groundbreaking program seeks to examine the question of “who owns culture?” with a sensual exploration of 19th-century Eastern-inspired French music’s origins.

Featuring the North American debut of Algerian early music group, Ensemble Amedyez, and a returning collaboration with Opera Lafayette fan-favorite, Kalanidhi Dance.

Who owns culture? This question is at the forefront in this groundbreaking program that examines the national origins of 19th-century Eastern-inspired French music.

The internationally acclaimed Algerian early music group Ensemble Amedyez makes its North American debut with Opera Lafayette to present a program of traditional Algerian melodies, first as they were interpreted by French Romantic composer Francisco Salvador Daniel, and then in their original, authentic form.

Pre-Show Discussion 6:30p.m. & Post-Show Talkback

Buy your tickets here

The Comité Tricolore is inviting you to Bastille Brasserie and Bar, in Alexandria
29 October 6:30 PM

"A little bit of Paris in the heart of Alexandria, VA"

Details and Tickets.

Bastille Brasserie & Bar is the place where great French cooking and Alexandria locals meet. The team invites you to experience delicious French food, wine and cocktails, all in a relaxed and approachable setting.

Since opening Bastille in 2006 on the outskirts of Old Town Alexandria VA, the restaurant has garnered eight RAMMY nominations, Washingtonian Top 100 listings and Northern Virginia Magazine’s Top 50 restaurants.

Chefs Christophe & Michelle Poteaux’s award winning restaurant & bar, has continuously offered guests fresh takes on classic French cuisine. Their creations are rooted in the use of seasonal, locally sourced and farm fresh ingredients.

Please check out the wonderful 3-course menu with many favorites for the Comité Tricolore’s friends.

Location:
606 N. Fayette Street is only two blocks from the Braddock Metro, 5 Blocks from King Street and one block from Route 1 South. We are located in Alexandria’s quaint Parker Grey neighborhood.

Tickets are available at the price of $100 per person, which consists of $75 for your meal (tax and tip included, drinks excluded) and $25 as a donation to the Comité Tricolore (larger donations are of course encouraged). The donation is tax deductible. Eventbrite fees are included too. For information on the Comité Tricolore’s charitable mission, please consult our web site: www.comite-tricolore.org

If you are coming with friends, please let us know so that we can seat you together at the same table. We regroup guests at tables of 6 or 8 unless you wish a separate table.

Details and Tickets

Theater J is thrilled to present Joshua Harmon’s Tony nominated play Prayer for the French Republic, directed by Hayley Finn
From October 30 to November 24, 2024
Aaron & Cecile Goldman Theater located inside the Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center.

A new-play favorite on Broadway and recipient of the inaugural Trish Vradenburg Jewish Play Prize, Joshua Harmon’s Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle award-winning epic family drama Prayer for the French Republic breaks open the global question “Where are we safe?”

Theater J kindly offers a discount to the friends of the Comité Tricolore. The promo code to use for 18% off tickets is COMITE18

Synopsis: The Benhamou family has lived in Paris for five generations. A visit from their American cousin, Molly, is quickly overshadowed by an antisemitic attack on the family’s son, Daniel. The turmoil of the event awakens even the most dormant fears as each family member advocates for ways to move forward – or away. Just outside their window, the mounting pressure of Marine Le Pen’s extreme views winning over the populace shows no signs of waning.

As the family references the choices of generations before, time bends to bring the characters forward, echoing the same questions. Past and present play out simultaneously, revealing our questions have been here before, but the answers have yet to arrive. Where can this Jewish family feel safe and what should they do?

Buy your tickets here

The Origins of the Carousel

The Merry-Go-Rounds: not such a merry start...

The early origins of the carousel can be traced to the Middle East and Europe during the Middle Ages. It was initially a twelfth-century Arabian training tool. The word itself comes from "carosella" that designated a tournament performed by riders divided into quadrilles.. In this exercise, knights practiced horseback riding and combat skills by jousting with spears or lances, often riding in a circle. It spread to Europe, particularly during the Crusades, when European knights encountered these training techniques in the Middle East.

By the Renaissance period, the training exercise had turned into a popular game at European festivals and celebrations, shifting from military training to festive amusement.

French and Italian innovators built carousels powered by animals or cranks, and over time, steam engines were introduced to power the spinning platforms. Later artisans elevated the carousel from a simple ride to a work of art, with each horse and animal figure intricately detailed. Some of these classic wooden carousels are still operational today and cherished as historic landmarks.

Scroll down our Agenda to see more events proposed by our members.