UPTOWN — Fancy yourself a baguette, or perhaps a plate of beef bourguignon or croque-monsieur, to satisfy a weekend craving of French delicacies?
Look no further than Uptown's Lycée Français de Chicago, a private, international school located on West Bittersweet Place in Buena Park where the student body is 37 percent French.
The school is holding its eighth annual Lycée Fall French Market this weekend. Festivities kick off Friday night with an adult-only preview of the market, said Kara Blain, who organized this year's market with the help of 20 or so other parent volunteers.
The school's hallways and gymnasium are being transformed into a marketplace better suited for some far-away land. Blain said Friday would feature Vietnamese cuisine and dancers, too.
But then, "on Saturday and Sunday, the mood changes," she said. "It's all about the kids."
Children can enjoy magic shows, puppet shows and Zumba dancing in a supervised area, while adults peruse the 80 vendors throughout the school who will be selling food as well as jewelry, clothing and French wares.
Lycée Français de Chicago has educated international students and local residents since 1995 in Uptown. The school recently bought the property where the old Ravenswood Hospital is now being dismantled and plans to move its campus there in 2015.
On Friday, admission is $35 in advance and $45 at the door, which includes an open bar.
On Saturday and Sunday, admission is $5 and kids enter free, but there's an additional $10 charge for childcare for two hours. Proceeds of the market will go toward a need-based scholarship at the school.
For more information, call 773-665-0066.
