Franco-American Centre

On Saturday, June 15, the Franco-American Centre had the honor of hosting a group of genealogists from Québec who visited Manchester to learn about its French-Canadian immigrant history and meet Franco-American residents (and possibly cousins!).

The group members were of the Federation of Québec Genealogical Societies, with participants from all over Québec, including Bécancour, Rimouski, Plessisville, Arthabaska, Sherbrooke, Shawinigan, Beaconsfield, Thetford Mines, Gatineau, Abitibi, Drummondville, Saguenay, Laval, Montréal, Trois-Rivières, and Lac-Mégantic.

They joined us for a buffet lunch at Stark Brewing Company to share stories about the longstanding connection between Québec and New Hampshire.

The lunch theme served as an early celebration of Québec's National Holiday, La Fête Nationale du Québec, known as St-Jean Baptiste Day in the U.S., on June 24. ⚜️

Overall, it was a great event, with many attendees speaking to each other in French and making new genealogical discoveries over lunch!

Check out some of the photos we captured of the afternoon:

Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced French speaker, all levels are welcome at any of our Prêt-à-Parler (PaPa) French conversation groups in NH. ⚜️💬

Speak French in a fun and relaxed environment, meet new people, and connect with others who have a love for the French language.

PaPa is free and open to all, with a new regional group!

Join in on the first official PaPa Monadnock at the Hancock Town Library on 25 Main St in Hancock, NH, on June 18, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month.

RSVP to PaPa Monadnock: https://www.facnh.com/event-details/papa-monadnock-2024-06-18-17-30

View all PaPa regions, dates, & times: https://www.facnh.com/papaconversationgroups

We look forward to seeing new people at PaPa, wherever you’re able to attend. À bientôt!

📷 (Photo: PaPa Concord)

There's a little over an hour left to give! 🔔🎉

Share your support for NH non-profit organizations with a donation through NH Gives. We hope you'll choose to give to FACNH!

Learn more about what we do to preserve and promote French language, heritage, and culture in NH and beyond: https://www.nhgives.org/organizations/franco-american-centre

NH Gives ends today at 5 p.m. EST! 🕔🚨

This is your opportunity to support non-profit organizations in New Hampshire through a donation. At FACNH, we hope you’ll consider donating to support our mission of preserving and promoting the French language, heritage, and culture in New Hampshire and beyond!

When you donate to FACNH, you help us organize various events throughout the year that bring people together through their shared passion and interest in our mission.

With your support, here are some of the events and activities we’re able to offer:

⚜️NH PoutineFest, the largest poutine celebration in the United States.

⚜️Camp Bienvenue, a summer program introducing new immigrant youth to French and Greater Manchester.

⚜️French heritage language programs that bring French "Joie de Vivre" to elementary children.

⚜️Beaujolais Nouveau Wine Tasting Gala, a tasteful evening featuring the classic French wine Beaujolais Nouveau.

⚜️The Franco-American Centre's French language conversation groups for teens and adults, Prêt à Parler and Teen Prêt à Parler.

If you believe in our mission, please consider giving to FACNH today before 5 p.m. EST at the link below! Merci beaucoup!

https://www.nhgives.org/organizations/franco-american-centre

Félicitations! / Congratulations! 🎉

Le Club Français à Webster School held its closing ceremony last week. Students celebrated learning French in the after-school program with their parents and teacher, Dramane Ganou, in attendance.

With Mr. Ganou’s instruction, the students sang French songs and answered his questions in French. Each student received a certificate for completing French Club for the year and a FACNH t-shirt.

Please congratulate these amazing students for a job well done! 👏

This French heritage language program is made possible by the French-American Cultural Exchange (FACE) Foundation, the Consulate General of France in Boston, the Manchester School District, and Webster School.

When you support organizations with a mission to promote French heritage language programs, you help keep the French language alive for generations to come.

As part of this mission, FACNH would like to ask you to consider donating to our NH Gives page, linked below. Donations open today at 5 p.m. EST.

Every donation helps to bring French heritage language programs like this to more schools. Merci beaucoup!

NH Gives: https://www.nhgives.org/organizations/franco-american-centre

NH Gives kicks off this week from June 11 – 12!

We’re raising funds to directly support events that honor the connection between French culture and heritage in the United States and other countries, such as Canada, the Congo, and many others in the worldwide Francophonie. 🌐

With your support, here are some of the events and activities we’re able to offer:

⚜️NH PoutineFest, the largest poutine celebration in the United States.

⚜️Camp Bienvenue, a summer program introducing new immigrant youth to French and Greater Manchester.

⚜️New afterschool programs that bring French "Joie de Vivre" to elementary children.

⚜️Beaujolais Nouveau Wine Tasting Gala, a tasteful evening featuring the classic French wine Beaujolais Nouveau.

⚜️The Franco-American Centre's French language conversation groups for teens and adults, Prêt à Parler and Teen Prêt à Parler.

Your gift helps support events that Respect our Past, Celebrate our Present, and Build our Future. Please consider donating to the Franco-American Centre on June 11 & 12!

Donations open tomorrow at 5pm EST, so bookmark our NH Gives page today: https://www.nhgives.org/organizations/franco-american-centre

Merci beaucoup!

We’re celebrating St. Jean Baptiste Day early! ⚜️

It’s the LAST day to register for the St. Jean Baptiste lunch on June 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., where we’ll be honored to host visitors from all over Québec in Manchester!

Lunch will be at Stark Brewing Company. Secure your spot by 12 p.m. EST today! ⬇️

St-Jean Baptiste Lunch | facnh.com Vive La Saint-Jean! Célébrez la Fête Nationale!

Bienvenue / Welcome to Adam Schoene for becoming the latest FAC Lifetime Member! 🎉

We’re deeply grateful for your support and the support of our lifetime members who allow us the opportunity to continue promoting the French language, heritage, and culture in New Hampshire and beyond.

Adam Schoene holds a PhD in Romance Studies from Cornell University and degrees in French, International Relations, and Law and Diplomacy from Tufts University. He has been involved in various research, teaching, and professional roles at several prestigious institutions, including Columbia University, Harvard University, and Cornell University.

His work has been published in notable academic journals, and he has served in editorial positions for academic publications.

Learn more about Adam! ⬇️
https://www.facnh.com/adamschoene

Merci beaucoup to everyone who attended and competed in the 3rd Annual Fleur Délices Challenge at The Spotlight Room in Manchester, NH! ⚜️🎂

Check out these photos of all the fun and delicious creations! Which cake would you have liked to taste? Share your favorite with us in the comments. 🥳⬇️

Thank you to our sponsors, the Québec Government Office in Boston and The Brook, who made this event possible. We’d also like to give a special thank you to our judges, Jean Mackin and Adele Bouffard Baker.

We’re so happy to have had the opportunity to host this competition again and give everyone delicious samples of these beautifully made cakes!

Today, we honor and remember all the brave individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Their courage and dedication will never be forgotten. Wishing everyone a reflective and peaceful Memorial Day. 🇺🇲

Catch the livestream of today's Lafayette Day Celebration at the NH State House in Concord from 3pm-5pm EST!

Watch it LIVE at the link below!

New Hampshire Lafayette Day (05/20/2024)

Are you ready to hear the final results of the 3rd Annual Fleur Délices Challenge?! ⚜️🎂

Congratulations to…

Judge’s Champion: Dee Dunbar-Hambucken, with her cake inspired by the French comedy L’avare! 📕🏆

People’s Choice: Tia Speropolous, with her cake inspired by the French play Anastasia! 🩰🎉

Please give our Judge’s Champion and People’s Choice recipients a round of applause, as well as our other fantastic contestants!! 👏👏👏

We had a great turnout this past Saturday at the Spotlight Room in Manchester, NH, so merci beaucoup to everyone who competed and attended. More footage of this weekend coming soon, so stay tuned…

Today’s the day! Are you excited for the 3rd Annual Fleur Délices Challenge?! ⚜️🎂

Come cheer on the bakers, vote for the People’s Choice Award, and see who gets crowned as Judge’s Champion! 🏆

Let’s talk PRIZES!

🧑‍🍳The People’s Choice Award winner receives this sturdy, engraved Franco Foods cutting board.
🍰 The Judge’s Champion wins this beautiful, engraved Franco Foods cake platter!

It all begins TONIGHT!! Who will be there?
🗓️: Saturday, May 18, 2024
⏰: 5pm-7:30pm
📍: The Spotlight Room, 96 Hanover St., Manchester, NH 03101

Buy guest tickets: https://www.facnh.com/event-details/fleur-delices-challenge-guests

See you later! / À plus t**d! 🎉

Merci / Thank you to the Québec Government Office in Boston for sponsoring the 3rd Annual Fleur Délices Challenge!! ⚜️🧁

We’re thrilled to have your support in our French-themed baking competition, with this year’s theme being 🎶 “Plays/musicals from the French-speaking World!” 🎶

The fun begins...
🗓️: Saturday, May 18, 2024
⏰: 5pm-7:30pm
📍: The Spotlight Room, 96 Hanover St., Manchester, NH 03101

You can still buy guest tickets to cheer on the bakers and vote for the People’s Choice award: https://www.facnh.com/event-details/fleur-delices-challenge-guests

We're still raffling off tickets to this weekend's performances of Les Misérables: School Edition at the Derry Opera House! 🎟️

We only have two pairs of tickets left for tonight's show at 7pm or Sunday's show at 2pm. If you'd like to be in the running to win two tickets, please comment “Majestic Tix” below! We'll send you a private message asking for your best method of contact.

Good luck / Bonne chance! ✨

Fleur Délices Challenge guest tickets are still available! Show your support for the bakers, sample their delicious creations, and select your favorite for the People’s Choice award! 🧁🎉

Guest tickets: https://www.facnh.com/event-details/fleur-delices-challenge-guests

Want to bake? Enter at the link below! Bakers registration entry fee is $20 (fee reimbursed upon arrival): https://www.facnh.com/product-page/bakers-registrations-fleur-d%C3%A9lices

The competition begins…
🗓️: Saturday, May 18, 2024
⏰: 5pm-7:30pm
📍: The Spotlight Room, 96 Hanover St., Manchester, NH 03101

Happy baking! ⚜️🎂

What a great panel at the French Language Career Opportunities Forum at Dartmouth College on May 1st!

The FAC Leadership on the panel was Board of Trustees member Kate Harrington, Executive Director John Tousignant, and FAC President Benoit Lamontagne.

Representatives from the French Consulate (Consulate General of France in Boston), the Quebec Delegation (Québec Government Office in Boston), and the Lycée International de Boston (International School of Boston) attended the forum, as well as Dartmouth alumni who spoke about using French in their careers.

Merci, Dartmouth College, for this opportunity to promote the value of French language education in the job market! 👏 👏 👏

Stay up-to-date with FACNH Pret-à-Parler (PaPa) French conversation group meetups this month, starting tomorrow. All French language levels are welcome to join! ✨

Plus, check out the NEW LOCATION for the Lakes Region PaPa in Laconia, NH!📍

RSVP on our site: https://www.facnh.com/papaconversationgroups

Did you miss your chance to enter the 3rd Annual Fleur Délices Challenge? Good news! Our bakers registration deadline has been extended to May 10th! ⚜️🎂

Bring your most flavorful creation for this year’s theme, “Plays/Musicals from the French-Speaking World!” 🎶

But that’s not all: we’ll be joined by special guest judge Jean Mackin of WMUR!! 🎤

Join the competition!
🗓️: Saturday, May 18, 2024
⏰: 5pm-7:30pm
📍: The Spotlight Room, 96 Hanover St., Manchester, NH 03101

Register by May 10th! Bakers registration entry fee is $20 (fee reimbursed upon arrival): https://www.facnh.com/product-page/bakers-registrations-fleur-d%C3%A9lices

Check out these photos from our Cabane à Sucre sugaring off event at the Oscar Barn Wedding Venue in Hooksett on April 20th!

Sponsored by the Québec Government Office in Boston and FTX Pro Construction, we’re thrilled to have had the opportunity to once again host this traditional Québecois celebration with maple treats, music, and dancing.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this sweet and memorable time! 🎻🥧🎉

Did you know? Québec is New Hampshire's leading trade partner! It's no surprise with the majority French-speaking province as our northern neighbor.

Setting yourself up for success in today's competitive job market includes being able to communicate in French. Want to find out more? Check out the French Language Career Opportunities Fair at Dartmouth College.

On Wednesday, May 1, from 10am to 3pm, at Hanover Inn and Dartmouth Hall, discover the importance and value of the French language to the worldwide job market. Find internship and job opportunities in Québec, France, and the United States and get the chance to apply your French language skills to the workforce!

Learn more about this event:https://www.facnh.com/_files/ugd/d3c82e_7684cd1c82c545c79b16af2da4a672fc.pdf

Are you looking to hire? If you have a business needing French speakers, please contact [email protected] for information on how you can get involved.

There’s still time to register as a baker for the Franco Foods Fleur Délices Challenge! ⚜️🎂

Please review the rules and event details in the provided documents below. Questions? Email [email protected].

Entry fee is $20 (fee reimbursed upon arrival). Register at the link by this Friday, April 26th at 5pm EST: https://www.facnh.com/product-page/bakers-registrations-fleur-d%C3%A9lices

Most of the world’s maple syrup comes from Québec.

We all know that the best syrup comes from Canada, but most Canadian maple syrup specifically comes from Québec. As the largest province in Canada (and second-largest by population), Québec is the world’s largest producer of maple syrup.

The majority French-speaking province supplies approximately two-thirds of the world’s maple syrup with an astonishing 8 million gallons coming out of over 7,000 Québec syrup farms each year!

The runners-up in production are Vermont with 890,000 gallons per year, followed by Ontario, New York, and Maine.

With all the maple syrup talk, see you tomorrow at Cabane à Sucre, our annual sugaring off event rooted in Québecois tradition serving up maple syrup, music, and dancing!

On va se sucrer le bec! It’s going to be a sweet time! ⚜️🎻🥧

On Tuesday, our Digital Marketing Coordinator, Melody Keilig, hosted the FACNH table at the Central High School Career Fair in Manchester. 💼

Throughout the day, she had many great conversations with students and people from other organizations and businesses, some of whom either had a Franco-American background, spoke French, or were interested in learning French!

“From connecting with other people through our shared Franco-American heritage and culture to introducing myself en français to French-speaking students interested in learning more about our internships, it was overall a successful event.” 💬

Merci to Central High School for hosting this annual career fair!

We would like to take a moment to express our heartfelt thanks to our Cabane à Sucre sponsors for their generous support. This upcoming event is sponsored by the Québec Government Office in Boston and FTX Pro Construction!

Thank you again for supporting Cabane à Sucre, our annual sugaring-off event celebrating Québecois culture! We can't wait to see everyone this Saturday, April 20th, at the Oscar Barn Wedding Venue in Hooksett, NH. ⚜️

Today is and the FAC wants to thank you for your ongoing support of our mission to spread and celebrate French language, culture and heritage throughout New Hampshire. Without the generous donations and support from our patrons, we wouldn’t be able to build and grow the community we have. If you’re interested in supporting the FAC’s classes, cultural events, conversation cafes and more this head over to our website facnh.com to donate. Merci beaucoup!

The Beaujolais Nouveau is here! We had a great dinner to celebrate. The Beaujolais Nouveau was served with a beautifully tender Coq au vin and, for the non-meat eaters, a wonderfully creamy sun-dried tomato risotto.

Get this special wine while you can! Perfect to go with your holiday turkey 🦃