📅 Sunday, Mar. 22, 2026
📍 Seattle Center’s Armory Food & Event Hall
💰 Free
The French concept of joie de vivre translates to “joy of living,” and it refers to anything one might love, especially good food and conversation. More than a descriptor or feeling, though, the term encapsulates a comprehensive philosophy visible throughout French culture. Many elements of joie de vivre will come together on Mar. 22, when the Seattle Center hosts Seattle’s French Fest: A celebration of French-speaking cultures.
It’s a free event, and anyone with a casual or avid interest in French culture will have plenty to do. There will be live music, dancing, cooking demonstrations, film screenings, wine tastings and a baguette-tasting contest. Sound French enough? (Baguette tasting contests really do happen in France; in the annual Grand Prix de La Baguette, they’re judged on doneness, crumb, taste, smell and appearance — if they can adhere to the strict size and weight standards).
This is part of the Seattle Center Festál series of 25 cultural festivals hosted by Seattle Center in partnership with community organizations. For French Fest, they’re partnering with France Education Northwest, a nonprofit that celebrates and promotes French culture in the Pacific Northwest. They hold cooking classes and visit schools, but French Fest is a way for everyone to get a taste of French culture in a publicly accessible venue — for those who want to learn, for those who want to celebrate their heritage or for those who just want a croissant.
French Fest is inspired by International Francophonie Day, which takes place every Mar. 20 and celebrates French cultures and language in over a hundred countries. In fact, there are 29 countries with French as an official language.
Come expand your worldview, eat, drink, dance and feel the joie de vivre at the Armory Food & Event Hall on Mar 22! French Fest is free and open to the public.
