Past Events
Past Events - 2023
Member Social at Swirl Wine Bar - May 21, 2023
Café & Croissants - March 11, 2023
Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc - January 6, 2023
Past Events - 2022
Emmanuel Macron Presidential Visit - December, 4 2022
150 Year Anniversary Fête - October 9, 2022
Nuit Marocaine - April 14, 2022
Tour of Antique Rose Garden at Armstrong Park – April 3, 2022
Our members visited the antique rose garden in Armstrong Park with a tour led by Leo Watermeier. Then we stopped by the site of the original L’Union Française building on Rampart Street before enjoying wine and snacks in Leo’s beautiful French Quarter courtyard.
Following our sponsorship of the French Film Festival screening of La fine fleur (The Rosemaker), we had a Cajun Fais Do-Do in the backyard.
Cajun Fais Do-Do – March 13, 2022
French Film Festival – patron party & screening – March 10 & 13, 2022
L’Union Française sponsored the French Film Festival and screening of La fine fleur (The Rosemaker).
Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc parade - January 6, 2022
L’Union Française president Joseph Mistrot was King Charles VII in the parade and was joined by board member Allison Alsup and his royal court.
Past Events - 2021
Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc: Coronation – December 18, 2021
L’Union Française Président Joseph Mistrot is crowned king by the Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc to represent King Charles VII of France.
Vive la France: The Art of Publicité – 1980s to Present – November 16, 2021
From the iconic posters of the Paris World Exhibitions to the disturbing AI-based digital commercials for Louis Vuitton, the semiotic analysis of visual ads, commercials, and promotional campaigns will reach far beyond the mere art of selling goods and ideas in an ever-changing marketplace. It will throw light upon the French and their views on their history, values, and aspirations.
Presentation by Jean Xavier Brager
Vive la France: The Art of Publicité – WW11 to the 1970s – November 9, 2021
Presentation by Jean Xavier Brager
Vive la France: The Art of Publicité – The Belle Époque to WWI – November 2, 2021
Presentation by Jean Xavier Brager
Bobby Michot & the Coulée Jumpers porch concert – October 30, 2021
We welcomed members, students, and the community to the L’Union Française house on Prytania Street for coffee, croissants, and Cajun music. It featured the Petite Rouge café camionnette (coffee truck), pastries by Celtica, and music by Les Bons Riens.
Bienvenue Café – October 16, 2021
Vive la France – Champagne, a Game of Chance? – April 27, 2021
Salvadore Domenech Jacinto Dalí has written, Champagne is a work of chance; a triumph of Patience; a creation of genius…. In the same volume, Dalí also wrote, Champagne and love, these two words are generously entwined, Champagne and love, those two wisdoms give us ideas, For without love, there is no being, And that sly wine, Whose favorite game is To provoke the laughter of friends and lovers.
–The Wines of Gala, Royal Academy of San Fernando, Madrid.
We will taste a few, learn a bit and allow Champagne to provoke laughter, friendship and love as we play its “favorite game.”
Presentation by Margene Minor
Tastings: Sparr Crémant d’Alsace, Nicolas Feuillatte Réserve Brut Exclusive, Tattinger Brut, Laurent Perrier Demi-Sec
Vive la France – Champagne! Bubbling Deception: How French Winemakers Resisted the Nazis and Saved Champagne – April 20, 2021
Following the fall of France to Nazi forces, the winemaking regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Champagne became favored targets of Wehrmacht officers and soldiers alike. Plundering millions of bottles, the beloved industry stood on the brink of collapse. Fighting to protect their national drink, French winemakers initiated creative and bold ways to resist Nazi demands. Through the course of protecting their stores, French winemakers also uncovered unexpected ways to foil Nazi Germany’s future military maneuvers.
Presentation by Kristin Burton
Vive la France – Champagne! Veuve Clicquot: Cave, Comet, Celebration – April 13, 2021
Nicknamed “La grande dame de la Champagne” by her peers, Madame Clicquot did not only become famous because she steered the family business through troubled times. She also pioneered into establishing champagne as the preferred drink in high society circles from Rheims to Russia, at a time when women were denied civil rights. From the early death of her husband François at the age of 30 to the witty invention of the riddle table process, this presentation focuses on the exceptional destiny of an astute woman, her resilience and overnight ascension to global fame, along with the secrets of the most successful champagne brands.
Presentation by Jean Xavier Brager
Past Events - 2020
Château de Belcastel to Bellecastle Street: A Thousand Year Journey – December 6, 2020
Proprietor Heidi Leigh takes us on a tour of Château de Belcastel in the Aveyron region of France and explains its ties to New Orleans. Tom Soniat gives a history of the Soniat family, linking them to the château and the region and the naming of the uptown New Orleans streets of Bellecastle, Soniat, Dufossat, and Valmont.
La propriétaire Heidi Leigh nous fait visiter le Château de Belcastel dans la région de l’Aveyron en France et explique ses liens avec la Nouvelle-Orléans. Tom Soniat donne une histoire de la famille Soniat, les reliant au château et à la région et la dénomination des rues du quartier uptown de la Nouvelle-Orléans de Bellecastle, Soniat, Dufossat et Valmont.
L’Union Française partnered with the restaurant Cochon Butcher for cooking demonstrations and a presentation on Cajun cuisine favorites such as boudin, jambalaya, and stuffed chicken with chef/butcher Patrick Chauffe and manager Jacques Couvillon.
L’Union Française s’est associée au restaurant Cochon Butcher pour des démonstrations culinaires et une présentation sur les plats favoris de la cuisine cajun tels que le boudin, le jambalaya et le poulet farci avec le chef / boucher Patrick Chauffe et le gérant Jacques Couvillon.
Mangez Bien: Cajun Holiday Cuisine – October 25, 2020
L’Union Française’s second virtual Sunday Fais Do-Do featuring Cajun music by guitarist and vocalist James DeRoussel, fiddler Greg Champagne, and accordionist Robert Rhoden.
Deuxième dimanche Fais Do-Do virtuel de L’Union Française avec musique cajun du guitariste et chanteur James DeRoussel, du violoniste Greg Champagne et de l’accordéoniste Robert Rhoden.
Sunday Fais Do-Do – November 8, 2020
Sunday Fais Do-Do – August 30, 2020
L’Union Française’s first virtual Sunday Fais Do-Do featuring Cajun music by guitarist and vocalist James DeRoussel and fiddler Greg Champagne.
Le premier dimanche Fais Do-Do virtuel de l’Union Française avec de la musique cajun du guitariste et chanteur James DeRoussel et du violoneux Greg Champagne.