BHS to host 2nd annual Francofête cultural festival

Following its debut last year, Beekmantown High School will hold its second annual Francofête, a student-led event highlighting French-speaking cultures.

The festival is scheduled for Monday, June 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Beekmantown High School. It is free and open to the community.

Connecting classroom research to the community

Francofête serves as the public component of the final assessment for French students in grades 9-11. Throughout the term, students have researched a topic of their choice focusing on history, food, the arts and sports of French-speaking regions across Africa, Europe, and the Americas.

"The festival is a practical extension of our classroom work," says Hillary Sponable, Beekmantown’s high school French teacher. "It helps students prepare for the New York State Seal of Biliteracy which they will pursue as seniors. In class they research their topic, present in class, field questions and then offer an activity related to their research for their peers and the public to enjoy."

Event activities and exhibits

The evening will feature a variety of stations based on student research:

• Sports: Visitors can try sports played in various French-speaking countries, including soccer, fencing, pétanque and rugby.

• Food: Students will offer small tastings of regional dishes such as crêpes, waffles, jollof rice, tropical sorbet, gumbo and more. The festival will also feature a café with traditionally crafted drinks from around the world.

• Arts & Crafts: Interactive stations will focus on Parisian architecture, recreations of famous Francophone artists, and traditional patterns found in pottery from North Africa.

• Music & Games: The event includes student performances, an African dance lesson, board games and a discothèque.

Attendees will collect stamps at different stations, which can be traded for small prizes.

A growing tradition

Last year’s event drew more than 150 participants and included participation of alumni of the French program. In addition to food tasting and sports offerings, previous activities included a Claude Monet painting tutorial, Afro Caribbean drumming, a ballet class and Mardi Gras mask-making. When debriefing last year, students said the festival was the best part of French class. They are excited to share their activities this year as well.