Whereas a rainy Friday in April dented attendance for the first day of the annual Georgetown French Market on Buck Hill on Wisconsin Ave, Saturday’s clear, warm weather brought hordes of shoppers, surfers, and vendors from the sidewalks to the fair’s big three days. celebrate April 28-30 “Outdoor Market Inspiration” in France and continues to be one of the biggest shopping events of the year for small businesses in Georgetown.
According to Georgetown’s Business Improvement District (BID), this year’s French Market included 35 local and antique stores, restaurants, salons, and galleries.[ing] Neighborhood restaurants also offered “food and drink specials, including lunch dishes from an outdoor grill, and discounts on French wines, pastries, croissants, and macaroons from the French bakery, Patisserie Poupon.”
But the delights weren’t just French—restaurants like Jaco Taco, Indian Kitchen Herbivore, and other non-Galean outlets served their cuisine to passers-by.
On Saturdays and Sundays, live music, a balloon artist, touring cyclist, pop-up biker, pop-up book sales and other attractions are offered. Many of those enjoying the festivities wore formal French attire, with hats, striped shirts, frilly spring suits in full display, and accompanying pet dogs. And the children learned in front of the engravers in Washington to draw their own engravings.
“We have 20there Georgetown’s annual French Market is a huge success, despite the weather, said Debbie Young, Events Director for Georgetown BID. “Saturday was an incredibly busy day for all traders, with many saying it was the best day for sales in the French market yet. We had live music for the first time since the pandemic, and more food and entertainment offerings than ever before – from crepe and pancake stands Delicious food for bikers, bikers, balloon sculptors, and accordion players.New this year, we also introduced a pop-up flower shop, a photo-wall feature, and a French story in Georgetown. [Neighborhood] library. Even though the weather wasn’t in our favor on Friday and Sunday, the merchants settled in and brought their sales and promotions back home. As someone aptly put it, “What could be more Parisian than a French market in the rain? This is one of the highlights of the year for our small business in Buck Hill, and we appreciate all the support they have received from residents and visitors who have been out, or come in the rain, or They stayed sunny.
Rachel Shank, CEO of Georgetown Main Street (GMS), also found that the French market has taken a hit this year. “The influx of people on Saturday testifies to the appeal of the French Market. In its 20th year, we could not have been more thrilled with the excitement and fun that this event brings year after year. This event highlights the independent market business along Wisconsin Boulevard, which has been around In the neighborhood for decades such as A Mano, Calloway Fine Art & Consulting, Bacchus Wine Cellar, Oliver Dunn, Moss & Co., widely called Harvest Market in Oct. announce TBA date!” Shank added.
“Despite the rain this year, the French market is getting better and better year after year!” said Robert Deadman of Poupon Patisserie, whose outdoor pastry stand painted lines under the building. Happy and friends get together from the local community.
It was like rain three days. So BID called me and I said, We’ve been doing this for 20 years, so we know the ups and downs. We are always happy to have the French Market even if it is raining or snowing or whatever…. We didn’t count much on Friday. But Friday was actually pretty decent this year, even with all the rain. But everyone held out until Saturday. Then the weather changed and we got stuck. I mean, I’ve had lines and lines of people. We couldn’t accommodate more people. I had to ask people, you know, “Please, we need space.” We can’t fit any more people. And we had, at least, I’ll tell you, over 1,000 people showed up at the store. Saturday was crazy. We haven’t seen him in over 20 years. We have never seen such work before. »
Everyone had a great time,” added the Kawaji. “Everyone was in good spirits, laughing and smiling, you know…. So I think the French market, as usual, was a big event. What I love is that it attracts a lot of people and I’ve talked to a lot of people from outside the DC area. They spoke to me and came specifically for this event and we love seeing non-locals and non-residents [customers] On the other hand: It will encourage more people to come to Georgetown to see what Georgetown and Buck Hill are like… We ate a lot this year. We had a wine tasting. I had $60 for 6 bottles [deal]which still works fine. We sold on Saturday. We were totally out. We were talking to the neighbors and we agreed that this was the first year that there were no conflicts or misunderstandings. Everything worked fine. Everyone earns money. Everyone was happy. Everyone who attended the festival really enjoyed it. And I want to thank everyone who attended the French Market this year, Georgetown BID, Main Street, and you are always so supportive of these events that help our community.
Balwinder Singh of Herbivore Indian Cuisine added, “Our experience at the French Market was amazing! Since it was our first time there, we weren’t sure what to expect, but we did well and were fully booked on Saturday.”
Until the French market next year, see you soon!
Here is a slideshow of photos from the festival.
