French Connection Day

Enjoy
French Open Air Market by Bensidoun
French Food at Le Jardin
Beer & Wine Garden | 11 am – 3 pm
Pétanque (pronounce pay-tonk): a French yard game
Kids’ Craft Project
Photo-ops by the 23-foot Eiffel Tower
Mime
Mary and Genevieve (Accordianist & Vocalist)
Traveler’s Dream
Andrea de la Torre & French Can-Can Dancers
Why We Have a French Connection Day
The French theme commemorates an important chapter in the life of Robert R. McCormick, Cantigny’s benefactor.  In 1918, at age 37, Colonel McCormick commanded an artillery unit in the Battle of Cantigny in France as a member of the U.S. Army’s First Division.  It was America’s first significant victory in World War I and the battle had a major impact on the Colonel.  Upon returning to Wheaton, he renamed his estate after the tiny village in France that he and his fellow soldiers had liberated from German occupation.

In his will, McCormick established Cantigny “as a public park and museum for the recreation, instruction and welfare of the people of the State of Illinois.”  The 500-acre estate was his gift to the community and this event our gift to his legacy.