French Connection Day Returns to Cantigny on August 16
WHEATON, IL, August 4, 2009
Cantigny Park, part of the McCormick Foundation, will celebrate French Connection Day on Sunday, Aug. 16, from 9 am to 3 pm. The free-admission event is back for a second year after a highly popular debut in 2008.
“It’s a great day for families and kids of all ages,” said Matt LaFond, Cantigny Park executive director. “The French theme speaks directly to the history of the property and the man who left it as a gift to the community.”
That would be Colonel Robert R. McCormick, the former editor and publisher of the
Chicago Tribune. In 1918, McCormick commanded an artillery unit in the Battle of Cantigny in France as a member of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division. It was America’s first significant victory in World War I. The Colonel commemorated the experience by renaming his Wheaton estate Cantigny (pronounced “can-tee-knee”).
Attractions and activities on French Connection Day include:
- French Open Air Market presented by Bensidoun
- French music by “Traveler’s Dream”
- Wine tasting and French food at LeJardin restaurant
- First Division Museum photo display of Cantigny, France
- French yard game Pétanque
- Pointillism art project for kids
- Stilt-walker, caricaturist and face-painters
- Storytime with Madeline
- A 23-foot Eiffel Tower replica –perfect for a special photo!
Also at the event, at 10 am, Cantigny Gardens will conduct a “floral French Poodle” class for adults and children ages 10 and up. The cost is $20 per person, and all materials are provided. Preregistration is required at 630 260 8162.
The night before French Connection Day, on August 15, the West Suburban Symphony Orchestra will perform “Vive la France!” at Cantigny. The Ravinia-style outdoor concert begins at 8 pm in front of the First Division Museum. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the show.
Admission to French Connection Day is free. A parking fee of $5 per vehicle applies.
Cantigny Park is open every day this summer from 7 am to dusk. More information is online at
Cantigny.org.
About the McCormick Foundation
The McCormick Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to strengthening our free, democratic society by investing in children, communities and country. Through its grantmaking programs, Cantigny Park and Golf, museums and civic outreach program the Foundation helps build a more active and engaged citizenry. It was established as a charitable trust in 1955, upon the death of Colonel Robert R. McCormick, the longtime editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune. The McCormick Foundation is one of the nation’s largest charities, with more than $1 billion in assets. For more information, please visit
McCormickFoundation.org.