Fall Open House 2025
Fête de la Rentrée

Discover the joie de vivre of learning French this fall!

L’Alliance New York Manhattan invites you to our annual Fête de la Rentrée open house on Saturday, September 13 to enjoy a series of unforgettable classes and workshops that highlight our educational and cultural offerings. Kids, teens, and adults can experience the L’Alliance New York difference with a trial French class, and also enjoy a free story time, a creative arts workshop, interactive gallery exhibition, and catch a French movie! Our teachers and staff will be on hand to answer all your questions and help you find the right class or program.

Trial French Classes for Adults and Children
9:30am-4:15pm

L’Alliance New York’s Language Center will offer $20 trial French classes for adults and children—from toddlers to teens—at multiple levels of experience. Get a taste of learning French at L’Alliance New York in these 30-minute classes for children and 45-minute classes for adults. The $20 fee will be deducted from your Fall class registration when you sign up for a full class (new students only). Students registering for a trial class will be entered into a raffle to win a free individual membership!

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Please note: your spot will be released if you are not on time for your reserved timeslot.

 

Preschool Information & Tours
10am-1pm

Interested in learning more about L’Alliance Preschool? Stop by the 3rd Floor to meet the Director of our full-time French-immersion program for toddlers ages 2 ½-5 to get more information and visit our classrooms.

Library Open House, Book Sale & Book Exchange
10am-5pm

Stop by our library to participate in our fall book sale and exchange and browse our extensive collection of French language materials including books, novels and popular magazines! Bring in a used French-language book, in good condition and not more than 10 years old, to exchange books with other patrons, or purchase a book from our book sale.

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L’Alliance New York Membership
10am-5pm

Come chat with our Membership team to learn about all the exciting perks and join with a 10% discount, exclusive to the Open House! Core benefits include preferred pricing on language classes, exclusive events, special access to cultural programming, free members-only film screenings, guest tickets, library privileges, and partner discounts. Students registering for a trial class will be entered into a raffle to win a free individual membership!

Language Center Table
10am-5pm

Stop by our Language Center table to speak to a teacher or L’Alliance New York representative about your French language goals! You can also learn more about our French-immersion preschool and other fun children’s programs, as well as our international immersion voyages led by native French speakers to French-speaking cities around the world.

Open House Lounge
10am-5pm

Stop by the Tinker Auditorium in between activities to relax and grab a bite to eat! Delicious food will be for sale from Maison Tara, and free coffee, tea, and light snacks will be available throughout the day. Stop by the Language Center table for more information about our French classes and programs for all ages, or purchase a new tote bag, water bottle, notebook and more at our merch stand!

French Films
1:30pm and 4:30pm

Join us in Florence Gould Theater to kick-off a new season of cinema with two free films! At 1:30pm, the whole family can enjoy François Truffaut’s Small Change. At 4:30pm, adults can join us for the wild farce The Second Act, featuring French film stars Léa Seydoux and Louis Garrel.
Small Change
The Second Act

 

Family Programs:

Gallery Exhibition, Reception & Workshops
Exhibition: 10am-5pm | Reception: 12pm-2pm | Workshops: 12:15pm, 1:30pm & 2:15pm
Don’t miss our 1st-floor gallery and grand opening reception for Les tutomouves.

As a lighter version of the monumental installation Les plantamouves originally created for the Centre Pompidou in Paris, this exhibition-workshop combines the tactile whimsy of mobile sculpture with interactive dance, inviting audiences of all ages to engage with more than 240 vibrantly colorful foam pieces through inventive video tutorials.

Special for our fall open house, workshops will be led by teaching artists throughout the day, guiding guests through movements, dance, and offering creative interactions with the exhibit.

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Family Visual Arts Workshop
Le Skyroom | 10:15am-11:15am

Kick off our Family Saturday program with a special fall-themed arts and crafts activity for families and children of all ages! Work with a skilled instructor on creating your very own art project that you can take home with you. Students must be 3+ to participate in this workshop and be accompanied at all times by their parents/guardians.

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Storytime
Haskell Library | 11:30am & 1pm
Drop in for a free family-style French story time in our Haskell Library. It will be held in the main reading room and will feature stories carefully curated for our fall back-to-school theme!

Coloring
Haskell Library | 12pm-2pm
After Storytime, coloring activities will be available to students and families throughout the library’s usual Saturday hours. L’Alliance New York’s arts and cultural programming department will provide a family guide that includes coloring pages and kid-friendly information about L’Alliance’s visual and performing arts programs.

Family Film: Small Change
1:30pm
The whole family will enjoy this classic film from François Truffaut, which follows a series of interconnected stories featuring the lives of children as they experience school yard hijinks and first loves.

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