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Enjoy la belle vie in Geelong

The blue, white and red will be flying when Le Festival Francais returns to The Heights Heritage House and Garden in Newton.

A celebration of all things French, the annual two-day festival is now in its third year, following the overwhelming success of previous events.

Run entirely by volunteers, Le Festival Francais showcases the food, wine and language of France, as well as non-stop French-themed entertainment, including a special evening performance of No Regrets: the Edith Piaf Story by Nikki Nouveau.

Families can enjoy the champagne bar, picnic area and dining spaces around the picturesque gardens, with a dedicated Kids’ Zone offering free activities, puppet and circus workshops and painting and craft activities.

Festival organising committee member Judy Berryman-Long said the event had something for everyone.

“It’s great value for families to come early and stay all day, because once you’re in the gate there’s heaps of entertainment for kids and spaces for picnics,” she said.

“We’ve got lots of stallholders again, there’s a good variety of food and the gardens are just beautiful. We’ve held various events up at The Heights over the years because it’s such a lovely space.”

Ms Berryman-Long said this year’s event saw the addition of a series of masterclasses, conducted by experts in scents, French language, cycling, cheese and wine, furniture restoration and gardening.

“Some of them are free presentations, which people still need to book for, but the masterclasses are an elevated opportunity to learn something from masters in their field,” she said.

Le Festival Francais is at The Heights, Newtown on October 26 and 27. Visit lefestivalfrancais.com.au for the full program and to book tickets.

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