12th Annual French Market

This Friday and Saturday, visitors to the stretch of upper Wisconsin Avenue known as Book Hill may feel like calling it “la Colline aux Livres.” That’s because the 12th annual Georgetown French Market, organized by the Georgetown Business Improvement District, will have once again turned the blocks between P Street and Reservoir Road into an open-air Parisian-style bazaar.

Between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. both days, more than 40 local fashion and home boutiques, antique shops, art galleries and cafés will be offering special displays and discounts. The sidewalk-sale ambiance will be enhanced with strolling entertainers.

On Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the TD Bank parking lot on Wisconsin Avenue above Q Street will become a gathering place for families with children to listen to live music, interact with mimes and have their faces painted and caricatures sketched.

Live music with a Louisiana-gypsy-jazz flair will also be presented at Wisconsin Avenue and P Street and the 1600 block of Wisconsin Avenue near Urban Chic. The list of performers includes acoustic swing quartet Laissez Foure (a play on laissez faire – get it?), Yamomanem (said to be New Orleans patois for “your mother and the rest of your family and friends that always seem to be around the house”), the Rachel & Sean Jazz Duo, Swing Guitars DC and the Red Hot Rhythm Chiefs.

With some help from the Alliance Française of Washington, the Georgetown Public Library at the top of Book Hill is going Gallic with three special programs. On Friday at noon, art historian Vanessa Badré will lead a discussion, “From Versailles to China.” On Saturday at 10:30 a.m., there will be a Madeline storytime, with a reading of “Madeline at the White House” and a workshop in which participants will make their very own yellow hat. On Saturday at 2 p.m., Jacques Bodelle will talk about and sign copies of his book “Petite(s) Histoire(s) des Francais d’Ameriqué [A Brief History of the French in America].”

At Wisconsin and Volta Place, Georgetown Lutheran Church, founded in 1769, will invite French Market visitors to stop in for water and treats.

Among the curbside food options will be merguez sausages, sweet and savory crepes, Vietnamese bánh mì sandwiches, BBQ chicken skewers, pizza and dipped fruit. Patisserie Poupon – which will feature chicken with lemon and olive tagine along with their extensive selection of fresh-baked pastries – is running a drawing to win an Illy Y5 Duo espresso machine, now through Saturday.

Free parking will be available Saturday at Hardy Middle School across from the Georgetown Safeway, near the intersection with 34th Street, where there is also a Capital Bikeshare station.
Participating Retailers (west of Wisconsin, north to south):

All We Art
Unique international fine art, wooden/textile handmade crafts, jewelry and bags.
30% off select items.

Urban Chic
Up to 80% off sale items; 15% off full-priced clothing and denim.

Simply Banh Mi
Banh mi sandwiches, Vietnamese coffee, milk tea and more.

Vicky’s Nail Boutique
25% off select nail polishes.

Kennedy & Co.
Stop by to meet our associates and pick up your free gifts.

Edible Arrangements
$3s moothies, $6 six-count and $12 twelve-count of dipped fruit.

Café Bonaparte
Crepe stand, $5 per crepe.

The Phoenix
50% off select clothing, jewelry and accessories.

Little Birdies
10% off spring/summer clothing, shoes and accessories, plus 40% off sale items.

Ella Rue
In-store select merchandise 50-75% off.

P Street Gallerie
Original works and prints by local, regional and international artists. Receive 10% off framing coupon with purchase.

Participating Retailers (east of Wisconsin, north to south)

A Mano
Up to 75% off house and garden.

Cross MacKenzie Gallery
10% off work inside the gallery; 40% off ceramic items outside.

Pretty Chic
60% off jewelry; 50% off clothing, shoes and handbags. Check out our backyard Secret Garden Sales.

Maurine Littleton Gallery
SwitchWood bow ties, art books. 30% off select artworks on paper.

The Bean Counter
BBQ chicken skewers, lemonade, cold and hot drinks. 10% off sandwiches.

The Dandelion Patch
50-90% off select items in our Georgetown store only. Restrictions apply.

Egg by Susan Lazar
Up to 70% off fall/winter apparel, $5 and $10 baskets filled with past season merchandise and 20% off our brand-new spring line.

Comer & Co.
Antiques and home furnishings. Check out our expanded collection of discounted items.

Moss & Co.
Up to 75% off. Assortment of home accessories, antiques, furniture, garden items, jewelry.

David Bell Antiques
Antiques and home furnishings.

Matt Camron Rugs
Rugs and textiles.

Marston Luce
Broad selection of antiques, accessories and jewelry.

Sherman Pickey
Up to 80% off men’s and women’s merchandise.

Patisserie Poupon
Croissants, macarons, and more. Grilled merguez, chicken and steak sandwiches. Illy coffee. French tablecloths, handmade African baskets and more.

Susan Calloway Fine Arts
Middle Kingdom porcelains and discounted frames.

Manny & Olga’s Pizza
$2.50-$3 fresh pizza slices and $1 drinks.

Pho Viet & Grille
30-40% off Vietnamese sandwiches, salads and coffee drink.

Reddz Trading
20% off all merchandise except Chanel and Hermes; table specials.

Bacchus Wine Cellar
Six-pack of French wines in reusable canvas tote, $50. Wine tasting at the cellar, prior to purchase. 15% off all French wines.

Nectar Skin Bar
Spring glam-a-rama sale: select make-up and beauty products 30-50% off.

Illusions
Hair artist styling outside (weather permitting), giveaways and gifts with purchase.

Kiki Lynn
25% off all full-price Kiki Lynn items.

Britt Ryan
Special prices/discounts off select dresses, tops and bottoms.

Winifred Paper
15% off ready-to-order stationery and ready-made note sets.

Ella Rue
50-75% off jewelry, 30% off scarves and hats, 50-75% off select designer merchandise.

Artist’s Proof
20% off art books by Phaidon, Taschen, Rizzoli and many other fine art book publishers. Stop by and indulge in works by both local and international contemporary artists.

Jaryam
Additional 20% off on sale items for savings up to 70% off.

Via Umbria
Take a break from the Frenchiness of the Market and shop Italian artisanal products. Umbria handprinted ceramics, pastas and tools for your Italian kitchen.

Appalachian Spring
Unique gifts and fine American crafts. 20% to 50% off select items.