French Market Festival

The French market this year I have to rate as very poor. There is absolutely no parking so you have a long walk from neighboring streets to get there. The lines are incredibly long just to get tickets to go into another line to actually buy the food from your choice of Vendor so we left and went elsewhere for dinner. Yes, you can get into this free to hear the band and shop the vendors which we did look around at but its the same vendors every year so we didn't find anything we needed. I will not be returning to this festival because of the lack of space to move around in it. I'm a festival queen and went to the Greek fest and an Egyptian festival last week. I've been to Carmel fest and car shows and you name it. Never have seen waits for food this bad so something needs to be restructured for this festival to get me back.

Ooo la la! What a great festival! St. Joan of Arc puts this festival on every year. It has so many great foods that you can't normally get locally. Tarte Flambé, beef bourgeon, fresh Cafe Du Mont beignets, ratatouille, and so much more! They have live music and lots of local venders as well as a bake sale. They have lots of volunteers from the church and school that do a great job of putting this event on. They offer tours of the gorgeous Roman Catholic Church during the event. They offer mass in French also. This is a great festival that if you haven't been you should put on a beret and head over to it.

This is such a fun community event in Meridian Kessler! For a fundraiser, the food and drink options are surprisingly well-priced. There is no admission fee. Live music, beignets, wine, what more could you look for? I was surprised by just how many food options there were--there should be something for all the people in your group! The ticket system makes it really efficient to buy your food/drinks. You'll buy your food/drink tickets in batches at specific stands which you use for the vendors. It is definitely a CROWDED event. Plan on parking a few blocks away. If you go later in the day, all the tables will already be claimed since many people literally will spend the whole day here. Maybe bring a lawn chair for back-up seating! Bonus Tip: While you are in Meridian Kessler, be sure to take a walk around to checkout the unique architecture in the neighborhood. From itty-bitty bungalows, Tudors, Colonial, and more there is so much to take a peak at. Bonus-bonus tip: You can take the redline to the 42nd/College stop! Also, this festival is just five blocks off the Monon, so feel free to bike it in too!

Every year this event gets better. The food is always amazing. The French inspired main dishes like crepes, ratatouille and beef bourginion are always delicious. There are also small plate items like mussels, oysters and stuffed mushrooms. AND if that weren't enough you can get a selection of deserts like beignets and cheesecake. Everything is purchased by ticket and the prices are very reasonable for the quality and portion you get. The atmosphere is fun with a band playing and plenty of people just enjoying life. This year was made more perfect with the fact the the weather couldn't have been better. The craft vendors are all very reasonably priced and have a selection of affordable trinkets to tempt your pocketbook.

This festival is a great mix of local artisans, delicious food & live music. It is a family, friendly local neighborhood gathering. We were introduced to this gem in the late 90's and attempt to go every year that we're in town.

Parking is rough. You'll have to find street parking, so chances are, you'll be walking quite a bit before you actually arrive. I love all the vendors that are present. Food selection seems good. I do wish the food took cash or card. Standing in line to get tickets just to stand in line to get food at whichever booth you want seems redundant. Also if you don't get enough tickets and decide you want additional food, you'll be waiting in line again. oh you purchased too many tickets, well guess what you don't get your money back, so you're stuck with a paper ticket that has no other use.Overall a decent free festival

So I never knew about this Festival until I started keeping an eye on Yelp. I went this year for the first time. This year was an unusual year as in the Indianapolis area we have had rain and more rain. The festival had never had to move inside before in its history. So it was a different experience than some of you have had. Because it was hell inside the gymnasium they could not deep fry anything so some of the menu items had to be removed. That included a couple of the things I was looking forward to like the crab cakes and the beignets. I will say I still had a great time there, there were lots of nice people and still plenty of good food.I had a bacon and onion quiche along with grapes, Madeline's, and a Ratatouille along with herb buttered bread. I also had a nice glass of Riesling.I usually take my mom with me to events like this but she said she was not going out in the rain so I was by myself and another couple came over to my table and joined me they were very nice.The rain kept most of the vendors away and they had to cancel the Bands. I will definitely put this on my calendar for next year so I can get the full experience but I still had a wonderful time.

This is a surprisingly BUSY festival. The neighborhood is probably not the best place for it anymore. Parking is near impossible and you'll need to park on the side streets (really narrow) I live within walking distance and people were parking be me! They don't even do that for the State Fair! That said, this even is well organized and the food is top. They use a ticket system. You buy a number of tickets and use those as currency. Plan ahead. Look a the prices and do the math so you don't over buy. These systems can very easily produce wasted tickets. I had one left and just gave it to a stranger so it got used. The Beignets (French Donuts) sell out around Dinner time, so plan for that. I also have to plug the Fries, or Pommes. These were fried up fresh and were the star of the show for me. They also have live music, but snag a table early if you want to sit down. The dance floor was being used, too, which is always a good sign. Don't bring in your own drinks, but you know....drink them while walking to the entrance or something. I am excited for next year and will probably go twice. Once for the food, and then again later for the party.

Fun Fact: every Catholic school/parish has a summer festival, from a creaky carnival bash to a sausage party to this St. Joan of Arc gem. Great setup, good food, cheap wine, lovely artisan market...it is definitely one of the better ones to spend a Saturday or Sunday at.My only gripe: on the festival's website I saw nothing about not being able to bring pets to this festival, so I brought my dachshund along for an afternoon stroll through the market. I was stopped by a police officer at the entrance, who said she wasn't allowed in. No big deal. However, when I walked in dog-less, the first thing I saw was a lady with her dog, and there were a couple more with their pets inside of the festival. Why was my tiny doxie not allowed in but others' larger labs and cocker spaniels were? For the future, I'd appreciate that this rule would be clearly stated on the website and followed through. At least I learned that pets are not preferred. If you're planning to come, then keep your pooch at home.

This is a fun time for our family. There are many, many, many items to taste and just as many vendors to check out. The music is live and has a good sound system - especially for a local festival. Admission is free, the food and vendors cost. My suggestions:- don't worry about parking - plan to walk- get there early, come with a group if possible, get a table and take turns manning the table while the others go out- find what you want to eat the most and get it. They popular food items do sell out before the night is over.- there are baked goods inside the gym - don't pass up a chance to check them out- keep in mind - the kid games close down somewhere around 5:30 or 6:00pit's a fun time - we'll be back again next year!