The French Week in Buenos Aires "Vivi Francia 2012" will take place from September 16th to 23rd, 2012, organized by the French-Argentine Commerce and Industry Chamber (CCIFA), and sponsored by the French Embassy and the Ministry of Culture of the City of Buenos Aires. A series of activities to enjoy French culture, art, gastronomy, fashion, music and architecture, free and open to all, including free guided visits to French buildings in Buenos Aires, a movie festival at Alliance Francaise, make-up and fashion shows, art exhibitions, concerts, and a gastronomic festival.

Some of the scheduled activities are:

Visit to the French Embassy:

Sunday, September 16th, 2012, 11:00am to 4:00 pm: Joining the celebration of European Heritage Days (Journées européennes du patrimoine), the French Embassy in Argentina will open its doors to the public. This will allow visitors to discover the Palace Ortiz Basualdo (photo), home to the French Embassy since 1939, built by French architect Paul Parter in 1912.

Besides the main entrance and the honor staircase, the public will be invited to visit the reception halls in the first floor, which make the Palace Ortiz Basualdo a significant example of the French influence in the Argentine architecture.
Accessing the second floor, visitors will admire the main dining room, the music room in a Louis XV style with Chinese decoration, the ball room, its mirrors and its painted boards, as well as the XVI century English style winter garden.
The French Embassy is located in Cerrito 1399, Recoleta.
An ID is required to enter the Embassy (Passport or DNI). No pictures will be allowed inside the residence.

French market "Le Marche":

Sunday, September 16th, 2012, 10:00am to 6:00 pm: An authentic French Market will be installed in Buenos Aires, in the Coubertin square (next to the the French Embassy), Visitors will be able to taste and purchase French bakeries and different specialties of the French cuisine. 

Guided visits:

Tuesday 18, 3:00pm: "Art, Palaces and Landscape" - Meeting Point: Av. Libertador & Mariscal Castilla (Palermo Chico)
Wednesday 19, 3:00pm: "Old road to Santa Fe" - Meeting Point:: Av. Santa Fe and Montevideo
Thursday 20, 3:00pm: "Interior of the Botanical Garden" - Meeting Point:: Av. Santa Fe & Las Heras
Friday 21, 3:00pm: "Elegant and distinguished Tango" - Meeting Point: Av. Libertador & Av. Callao

Language:

Conversation groups "Degustation de Francais", every day at a different location (free entrance)

YOK, the organization from the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, celebrates every year the "Urban Rosh Hashana", the Jewish New Year in the streets of Palermo Soho.

This time, for the celebration of the Rosh Hashana 5773, visitors will find typical food, talks, activities for kids, and a stage with live music and stand up comedy. The festivities will take place on Sunday, September 9th, 2012, at Armenia & Costa Rica, Palermo, from 12pm to 7pm.

Activities:

The exhibit will feature more than 40 architectural spaces that will make up the 7500 square meters of a renovated old building.

Casa FOA was born in 1985 as an initiative of Mercedes Malbrán de Campos and a group of ladies with the purpose of raising funds for the Argentine Ophthalmology Foundation "Jorge Malbrán" (FOA). With a growing success, Casa FOA has become one the most important events in the country´s cultural agenda.

The strategic selection of the venues and the careful and profound restoration of the chosen buildings give every edition of Casa FOA an indisputable value for the community, making it possible to associate its name not only to Argentine design but also to the preservation of buildings of great historic and cultural value, like: Casa de la Moneda (1995), Hotel de Inmigrantes (2000), Monasterio de Santa Catalina (2001), Casa del Patio de la Reconquista (2003), Hotel Avenida de Mayo (1991), Puerto Madero Dock 5 (1993), Palacio Alcorta (1994), Tattersal de Palermo (1998) Apostadero Naval (2000), Terrazas de Buenos Aires (2002), Tribuna II Palermo (2004), Puerto de Frutos de Tigre (2008), among others.

Dates: September 7 to October 14, 2012.

Opening hours: 12 noon to 8 PM

Location: Av. Regimiento de Patricios 1052, La Boca, Buenos Aires

Entry fee:

General: AR$ 60

Tuesdays: AR$ 30

Disabled and children under 12: Free

Casa FOA official website.

The great Roger Federer, one of the world's best tennis players of all times, and the Argentine Juan Martin del Potro, currently world No 8, will offer two exhibition matches in Argentina, on Wednesday, December 12th and Thursday, December 13th, 2012, in the suburb of Tigre, province of Buenos Aires.

The matches will be played in a hardcourt surface stadium specially built for the occasion, next to the Puerto de Frutos de Tigre, with capacity for 20,000 spectators .

The organizers have announced a second date after tickets for the first date were sold out in a few hours. Tickets for the match on December 13th will go on sale through www.tuentrada.com on Sunday, August 26th, at 10am.

For people who want to secure their places in advance, there are tour companies offering a full package that includes transfers, tickets, permanent coordinator, and snacks. Contact me to receive information about this service.