Cantigny Park celebrates its 'French Connection'

Mimes were alive and well Sunday and roaming the grounds of Cantigny Park in Wheaton to greet, albeit silently, visitors to the annual French Connection Day celebration.

The daylong festival celebrates all things French, from food, to music, to games, to storytellers, to a 23-foot replica of the Eiffel Tower, to, well, guys in white face and berets who always seem to be trapped in boxes, tugging on ropes or walking down stairs. You'd think the French would do something about that.

The theme comes naturally at Cantigny, which once was owned by Col. Robert McCormick, whose father served as an ambassador to France and who himself participated in the 1918 Battle of Cantigny - the first major American offensive in World War I.

Organizers say the festival, which was created in 2008, has become one of Cantigny's most popular events, attracting about 3,000 additional guests each year.

To learn more about programs offered at Cantigny, visit cantigny.org.