Still very unorganized and unprofessional. This is not a place you want to spend your time or…read moremoney. They do have some good events from time to time but overall if you have to engage with hardheaded people this is the place to go.

I just read the previous reviews of Alliance Francaise Gainesville and am appalled at the…read moreslanderous tone used by these past members. I am a relative newcomer to AFG although I have been an AF member for years in other locations. When I first arrived in Gainesville a few years back although there was an AF group I found it to be nothing more than a clique of friends who used the organization as their personal monthly wine and cheese club. Alliance Francaise's main purpose it to promote and teach the French language and French culture in communities across the world. The French government and the home AF group in France provides some money in support of this mission. When I first inquired about Af in Gainesville there was no set plan for anything. There were no classes, no offices, no plans for culture events nor anyone with whom I could even speak for several months. I was told that there were monthly discussion groups at the Hilton which I did attend but, as I said earlier, they were basically wine and cheese parties for the few people who showed up, who, I might add, had no desire to promote the true mission of Alliance Francaise. I quit attending after the second meeting. Getting a chapter chartered with Alliance Franchise is no small accomplishment and the local charter was on the verge of being lost due to lack of participation by the chapter. Last fall a new influx of younger, more excited members joined AFG and began to ask why things were the way they were. Where were the classes, demonstrations, cultural and social events? As none of this was happening they took it upon themselves to make AFG what it was intended to be. The previous poster stated that the board members were pushed out and a new board took over. In reality, there are yearly elections and when nominations for office came open several new members ran for positions and were duly elected by the membership as a whole. No one was "ousted" though some of the older members were bitter about "their" club being taken over and basically withdrew their membership or did not elect to join for the next year. These new board members all work without pay and devote an inordinate amount of time just because they want to see AFG succeed. The dues for AFG are currently $30 for a student, $40 for a single person and $75 for a family. The Christmas Gala alone last year would have cost more than $75 per person if one had decided to go to a fine restaurant for the dinner and wine which was free to all AFG members. In the past year under the leadership and direction of the new board of directors AFG has started teaching French classes on all levels from 5 year olds to adults. In addition there has been several cultural events including museum and art gallery excursions, and speaking events as well as the holiday gala. A week long cultural event celebrating the lifestyle and culture of Provence is scheduled for September. There is also an Alliance Francaise de Gainesville office downtown that is staffed by board members and one of the several interns now working with AFG. This chapter is now extremely active and using its funding and time for the promotion of what it was originally intended. It is really growing and getting a lot of press and local support. Trust me, all the drama left with the people who were causing it to begin with. If you have an interest in learning anything about France or studying French please give this organization a chance. It has come a very long way in less than a year. For those who may wonder I am not on the board of directors nor do I work or teach for them. I am just a very happy member who is excited about all the positive growth AFG has experienced since last fall.

This place is awesome! The store sells accessories and clothing as well as little trinkets! The…read moreidea behind the store is to carry socially conscious products. That means that all of the products in the store come from either a local artist or are made by small companies that are supporting a specific cause. There are blankets made by women leaving domestic violence relationships and learning new skills. There are woodworking products made by convicts who have been released and are in need of a job. There is jewelry from El Salvador made by residents who are being supported by a living wage. The shop is pretty awesome, and I cannot wait to watch it grow and gain more product! If anyone knows of local artists or companies that would fit their mission, they are looking for vendors!

First time here ! Place is big ! Prices are reasonable! Staff pleasant ! If I lived closer I'd…read morestop by more often!

Beautiful animals! Helpful, kind staff. Great thrift store. A very very worthy organizationread more

What a unique place! Here, farm animals are saved to live their life out in natural conditions…read moretaken care of by many volunteers. Many species are here including dairy cattle and water buffalo and more! A female cow runs leads the herd and keeps everyone in order! She's the boss! The neighboring acres are permanently preserved and protected natural forest. They hold a monthly vegan food and fun creative local vendor event on the first Sunday of the month, except June, July and August. It runs from 1pm to 4pm. Thanks Rachel M for telling me about it! And thanks volunteer Chris for taking some time with me to explain what Critter Creek is about! Life is good with friendly safe animals!

From the owner: Critter Creek Farm Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to promoting compassion for all…read moreanimals through science-based rescue, outreach, and conservation. As the largest bovine sanctuary in the United States, we provide permanent sanctuary to nearly 250 animals, including cows, water buffalos, horses, donkeys, pigs, and a bison. We host monthly community events and provide free humane education presentations for schools, afterschool programs, and camps.

We reserved the farmhouse for one night. We had a wonderful time wandering the farm and feeding the…read moreanimals. The farmhouse was very clean and extremely comfortable. It was funny having pigs under the house sleeping. I sat on the porch and listened to them snore, it was a riot. I've never heard a pig snore. The very best part was the look on my sisters face when she got to do the cow cuddle with the highland cows. It was a special surprise for her. Thank you Elaine for making our visit wonderful. We will be back.

I've been to Rooterville Animal Sanctuary twice, and both visits were totally worth the 2 hour…read moredrive from Orlando. The animals are well taken care of, the people working there are so nice and helpful and booking a highland cow cuddling session was amazing. You can even stay on site if you want that real "outdoorsy" experience - but it's perfect even for a quick day trip. Can't wait to come back again!