A Vermont Lake Champlain Quadricentennial
SIGNATURE EVENT
The St. Albans Franco-American Heritage Festival - celebrating the rich cultural heritage of Franco-Americans and the natural history of Vermont's Lake Champlain region - is proud to be one of four signature events designated by the Vermont Lake Champlain Quadricentennial Commission.
The Festival will kick off on June 18 in the evening with a gala event and art show at the Lois McClure, dockside in St. Albans Bay.
Regional, state, and local dignitaries, sponsors will be invited, and tickets to the gala will be available for purchase.
Festivities continue on Friday and Saturday, June 19 and 20, with many events taking place in outdoor venues in St. Albans City and Town. The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum's 1850s replica canal schooner, Lois McClure will remain at port in St. Albans, and will be open for public viewing.
Free concerts featuring some of the most talented traditional Franco-American and
Canadian musicians are planned, including Smithsonian Folkways artist, Franco-American singer/songwriter Michele Choiniere, recipient of the 2007 Vermont Governor's Heritage Award. Don Roy, an award winning Franco-American fiddler from Maine will also perform. He has played at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, and at major folk festivals throughout the US and on a Prairie Home Companion. Josee Vachon will share her Franco-American upbringing through traditional and contemporary folksongs from Québec and Acadia. Josee has earned numerous awards and performance accolades across her 25 year career.
History will be "on stage" too. Plan to take in historical re-enactments, lectures, roving actors reenacting period characters, genealogy exhibits, a traditional 'soiree', history walks, children's activities and much more.
In May the St.Albans school system will also host a traditional workshop on French culture and music, and children attending that workshop will be invited to perform during the Festival.
Most of these events will be free and open to the public.
Event locations include, in St. Albans City: Taylor Park and the St. Albans Historical Museum, and in St. Albans Town: Bay Park and Knights of Columbus Hall.
For details and schedule, visit www.francoamericanvermont.org.
Download a PDF of the event brochure.
(Photo credits: top and bottom, St. Albans Franco-American Heritage Festival. Middle, Eric Bessette and the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.) |
