An Annual All-Day Party Celebrating the Heritage of Our Families, Our Neighbors, and Our City.
Saturday, June 2nd, 2012 from 7am - 11pm
at the Franco-American Heritage Center
46 Cedar Street, Lewiston, ME
Festival Franco Fun Tickets: $10 for all-day pass. Kids under 12 free with Adult ticket purchase
Tickets Available at francocenter.org, by calling 689.2000, or in person.
Crepe Breakfast: From 7am -10am | $6
Lunch and Dinner: From 11am - close | $1 - $7
Bean Supper: From 4:30pm - 6pm | $7
Entertainment Schedule:
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Dennis Labbe as Mr. Magic
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM Storytelling with Michael Parent
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Musique Tout Partout
2:15 PM – 3:15 PM Present Company
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM Joelle Morris
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Tinpanic
7:30 PM – 8:30 PM Norm Gagnon et Le Groupe de Joie
9:00 PM – 11:00 PM C’était Si Bon
Many Thanks to Our Season Sponsors:
TV5Monde | Lewiston/Auburn Magazine | Androscoggin Bank | Sun Journal | Center Street Dental | Schooner Estates | Platz Associates
The Franco-American Heritage Center is pleased to announce the activities for its annual Festival Franco Fun. this yearly celebration of Franco-American music, food, and culture will be happening at the Franco Center on Saturday, June 2nd.
Festivities begin at 7am, with a Family Crepe Breakfast open to the public. Following breakfast, there will be a special Children's Entertainment program, where children under 12 are admitted free with the purchase of an adult Festival ticket. Magical Wonders Entertainment presents Magician Dennis Labbe, followed by the regarded story teller Michael Parent.
The early entertainment is followed by lunch, featuring many Franco favorites, including: poutine, boudin, and salmon pies. Also available will be burgers, hot dogs, lobster rolls, and many other summer staples. A slate of afternoon performers includes the French folk of Musique Tout Partout, the decades of pop and vocal music from Present Company, and the outstanding mezzo-soprano Joelle Morris.
The Bean Supper, served at 4:30, is a Festival tradition. The evening entertainment continues, showcasing the stellar pan band Tinpanic, and Norm Gagnon and his Groupe de Joie. The final performance of the night is C'etait Si Bon, a reuniting of several members of the popular band C'est Si Bon.
C'etait Si Bon is a tongue-in-cheek reference to C'est Si Bon which was one of the more popular and busy performing groups of French music in the Maine and the New England area during the years from around 1975 through the year 2000. C'est Si Bon performed in all of the Franco-American festivals in Maine and New England, including, Rhode island, massachusetts and Connecticut, They also performed New York and Canada. They performed four times at the Quebec Winter carnival held each February in Quebec and well as one time at an International Festival in Albany, New York. For several years, they were the house band at Indian Head Resort in Lincoln, New Hampshire for Canadian artists performing there. The group recorded 5 albums and Cassettes over the years. The group disbanded on New Years Eve 2000.
Nel Meservier and Eddie Boucher are original members of C'est Si Bon having organized the group with Paul Boucher and Ray Chouinard.
This year, four former members of C'est Si Bon are reuniting for the purpose of performing at this year's Francofun Festival. Former members Eddie Boucher, Gerry Meservier, Don Leblanc and Nel Meservier will be joined by Diane Meservier, a longtime member of the group Present Company.
The group will be performing songs of C'est Si Bon including specialty dances such as La Danse Des Canards, Aga Dou and La Danse du Peteux, along with Folklore songs from over the years.
A native Mainer of French-Canadian descent, Michael has performed as a storyteller, singer, (and actor-playwright), in both English and French, throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, France, New Zealand, Ireland, Costa Rica, and Brazil.
After living in Virginia for many years, where he was a co-founder of, and frequent performer at Live Arts, a thriving alternative theater in Charlottesville, Michael returned to his home state of Maine in July, 1998, and now lives in Portland. He received the National Storytelling Network's "Circle of Excellence" Award in 1999, and was a keynote speaker at the 2001 National Storytelling Conference in Providence, R.I.
Michael has produced the award winning CD "Sundays at Grandma's – Dimanches chez Memère," and has co-authored, along with Julien Olivier, "Of Kings and Fools," translated and retold stories from the Franco-American tradition (August House Publishers).
Michael's original stories have been included in various anthologies, including a collection titled "Heroes and Villains in American Literature" (Amsco Publications). His bilingual CD, "Chantons, Let's Sing," in collaboration with Greg Boardman, includes songs from the Franco-American culture, sung in an alternating French-English pattern.
“Our stories and songs affirm and celebrate our Franco-American cultural identity. When we tell our stories and sing our songs, we acknowledge our past and help insure our future.”
The Tinpanic Steel Band, a 14-piece steel drum orchestra, is known to bring audiences to their feet with high-energy calypso rhythms and a big band sound. Their crowd-pleasing repertoire includes swing and pop favorites, along with the island party music for which the steel pan is popularly recognized. Tinpanic is based in Auburn and has developed a fan base across the state of Maine by playing at community celebrations, sailing regattas, private parties and charitable events.
Present Company is Diane, Marge, and Lorna. This trio consisting of two singers and a keyboardist live in Central Maine and entertain throughout the region and beyond, celebrating over 20 years in entertainment.
They are a living, breathing active encyclopedia of musical heritage through contemporary music, beginning at the Great Depression era and winding through the music of the several decades since. Their music spans country, early rock and roll, pop music from the 40s-60s, ballads, standards, Irish and French favorites, Gospel music, and more.
The group has been a regular feature at some of Maine's largest outdoor fairs and festivals, including: Fryeburg Fair. Winsor Fair, Monmouth Fair, Common Ground, Great Fall Balloon Festival, and Festival de Joie
Norm Gagnon, accordionist extraordinaire, will be returning with his ensembles, Groupe de Joie, as part of the Franco Center's festivities. Norm and le Groupe have been favorites of the festival for countless years, and are sure to please the crowds with their renditions of traditional French folk music.
Based in Boothbay Harbor and dedicated to keeping traditional Quebecois French music and culture alive, Tout Partout perform spicy Cajun dance tunes and songs from the Maritime folk tradition. Tout Partout is an expression that turns up in certain French songs and means "all around."
Members of Musique Tout Partout have performed in a variety of settings, ranging from high school French groups to charitable fundraisers. Musique Tout Partout has played at La Kermesse, the French festival in Biddeford, Annual Alewife Festival in Damariscotta, Annual Boat Builders Festival in Boothbay, Kennebec River Run festival in Augusta, Community Suppers, Library Lawns and craft fairs.
Vocalists Dolly Rollins and Isabelle Lewis both grew up in traditional French households in Maine. Born near the Canadian border in Jackman, Isabelle's first language was French. She performed folk music for many years with a group called "The Relatives." Dolly's family roots in Quebec take her back there often. Jim admits he gave up the accordion in the 1950's largely because it wasn't cool. After years of playing guitar and a stint with a Mexican band, Jim re-discovered the beauty of his original instrument. "I like fast songs with a heavy beat."
Jim discovered rhythm guitarist Mike Colbert in a guitar workshop. Mike not only kept a steady beat, he had a french name. Mike soon graduated from Johnny Cash ballads to French dance tunes.
Dennis Labbe is a magician from Steep Falls, Maine that performs classical and comical magic that is guaranteed to entertain to create an unforgettable experience children and adults alike.
He started practicing magic at the young age of seven. Now Dennis has been performing the magic arts professionally for the past 22 years.
Dennis' presentations are carefully tailored to suit any age group. Children, teens, adults and seniors are captivated by his magical wonders.
He has performed for corporations, grade schools to colleges, campgrounds, libraries and nightclubs as well as countless private parties all over New England.
Dennis has the perfect style of entertainment. He combines magic and illusion for your mind and comedy for your funny bone.
An accomplished mezzo-soprano, Joelle Morris uses her dramatic voice and musical understanding to consistently bring passion, depth and clarity to her performances regardless of genre. From opera's darkest arias to jazz's most memorable tunes to Broadway's greatest hits, Morris controls the power of her voice while finding subtleties within her songs.
Morris graduated in 2003 with a Master's degree in vocal performance from the University of Colorado's Lamont Conservatory of Music in Denver. A finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Audition in Denver in that year, she has performed as Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro, Dorabella in Cosi fan Tutte, and Rosina in The Barber of Seville for a variety of theatre companies.
Morris is not only a performer, but also a teacher and conductor. During a recent residence in Evian, France, she performed regular recitals within the region, and was a member of the jazz group, "The Jean-Marie Reboul Trio," which performed throughout France, as well as Geneva, Switzerland. She also conducted an established 60-person choir based in Thonon-les-Bains, as well as a 16-member choir, "Double Croche," which she formed in 2006. She has also taught voice to adults and children through her private studio for many years.
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