The 37th Annual Chautauqua and French-Canadian/Metis Festival will be held August 24-26 at the Old Crossing and Treaty Park near Huot, Minnesota. The event is presented by the Association of the French of the North (AFRAN) and has received funding in part from the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council through the Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment. Funding also comes from the McKnight Foundation and Red Lake County Historical Society.
AFRAN’s mission is to create an understanding of the rural French heritage to the arts and humanities. “We do that by bringing in a portrayal of some of the historical figures that are important to the settlement of the area,” said one of the event organizers Jerry Amiot. “We will have one again this year that is coming from Little Canada, Minnesota with Joel Brown portraying George Bonga, a voyageur in 1837. We have a great line up of entertainment again with a free will offering.”
The activities start on Friday with a potluck picnic and hayride at 6:30 p.m. and a bonfire with songs and storytelling at 8:30 p.m.
Saturday’s activities include French festival food specialties starting at 11:00 a.m. and entertainment includes Double the Trouble from Winnipeg at 12:30 p.m., the Ca Claque band from Manitoba at 1:45 p.m. Entertainment will include George Bonga (portrayed by Joel Brown) at 2:30, and Ca Claque band and dancers at 3:30. The day will wrap up with Mass at the shrine at 5:00 and a French supper and dance by Louisville Foundation at the Red Lake Falls American Legion. The fun continues at the Red Lake Falls Legion with Ca Claque providing music at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday is full of fun with the French festival food specialties starting at 11:00 a.m., Virgil Benoit and guests at Noon, Double the Trouble at 12:30, Cory Medina and The Brothers at 1:30, Thomas X, Brendan Strong and Red Lake Dancers, Ca Claque will perform at 3:30 and the weekend will wrap up with the silent auction and festival wrap up at 4:30 p.m.
Daily activities include a silent auction (40 items per day) and membership tent, artists and artisan tents with wool making, wool carding, butter making, children’s activities, earth oven bread making, Tim Brosseau a Red River cart builder and more.
Old Crossing and Treaty Park is located nine miles southwest of Red Lake Falls or seven miles northeast of Gentilly on County Road 11. Follow the brown park signs. For more information, go to www.frenchcanadianafran.org.
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