CHILLY PARADE

NEW ORLEANS — Pete Fountain, clarinet in hand and looking dapper in a white tuxedo and fedora trimmed in gold, kicked off Mardi Gras with his "Half Fast Marching Club" the way they have for 50 years: with beads and jazz.

Fountain, 79, has marched every year except the year after Hurricane Katrina hit, when he had bypass surgery.

"We're slower than we were, and older than we were," Fountain said with a laugh. "But on Mardi Gras none of it matters."

Tuesday, the final day of Carnival, was sunny and cold with high temperatures expected to hang around 50 degrees.

"I have plenty of antifreeze with me if I need it," said Jessie Grace, 57, playfully waving a flask from his pocket. "If Mardi Gras doesn't warm you up, nothing will."

Grace and about 30 family members and friends staked out their spot on St. Charles Avenue at 2 a.m., setting up chairs and tables. By 7 a.m. gumbo was cooking in a big pot and ribs were on the barbecue grill.

A week after the parade celebrating the New Orleans Saints' first Super Bowl victory, the joy of that win fed right into the Mardi Gras.

Many of those along the parade route wore Saints jerseys. One group of cyclists were costumed as flying pigs, which long-suffering fans had always said they would see if the Saints won the big game.

"Hell froze over," said Sandra Bell, 51, shivering under a blanket. "Can't you feel it?"

Saints quarterback Drew Brees, coach Sean Payton and owner Tom Benson served as monarchs of parades and more players rode with the Krewe of Zulu.

"It's a big, big deal," said Glynn Brown, 55, who said he had taken out a second mortgage to pay for the Saints gear he and his family were decked out in. "But Mardi Gras is our heritage."

MARDI GRAS!

Title: Mardi Gras

 

Date: Tuesday February 16, 2010

Time: All Day

Notes: Laissez les bons temps rouler!

GRAND REVEIL ACADIEN

LOUISIANE-ACADIE, INC. ANNOUNCES

“GRAND RÉVEIL ACADIEN / GREAT ACADIAN AWAKENING”

Lafayette, Louisiana. January 29, 2010 - Louisiane-Acadie, aiming to

fulfill the mission to mobilize all Acadians to participate in the

continued expression of their native French language and culture,

announces "Grand Réveil Acadien / Great Acadian Awakening”, a one week

gathering of Acadians from around the world, to be held in Louisiana in

October 2011.

From September 30 to October 9, 2011, the entire Acadiana Region will

open its doors to welcome family and friends, who want to celebrate and

assist in helping preserve the Acadian/Cajun culture, customs,

traditions and history of the first North American settlers, the

Acadians. The "Grand Réveil Acadien / Great Acadian Awakening” will be

held the week before Festival Acadiens et Créoles and will close with a

huge celebration of renewal on the last day of the Festival

After engaging a group of young adult Cajuns (Les Jeunes Cadiens) to

represent the Louisiana Acadians at the 2009 World Acadian Congress, an

awakening of their heritage became evident. "The spirited Acadians of

the Acadian Peninsula of New Brunswick , hosts of the 2009 Congress,

more particularly the “Grand Rassemblement Jeunesse”, sparked a

renaissance and awakening of our younger generation's pride and

interest in preserving their Cajun ancestor's native French language

and culture,” states Louisiane-Acadie President Ray Trahan.

The Acadians left France in the early 1600s to colonize “Acadie,”

present - day Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Canada. Years after the

Deportation of 1755, over 3,000 Acadians arrived and settled in south

Louisiana bringing with them the French language and rich

French-Acadian customs. These settlers, now called "Cajuns," are

estimated to number over 600,000. As the Louisiana gulf coast, where

many Acadians settled, dwindles, the Cajuns are forced to move further

north to English-speaking communities. Consequently, as the older

generation of Acadians passes away, our French language and many Cajun

traditions risk being lost forever.

When Cajun parents/grandparents pass away, material possessions from

those loved ones are dearly preserved to remember and honor them.

"There is no better way to honor and remember our loved ones, than to

keep and to live their native French language and culture,” says Trahan.

The importance of keeping this momentum cannot be lost. It is time to

invite the world, especially those of Acadian descent, to join us, in

Louisiana, and continue the fight to keep this culture alive

We have awakened a renewed spirit of our Cajun people and need

everyone, including our international families and cousins, to support

us in our efforts. Vive l’Acadie!

###

If you would like more information on this event, please contact Ray

Trahan at (337) 288 – 2681 or visit www.gra2011.org and

http://www.louisiane-acadie.com/.

For your information:

“Grand Réveil Acadien/Great Acadian Awakening”:

Mission: The mission of the Great Acadian Awakening is to awaken the

population of Louisiana and the world, primarily those of Acadian

descent, and in particular our youth, to the realization that, while we

have made positive strides, the people of Louisiana are losing their

French language, culture, and coastal land, and to seek support,

partnerships, solutions and concerted plans of action through these

large gatherings.

Executive Board Members:

President Ray Trahan

Vice-President Elaine Clement

Secretary Peggy Matt

Treasury Loubert Trahan

Philippe Gustin

Brenda Trahan

Valerie Broussard

Lucius Fontentot

Associate Members Sharon Alfred

Angie Istre

Information will be forthcoming as plans are finalized. The web sites,

mentioned above, for Louisiane-Acadie are currently being developed and

should be accessible shortly.

Sponsored by a grant from the State of Louisiana and the Lafayette

Consolidated Government

CALLING ALL CAJUNS!

The Acadian Memorial Festival, a museum style celebration of the

Acadians who settled in Louisiana, will be held on March 20th., 2010


from 10 am to 4 p.m.

The "Evangeline Oak Park" is the setting for a day of old fashion

Cajun fun. Enjoy an old fashioned spring day of Cajun culture and

traditions with music, cuisine, history, lectures, theatre, films,

demonstrations, storytelling, wooden boat parade/exhibit, antique

cars, and much more.

This day is an opportunity for Acadian families to join together for

reunions and connections. Featured are educational and traditional

opportunities for our younger generation. Bring your children,

grandchildren and elderly family members to reconnect with all Cajun

families.   Acadian costumes are encouraged.

The highlight of the day is the Reenactment of the Arrival of the

Acadians to St. Martinville. It will take place on the Bayou Teche

at 1 p.m.

All Cajun family associations should join in a huge welcome of the

Acadians arrival in St.Martinville. Let us make this the biggest day

ever!

The two families honored, who will participate in the reenactment,

will be the Breaux and Guidry families. We will need two to four

members from each family to ride in pirogues or barges for the

reenactment. We will furnish the pirogues unless you have one of

your own and want to bring it.   It is mandatory that these

participants dress as the Acadian ancestors did during their arrival

beginning in 1764. Most carried all their belongings with them so a

grass sack full of hay, old clothes etc., would have that effect.

Come dressed the part and encourage all your family members and

friends to dress accordingly also.

The festival is free but Cajun food and drinks are sold to pay

expenses. We cook on site: cracklin, boudin, jambalaya, fried fish,

cush cush, cajuns sweets, etc. We also sell drinks: water,

coke, beer, wine. etc.   Also, anyone interested in selling their

Cajun products can rent a booth.

A CAJUN VALENTINE

Join the city of St. Martinville, Acadian Memorial,  Cultural

Heritage Center at the most romantic and most photographed oak tree

in the United States, a most important aspect of intrigue and

adventure that can bring romance to couples for Valentine Day!

On February 11, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. Longfellow's poem, "Evangeline"

the romance behind it will be part of a tribute to all couples who

were married or engaged under the famous oak tree in St.

Martinville. Many marriage proposals and weddings occurred under the

boughs of this famous and magnificent oak tree situated along the

Bayou Teche. Some of these couples will tell about their reason for

coming to this romantic town and famous tree to keep a most precious

memory of their marriage and proposal.

Peggy Hulin with Old Castillo Hotel: La Place du Evangeline, ( 220

Evangeline Blvd, St. Martinville 337.394.4010 ) will co-host the

event, and the city of St. Martinville invites all couples to be a

part of this annual romantic celebration. Come enjoy a Valentine


romance "Cajun Style" then dine in our historic city.

Enjoy a reception with music, door prizes, lecture on Longfellow's

"Evangeline" and the influence this story has on romance for couples

and the history of the Acadian/Cajuns. Come early and catch the 1929

film of "Evangeline" shown at the Acadian Memorial Conference Room

South New Market~ 337.394.2258.

Free and open to the public.

Brenda Comeaux Trahan

Curator Director Acadian Memorial & Museum of the A.M.

Director of St. Martinville Department of Tourism

www.acadianmemorial.org & www.stmartinville.org

337.394.2258