CALLING ALL CAJUNS!

IT'S FESTIVAL TIME!

CALLING ALL CAJUNS!

A Publication of The Acadian Memorial Foundation March 2010

With the first breath of spring in St. Martinville arrives the Acadian
Memorial Festival. On March 19 and 20, 2010 the 6th annual festival
once again promises a good time in the historic district. As sponsors
of the festival, it‟s a great time for Foundation members and our
families to get together.


Bring some guests, and let‟s take part in the fun with a Friday night
downtown stroll for the Art Walk, Tour of St. Martin de Tours Church
and Crawfish Boil (call Ray Trahan, Festival Chairman, to reserve
tickets) and Saturday‟s festivities in Evangeline Oak Park including
live music, great food and drinks, exhibits, merchandise, costumes, art, reenactments,
reunions,  genealogy presentations, etc. Volunteers are needed, welcomed and
greatly appreciated!


By festival time, installation should be complete for the new lamp for
the Eternal Flame. Stop by the Acadian Memorial Courtyard and have a
look!


It will be our pleasure to host some special guests: author Gérard-Marc
Braud and Maryannick Braud of Nantes, and artist Georgette Bourgeois of
Nova Scotia. The traveling exhibit Voices of the Atchafalaya is also
scheduled for display. Created by Earl Robicheaux and John Amrhein, it
features photography, recorded oral history and ambient sound.


At 1 p.m. on festival day, take a spot on the Boardwalk and welcome the
2010 Honored Acadian Families, BREAUX and GUIDRY, some of whom will be
representing their ancestors in the much anticipated reenactment of the
Arrival of the Acadians on the Teche in St.Martinville.


Admission is FREE to all events! Please enjoy Cajun cooking and
beverages from our booths in support of the festival. See you there...

Festival Schedule Updates
http://www.acadianmemorial.org/
http://www.stmartinville.org/


For More Info: Email us at
info@acadianmemorial.org
or call: 337-394-2258/
337-288-2681

ACADIAN FLAG-BEARER AT OLYMPICS

NEW.BRUNSWICK (CBC) - An Acadian hockey fan from Dieppe, N.B., has attracted attention from

across the country after last Sunday's gold medal men's final.

Two different groups of Acadians started searching for the man who was captured on television waving

the Acadian flag during the game.

Michele Pothier was watching from Victoria, B.C., when she saw the familiar red, white, and blue flag

with the yellow star undulating above the gold medal match spectators.

"I went, 'Oh my God, look, someone's waving the Acadian flag.' "

Pothier, who is originally from Nova Scotia, was instantly curious.

"Who would go to a gold medal game in Vancouver with an Acadian flag on them? It was just random,

fun stuff," she said.

So Pothier put together an anglophone Facebook page "Who was waving the Acadian flag at the Canada

vs. USA Olympic game?" calling on people to identify the flag bearer.

A similar French site was created by others Qui étais l'Acadien avec notre drapeau?

In total, about 400 people were looking for the flag-bearer online.

Meanwhile, the man who had been waving the flag, Bobby Léger, had no idea he was getting so much

attention until Monday, when word got out that it was him.

Joël Viger proudly announced on the French site that it was his "bon chum" Léger. "You're the man,

Bob!" he wrote.

Lissa Léger also posted a comment. "Proud to say it's my brother and my dad! Way to go, guys! I guess it

took a gold medal game for someone to notice our flag at the Olympic Games! Go Canada Go."

Bobby Léger said he used a fishing rod as a flagpole. "When we got in we scrambled to get the whole

fishing rod together and taped the Acadian flag on it, and there we went," he said.

"Every time that we got an opportunity to wave the flag, we did, because I just wanted to prove to all of
my buddies that I was actually at the game."

Afterward, dozens of people came up asking about the flag, said Léger.
"We were just walking down the streets and [people shouted] 'Hey, an Acadian here.' Overall it was

pretty neat."

Léger said nations around the world wanted to fly their colours at the Olympics, and he's glad L'Acadie

wasn't left out.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/cbc/100305/canada/canada_newbrunswick_nb_acadian_flag_olympics_hockey

ACADIANS: BAYOU TECHE TO ATCHAFALAYA

The theme of the 2010 Acadian Memorial Festival is Acadians: Bayou

Teche to Atchafalaya. The festival, a museum style celebration of the

Acadian Settlers in Louisiana, will be held on Saturday, March 20, 2010

from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in St. Martinville. Festival Kickoff is Friday,

March 19, 2010 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. All events are free and open

to the public.

The Acadian Memorial Foundation Board and the City of St. Martinville

want to share the highlights to entice your presence. The history and

stories step right out of the museum and Memorial to showcase the

Acadian Cajun culture and traditions loaded with visuals and fun for

all ages.

Festival kickoff will be a Downtown Promenade around historic Church

Square. Join us for an Art Walk through downtown businesses, Crawfish

Boil, tour of St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church and introduction of

the 2010 Festival’s honored families, Breaux and Guidry. Advance

tickets for the crawfish are on sale by the L’Ordre du Bon Temps.

Brief family meetings can be arranged, please contact us for

accommodations.

Festival day is old fashioned Cajun fun set in Evangeline Oak Park.

Acadian costumes are encouraged. Join us for family reunions, music,

cuisine, history, lectures, theatre, film, demonstrations, storytelling

and kids’ activities, wooden boat parade/exhibit, antique cars, and

much more. Voices of the Atchafalaya, a traveling exhibit of

photography and sound, will be on display. Special guests will include

author Gerard-Marc Braud and Maryannick Braud of Nantes, France and

artist Georgette Bourgeois of Nova Scotia, Canada.

Cracklins, boudin, jambalaya, fried fish, cush cush, Cajun sweets, etc.

will be cooked on site. Beverages of all types will be available.

Anyone interested in selling their Cajun products may rent a booth.

The Reenactment of the Arrival of the Acadians on Bayou Teche takes

place at 1 p.m. on festival day. Bring your children, grandchildren and

elderly family members for this opportunity to reconnect with all Cajun

families! We are looking for two to four members from the Breaux and

Guidry families to ride in pirogues or barges. Acadian Dress circa

1764 is required. Please contact us to make arrangements.

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! For more information or to

volunteer, contact us at 337-394.2258 337-288-2681 or

info@acadianmemorial.org. Please visit our websites at

www.acadianmemorial.org and www.stmartinville.org for schedule updates.
 
CONTACT: BRENDA COMEAUX TRAHAN, ACADIAN MEMORIAL CURATOR, 337.394.2258