Franco Events for the rest of June

Summer brings us all out into the sun (when it is here) and sends us off to see what we can see.

There are an amazing number of events that can fill a Northeast francophile calendar here are just a few for June, our favorite is the Festival la Kermesse franco-américaine in Biddeford, ME:

6/19 Fête du Québec à Boston @ 6 pm, Boston, MA  http://www.quebec-boston.org/

6/19 Soirée Karaoke @ 6:30 pm, French Library, Boston, MA  http://wwwfrenchlib.org/

6/19 Nathan Williams & Zydeco Cha-Cha's @ NYC, NY ([ http://www.concertedefforts.com/ ]www.concertedefforts.com)

6/19 Heritage String Band @ 7:30 pm, LeFoyer Club, Pawtucket, RI  http://www.lefoyer.org/

6/20-26 Film: Le Voyage du ballon rouge @ Movies, Portland, ME  http://www.moviesonexchange.com/ 

6/20-21 Franco-American Heritage Festival @ St.Albans, VT ([ http://www.stalbanschamber.com/ ]www.stalbanschamber.com) 

6/21 Fête de la Musique (Music Day) (1982) ([ http://www.fetedelamusique.culture.fr/ ]www.fetedelamusique.culture.fr)

6/21 Fête de la Musique @ 1-10 pm, Harvard Sq., Cambridge, MA ([ http://www.makemusiccambridge.com/ ]www.makemusiccambridge.com)

6/21 L'Orchestre Baobab @ 8 pm, Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA ([ http://www.worldmusic.org/ ]www.worldmusic.org)

6/21 Lucie Therrien @ Multi-Cultural Festival, State House, Concord, NH ([ http://www.nhhistory.org/ ]www.nhhistory.org)

6/21 Duke Robillard @ Colonial Theatre, Bethlehem, NH ([ http://www.bethlehemcolonial.org/ ]www.bethlehemcolonial.org)

6/21 Fête de Saint Jean Baptiste @ 5 pm, Fr.Am.Centre, Manchester, NH ([ http://www.facnh.org/ ]www.facnh.org)

6/21 Michèle Choinière @ 7 pm, Fr.Am.Centre, Manchester, NH ([ http://www.michelechoiniere.com/ ]www.michelechoiniere.com)

6/21 Franco-American Festival @ Church of Precious Blood, Woonsocket, RI ?

6/21 Franco-American Dinner & Dance @ 6 pm, KofC, St.Albans, VT   http://www.stalbanschamber.com/

6/22-7/02 AATF: Summer Institute: Samuel de Champlain @ FAC, Orono, ME  http://www.maine.edu/ 

6/22-29 Festival acadien de Madawaska @ Madawaska, ME 

http://www.acadianfestival.com/ 

6/22-29 Réunion de famille Guerrette @ Madawaska, ME ([ http://www.acadianfestival.com/ ]www.acadianfestival.com)

6/22 Va-et-Vient @ 3 pm, Boarding House Park, Lowell, MA ([ http://www.indie911.com/va-et-vient ]www.indie911.com/va-et-vient))

6/24 Fête chrétienne de Saint Jean Baptiste (Saint John the Baptist Day)

6/24 Fête nationale du Québec (Quebec National Day) (QC) /www.fetenationale.qc.ca)

6/24 Célébrons Notre Héritage @ 5 pm, Parc de Notre Renaissance, Nashua, NH (603-889-6437)

6/25 Les Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal @ 1:30 pm, LeFoyer, Pawtucket, RI ([ http://www.lefoyer.org/ ]www.lefoyer.org)

6/26-29 Festival la Kermesse franco-américaine @ Biddeford, ME  www.lakermessefestival.com)

6/26 AFB: Ensemble Jyugoya @ 7 pm, French Library, Boston, MA ([ http://www.frenchlib.org/ ]www.frenchlib.org)

6/26 Le Vent du Nord @ 8 pm, St.Kieran Arts Center, Berlin, NH ([ http://www.stkieranarts.org/ ]www.stkieranarts.org)

6/27-29 Lucie Therrien @ Festival la Kermesse, Biddeford, ME ([ http://www.luciet.com/ ]www.luciet.com)

6/27 Famille LeBlanc @ 8 pm, Festival la Kermesse, Biddeford, ME ([ http://www.lakermessefestival.com/ ]www.lakermessefestival.com)

6/28-29 Festival des Rameurs @ Petit Roches, NB ([ http://www.festivaldesrameurs.com/ ]www.festivaldesrameurs.com)

6/28 Erica Brown @ Festival acadien, Madawaska, ME ([ http://www.ericabrownonline.com/ ]www.ericabrownonline.com)

6/28 Chantal & Marcel @ 2 pm, Festival la Kermesse, Biddeford, ME ([ http://www.lakermessefestival.com/ ]www.lakermessefestival.com)

6/28 Pierre et Lionel @ 4 pm, Festival la Kermesse, Biddeford, ME ([ http://www.lakermessefestival.com/ ]www.lakermessefestival.com)

6/28 C'est Si Bon @ 7:30 pm, Festival la Kermesse, Biddeford, ME ([ http://www.lakermessefestival.com/ ]www.lakermessefestival.com)

6/28 Illusion @ 8 pm, Festival la Kermesse, Biddeford, ME ([ http://www.lakermessefestival.com/ ]www.lakermessefestival.com)

6/28 Pierre et Lionel @ 9 pm, Festival la Kermesse, Biddeford, ME ([ http://www.lakermessefestival.com/ ]www.lakermessefestival.com)

6/29 Chantal & Marcel @ 1 pm, Festival la Kermesse, Biddeford, ME ([ http://www.lakermessefestival.com/ ]www.lakermessefestival.com)

6/29 Famille LeBlanc @ 6 pm, Festival la Kermesse, Biddeford, ME ([ http://www.lakermessefestival.com/ ]www.lakermessefestival.com)

6/29 Pierre et Lionel @ 7 pm, Festival la Kermesse, Biddeford, ME ([ http://www.lakermessefestival.com/ ]www.lakermessefestival.com)

6/29 C'est Si Bon @ 8 pm, Festival la Kermesse, Biddeford, ME ([ http://www.lakermessefestival.com/ ]www.lakermessefestival.com)

6/30-8/29 L'Été en Français @ French Library, Boston, MA ([ http://www.frenchri.org/ ]www.frenchri.org)

Oral History and Franco Tradition

This from Lisa Desjardin at the Franco American Center of the University of Maine

Our project consists of digitizing the Oral Histories that have already been captured and to continue to gather more.  Also making them available to be viewed by all Francos wherever they may be via the Internet.  Our website which is currently under construction will house all this.  Check it out for a sneak peek, http://www.francoamericanarchives.org  

These are interesting memories and give pause for thought.  My grandparents were quite old when I knew them.....and I did not ask the questions I would now as a person trying recreate history.   If you have older family members who can impart family history I suggest you capture it as soon as possible.  Create your own archive. It will lead you to interesting places, people and events that have shaped your family

LaRochelle and the church

I just got an interesting email form Marc Pembroke in response to the LaRochelle post. There are several pieces in Marc's note that I will include in other postings but this particular section is a brief history of religious reformation and the central role of LaRochelle. Thanks Marc.

"........I found it interesting that La Rochelle was a starting point for so many immigrants to New France. As you might know, the town was once a hub of the French Hugenot movement. Samuel de Champlain married at a Reformed Church there where his wife was clearly a member. There is little other indication of Champlain’s beliefs, but apparently, he and Du Mont were both Calvinists. In fact, the nearest French equivalent of the Presbyterian/Calvinist Westminster Confession is known as The Confession of La Rochelle. That confession is still a constituent document of l’Église Réformée Évangélique Indépendante in France (a denomination where I served as pastor-evangelist in Perpignan 1978-79) and of l’Église Réformée du Québec, where I served as professor of theology and supply pastor 1998-1999. I am still a member of the ERQ church in Saint Georges"

The movement of families from France to Quebec.......from Quebec to New England is a fascinating journey. Where they lived....how they got there......why the stayed or moved on is a journey worth following.

Make the trip here with us or make the trip as a vacation during this year of Quebec celebration. Either way make the trip....for yourself....your children and your grand children. It is fun, informative and addictive. A detective story and a history lesson all in one.

Cat de Hollande

Often the name of a ship and passenger lists are available for review as historical documentation of immigration. My ancestors left LaRochelle on the Cat de Hollande in the mid-1600's. Searching on that ship name landed me at: http://racinesrochelaises.free.fr/cat.html ......a wonderful Canadian site about the ship and its passengers. Some pictures of the Cat or a similar vessel and even the offices of the notary who supported the out-migration documentation.

Passenger lists are available at: http://www.migrations.fr/departure_of_la_rochelle.htm We will follow this journey and the journey of the families involved as well as the journeys of Samuel de Champlain as part of this blogging effort.

LaRochelle France

In this year of celebration of the 400th Anniversary of the founding of Quebec it is interesting to follow the travels of the founders as well as our ancestors.

LaRochelle, France is of particular interest to a great many Franco-Canadians and Franco-Americans because about 40% of the immigration from France to the New World originated at the Port of LaRochelle. Wikipedia has a good entry for LaRochelle and it is a great starting place for a family journey: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Rochelle

LaRochelle celebrated the Quebec journeys this year with parades and the launching of a fleet to re-enact the voyage of Champlain.: http://limousin-poitou-charentes.france3.fr/emissions/quebec/42199914-fr.php#para42901474 LaRochelle is of particular interest to my search for family routes since my family originated in Ile de Re an island just of the coast of LaRochelle.....now connected to the mainland by a magnificent bridge. See the Wikipedia article here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%8Ele_de_R%C3%A9