LEWISTON – As the crowds at the second annual Festival FrancoFun dispersed Sunday evening, the volunteers who worked the festival throughout the weekend finally had their turn to feast.

“It’s nice to eat something that we didn’t cook,” joked Cecile Roy, one of many kitchen crew volunteers.

More than 100 volunteers were treated to a dinner Sunday evening as a thank-you for all of their hard work.

“The event was very successful. We had a better turnout than last year,” said Rita Dube, executive director of the festival and director of the Franco-American Heritage Center. “We have our volunteers to thank for such a success.”

Dube also credited the large turnout to the convenience of the Colisee.

“It was so much easier having everything under one roof,” Dube said. “We’re hoping to have it here next year.”

The cool air conditioning of the facility didn’t hurt either.

“Where it was so hot this weekend, the air conditioner made a big difference,” Dube said. “Had we been outside, the crowds would have been much smaller.”

According to Dube, Friday night drew approximately 1,000 people, while Saturday night saw an estimated 1,500.

“With the Moon Dawgs Friday night and Jean-Guy Piche Saturday night, we had great entertainment,” Dube said. “Piche really knows how to get the crowd riled up.”

Volunteers Dot McAtee and Linda O’Brian-Everett have been assisting Martine Gagne, the woman behind the tasty food of the festival, for “at least 13 years.”

It was a lot of work, they said, but well worth it.

“We’ve been helping with the food since the beginning of the Festival de Joie,” said McAtee. “This year, it’s nice to see all the young faces here and know that the heritage is being continued.”