LEWISTON — For the fourth year, the Fête Nationale and the Feast Day of St. Jean the Baptist, will be celebrated on Friday, June 22, and Sunday, June 24, at The Dolard & Priscilla Gendron Franco Center.

It’s in association with the Québec Delegation to Boston, the Franco-American Collection at USM/LAC, the Maine Franco-American Genealogical Society and Museum L/A.

“We will once again showcase the past and future contributions of Franco-American and other Francophone cultures in our community,” said Mitch Thomas, executive director at the Gendron Franco Center. “We are so fortunate to have Don and Cindy Roy of ‘Fiddle-icious’ as our featured entertainers at the Friday event.” 

The Roys founded the popular 140-member group of musicians many years ago.  “We are also very happy to be offering a special free concert presented by soprano Marie-Line Morin of Québec and New Hampshire on Sunday afternoon,” Thomas said.

The Friday event will start with a social hour and cash bar in the Center’s Heritage Hall at 10:30 a.m. At 11:30 a.m., a Fête Nationale luncheon will be served, followed by a celebration in the magnificent Performance Hall. This will include live entertainment, a short documentary film about the “Grey Nuns” and a special Rita S. Dubé Heritage Museum tribute to a longtime organist of the former St. Mary’s Church.

The traditional feast day menu includes Soup Bouillon, Salade de Printemps, Meat Tourtiere, and Cake des Fêtes. Everyone is invited to celebrate the feast day. The 12:30 p.m. program will include the Roys, the museum tribute, the Franco-American Veterans Color Guard, the short film, and songs led by Les Troubadours. Special guests include Marie-Claude Francoeur, head of the Québec Delegation to Boston.

The Sunday concert on the actual St. Jean-Baptiste Feast Day will feature songs of love such as “Plaisir d’Amour,” “I Dreamed a Dream” and “Bring Him Home” (from Les Misérables), “Amazing Grace” and “Ave Maria.”

Marie-Line Morin will give testimony to her faith journey as a French-Canadian immigrant and, while celebrating Franco-American heritage, will remind the audience about the importance of having Listening Ministers available, in the Church, to help people in need of love. She will be accompanied by Lucille Fortin. The concert is free and the suggested donation amount is $15.

Reserved seats for the meal at the Friday event are $12. To reserve tickets, visit the Box Office at 46 Cedar St., Lewiston, go online at francocenter.org, or call (207) 783-1585.

Box office hours are Monday thru Friday from noon to 4 p.m. The magnificent Franco Center is handicap accessible and is at Cedar and Oxford streets in the Little Canada section of Lewiston, just across the Lown Peace Bridge from New Auburn.

Don and Cindy Roy of the Don Roy Trio, along with soprano Marie-Line Morin, will perform at the fourth annual Fête Nationale and the Feast Day of St. Jean the Baptist at the Franco Center, Friday, June 22 and Sunday, June 24. 

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