AUBURN — Several folk musicians from the area will join their talents in a performance of lively old-time fiddle tunes at “Place St. Louis” in New Auburn on Wednesday, June 24, as part of a community-wide celebration of Saint Jean Baptiste Day. The entertainment will take place between 3:30 and 5 p.m. outside the former St. Louis Church, located at the corner of Dunn and Third streets.

Featured will be a variety of jigs, reels, waltzes and polkas, many of which were brought down to Maine by fiddle-playing farmers who emigrated from Quebec many generations ago. Also on the program will be tunes which have sprung more recently from their Franco-American descendants in this area.

Among the musicians performing for the occasion will be bass player Abram Collette from Lewiston, fiddler Josh White from Auburn, guitarist John Cote and mandolin/banjo player Don Cunningham, both from Lewiston, and fiddler Mona Theriault from Turner – all of whom are of French heritage.

Saint Jean Baptiste Day is the feast day of St. John the Baptist, the patron saint of Quebec, and as such it is celebrated as a major holiday in that province and also holds significance among Maine’s Franco Americans. St. Louis Church was attended by legions of French Catholics in the New Auburn neighborhood before being closed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Maine in 2013. To save it from being torn down, the structure was purchased last year by a group of concerned citizens dedicated to seeing the 100-year-old structure brought back to life as a cultural center.

In addition to the music, the June 24 program will include other activities befitting the occasion as well as tours of the building. Attendees are encouraged to bring folding chairs for seating. More information is available by contacting the Maine Folque Co-op at 782-0386 or www.MaineFolqueCo-op.com.

The Saint Jean Baptiste Day festivities will kick off at 11 a.m. across the river at Lewiston’s Franco Center, where a luncheon, lecture and other activities are planned.