La Kermesse Festival back with full line-up of activities

BIDDEFORD — After a two-year hiatus, La Kermesse Franco-Americaine Festival is back this weekend.

The annual event that celebrates the community’s French Canadian heritage dates back to 1982 and has become a beloved local tradition. In 2020 and 2021, organizers canceled the festival, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many memories have been made at La Kermesse over the decades, and it was a difficult decision to have to cancel the festival for two years in a row, said Jessica Quattrone, president of the La Kermesse Board of Directors.

Quattrone has been involved with the festival since 1986, when she was nine years old and her father, Joe LeBlond, joined the board. She has fond memories of at age 12 dressing up in a frog costume as Franquette, the festival’s mascot.

“We are so excited to be back,” said Quattrone on Tuesday evening, taking a break for a few minutes from her duties at St. Louis Field, where organizers were setting up for this weekend’s festivities.

Though it’s been a few years since the festival has been held, Quattrone said it was getting set up without a hitch, as many of the volunteers, like her, have a long history with La Kermesse.

“It’s like a well-oiled machine,” she said.

She said all the live entertainment scheduled for the canceled 2020 festival will be performing this year. Other highlights include a genealogy tent, French Canadian food as well as other food vendors, craft vendors, a children’s activity tent, cornhole tent, car show and fireworks. The carnival ride company organizers had previously contracted with went out of business, but in its place will be bounce houses, an obstacle course and other inflatable amusements, which will be included in the admission price.

Anyone who supported the festival by purchasing a 2020 commemorative button honoring the state’s 200^th birthday and featuring Franquette the frog can use the button for admission to this year’s festival.

For more details, check out the La Kermesse website.

Here are some of the highlights. All activities at St Louis Field unless otherwise stated :

Thursday, June 23:

• Car Show, 4 p.m.

• Live music with Girls Just Want To Have Fun, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Friday, June 24:

• Parade, 6 p.m., The parade will be starting at the corner of Jefferson and South Street, proceeding down Jefferson Street, turning right on Alfred Street and up to Graham Street Extension. It will turn left onto West Street then continue to St. Louis Field where the festival is held.

• Live entertainment with the LeBlanc Family 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

• Opening Ceremony, 8 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.

• Live music with Aerosmith Tribute Band Draw The Line, 8:45 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Saturday, June 25

• R. B. Hall Memorial Band noon to 2:15 p.m.

• Delilah and Friends, 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Josée Vachon, 4:30 – 6 p.m.

• The LeBlanc Family, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

• Kris Hype, 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

• Fireworks display, 9:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

• American Ride 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. following the fireworks

Sunday, June 26

• Touch a Truck, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Free Crepe breakfast, noon to 1 p.m.

• The Alumni Band, 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

• Josee Vachon, 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• The LeBlanc Family, 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at [email protected].