Congrès '99 to open
with a flourish
By AMY WOLD, Houma Courier, 7/29/99
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Photo: Photographer
Suzanne Pacquet of Canada
prepares a title board
for her photography exhibit
at Southdown Plantation.
"Invaded Territories" is
a display made up
of photographs taken in south
Louisiana by Pacquet
on several trips to the area.
Photo by BRYAN TUCK/THE
COURIER.
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The flurry of events that is Congrès Mondial Acadien en Louisiane
1999 will start in high gear this weekend.
Although a number of events for the World Acadian Congress
will begin on Saturday, the grand opening ceremonies Sunday at the
Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center will be the first official act of the
Congress.
Starting Saturday, Houma-area families of Acadian descent will
gather with relatives, friends and anyone who's interested:
oThe Bourg/Bourque/Belliveau reunion will start at 9 a.m. at
St. Ann Community Center, 4351 La. 24 in Bourg.
oThe Henry/Lirette/Surette reunion will run from 8 a.m. to 8
p.m. at the East Park Recreation Center, 8533 Park Ave. in
Houma.
oThe Theriot/Crochet reunion will be held from 8 a.m. to 6
p.m. at Dularge Elementary, 1327 Bayou Dularge Road (La.
315) in Theriot.
oThe Achee/Hache/Gallant reunion will be held in
Thibodaux.
oThe Naquin/Vautor reunion will be held from 8 a.m. to 4
p.m. at the Montegut Recreation Center in Montegut.
"It's getting close, it's getting more exciting," Marsha Naquin,
one of the Naquin reunion organizers, said on Wednesday.
"We can't wait."
The cooking effort for the Naquin/Vautor family reunion
started Thursday.
"This is going to be all home-cooked. No boxes," Marsha
said. The menu includes all the local favorites: shrimp
jambalaya, white beans, chicken-and-sausage gumbo and
French bread. "We're cooking for 200."
People don't have to be Cajun to enjoy the family reunions
and visitors are welcome to take part in the food, history and
traditions of the Louisiana Cajuns.
Also on Saturday, members of the Canadian Armed Forces
Acrobatic Parachute Team, the Skyhawks, will be signing
autographs at several Rouse's Supermarkets around the area
from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Although the family reunions are the meat of Congrès 1999,
the opening celebration on Sunday will definitely add a kick
of flavor.
The day starts at 8 a.m. at the Southdown Plantation House at
the corner of La. 311 and St. Charles Street. French-speaking
priests from Louisiana and Canada will hold a French Mass at
8 a.m. and attendees are asked to bring their own lawn
chairs.
Demonstrations of corn husk doll-making and cane syrup
production will be held after Mass. After picking up some
breakfast at the Southdown Plantation before or after Mass,
the celebration heads downtown.
Mardi Gras may still be another seven months away, but
visitors to downtown Houma will at least get a taste of the
festival that has made Louisiana famous.
The Mardi Gras Promenade will start at 10 a.m. at the Bayou
Terrebonne Waterlife Museum, 7910 Park Ave. This
downtown festival, along Bayou Terrebonne, will feature
Cajun/Zydeco music, dancing in the streets and samples of
traditional South Louisiana foods.
The Krewe of Terreanians will have a parade float at the
Waterlife Museum and fully costumed crew members will be
throwing beads to passersby for most of the day.
The event will start with a welcome address, followed by a
short performance by 5-year-old songstress Tabitha Avet at
10:15 a.m. At 10:30 a.m. the Eschete Family Ties swamp pop
band will perform. At 1:30 p.m. the Pacific Dove Medallion,
donated by Bob Hope, will be dedicated. At 2 p.m. the Dakota
country band will perform and the Mardi Gras Promenade
will end at 5 p.m.
"Just want to give them a little taste of what south Louisiana
is all about," said Diane McCandless, chairwoman of the
Mardi Gras Promenade downtown festival.
Although the downtown event is free, there are advance
tickets available that include lunch or dinner and admission
to the Waterlife Museum for $12.
Don't get tired out yet, the official opening ceremonies will
kick off at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic
Center.
The opening ceremonies begin with a ceremonial
promenade from The Courier offices to the concert arena at
the civic center, both located on Barrow Street. The
procession will be led by the Micmac Indian drummers of
Nova Scotia known as the Sons of Membertou.
Next, start watching the sky for the Canadian Armed Forces
acrobatic parachute team, the Skyhawks, as they jump from
their C-115 Buffalo aircraft.
Everyone is invited to stay and enjoy an evening of free
concerts with Grammy nominee Jo-El Sonnier and renowned
fiddler Waylon Thibodeaux, a Houma native.
In addition, local musicians Vin Bruce and L.J. Foret, who
both have helped make Cajun music more widely recognized
outside Louisiana, will play with local band Couche-Couche.
Also performing will be the band Deuce of Hearts.
"We decided early on to showcase our local people," Sheryl
Collins, a Houma resident who did much of the scouting for
opening-ceremony musical acts, said.
In addition, the outdoor concert will include well known
Canadian groups Bois Joli and Mechants Maquereaux.
The events continue throughout the week with a local
twinning celebration on Monday, Aug. 2 between St. Joseph
Church in Chauvin and the Ste. Anne-du-Ruisseau church in
Nova Scotia, Canada. Twinning ceremonies match up
Louisiana communities with sister communities in Canada.
The ceremony will being with a French Mass at 7 p.m. and a
reception to follow in the church's recreation center.
A similar twinning will be held Tuesday between the cities of
Houma and Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada. The towns of
Montegut and Saulnierville, Nova Scotia, Canada will be
twinned Aug. 6 following the Montegut Mardi Gras parade.
On Aug. 7, a number of family reunions are scheduled
locally, including the Guidry/Petitpas reunion in Houma, the
Robichaux family reunion in Montegut and the two-day
Foret-Forest reunion in Chauvin.
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