BIDDEFORD — After going through many trials and tribulations last year, La Kermesse Franco-Americaine festival will be back for its 29th year in June, albeit with some changes.
This year, the festival, which celebrates the area’s Franco-American history, will be held in the downtowns of Biddeford and Saco, according to the organization’s new president, Jessica Quattrone. The block party and parade are scheduled to make a comeback and much of the festival will be free.
After the events of last year, it was unclear if the festival would be held at all this year. The organization has accumulated significant debt, which it is still paying off, from a combination of misfortunes.
Longtime president of La Kermesse, Priscille Gagnon, was found guilty last year of embezzling funds from the festival. And because of damage to the festival’s traditional home at St. Louis field in 2009 that was blamed on the event, the city banned La Kermesse from the field. Instead, the 2010 festival was held at the Biddeford Ice Arena and Expo and turnout was possibly the lowest it’s ever been.
But not everything went wrong last year.
In the fall, Quattrone was elected the organization’s president. The festival’s new leader brings with her youth, enthusiasm, and a mix of new and old ideas.
The new president said she wants to focus on the festival’s future and not its past. This will be a year of rebuilding, said Quattrone.
“We want the community to trust us again,” she said, adding, “I have seen a level of excitement and energy coming from the board that hasn’t been there for a couple of years.”
A highlight of the pared down, two-day festival will be the return of the block party, complete with fireworks. In the past, this was usually the most well-attended event of the festival. The free event was discontinued two years ago because of a lack of funding.
The traditional parade will also be held, said Quattrone, along with other events that are part of the festival’s history, such as French entertainment, the popular “idol” singing competition, a brew fest, food and craft vendors, amusements ”“ although scaled back from previous years ”“ and more.
In addition, while people had to pay to attend the festival when it was at St. Louis field, at the new venue, people will be able to take part in much of the event at no charge. The plan, said Quattrone, is to hold the entire festival downtown, spanning the Main streets of both Biddeford and Saco.
She said she has been talking and/or meeting with municipal officials and representatives of the downtown redevelopment organizations of both cities, said Quattrone. She said she hopes businesses on both sides of the Saco River will think this is a good thing.
So far, the response has been positive.
“I think La Kermesse is a great thing that Biddeford and Saco have,” said Saco Mayor Roland Michaud. “It’s a signature event for the two communities.”
“We’re ready to work in any we can to make it happen,” he said.
“I’m excited about having it downtown,” said Biddeford City Manager John Bubier. “I’m excited about the two cities working together.
“I’ve been a proponent of having La Kermesse downtown,” he said. “I think it has exciting potential.”
In other communities where he’s worked, said Bubier, festivals like Bath Heritage Days and the Moxie Festival in Lisbon Falls have been important events for those downtowns.
He said he hopes holding La Kermesse in the downtowns of the twin cities will have similar positive effects for local businesses, by increasing business during the event and by introducing people to the downtowns who may return and spend money there in the future.
So far, plans are coming together, Quattrone said. However, she said, community support is vital, “If (we’re) not able to raise enough money we will hit the kill switch.”
If all goes well this year, said Quattrone, there are more plans being discussed for the future. Having more community involvement and entertainment by community members is one idea. Another is to expand the focus of the festival.
The event is viewed as a celebration of the region’s rich Franco-American heritage, but, said Quattrone, Joseph Plamondon, the man credited with founding La Kermesse, envisioned the festival as encompassing and celebrating other ethnicities within the community.
If the festival continues, said Quattrone, she would like to see the rich ethnic diversity that makes up the twin cities also have a place in the La Kermesse festival.
— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.
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