It has been almost three years since the annual Festival du loup gathering in Lafontaine Park to celebrate Francophone heritage, culture and music. In the three years since the last live edition, the program has undergone a revamping. The festival now takes place over a two day period. It’s high time we all got together to celebrate in the heart of the village of Lafontaine on July 16 and 17, 2022.
On Saturday, the grounds open at 10 a.m. for festival-goers. Tractors will rev their engines at MonPiero Farms, at the corner of the 15th Concession, and rumble over to the parking lot at Robert Robitaille Pavilion where the public can get up close and personal with the colossal machines, and learn from the farmers.
All day long, the park will be animated by festival regulars Créations In Vivo theatre troupe, back as steamfunk stilt walkers, this time accompanied by a violinist.
La Clé’s Youth zone will be provide a multitude of activities and explorations for the little ones. The popular wolf auction is also back with online bidding. Stop by and see the painted wolves on site, to sharpen your bidding skills, making sure you bring home the wolf you want!
Artisan booths will be set up around the grounds while La Bréhandaise Market handles food fare – pastries in the morning, poutine in the afternoon; the evening meal is provided by Georgian Shores Catering (get your tickets ahead of time!) In the afternoon, the music tent will feature a new album release by local group Ariko; other artists will entertain the crowds throughout the day, until 4:30 pm.
The pièce de résistance that no one will be able to resist after such a long absence remains Le grand hurlement – a great Howling Good Time from 7 p.m. onward, in the Pavilion. The children’s howling competition starts off the evening on the MonAvenir stage, followed by Pourquoi Pas? a band from Casselman who will get the crowd dancing with the Singing Farmer, Louis Racine.
The musical dessert is a group from the Ottawa area called Le Diable à 5! It’s going to be a devilish kind of blast! Dancing boots are a must as will be quenching your thirst at the Pierrette and Guy Madore Bar, a couple who have volunteered at festival volunteers for a decade; Guy is sponsoring the bar in memory of Pierrette. The evening winds down around a campfire, where a few guitars and accordions are likely to be found.
The festival comes to close in the shade of the Community Centre where Feast Catering will serve up delicious crepes to the community for Sunday morning brunch, courtesy of Centre Colibri. It will be a chance for the family to share a bite, reminisce about the good times of the previous day, and finally howl together once again Aaahhhoouuuu!
It’s a date on July 16 & 17, 2022!
Come howl with us!
Visit festivalduloup.on.ca for more information.
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NEWS RELEASE
LA MUETE CULTURELLE DE LAFONTAINE
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