A multi-faceted celebration that includes a variety of musical styles, drumming and dancing is set to take place when the second edition of St. Jean Baptiste Day celebrations hit the streets of downtown Squamish on June 24.
Organizers of the annual francophone summer celebration announced the lineup for "la f锚te" during a pre-event celebration at the Howe Sound Inn and Brewing Co. last Thursday (May 26) that included the launch of a new beer crafted especially for Sea to Sky Corridor St. Jean Baptiste celebrations by Howe Sound Brewing brewmaster Paul Wilson.
The launch of the limited-edition La BrewHa!Ha!, a strong, golden, Belgian-style ale, was accompanied by performances from some of the talented people who will be part of the June 24 celebrations.
The lineup includes several francophone groups from different origins and influences. Le Deux Plumes, the children's choir from Les Aiglons school, Jean-Pierre Makosso, St-Pierre, Hugo Paquin et les Mecs du Qu茅bec, the Jocelyn Pettit Band, Sasha Cecile's Healing Drums and Volume Collective "will create a memorable and uplifting experience for the whole community," organizers said in a statement.
The day of St. John the Baptist, which falls just after the summer solstice, was long a popular celebration in old France, and the tradition landed in Canada with the first French colonists. The first North American celebrations are said to have occurred on June 23, 1636, on the banks of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. On June 24, 1880, it became a gathering of francophone communities from across North America and has become a "national holiday" in the province of Quebec.
Squamish's first St. Jean Baptiste Day celebration was enjoyed by some 850 people last year, and attendance is expected to increase this year, with celebrations getting underway at 4 p.m. at the corner of Cleveland Avenue and Vancouver Street. In addition, the first Whistler Multicultural Celebration is taking place on June 27, with an entertainment lineup that reflects the increasingly diverse cultural mosaic of the region, organizers said.
For more information, visit the Facebook pages for the two events at facebook.com/stjeanbaptiste.squamish or facebook.com/WhistlerMulticulturalCelebration
