Foire Brayonne facts for kids
The Foire Brayonne is a super fun music and culture festival! It happens every summer in Edmundston, New Brunswick. This festival started in 1985. Many people think it's the biggest French-speaking festival in Canada outside of Quebec. It usually takes place in August. You can find activities all over Edmundston during the festival.
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A Look Back at the Foire Brayonne
The very first festival happened in 1978. Until 1985, it was a big 10-day event. Today, the festival is still going strong! It offers five days of exciting activities for people of all ages. It's held the week before the New Brunswick Civic Holiday, which is the first Monday in August.
What Does "Brayonne" Mean?
The name "Foire Brayonne" comes from two words. "Foire" means "fair" in French. "Brayonne" is the female form of "Brayon". This is a special name for people who live in Edmundston and the nearby Madawaska County area.
There are different ideas about where the word "Brayon" comes from.
- Some say it means someone who mixes things, like pancake batter.
- Other people, like historians, think it's about their ancestors. These ancestors used to gather reeds from the Saint John River valley. These reeds were called "braye". They used them to make baskets and brooms. So, "Brayon" could mean someone who harvests "braye".
- Another idea is that the name links back to a region in France called Pays de Bray in Normandy. Some families from that area moved to Quebec, and then their descendants came to the Saint John River valley. So, the name might remind them of their old homeland.
Yummy Local Foods
Many tasty local dishes are served during the festival.
- The ploye is a special pancake. It's made from water and buckwheat flour.
- There's also chicken stew. This dish has chicken mixed with soft dumplings and potatoes.
- People also enjoy cretons, which is a spread made from pork.
Even though it's not a traditional local dish, "teriyaki on a stick" is super popular! It's a thin piece of meat dipped in a mix of teriyaki and barbecue sauce, then grilled over a fire. It became a festival favorite in the late 1990s.
Fun Things to Do at the Foire
The festival tries to keep ticket prices low thanks to sponsors and grants. For example, in 2014, a five-day pass to all shows was only $35! This makes the Foire one of the best deals for a festival of its kind.
Explore History
You can learn about the area's rich history at "La Promenade de la Republique". This exhibit shows what life was like in the Victorian era.
Kids' Park Fun
There's a big park just for kids! It has live shows, bouncy games, and you can even get your face painted. You can also take a picture with Typique, a friendly porcupine mascot. Porcupines have a special history in this region.
Other Cool Attractions
The festival also offers:
- An outdoor church service celebrating French culture and faith.
- A big parade with floats and music.
- Cool car shows.
- Exciting sporting competitions.
- An arts and crafts market where you can find unique handmade items.
Live Music Shows
One of the biggest draws at the Foire is the live concerts! Many famous artists have performed here. Here's a list of some of them:
- René Simard and Nathalie Simard (1983)
- Véronique Béliveau (1985)
- The Box (1986–1987)
- Too Many Cooks (1987)
- Glass Tiger (1989)
- Celine Dion (1991)
- Julie Masse (1992)
- Les BB (1992)
- Alannah Myles (1993)
- Roch Voisine (1994)
- France D'Amour (1994 and 2013)
- Beau Dommage (1995)
- James Ledgerwood (1995)
- Kevin Parent (1995)
- Éric Lapointe (1994 and 1995)
- Moist (1997)
- Great Big Sea (1998)
- Plume Latraverse (1999)
- Claude Dubois (2000)
- Natasha St-Pier (1991 and 2003)
- Yelo Molo (2003 and 2004)
- Les Classels (2003)
- Les Respectables (2003)
- Marie-Chantal Toupin (2004 and 2010)
- Les Trois Accords (2005)
- Les Cowboys Fringants (2006)
- Hugo Lapointe (2006)
- Jonas (2006)
- Mentake (2006 and 2009)
- Marie Mai (2006)
- Soldat Louis (2007)
- Martin Fontaine (2007–2009)
- Mobile (2007)
- 1755 (2008)
- Michel Pagliaro (2009)
- Gildor Roy (2009)
- Guy A. Lepage (2009)
- Elizabeth Blouin-Braithwaite (2009)
- Tailor Made Fable (2010)
- George Belliveau (2010)
- Collective Soul (2010)
- Alchoolica (2012–2013)
- Alter Ego (2012–2013)
- Les Vickings (2013)
- Marc Dupré (2014)
- Jérôme Couture (2014)
- André-Philippe Gagnon (2014)
The Party du Parking
One of the most exciting events at the Foire Brayonne is the Party du Parking! This idea came from a committee member named Jo-Anne Volpé in 1987. She suggested having a huge party in the city's parking lot. Even though city officials had some doubts, they agreed.
Today, over 20 years later, the Party du Parking is one of the most popular and successful events at the Foire Brayonne. Hundreds of people come from everywhere just to experience it. It's become famous by word-of-mouth!
Every year, thousands of people gather on Friday evening of the Foire in the downtown Edmundston parking lot. There's food, beverages, and live entertainment. Other festivals in Canada and the United States have tried to copy it, but this is the biggest one of its kind in New Brunswick. It's sometimes compared to Mardi Gras because of its huge crowd and fun atmosphere. What makes the Party du Parking so special is that even with thousands of people, it's a very well-managed event. People are usually very well-behaved.
Different Views on Culture
Sometimes, the Foire Brayonne faces criticism from Acadian people. They feel it doesn't always promote their culture enough as a key part of French New Brunswick. Many Acadians believe the term "Brayons" is just a legend.
However, the festival always includes Acadian performers and encourages local Acadian talent. For example, in 2008, the closing celebrations had an Acadian touch with groups like 1755 and Le Grand Dérangement. Artists like Fayo and George Belliveau, who are Acadian, have also performed.
The Edmundston area has many people with Acadian ancestry, but its culture has always been a bit different from the rest of French New Brunswick. Edmundston is the second-largest city outside of Quebec where most people speak French. Most French speakers there have ancestors from Quebec. This is different from the rest of French New Brunswick, where people are often direct descendants of the first French settlers in North America in 1604. Quebec was founded four years later.
Because many people in Edmundston have Quebec ancestors and the city is close to the Quebec border, some Acadians see people from Edmundston as being more like Quebecers.
However, some "Brayons" don't want to be compared to Acadians or Quebecers. They proudly call themselves independent "Brayons" from "P'tit Sault," which was the original name for Edmundston. "P'tit Sault" refers to the smaller rapids in the river.
