Day of activities commemorates Cajun culture

BY CHRISTI LANDRY, THE DAILY IBERIAN

ST. MARTINVILLE - The Acadian Memorial will play host to a day of activities and programs all geared toward celebrating the Acadian culture.

The city of St. Martinville will be the place to celebrate the National Day of the Acadians on Wednesday.

The day will be filled with films, lectures, theater and other events.

Aug. 15 became the day observed for such a celebration after the first Acadian convention in New Bruns-wick in 1881 designated the "Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary" as the National Day of the Acadians.

Several attractions throughout the city, including the Acadian Memorial, St. Martinville Cultural Heritage Center, Duchamp Opera House, Information Tourist Center, Petite Paris Museum, St. Martin du Tours Catholic Church and the Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site, will offer tours throughout the day.

The Memorial and its museum and the African-American Museum will allow free tours. Light refreshments will be served at the Duchamp Opera House and the Tourist Information Center.

Events scheduled at the Acadian Memorial include:

  • 10 a.m. - Opening ceremony with flag raising at City Hall.

  • 10:10 a.m. - 1929 movie "Evangeline" in the Acadian Memorial Conference Room.

  • 10:15 a.m. - Lecture on Cajun Architecture by Derek Albert.

  • 11:30 a.m. - Harold Schoeffler, activities of natural preservation, will annou-nce the opening of the Atchafalaya Trace, a new 328-mile trail route around the Atchafalaya Basin with mile zero beginning at the Aca-dian Memorial.

  • 1:30 p.m. - Marcelle Bienvenu, Cajun cookbook author, will speak on living with her parents who are two great Cajun cooks and history of Cajun cooking.

  • 2 p.m. - Showing of the new documentary film on "The Story of the Acadians" by Brenda Jepson of Augusta, Maine.

  • 3 p.m. - Christy Maraist will speak about the true Evangeline of St. Martinville, "Emmeline and Evangeline."

  • 4 p.m. - Theatr/ Cadien French Vignettes.

  • 5:30 p.m. - Acadian family name banner carriers will meet in the Acadian Memorial Garden with Coordinator James Akers to start a procession to St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church. Anyone interested in participating must come early to claim a banner.

  • 5:45 p.m. - Procession to the French Mass at St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church.

  • 6 p.m. - Mass devoted to Our Lady of the Assumption, patroness of Acadians. The Mass will be celebrated in French and will feature the Acadian Memorial Regional French choir.

  • 7 p.m. - Reception held in the Acadian Memorial Hall and Meditation Garden

  • 7:30 p.m. - Theatre-Comical Mimi-French version of "Cinderella" by Melissa Pesson who portrays seven different characters from the story.

  • Meet the Acadians: Theatr/ Cadien French Vignettes Performing historical vignettes about the Cajuns who settled in Louisiana and area students Social Studies projects on Acadians will be on display in the Acadian Memorial and the students will be available for questions.

    Other events around St. Martinville will include:

  • Beginning at 11 a.m. - every hour on the hour at the St. Martinville Cultural Heritage Center in the Acadian Museum Media Room the Cajun Cooking show, "A Taste of Louisiana With John Folse: Our Food Heritage, The Cajuns" featuring scenic sites filmed in St. Martinville. You can catch both segments every hour on the hour ending at 4 p.m. Admission is free.

  • 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. - Duchamp Opera House will house an exhibition of a colorful art show of local artist paintings called the "Swamp Spirits 2007." Admission is free and refreshments will be available.

  • The Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site will take part in the National Day of Acadians celebration with guided tours of the Acadian farmstead, Olivier Creole plantation house and video showings of "Against the Tide" by Zachary Richard. The film will be shown hourly starting at 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For more information on events at Longfellow-Evangeline, contact site manager Reinaldo Barnes at 394-3754, (888) 677-2900, or longfellow@crt.state.la.us.

  • The Petit Paris Museum, open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., holds a unique Mardi Gras costume collection as well as works by famed local artist Nolan Braud. The Petit Paris can be contacted at 394-7334.

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