YARMOUTH/CLARE, N.S. – This is a special time of year for Acadians as they mark National Acadian Day Wednesday, Aug. 15, with various activities planned for that date, including events in West Pubnico, Clare, Yarmouth and Quinan.
In West Pubnico, a National Acadian Day gathering will take place at the Musée des Acadiens des Pubnicos (Acadian Museum), where the day will include music, a barbecue and more.
In Clare, Aug. 15 marks the conclusion of the Clare Acadian festival and the day’s activities will be held at a number of locations, starting in the morning at the Clare municipal building in Little Brook and ending that night with a concert at Université Sainte-Anne.
In Yarmouth, an annual Acadian Day activity at the Yarmouth County Museum – a rappie pie lunch – will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
IN WEST PUBNICO
In West Pubnico, the Musée and Le Village Historique Acadien de la Nouvelle-Écosse are celebrating together at one venue (the museum), where things are scheduled to get underway at 11 a.m.
Jacques Surette (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and Gerard LeBlanc (1 to 3 p.m.) will provide musical entertainment.
The activity lineup includes a barbecue, bouncy castle, horse rides, Pirates and Parrots of Liverpool, face painting, an Acadian garden tour, quilt display and crafts.
The day also includes cake and iced tea (1 p.m.) and the activities are scheduled to go until 3 p.m., culminating with a Tintamarre – a noise-making activity designed to display Acadian pride – to be held at about 2:50. It will be held on the Acadian Museum grounds.
In case of rain, the activities will be moved indoors at the Centre de Pombcoup (fire hall).
IN CLARE
National Acadian Day is the closing day for Clare’s Acadian festival and the day begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Clare municipal office in Little Brook, where there will be a flag-raising ceremony and a performance by La Baie en Joie dancers. (If it rains, this will take place at the Clare Veterans Centre.)
Next it’s a picnic at Pointe-à-Major from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. A mass it to be held at 11 a.m., followed by singing and music. There will be a chicken barbecue.
In the evening, it’s the Tintamarre, which starts at 6 p.m., following a route from Salmon River heading towards Université Sainte-Anne, where the day will wrap up with a concert featuring La Virée, an Acadian group from New Brunswick, and La Baie en Joie.
IN YARMOUTH
The Yarmouth County Museum again is marking National Acadian Day with a rappie pie lunch, which is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The $10 price includes roll, tea/coffee and dessert. In addition to celebrating Acadian culture, this annual activity is a small fundraiser for the museum.
IN QUINAN
The Conseil acadien de Par-en-Bas (CAPEB) has announced that National Acadian Day activities will take place in Quinan, including a regional mass at Saint Agnes church at 7 p.m., celebrating the feast day of the Assumption of Mary. This will be followed by a reception with music by Eddie Madden. CAPEB also will honour Neil Blanchard as its volunteer of the year.
