Foire Brayonne
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The Foire Brayonne is a music and cultural festival held each summer in
Edmundston Edmundston is a city in Madawaska County, New Brunswick, Canada. On 1 January 2023, Edmundston will expanded, annexing the village of Rivière-Verte and parts of the local service districts of the parish of Saint-Jacques and the parish of Sai ...
,
New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
since 1985. The Foire is sometimes considered the biggest
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
festival A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...
held in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
outside the province of
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
. It is usually held in August, at several locations in Edmundston.


History

The first
festival A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...
was held in 1978 and up to 1985 was a 10-day event. Today the festival is running strong with five days of activities for all ages. It is held the week before the
New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
Civic Holiday Civic is something related to a city or municipality. It also can refer to multiple other things: General *Civics, the science of comparative government * Civic engagement, the connection one feels with their larger community *Civic center, a com ...
, which is the first Monday of August.


Etymology

The name "Foire Brayonne" stems from the word "foire" which is French for fair. "Brayonne" is the feminine form of the French word "
Brayon Brayons, also called Madawaskayens, are a francophone people inhabiting the area in and around Madawaska County, New Brunswick, Canada, including some parts of northern Maine. In French, they are called or feminine as in ''Brayon culture'', o ...
" which is the name given to residents of
Edmundston Edmundston is a city in Madawaska County, New Brunswick, Canada. On 1 January 2023, Edmundston will expanded, annexing the village of Rivière-Verte and parts of the local service districts of the parish of Saint-Jacques and the parish of Sai ...
and the surrounding Madawaska County area. There have been many disputes as to why this term is used. The word is defined as someone who mixes (such as pancakes or laundry). However, some
historians A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...
dispute the term when it comes to the people of
Edmundston Edmundston is a city in Madawaska County, New Brunswick, Canada. On 1 January 2023, Edmundston will expanded, annexing the village of Rivière-Verte and parts of the local service districts of the parish of Saint-Jacques and the parish of Sai ...
. They refer to their ancestors' harvesting of reeds from the Saint John River valley. These were known as "braye" (which they used to weave baskets and make brooms). Therefore, the term "brayon" means harvester of braye. Some believe the name may refer to the '' Pays de Bray'' region in
Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
(northwestern
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
). Having left this region for Quebec, the descendants made their way over generations to the Saint John River valley. The name perhaps provides a link to their native homeland.


Local dishes

Many local dishes are served during the
festival A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...
such as the ploye, which is a
pancake A pancake (or hotcake, griddlecake, or flapjack) is a flat cake, often thin and round, prepared from a Starch, starch-based batter (cooking), batter that may contain eggs, milk and butter and cooked on a hot surface such as a griddle or fryi ...
type mix of water and
buckwheat flour Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum''), or common buckwheat, is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. The name "buckwheat" is used for several other species, such as ''Fagopy ...
. There is
chicken stew Chicken mull is a traditional dish from North Carolina, upstate South Carolina and Georgia. It is a type of stew consisting of parboiled whole chicken in a cream- or milk-based broth, butter and seasoned with salt, pepper and other ingredients. Tr ...
which is chicken mixed with dumplings and
potatoes The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern United ...
. They enjoy
cretons In Quebec cuisine, (sometimes gorton or corton, especially among New Englanders of French-Canadian origin) is a forcemeat-style pork spread containing onions and spices. Due to its fatty texture and taste, it resembles French '' rillettes''. ...
: a pork-based pate. Although not a local dish, there's teriyaki on a stick where a thin piece of
meat Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted, farmed, and scavenged animals for meat since prehistoric times. The establishment of settlements in the Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals such as chic ...
is dipped into a mix of teriyaki and
barbecue sauce Barbecue sauce (also abbreviated as BBQ sauce) is a sauce used as a marinade, basting (cooking), basting, condiment, or topping for meat cooked in the barbecue cooking style, including pork or beef ribs (food), ribs and chicken as food, chicken. I ...
, grilled over an open fire. It was introduced in the late 90s and has become a foire favorite.


Major attractions

The foire relies on sponsorships and grants to offer a low entrance fee. A five-day pass to all shows was available for $35 (in 2014). Compared to similar festivals, the foire is arguably one of the best deals of its kind. People wishing to know more about the area's rich history can visit "La promenade de la Republique", which is an exposition on how life in the area was during the Victorian era. A large park for kids offers live shows, inflatable games, and the opportunity to paint kid's faces and have their picture taken with Typique, a child-friendly porcupine which the region has a rich history of. Other attractions include an outdoor mass celebrating the French culture's loyalty to the Catholic faith, a large parade, car shows, sporting competitions, and an arts and crafts flea market. One of the foire's major attractions has been live concerts. Here is a partial list of artists who have appeared at the foire: * 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 Julie Masse (born June 3, 1970) is a Canadian pop singer. Biography Masse was born in Greenfield Park, Quebec. She released her self-titled debut album in 1990, a French language album that made her a star in Quebec and France, with the singl ...
(1992) * Les BB (1992) * Alannah Myles (1993) * Roch Voisine (1994) *
France D'Amour France D'Amour (born France Rochon on March 30, 1967, in Mont-Rolland, Sainte-Adèle, Quebec, Canada) is a French Canadian singer songwriter from Quebec. She studied music at Collège Lionel-Groulx in Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec specialising in ja ...
(1994 and 2013) * Beau Dommage (1995) * James Ledgerwood (1995) *
Kevin Parent Kevin Parent (born 12 December 1972) is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Quebec. He is fluent in both English and French. Early life Although his first language is English, he was born in Greenfield Park, Quebec (now a borough of the city o ...
(1995) * Éric Lapointe (1994 and 1995) * Moist (1997) *
Great Big Sea Great Big Sea was a Canadian folk rock band from Newfoundland and Labrador, best known for performing energetic rock interpretations of traditional Newfoundland folk songs including sea shanties, which draw from the island's 500-year Irish, Scot ...
(1998) *
Plume Latraverse Plume Latraverse (born ''Michel Latraverse'' 11 May 1946) is a prolific singer, musician, songwriter and author from Quebec. At the end of the 1960s he formed a band named La Sainte Trinité with Pierrot le fou (Pierre Léger) and Pierre Landr ...
(1999) * Claude Dubois (2000) * Natasha St-Pier (1991 and 2003) *
Yelo Molo Yelo is a municipality located in the province of Soria, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE INE, Ine or ine may refer to: Institutions * Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear research center * Instituto ...
(2003 and 2004) * Les Classels (2003) *
Les Respectables Les Respectables is a Canadian rock band that was founded in Quebec City in 1991. Biography Origin 1992-1998 In 1992, Les Respectables won first place in a competition run by Montreal radio station, CHOM-FM, and the band also reached the grand f ...
(2003) *
Marie-Chantal Toupin Marie-Chantal Toupin (born July 14, 1971) is a Quebec singer. She has released a number of albums of pop and soft rock music. Toupin has sold over 300,000 albums in Canada and has had two albums certified platinum. Early life Toupin was born in M ...
(2004 and 2010) *
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(2005) * Les Cowboys Fringants (2006) *
Hugo Lapointe Hugo or HUGO may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Hugo (film), ''Hugo'' (film), a 2011 film directed by Martin Scorsese * Hugo Award, a science fiction and fantasy award named after Hugo Gernsback * Hugo (franchise), a children's media franchise ...
(2006) * Jonas (2006) * Mentake (2006 and 2009) * Marie Mai (2006) *
Soldat Louis Soldat Louis are a French rock group originally from Lorient, who mix the traditional music of Brittany with typical rock music instruments - electric and acoustic guitar, drum kit, etc. - as well as the traditional bagpipes ( ''biniou braz'' in ...
(2007) * Martin Fontaine (2007–2009) * Mobile (2007) *1755 (2008) *
Michel Pagliaro Michel Armand Guy Pagliaro (born 9 November 1948) is a Canadian rock singer, songwriter and guitarist from Montreal, Quebec. Pagliaro was nominated for a 1975 Juno Award as male vocalist of the year. Although he writes and records predominantly ...
(2009) *
Gildor Roy Gildor Roy (born May 11, 1960) is a Canadian actor. Gildor is the brother of Québécois actors Luc Roy, Yvon Roy and Maxim Roy. Biography He is the ex-owner of a baseball - of which he was a player at first base - club in the Dominican Rep ...
(2009) *
Guy A. Lepage Guy A. Lepage (; born Guy Antoine Lepage, August 30, 1960) is a Canadian comedian, actor, talk-show host, and producer. Career Lepage was one of the five founding members of the Quebec comedy group ''Rock et Belles Oreilles'' (which also include ...
(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 André-Philippe Gagnon (born December 17, 1962) is a Canadian comedian and impressionist. His impressionist act is unique for his specialized talent in impersonating the ''singing'' voices of celebrities, as opposed to his contemporaries, who ty ...
(2014) One of the most interesting events at the Foire Brayonne is the Party du Parking. The idea for this party was brought forward by committee member Jo-Anne Volpé, who in 1987, asked city officials about having a large party in the city's parking lot. Despite their reservations, city officials agreed. Today, more than 20 years later, the Party du Parking is one of the most enduring and successful events of the Foire Brayonne. Hundreds of people from all walks of life come to this event simply to experience it, as it has a large word-of-mouth and cult following. Every year thousands of people gather on the Friday evening of the Foire in the parking lot in downtown Edmundston.
Food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is inge ...
, beverages, and live entertainment is offered. Although sometimes imitated by other festivals in the United States and Canada, it is the largest one of its kind in
New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
. It has sometimes been compared to
Mardi Gras Mardi Gras (, ) refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is known as Shrove Tuesday. is French for "Fat ...
due to its large gathering and party atmosphere. What makes the Party du Parking so special is that, despite having thousands of people gathered into one small spot, the party is in a very controlled environment. Very few, if any, arrests are made and almost everyone attending the Party du Parking are well behaved, despite the amount of alcohol people tend to consume on that night.


Dispute

The Foire Brayonne is sometimes criticized by the
Acadian The Acadians (french: Acadiens , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most Acadians live in the region of Acadia, as it is the region where the de ...
people as not promoting the culture as a vital part of French
New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
, as most of them feel that the term Brayons is but a legend. Despite this the foire has always included
Acadian The Acadians (french: Acadiens , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most Acadians live in the region of Acadia, as it is the region where the de ...
acts and encourages local
Acadian The Acadians (french: Acadiens , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most Acadians live in the region of Acadia, as it is the region where the de ...
talent. In 2008 the foire's closing festivities added an Acadian touch with 1755 and
Le Grand Dérangement The Expulsion of the Acadians, also known as the Great Upheaval, the Great Expulsion, the Great Deportation, and the Deportation of the Acadians (french: Le Grand Dérangement or ), was the forced removal, by the British, of the Acadian peo ...
. Fayo and George Belliveau are some of the Acadian acts who performed. The
Edmundston Edmundston is a city in Madawaska County, New Brunswick, Canada. On 1 January 2023, Edmundston will expanded, annexing the village of Rivière-Verte and parts of the local service districts of the parish of Saint-Jacques and the parish of Sai ...
area, despite having a large population of Acadian ancestry, has always been a separate culture from the rest of French
New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
. It has become the second largest majority French speaking city outside of
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
. Most of the francophones there are from Quebec ancestry, compared to the rest of French
New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
which are direct descendants of the first French people to colonise
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
in 1604 in what is now Nova Scotia and
New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
. Quebec was not founded until four years later. Because of the high Quebec ancestry in the Edmundston area and its close proximity to the Quebec border, area residents are in some cases considered by Acadians as non-resident Quebecers. Some "Brayons" do not want to be compared to Acadians or Quebecers and ardently call themselves independent "Brayons" from "P'tit Sault" (the original name for Edmundston), which designates the smaller rapids of the river.


Foire directors

*Lise Bourgoin 1990-2001 *Cindy Couturier 2001-2006 *Guillaume L'Italien 2006-2008 *Éric Thériault 2008-2011 The current director is Cindy Couturier.


External links


Foire Brayonne
{{coord, 47.367, N, 68.327, W, display=title Music festivals in New Brunswick Edmundston Tourist attractions in Madawaska County, New Brunswick 1985 establishments in New Brunswick Recurring events established in 1985