Fierce fiddling to contra dance, as Festival du Bois unveils program for March 6 to 8

Aleksi Campagne, Bagatelle, Nicolas Pellerin et les Grands Hurleurs, and the Jocelyn Pettit Band are among offerings at celebration of Maillardville’s francophone roots

Festival du Bois takes place at Mackin Park, Coquitlam, from March 6 to 8

FIERY FIDDLING IS THE connecting thread at this year’s the Festival du Bois, set to run March 6 to 8 in Maillardville.

The 37th annual celebration of francophone culture has just announced its programming, which will kick off Friday night, March 6, in the licensed Grand Chapiteau at Mackin Park with Québécois/bluegrass band Bagatelle, plus contradance with the Sybaritic String Band and caller Katie Pinter. Admission is free with pre-registration.

The next day features Quebec traditionalists Nicolas Pellerin et les Grands Hurleurs and bhangra-Celtic fusionists Delhi 2 Dublin. Aleksi Campagne puts a new spin on fiddle-singing tradition, while Schryer, Enblom, Dobres & Hillhouse pair fiddle with Métis step-dance. Nova Scotian singer Jacques Surette and Celtic-influenced Jocelyn Pettit Band appear the same day.

The final day highlights the Latin influences of Locarno, as well as the fiddle power of the North Shore Celtic Ensemble.

Elsewhere, the Petit Chapiteau is back with family fare, featuring drumming with Malicounda, children’s shows by Will’s Jams and Micah!, and more.

And the popular Métis Village Experience also makes a return, with culture, arts, stories, and more.

Around the site, look for roving performers, the Cabane à Sucre André Beauregard Sugar Shack, plus many more artisan and food booths. Workshops and artist talks take place Saturday and Sunday onsite and at nearby Mackin House.

“When I started planning the lineup, I kept coming back to the fiddle. It’s the heartbeat of so many francophone, folk and world music traditions,” the fest’s new artistic programming director, Gabriel Dubreuil, said in today’s announcement. “I wanted to show the many ways it can shine, whether it’s driving the tune, holding down the groove, lifting a song, or leading a dance. I looked for artists who bring fresh ideas, strong voices, and real craft to what they do, and who each show a different facet of French Canadian music with this connecting thread.”

Find more details and early-bird tickets at Festival du Bois’s website here.

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Janet Smith

Janet Smith is founding partner and editorial director of Stir. She is an award-winning arts journalist who has spent more than two decades immersed in Vancouver’s dance, screen, design, theatre, music, opera, and gallery scenes. She sits on the Vancouver Film Critics’ Circle.

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