Outdoor concert part of 25th Congrès mondial acadien celebrations

The Congrès mondial acadien will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2019 with events in southeastern New Brunswick and on Prince Edward Island.

Claudette Theriault, chair of the Congrès Mondial Acadien 2019, said she was at the first gathering in 1994, also in the southeastern part of the province, and is looking forward to this year's event.

"As you know, family reunions are also a big part of these celebrations and right now we have 30 families registered and they'll meet in one of our host communities," Theriault said. 

The mission of the world Acadian congress is to unite Acadians and all those interested in Acadian culture. The gathering has been held every five years in various locations in the Maritime provinces, Quebec and Louisiana. 

This year, events are planned for Aug. 10-24.

2 provinces share hosting 

The official opening will be held Aug. 10 in P.E.I. Events will move to New Brunswick on Aug. 15.

"The big celebration of Acadian Day will be held in Dieppe," Theriault said.

There will be a special anniversary concert, Le Show du 25e, in Moncton on Aug. 16. 

The outdoor show will be held at Riverfront Park and performers include 1755, Les Méchants Maquereaux, Cayouche, Waylon Thibodeaux, Ronald Bourgeois, Donat Lacroix, Lennie Gallant, Jacques Surette, Annie Blanchard, Jason Guerrette and Zachary Richard.

Tickets for the concert can be purchased through the CMA 2019 website. 

3 years of planning

Aug. 16 will mark the opening of Extrême frontière in downtown Moncton, a public space that will feature entertainment, booths and pavilions, bringing together more than 50 artists and musicians from the area and around the world.

Theriault said the 20 host communities in each province will be celebrated as festivities move across P.E.I. and southeastern New Brunswick.

"We have very good partners," she said of the challenges of organizing the huge event. "We've been working with them now for three years."