Festival du Bois spotlights Acadian sounds, Métis culture, all-ages fun & more, March 8 to 10

Event marks 35 years with a weekend lineup of great concerts, shows for families, delicious food, and a wide array of onsite activities

SPONSORED POST BY Festival du Bois

Festival du Bois. Photo by Gaëtan Nerincx

The 35th annual Festival du Bois takes place from March 8 to 10 at Mackin Park in Coquitlam, and there’s a variety of upbeat francophone and world music acts on the lineup to look forward to.

The festival kicks off on Friday, March 8 with an evening of free music events. At 7 pm, high-energy music-and-dance group Podorythmie takes the stage with fiddle, accordion, and lots of hard shoe-step dancing.

A celebratory Friday Night Contra Dance follows at 8 pm, featuring a return performance from the Sybaritic String Band with caller Maureen Collier. The mainstay Vancouver band delivers a spirited blend of fiddles, recorders, saxophone, mandolins, and piano, with Collier leading a fun night of contra dance for folks of all ages and dance abilities.

On Saturday, March 9, the first full day of events launches at noon with Podorythmie, with the official opening in the Grand Chapiteau (Big Tent – Main Stage) at 1 pm. The welcoming ceremony also features the Métis Jiggers, whose lively performances combine First Nations dancing, Scottish and French-Canadian step-dancing, reels, jigs, and quadrilles.

Métis Jiggers at Festival du Bois.

La Famille LeBlanc hits the Grand Chapiteau twice during the festival—on March 9 at 4:30 pm, and March 10 at 1:45 pm. This celebrated New Brunswick clan, which performs 19th-century tunes deeply rooted in Celtic and Acadian traditions, has been a musical family for at least 6 generations. The LeBlancs also host a workshop at Mackin House on March 10 at 12:30 pm.

Another talented musical family with Acadian roots, Seattle-based La Famille Léger, plays twice, too. The group performs at the Petit Chapiteau (Children’s Tent) on March 9 at 12 pm, and in the Grand Chapiteau on March 10 at 10:30 am.

Closing out the festival on Sunday, March 10 is Robin Layne and the Rhythm Makers in the Grand Chapiteau at 3:45 pm. The groove-heavy B.C. ensemble led by Juno Award-nominated percussionist Layne plays groove-heavy music that melds world, jazz, and folk styles.

There’s plenty more in store at the festival, including performances, the Métis Village Experience, great food, an artisan marketplace, and a Pancake Breakfast on March 10 at 10 am. For a full schedule and tickets, visit Festival du Bois.

Post sponsored by Festival du Bois.