If there's one thing the East Coast musicians playing at this weekend's annual Festival du Bois in Coquitlam can agree on, it's that they're looking forward to the B.C. weather.
Our warmer-than-usual climate this month that's causing flowers to bloom early is in stark contrast to what's happening on the other side of the country.
"It's been awful. The streets are like a war zone, just ice everywhere," Halifax-based Lennie Gallant said.
The award-winning musician and Order of Canada recipient will return to the Maillardville party after more than a 10-year absence.
And he looks forward to his two concerts under the Grand Chapiteau as well as the public workshops in the Tente des Ateliers.
For his bilingual set that includes songs from his latest CD, Live Acoustic at The Carleton, Gallant will be joined by his nephew, Jeremy Gallant, a classically trained pianist, and violinist Sean Kemp; there will be no percussionist.
"We've been playing in this format for quite a bit now and no one has complained about no drums," said the Canadian Folk Music Artist of the Year. "We can pack a lot of energy in three people on stage."
Also setting the Grand Chapiteau stage alight will be Quebec City-based Les Chercheurs d'Or (aka The Gold Diggers), whose five musicians have never been to this province.
For their inaugural show at Festival du Bois, they'll play pieces from their second album that mix their original compositions with standard melodies.
Although they perform regularly for English-speaking crowds, "we sing in French exclusively," Luke Dawson said, "but people will be able to recognize parts of our songs, which helps us out a lot."
Festival du Bois organizer Johanne Dumas, of the Société francophone de Maillardville, said the 26th annual French-Canadian event will have something for everyone.
Besides the live music, dancing, shopping and workshops, there'll be children's entertainment - in a separate tent - by Charlotte Diamond, Wesley Hardisty, Gabriel Dubreuil, the Jocelyn Pettit Band and Will Stroet and his Backyard Band as well as newcomers Gretta et Kiki.
Attendees can also savour French-Canadian fare such as poutine, tourtiere and sugar pie and send a postcard from a re-created 1913 Maillardville post office, a joint project with Canada Post. Actors will don traditional clothing to re-act the historic time in the city.
Dumas, who has run the festival for 19 years, said guests to this year's fete will also experience more of a village atmosphere, at the north end of Mackin Park in Coquitlam.
She hopes participants will flaunt their frenchness for the weekend. "I want it to become like St. Patrick's Day where, on March 17, everybody becomes Irish for the day," she said. "At Festival du Bois, people can dress up, have fun and just get a feel of being French."
Sponsored in part by The Tri-City News, the city of Coquitlam and the federal government, Festival du Bois opens at Mackin Park (1046 Brunette Ave., Coquitlam) on Thursday and Friday from 7 to 9 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $12/$8/$5 (no charge for kids under five) or $30 for a family. Call 604-515-7070 or visit festivaldubois.ca.
UNDER THE GRAND CHAPITEAU
Saturday: 11:15 a.m., Jocelyn Pettit Band
1:10 p.m., Alouest
2:20 p.m., Lennie Gallant
3:45 p.m., Les Chercheurs d'Or
5:10 p.m., Bardefou
6:30 p.m., Locarno
8 p.m., Le Bal a l'Huile
Sunday: 10:30 a.m., Tanga
11:45 a.m., Lennie Gallant
1:10 p.m., Les Chercheurs d'Or
2:30 p.m., Bardefou
4 p.m., Le Bal a l'Huile
