On the brink of collapse, Edmundston's Foire Brayonne festival gets new life
People in Edmundston want the annual Foire Brayonne festival to continue, according to the community's director of recreation and sport services.
Michel Nadeau said that was made clear after more than 100 people attended a public meeting Monday on the future of city's annual summer music and cultural festival.
"People are behind the festival. People want to make sure that we keep the festival, keep our identity of the festival, and they're ready to jump in to help," Nadeau said.
But he said he wants to make sure they have new activities for the 2019 festival.
"The people that were there last night are people that were ready to work in organizing changes for the benefit of the next 40 years," said Nadeau in an interview with Shift New Brunswick.
"I think we're at a point now where we sort of have to change the vision and the mission and reinvent the festival itself."
Roger Quimper, vice-president of the Foire Brayonne festival, said people don't want to let that festival "run away."
"We have the team to progress and have a good festival for the future," Quimper said.
"People came aboard and now we will be all set to have a great festival for 2019."
Putting a 'new life' into the festival
The festival typically lasts five days, but this summer it will only be three days.
"We have to shorten up the days of it because of the time that we have to organize it," Nadeau said.
When the festival first started in 1978, it lasted 14 days.
In recent years, there's been a lack of volunteers organizing the festival. In early January, Nadeau said without the public's support, fresh ideas and a larger volunteer base, it could be the end of the festival.
At the time, only two people had volunteered to organize it.
After Monday's meeting, there are now 10 volunteers on the organizing committee and 50 people volunteering during the festival.
Nadeau said he feels "very enthused" about the festival's future now.
"I think it's going to be interesting and we have an opportunity to put a new life to the festival," he said.
