Tens of thousands mark noisy fête nationale de l'Acadie in Caraquet
The Festival Acadien de Caraquet wrapped up Tuesday with its 55th annual massive, riotously colorful celebration of Acadian culture.
This year some 25,000 revellers descended on boulevard Saint-Pierre with an impressive array of costumes, noisemakers, marionettes and floats.
Artists Pauline and Bernard Dugas spent two months working on a series of 10 large puppets titled "The Great Beanpole."
They depict Canadian icons from Pauline Johnson to Valentin Landry, Thérèse Casgrain and Louis Riel.
Each province is represented by a significant figure, historical or current, and a bird totem. Artists from across Canada helped sculpt the provincial birds perched on the foam figures.
"We choose characters for the mark that they've had on their province of Canada, so we have one character and one artist per province," she said.
Performers then wore the figures in the Tintamarre — the traditional parade of costumed revellers marching with noisemakers and instruments, named for the Acadian French word for "clangour" or "din."
"I'm showing my Acadian colours," said Jean-Pascal Brideau, who constructed a float with his family for the parade for the 13th consecutive year.
"I am an Acadian and proud to be. That is also a way for me to show what I can create and give one hour of joy."
"It's important for me to show my colours and make a lot of noise. We are all there and proud to be Acadian."
