Celebrate St. Jean Baptist Day June 24

WEDNESDAY, June 24 Doors & Cash Bar 5pm Event 6pm TICKETS: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=321811 In collaboration with the Franco-American Collection at the University of Southern Maine, the Franco Center’s final La Rencontre of the 2025-26 season will celebrate Saint-Jean-Baptiste day on Wednesday, June 24, with dinner and dancing. Celebrate St. Jean Baptiste Day with music, food, and community spirit at this festive gathering! Honoring French-Canadian heritage, the event features traditional songs, lively entertainment, and plenty of camaraderie. Join friends and neighbors for a joyful tribute to culture and tradition that brings generations together in celebration. Tickets for this extra special La Rencontre must be purchased by 5 PM on June 17 so we can plan the number of meals to prepare. Admission: Adult $22, Senior $18, Child (under 12 yr old) $12 All ticket fees are included in this price. Meals will not be sold at the door. Sponsor: TV5 Monde The Franco-American Collection, University of Southern Maine and the Franco Center present:   A St. Jean-Baptiste Day Celebration/La Rencontre Wednesday, June 24, 2026 TICKETS: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=321811 The Franco-American Collection at the University of Southern Maine and the Franco Center invite you to a celebration of St. Jean-Baptiste Day! Join us at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at the Franco Center, 46 Cedar St., Lewiston. Ticket prices include dinner and are $22/adults; $18/seniors; and $12/children under 12. Ticket sales end June 17, which is one week before the event, so get your tickets now! This program is made possible by the generous sponsorship of the Québec Delegation in Boston, TV5MONDE and Schooner Estates. This collaboration between the USM Franco-American Collection and Franco Center promises to be an exciting tribute to St. Jean-Baptiste celebrations of days gone by. St. Jean-Baptiste, the patron saint of Québec, inspired large-scale parades, parties, and special religious masses in Lewiston between the late-19th century and the mid-20th century. According to the Sun Journal in 1940, the St. Jean-Baptiste celebration was so large, they needed two separate parades to include all the floats and participants. Traditionally, a local boy with curly, blond hair would be selected to portray St. Jean-Baptiste in the parade–and don’t worry, we’ll have pictures to prove it! If you are one of these St. Jean-Baptistes, we hope you are able to join us this June 24th to be recognized at the event. The doors will open at 5 p.m., along with the cash bar and conversation in French and English. At 6 p.m., dinner will begin. Music, featuring Robert Sylvain and Steve Muise, will begin at 6:30 p.m.; and Greg Boardman and his son Aidan Boardman will take the stage at 8 p.m. The dinner menu will include Franco-American foods, featuring Pâté chinois! There will also be a vegetarian version of Pâté chinois, and a green salad and rolls. Water, lemon...