This weekend Red Deerians can experience a little taste of Francophone culture with Carnaval de Red Deer 2015, presented by the Association Canadienne-Français de l‘Alberta Régionale de Red Deer (ACFA).
The event will kick off with a traditional ‘sugar shack supper’ at La Prairie School on March 7th. Admission for the dinner is $30 per adult and $15 per child younger than 11-years-old, which includes traditional French-Canadian foods such as tourtière (a meat pie), sausages, pea soup, ham and maple cake.
The sugar shack event will also give guests a chance to enjoy traditional music and to learn a little bit about Francophone culture. On March 8th, Carnaval de Red Deer will bring music, treats, sleigh rides and more to citizens at Heritage Ranch. Tickets are $10 for adults and $30 for a family of four.
“We have a sugar shack dinner at La Prairie School on the Saturday, and on March 8th we have the Red Deer Carnaval. There will be maple taffy on snow, sleigh rides, games, face painting, gourmet hotdogs and music,” said Bruno Collet, regional director for ACFA Red Deer.
“Randi Boulton will be playing music inside of an igloo, which will be next to the Heritage Ranch building. It’s about 40 feet tall –I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s amazing.”
The most famous Carnaval celebration is held annually in Quebec. It is a winter celebration that embraces Francophone culture and traditions. Last year, the Carnaval celebration brought in over 1,600 visitors. This year, due to the size and logistics of Heritage Ranch, only 500 tickets have been made available.
“It’s a very family-oriented event. There is no alcohol on site, and there are many games for kids. One of them is a small winter Olympic game event, and there are others. Of course, we will have light music from Randi Boulton. This is a family event that will be a lot of fun,” Collet said.
“Our winter Carnaval is made for Red Deer. This year, we have a smaller venue but we hope to make it larger next year. We have the know-how, we have the volunteers and I have great members of the board working with me to organize that Carnaval. It’s nice to know that so many people want it to be a success.”
Admission to the event on March 8th will include a sleigh ride, maple taffy on snow treats, a gourmet hot dog and access to multiple kids’ games. More information is available on the ACFA facebook page.
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