cape vincent

The 31th Annual French Festival will be Friday, July 9th to Sunday, July 11th this year. The festivities start on Friday, July 9th from 7:00pm to 9:00pm with the Nepean Concert Band followed by a block dance from 9:00pm to 12:00am with the Whirlin Disc Sound playing.

The festivities will continue Saturday, July 10th with the following schedule:

7:00am to 11:00am Pancake Breakfast at St. Johns Church
8:00am French pastry & French bread on sale
10:00am All crafts & exhibits open for the day
10:00am to 2:00pm Historical Horse & Wagon Tour
10:30am to 2:00pm & 3:30pm to 6:00pm Childrens Program featuring Sweetheart the Clown & Bob Gibbons and Catskill Puppets
11:00am OFFICIAL OPENING, Reviewing Stand, Broadway
Welcome by Mayor and Town Supervisor
Crowning of French Festival Queen
Presentation of Queens Court
Proclamation by French Festival Queen
11:30am to 12:15pm Ragtime Trio +2
and 1:00pm to 2:00pm
2:00pm Parade-Napoleon will lead the parade; includes Floats, Bands and Other Attractions. Over 50 units
4:00pm Awards at Reviewing Stand-trophies to winning bands and floats by the French Festival Queen
4:15pm to 8:00pm Band Performances-front of the reviewing stand
The following bands are attending:
Sea Cadets
Hamilton Fire Fighters
Antwerp Drum & Bugle Corp (Original Yanks)
Spirit of 69 Drum & Bugle Corp
Ridge Raiders
Imperial de Montreal
Highland Mist Pipe Band
42nd Reg. Drum Pipe Band
PWOR Pipes & Drums
Sons of Scotland Pipes & Drums
5:00pm Festival Mass at St. Vincent of Paul Church
9:00pm Fireworks on the Breakwall on the waterfront

And the event will end on Sunday, July 11th with the following happenings:
9:00am to 3:00pm Arts & Craft Show & Sale
1:00pm Waterball Competition at Fire Hall

The following bands will be performing at the reviewing stand and the parade:

The Sons of Scotland Pipes and DrumsThis band is a group of people dedicated to playing and preserving Highland Bagpipe Music. Think of the skirl of the pipes and the wearing of tartans and you think of Scotland. The Sons of Scotland Pipes and Drums, wear the Campbell of Argyle Tartan, signifying a connection to one of the most powerful clans in all of the mystic land of Scotland. The first band was formed in 1896. The band will be participating in the Piper and Pipe Band Society of Ontario competition circuit in 1998. The Sons of Scotland Pipes and Drums performs thirty to thirty five events annually. They perform at numerous types of events. They can provide a Full Band or a Solo Piper for any of these events. They are committed to preserving the Scots traditional music.

Spirit of 69 Marching BandBased in Arnprior, Ontario, this is the Spirit of 69s second appearance in the Annual French Festival Parade. The band is unique in that its members range in age from preteen to over 65. Averaging over 20 performances annually since its formation in 1990, the band has won many parade awards and is a crowd favorite everywhere it plays. Vally residents will recall having seen the bands bright red and white colors at Canada Day celebrations and at numerous festivals throughout Eastern Ontario, Western Quebec and Northern New York State. Using drum corps style instruments, the band strives for quality sound and showmanship in public. Whether participating in a big city parade, moving down a village street, or playing a mini concert to street-side audiences, the bands repertoire is varied and extremely crowd pleasing.

To mark the 31st Annual French Festival the French Festival Committee has a new For more information on the Festival call the Chamber of Commerce office at 654-2481.

Festival Committee has a new childrens attraction called The Choo Choo Train