French-Canadian Coquitlam festival marks 35 years

  • 2024-02-03
The annual Festival du Bois will be held in Coquitlam this March, featuring the best of British Columbia’s French-Canadian community.

This will be the 35th annual edition of the festival, which grew out of the French-Canadian community of Maillardville in Coquitlam. The event hosts a wide variety of concerts and performances by local and international artists, both on stage and wandering through the festival grounds.

The festival is known for its Metis Village Experience, which features food, artisan goods and performances from the Indigenous Metis culture. There will also be live workshops, as well as other vendors and exhibits.

The full line-up of performers and exhibits will be announced in the lead-up to the event. There will be an emphasis on Acadian and Metis music, as well as other Francophone artists and Celtic and folk performers, highlighting the multicultural nature of Coquitlam and the French-Canadian community. Last year’s edition included a number of live talk shows and podcasts, including “Mom Talk” and “Quartier Recherche”, as well as accompanying film screenings, dance performances, and other events throughout the city. Festivals such as this are supported by volunteer labour and often use grassroots marketing tools like flyer printing and social media to get the word out about the event.

The 2024 Festival du Bois will take place from March 8 to 10 at Mackin Park in Coquitlam.