![]() "We are preserving a culture born from the influence of so many cultures," he added, "an important one being that of the French." "Louisiana is a state whose identity relies on its historic ties to the French colonial period, and so our school and our festival are about embracing what makes living here unique from anywhere in the world. "Many residents can still recall a time when French was spoken widely in homes here," Ecole Bilingue's head of school, or chef d'établissement, Pierre-Loïc Denichou, told VOA. People line up for food between festivities at this year's Fête Française, a New Orleans street festival celebrating French culture on March 25, 2023. And though, according to a survey at the start of the current century, only about 1% of residents still speak French, this neighborhood festival serves as evidence that New Orleans continues to be influenced in countless ways by its Francophone past. In reality, this was taking place at Fête Française, the annual outdoor street fair hosted by Ecole Bilingue, one of a half-dozen French immersion schools in New Orleans.Įvents like this make sense in a city originally called La Nouvelle-Orléans by its 18th century French founders. One could be excused for thinking for a moment they were entering a Parisian street festival. Children laughed and played while some ate colorful macarons, and a trio of women dressed as Marie Antoinette took a photo in front of an oversized sign that read, "Bonjour!" The aroma of moules frites, crepes and raclette cheese with cornichons, as well as the longing lyrics of a French ballad all emanated from a side street. ![]() That joie de vivre was on full display on March 25. "A different vocabulary, different traditions, different food and most importantly, a joie de vivre that other parts of America don't have!" "Our French connection brings a different flavor to our community," she continued. has its Anglo-Saxon heritage, New Orleans' mother country is France – and that makes a big difference," explained Alexandra Stafford, president of the Council of French Societies, an umbrella organization that promotes the many French nonprofit organizations in Louisiana's most populous city.
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