The weather was perfect for the kick-off to Saint-Jean Baptiste Days in La Broquerie, warm with a light breeze and a bit of cloud cover.
There was food, music and fun for the whole family.
Andre Carrier organized the baseball tournament, and he says it’s always an important part of the weekend.
“This tournament’s been going on ever since I was a little kid. My parents used to play in this tournament, it's one of my fond memories when I was a kid, so I just want to keep it going. And year after year we have our full 16 teams that we want and everybody says it's one of their favorite tournaments of the year, so we're trying to keep it going.”
While most of the activities are happening at the arena and the hotel, Association President Claude Moquin says that for the second year in a row, they are also bringing some festive music to Le Chalet.
“This way, the older folks of the town, our elders, don’t have to displace themselves. We’ll go to them instead.”
Moquin notes the weekend is all about celebrating the patron saint of French speaking Canadians. He believes the Sunday morning mass at 10am is a key part of the weekend.
Two teenaged musicians made their performance debut on Saturday at the Farmer’s Market in La Broquerie for Saint-Jean Baptiste Days.
14-year-old Calia Perreault was on the keyboard.
“It was fun,” she says. “I was nervous because it was my first time.”
She performed with her 15-year-old cousin Julie Fillion, who has been playing the fiddle for many years.
“I love the rhythm and it makes people want to dance,” Fillion says. “It’s really fun to play.”
And they did get people tapping their toes and dancing around the farmer’s market.
As soon as their show ended, the young musicians received an invitation to perform at a personal care home in Steinbach.
You could say their debut was very successful.
Vendors filled the parking lot of the HyLife Centre in La Broquerie for a special edition of the farmer’s market where shoppers met a variety of crafters, like Blue Girl.
“My nickname has always been Blue Girl for the Blue Girl Rose, and when I retired, I needed something to occupy my time. So just before COVID, I started making wreaths and when COVID hit, I just went full tilt.”
She now makes wreaths for every season and every occasion.
Laurie Dyck of Grunthal was also selling her goods at the market. She makes vintage rugs from fabric that tends to remind people of clothes they wore in the 70s and 80s.
“My grandma actually taught me how to make them. And she still has her original rug from when she started, it still looks brand new.”
Dyck says it’s special to be able to make these rugs.
“It's special to me because my mom sews, my grandma sews. They all have helped me get to this point.”
This was the first farmer’s market of the season for La Broquerie.
@steinbach_online #Music, #Slopitch, #market, and #fun this weekend in La Broquerie during Saint-Jean Baptiste Days. #community #summer #fiddle #suys #wendys #wendysshowusyoursummer #SteinbachOnline ♬ Summer Sun - Andrew Jordan
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- With files from Darci Wilkinson