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Acadians will be well represented at the 12th annual New France Festival, taking place in Old Quebec next month.

The festival commemorates the history of the first Europeans in America.

Representatives of the Société nationale de l’Acadie, the 2009 World Acadian Congress, and the Village Historique Acadien will make up the Acadian delegation to the event, Aug. 5-10.

The Acadian representatives will be at Batterie Royale in a setting representing some of the houses at the Village Historique Acadien. Acadian artists from the Atlantic provinces will give performances, while interpreters in period costumes bring the site to life.

Four artisans from the Village Acadien will demonstrate the fishermen’s trade as well as how to make bass brooms, straw hats and flax work.

“Our presence at the New France Festival is especially important during this 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City and on the eve of the 2009 World Acadian Congress,” said Clarence LeBreton, assistant deputy minister of tourism and parks. “The Village Acadien hopes to welcome many visitors from Quebec next year.”

Jean-Guy Rioux, World Acadian Congress organizing committee president, welcomed the participation of his organization in the festival.

“We are back for the 12th New France Festival, and are especially proud of our involvement this year, in the context of Quebec City’s 400th anniversary celebrations,” he said. “We will take this opportunity to invite everyone we meet to come to the Acadian Peninsula between Aug. 7 and 23, 2009, for the fourth World Acadian Congress, which promises to be the biggest event in the Francophonie next year.”

Françoise Enguehard, president of the Société nationale de l’Acadie, said the Acadians’ participation in the festival reflected a major meeting of the two founding peoples of America’s francophonie.

“The annual get-togethers at these festivities provide a pleasant opportunity to forge closer ties between Acadie and New France,” she said.

This is the third time Acadian organizations have taken part in the New France Festival under an agreement between the Quebec government and the Société nationale de l’Acadie, with a view to maintaining and developing ties of solidarity and co-operation between the Quebec and Acadian people.