‘Great to be back’: St-Jean-Baptiste festival returns to Bellevue

Dozens of local families are spending a hot and hazy afternoon at Bellevue Park today for this year’s Saint-Jean-Baptiste festival.

Hosted by the Sault Ste. Marie Francophone Centre (CFSSM), the Saint-Jean-Baptiste festival is the French-Canadian holiday celebrated all over North America to commemorate the patron saint of francophones, John the Baptist.

The fun-filled event features a variety of games and activities, including a bouncy obstacle course, dunk tank, and face painting. Vendors from Algoma Makers Market are also on-site.

CFSSM president Jessica D’Amour-Torrance says the Francophone Centre is celebrating 40 years in the Sault this year, and she’s incredibly excited to welcome the community back to their annual celebration at Bellevue for the first time since the pandemic.

“It feels great to be back,” she says. “It’s nice to see everyone here and gathering; it’s really important. We’re not a big French community – but we’re here. This is a chance to share that with everybody else and have fun together and have a chance to speak French together.”

The event also featured entertainment from local artists throughout the day, including live performances from the Burton Clan, François Lemieux, Marco Roy and students from Notre-Dame-du-Sault.

Saturday's Saint-Jean-Baptiste festival runs at Bellevue Park until 6 p.m.