La Kermesse Franco-Americaine Festival

The La Kermesse Franco-Americaine Festival is a festival in Biddeford, Maine, which celebrates the state's French and French Canadian heritage. It is colloquially shortened to 'La Kermesse'. La Kermesse began in 1982 with the motto "C'est Le Temps".

History

Established in 1982, La Kermesse has been a celebration of French Canadian culture in Maine with live music, games and entertainment. In 1997, the Festival shifted to include all groups in the city. Throughout its history the festival has used a green frog as its mascot and pin-back buttons to confirm entry. These buttons get changed every year and so people collect and trade them. Fireworks are also a prominent feature of the festival. After being postponed by COVID-19 in 2020, La Kermesse returned in 2022.

Struggles

In 2009 and 2010, the Festival faced significant financial difficulties and nearly shut down. After the festival survived these difficult times, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the festival to be postponed in 2020 and 2021.