Iberia Parish will celebrate Grand Réveil Acadien (Great Acadian Awakening) on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022, from 9 a.m.- 2 pm at the Steamboat Pavilion in Bouligny Plaza in New Iberia.
“In honor of our many cultures, the local program has been titled, “Ibérie, Un Gumbo Culturel” (Iberia, a Cultural Gumbo), and we hope you will join us in celebrating what makes us so unique,” said Ebrar Reaux, event planner.
The Bayou Teche French Table invites the public to come speak French with them from 9-10 a.m. New Iberia Mayor Freddie DeCourt and Jacques Baran, Cultural Attaché at the Consulate General of France, will welcome attendees at 10 a.m., followed by performances and a tintamarre — a noisy walking parade popular in Acadian culture — by North Lewis Elementary French Immersion students.
Warren Perrin will give an update on the Loreauville New Acadia Project, followed by Brinkley Lopez and Jim Viator with La Asociación Española de Nueva Iberia who will speak about Iberia’s Spanish heritage. Phebe Hayes, Ph.D, the founder of the Iberia African American Historical Society, will address the area’s African American history.
Chicken and sausage gumbo will be served for lunch. Participants need to RSVP here for planning purposes.
After lunch, Tina Olivier will talk about the Grand Marais Mardi Gras parade. Finally, Cathy Indest with Iberia Cultural Resources Association will give a presentation on New Iberia’s trilingual markers.
“Our unique cultures are something we must preserve in any way that we can for future generations to enjoy,” said Reaux. “So, wake up South Louisiana to the importance of preservation. Let’s do our part. Ne lâche pas les cultures (cajun et créole), les langues (française et créole), les gastronomies (gumbo févi, etouffée, sauce piquante, etc) et les musiques (cajun, créole et zydeco). Ne lâche pas les cultures means, “never let go” of your culture, so do what it takes to preserve it!”
About Grand Réveil:
Louisiane-Acadie, the sponsor of the Grand Réveil Acadien 2022 (Great Acadian Awakening 2022), is a non-profit organization domiciled in Lafayette, Louisiana, whose mission is to celebrate our native French language, Cajun culture and Acadian heritage.
Louisiane-Acadie’s premier event, the GRA, is held every five years. GRA is about waking up the people of South Louisiana to the importance of preserving its cultural resources of language, food and music which are so unique to our area.
The planners would like to thank:
“Many thanks to Mayor Freddie DeCourt and the City of New Iberia for the continued support of our many cultural efforts,” said Reaux. “A special thanks also to the North Lewis French Immersion Program, and Jolène Adam and Earlène Broussard, who will be working with the students; Jacques Baran; Warren Perrin; Brinkley Lopez and Jim Viator; Dr. Phebe Hayes; Tina Olivier; and Cathy Indest. They will all be part of the program which promises to be very entertaining, informative and memorable.”
For more information visit Grand Réveil Acadien's website or contact Ebrar Reaux at (337) 349-7343 or by email.
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