Feast of St. Jean Baptiste packs downtown
Organizer helps provide free social services while celebrating Franco-American heritage
WOONSOCKET — A quirky blend of food, spirituality, Franco-American heritage, live music and social service outreach drew some 3,500 people downtown Monday night for the Feast of St. Jean Baptiste, a one-time-only bash that put a spotlight on the plight of underprivileged families.
Thousands of participants were children who sat at picnic tables with their parents and noshed on free hot dogs, corn and beans while live music wafted through the air from one of several stages a few hundred feet away. A half-dozen social service agencies set up booths to distribute information about recovery from addiction, tips on parenting and healthy lifestyles, while a few individuals masqueraded as noteworthy figures from history, mingling with real-life Franciscan clerics clad in gray cloaks who were on hand after an outdoor Mass.
Named for one of the most revered religious figures of Franco-American culture, the event took place over the span of about five hours in a two-block quadrant of Main Street, roughly from the Stadium Theater to Railroad Street.
Albert Beauparlant Jr. – clad in the military
green dress uniform of World War I French Field Marshal Ferdinand Foch – called the festival “a potpourri” of multi-cultural heritage, spirituality and outreach aimed at some of the city’s most vexing problems, including child neglect, addiction and poverty.
“Primarily, it is an effort to do something kind,” Beauparlant said in front of the main stage between Ciro’s Tavern on Cherry and Chan’s Fine Oriental Dining. “I think we hit it out of the park. We weren’t sure if we’d get 500 people but we were ready to feed up to 2,500 and we ended up feeding about 2,300.”
A real estate developer, Beauparlant has staged an number of massive block parties to mark various civic milestones in the past. A $10,000 grant from a colleague, Rhode Island’s Historian Laureate Dr. Patrick Conley and his Heritage Harbor Foundation, along with volunteer muscle and donations, helped him pay for the food, entertainment and other features for the Feast of St. Jean Baptiste.
“We need more things like this for kids,” said Amy Guzman of Woonsocket, as she watched DJ the Clown, aka Mark Reardon of Massachusetts, deftly twist a yellow, sausage-shaped balloon into a puppy dog for her daughter, Amy. “It keeps them out of trouble.”
Among the visitors was Blackstone Valley Tourism Council President Robert Billington, who gave Beauparlant two thumbs up for bringing some life into the city with an offbeat idea for a festival.
“I think it’s great,” said Billington. “Albert took an idea and turned it into reality. Obviously the community is really enjoying it.”
The night began with a Mass in honor of St. Jean Baptiste whose celebrants included former Bishop Louis E. Gelineau, 90, who lives at St. Antoine Residence in North Smithfield. About 250 people attended the Mass.
In addition to balloon-twisting clowns, face-painting and other street-festival staples, the affair included at least a half-dozen musical performances on multiple stages. Homegrown vocalist Emily Luther, a contestant on the 2017 season of the NBCTV network’s “The Voice,” kicked things off with an hour-long performance on the main stage, with backup by an unaccompanied guitarist. Later, Danny Klein, a founding member of the Boston-based J. Geils Band, entertained with numbers from the Geils songbook.
Meanwhile, the state De- partment for Children, Youth and Families; the Rhode Island Parent Foundation; Connecting for Children and their Families; and other social social agencies distributed information about accessing programs designed to strengthen families and improve the welfare of children.
During the first couple of hours of the event, about 60 adults stopped by the fill out the Parent Foundation’s “health and wellness survey,” a questionnaire that helps parents figure out of they’re setting the right tone for growing households.
“It’s been pretty busy,” said Peer Support Manager Victoria Rodriguez. “It’s helping us bring awareness to individuals.”
The Feast of St. Jean Baptiste – better known as Saint John the Baptist to those more inclined to read the Bible in English – also got a plug from former Lt. Gov. Roger Begin, a figure who enjoys the repu- tation as the founding father of Autumnfest, the city’s bestknown civic bash, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
In Canada, said Begin, the St. Jean Baptiste Day is celebrated as a national holiday in Quebec, on June 24.
“The Feast of St. Jean Baptiste is a wonderful day to celebrate in Woonsocket on June 25,” said Begin. “Particularly for the many families in Woonsocket who are proud of their French-Canadian heritage, this celebration invokes memories of the celebration that began in France and then brought to Quebec.”
During a year when the city will be celebrating the Autumnfest milestone, the Feast of St. Jean Baptiste invokes the same themes of community and ethnic pride, said Begin, praising Beauparlant and his committee of volunteers for organizing the celebration.