HOMETOWN HISTORY TOURS

DETROIT – The Detroit Historical Museum is joining a number of locations around the state hosting celebrations of the region’s French Canadian heritage on Friday, October 3 from 1 – 3 p.m. This family-friendly event is FREE.

Join us at 1 p.m. to hear French-Canadian Heritage Society of Michigan members Diane Wolford Sheppard and Suzanne Boivin Sommerville present artwork and other visuals to illustrate the joie de vivre of French-Canadian heritage with a special emphasis on Detroit and the Great Lakes area. They will also share the attitudes and misconceptions recorded by the British and especially, the Americans, when they first observed the joie de vivre of the French Canadians in Detroit.

Following the presentation, the musical group Trois Bouffons — Mark Szabo, Mike Francis and Genot Picor — will provide some lively French Canadian dance music and community dance instruction at 2 p.m. Starting with music that Champlain brought to Nouvelle France, they will work their way up to jigs, reels, waltzes and French Canadian polkas, with an interactive story or two. Their performance is modeled after the veillée, or “social gathering,” which was a common form of entertainment our ancestors enjoyed.

The French-Canadian Heritage Society of Michigan (FCHSM) is an educational, historical, cultural and genealogical non-profit organization, committed to making people aware of the rich culture and history of French Canadians in North America. Although the FCHSM is based in Michigan, members live throughout the United States and Canada.

The Detroit Historical Museum, located at 5401 Woodward Ave. (NW corner of Kirby) in Midtown Detroit, is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free for all, all the time. Parking in the Museum’s lot is $6 at all times. Group tour pricing and information is available by calling 313.833.7979. Permanent exhibits include the famous Streets of Old Detroit, the Allesee Gallery of Culture, Kid Rock Music Lab, Doorway to Freedom: Detroit and the Underground Railroad, Detroit: The “Arsenal of Democracy,” the Gallery of Innovation, Frontiers to Factories, America’s Motor City, and The Glancy Trains. For more information, call the Museum at 313.833.1805 or check out our website at detroithistorical.org.