Donald Teuma-Castelletti
FORT COULONGE
June 16, 2018
Fort Coulonge’s favourite community street festival took over downtown on Saturday, filling rue Baume with waves of people, nearly 25 vendors, a volleyball tournament, inflatable structures and loads of colour.
There was all this plus more at the 2018 Village en Fête, an annual event focused on bringing the community together for fun and games while promoting local businesses and organizations.
New to this year’s festival was the inclusion of the volleyball tournament, as well as a photo op in a makeshift prison. Claudee Galipeau, a member of the organizing committee, said the crew is always a big fan of repurposing the buildings on the street, allowing them lots of new opportunities for entertainment.
“We really wanted to maximize the architecture in the area,” she explained. “Most of the businesses are closing or already closed, so we wanted to utilize the infrastructure that was already here.”
Spreading out the fun, the committee had their three bouncing structures separated amongst the portions of the road. Their plan, she said, was to help congestion by having them in different spots, and keeping the children moving throughout all of their fun.

Also on-site was the Fort Coulonge Fire Department, who had a truck as well as dress-up opportunities for the kids. Parents enjoyed a laugh as their child threw on the oversized gear, struggling to maintain their balance.
As per tradition, the event coincides with the annual Father’s Day weekend supper, put on by the Fort Coulonge Knights of Columbus.
“The idea to conjoin the two was really good because it maximizes the visibility,” added Galipeau. “It maximizes the space. If we’re going to do this, you know, let’s make it worthwhile for everyone.”
She continued to say that the supper is also the best time to see the previous generations start to partake in the celebrations. Often, they’re enjoying the photo galleries posted about the street and checking out the vendors as they head to the meal.
“It’s about trying to build childhood memories,” she said. “I remember coming to this when I was a kid and making fond memories of it.”
As each year’s festival wraps up, Galipeau said the focus is always on building upon it for the next year. She’s hoping to see the event reach the levels of attendance that it saw when she was a kid enjoying the party.