Festival du Bois returns March 7 to 9 to Mackin Park, in the Coquitlam community of Maillardville, the centre of francophone culture in BC.
The 36th annual festival brings another exciting roster of music artists and performers to the heated Festival du Bois big tents, setting the stages for a great weekend of music, dance, frolic and fun for all ages.
From New Brunswick to BC, this year’s festival artists feature both the familiar and well-loved with some musical adventures from the 2025 lineup of performers offering music and dance rooted in French Canadian, Celtic, Folk and World traditions, along with new and contemporary sounds for all ages. In addition to the fantastic music, there’s lots of other fun, friendly and affordable activities and entertainment on-site for everyone to enjoy.
Friday, March 7, the festival opens with a contradance – a popular festival tradition – in the Grand Chapiteau (Big Tent) in Mackin Park. Also, as part of this tradition, folks can attend this evening for free to dance to the music of Vancouver’s premiere contradance group, The Sybaritic String Band.
Saturday, March 8 and Sunday, March 9, the festival presents outstanding music artists from Québec, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba and BC. The concert Main Stage and dance floor of the Grand Chapiteau welcomes the following groups and artists:
YVES LAMBERT ET LE GRAND ORCHESTRE – Lambert and a stellar 7-piece orchestra celebrate 50 years of Lambert’s legendary music-making with tunes from La Bottine Souriante’s repertoire and more (Lambert was a founding member). The group has one performance only – on Saturday, March 8.
LeFLOFRANCO (or simply: FLO) is a Franco-Ontarian rapper of Haitian origin whose hip-hop ventures towards the pop, the electro, as well as the sounds of the Caribbean. FLO’s colourful rhythms meet texts as thoughtful as they are accessible.
Jocelyn Pettit is a vibrant and in-demand fiddle player, step dancer, and singer. She presents lively performances of traditional, contemporary and original music inspired by the cultures of Canada, Scotland, Ireland, Brittany, and Galicia.
La Patente travels to the festival from New Brunswick to deliver a unique cocktail of punk-rock and country-folk. The band’s explosive energy and raw, razor-sharp music ignites even the coldest stages.
La Déferlance plays refreshing and brightly-coloured Québec traditional music along with tunes both fresh and new. The quartet’s repertoire is made up not only of lively tunes and traditional arrangements but also includes entirely original compositions.
Kutapira, the BC group perform a tasty fusion of Zimbabwean marimba with West African and Afro-Cuban percussion. When you add reggae, samba, Afrobeat, funk, jazz, cumbia, disco and hip hop to the mix, they contribute to a fusion of styles seamlessly blended and powerfully performed.
Alouest, a dynamic trio from Maillardville, proudly revives the traditional songs of the French-Canadian culture by adapting new arrangements and musical styles from a decidedly west coast perspective.
CHILDREN’S TENT (Petit Chapiteau) welcomes kids and families to performances and presentations by Will’s James, Isabelle Kirouac, Micah and Profaqua.
There are more entertainment, and activities fill the festival site, too. Including; roving performances and audiences can enjoy exhibits, participatory activities, food truck fare including French Canadian cuisine traditionnelle – tourtière, maple taffy on snow, poutine and other delicacies, licensed beverages, as well as some unique shopping. Nearby Mackin House, located across the street from the festival’s main gate, hosts a range of fun and informative workshops with festival artists. It all makes for a special weekend of celebration that folks of every age, culture, language, origin and background can enjoy.
Festival du Bois runs March 7 to 9, 2025 at Mackin Park, 1046 Brunette Avenue, Coquitlam. For more info on 2025 Grande Chapiteau artists, Children’s Tent and activities, visit the festival’s website at festivaldubois.ca