Les Vues, Vermilionville's FREE film series looks at death, Louisiana style! Monday, October 30 at 6:30 PM, we'll show two short films on death and mortuary practices in Louisiana, Little Houses and Grave Houses. It all starts at 6:30 PM. Come enjoy this free showing at Vermilionville.
As part of its mission for the preservation of traditional trades and folkcrafts, Vermilionville continues to host monthly workshops allowing our community to learn a craft from the Acadian, Creole and Native American traditions. Topics range from woodcarving to foodways (and many things in between). For the November Les Mains Guidées, Ivy Lemieux - one of our highly experienced craft artisans - will share the methods used for designing and building a wax flower couronne, traditionally used for the decorating of graves for All Saints Day. Guests will learn to form the delicate flowers from paper and wire, how to dip them to preserve the shape, and how to bring these together to form the traditional wreath. During this workshop, Ivy will also share some of the other elements of mourning and All Saints traditions in history. You can register below and purchase tickets for $30, all needed materials and supplies included!
Native American Culture Day is slated for Saturday, November 18, 2023, 10 AM – 4 PM at Vermilionville. It’s a FREE festival with family-friendly events, demonstrations, cultural exhibits and much more. Tribal groups who will participate include: Louisiana Attakapas Eagle Tribe, Avogel Tribe of Louisiana, Atakapas-Ishak Nation of Southwest Louisiana, Jean Charles Choctaw Nation, Natchitoches Tribe of Louisiana, The Houma Nation and the Coco Tribe of Canneci Tinne. The day will begin at 10 AM. Opening ceremony at 10:30 AM by the Atakapa-Ishak Nation of Southwest Louisiana. Throughout the day, there will be dancing and drumming, music demonstrations, cultural and craft displays, storytelling, tomahawk throwing, crafts for the family, and more. Food and beverage will be available for purchase. Admission is free. For more information call 337-233-4077 or visit www.vermilionville.org.
Vermilionville's FREE Film Series continues in November with two short films to commemorate Native American Heritage Month, "Finding Our Talk", and "The Chitimacha". Join us Monday evening, November 27, at 6:30 PM in the Vermilionville Performance Center.
Vermilionville is proud to have Kate Ferry return for another Les Mains Guidées Saturday, December 2 making Les Santons de Provence, traditional clay figurines that the Provençal make to place in the Christmas Crèche. This was so much fun last year, we made Santons of the traditional figures, but also some familiar Vermilionville characters, like Louie the Cat and Mr. October, Brady McKellar. Make plans to come! Kate Ferry is a well-known area artist, designer and illustrator who has made a career of doing award-winning work for Louisiana agencies and clients, while also producing her own works including murals, paintings and other artworks. The crib is composed of figures called “santons” which formed French villages some centuries ago, the shepherd, the drummer, the village idiot and many others. The first Christmas crib known in France was set up in 1775 in Marseille. Nowadays they are set up around the end of November, or beginning of December and dismantled after Epiphany when the Three Kings join the other figures. The origin of the word “santon” is the Provencal noun “santoun” which means little saint. Santons are traditionally hand made of clay and painted by artisans, and you can have that same […]