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FrancoFest will celebrate International Francophonie Day

Award-winning francophone singer-songwriter Kathleen Décosse-Johnson will be playing at The Arts Station on March 20.
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Kathleen Decosse-Johnson will be playing at the Franco-Fest in Fernie on March 20.

Fernie will get to experience the inaugural FrancoFest,  a new community-wide celebration of the International Francophonie Day.

The family friendly event will showcase award-winning francophone singer-songwriter Kathleen Décosse-Johnson at The Arts Station on March 20. Originally from Quebec, Décosse-Johnson now lives in Kimberley. She will be performing covers of traditional and modern francophone music, as well as her own material in both French and English.

National Film Board short films for children will be screened in between sets. Drinks and light desserts will be available.

“It's a way for our whole city, whether French is a person's first language or just how they like their fries, to come out and enjoy a bit of francophone culture, perhaps some conversation, and a great evening of socializing and music,” said Heather Kerr, president, Francophone Association of the Southern Rockies (AFRoS is Association francophone des Rocheuses du Sud).

FrancoFest will be 6 to 9 pm at the Fernie Arts Station. Tickets will be on sale at the door on the day of the show, as well as at Le Grand Fromage and  Ecole Sophie-Morigeau, which is in the Max Turyk building, 44 Mt Washburn beginning Wednesday, March 12. The cost is $5 for AFRoS members and $7 for non-members. Students 12 to 18 are $2 and children under 12 are free.

For more information visit www.afros.ca as well as Facebook under AFRoS FrancoFest Soirée.

International Francophonie Day (Journée internationale de la Francophonie), which celebrates the French language and Francophone culture, is celebrated in the International Organization of La Francophonie's 77 member states every March 20.

The date celebrates the signing of the Niamey Convention in Niger on March 20, 1970. The convention established the Agence de Coopération Culturelle et Technique, the precursor to the International Organization of La Francophonie.

There are over 200 million French speakers on Earth.