This post originally appeared on the Tourism New Brunswick website.
For New Brunswick’s Acadian community, August 15th — quinze-août — is a REALLY big deal.
This is National Acadian Day, when tens of thousands of Acadians march through the streets in a lively Tintamarre (noise-making parade) in proud celebration of their heritage and culture.
Pots, pans, instruments, and all sorts of creative noisemakers are used to loudly and proudly celebrate Francophonie. Everywhere you look is an endless sea of bleu-blanc-rouge — the iconic colors of the Acadian flag — with lots of gold flourishes to represent the Stella Maris (Star of Mary).
Trust us when we say you’ve never experienced anything like it. It’s more than a parade — it’s a party!
The star of the show is always the costumes. You’ll see everything ranging from face paint to full-on floats. Some people take all year to prepare their costumes, lovingly adorned with special mementos of Acadie. Revelers are there to show their love for their culture and they go all out in a big way.
Everybody joins the fun, whether they’re young....
...Or old, or not even Acadian! Anyone can march in the Tintamarre and enjoy Acadian Day festivities, all are welcome with open arms. The parade begins at 5:55 (17:55 in international time) as a reminder of the Acadian Deportation of 1755.
There are lots of little shops that sell Acadian-themed costumes and noisemakers so you can deck yourself out with the best of ‘em — don’t forget your Acadian-themed shades.
The biggest celebrations are the Grand Tintamarre in Caraquet, which sees over 20,000 people joyfully marching through the street, and Moncton’s Tintamarre which coincides with Acadie Rock. Many of the small communities along the Acadian Coast also have Tintamarre parades as part of their Acadian Day celebrations. Pick one and join in. If you find yourself in New Brunswick on August 15, make sure you’ve got your noisemaker at the ready!
