[StBernard] ISLENO FIESTA 2011 TO BE HELD MARCH 19 AND 20 AT LOS ISLENOS MUSEUM COMPLEX IN ST. BERNARD PARISH

[Westley Annis]

ISLENO FIESTA 2011 TO BE HELD MARCH 19 AND 20

Los Islenos Museum Complex to showcase more than $3 million in new
construction & renovations 

Visitors to enjoy great food, music, crafts and living history
demonstrations

 

Los Islenos Heritage and Cultural Society will celebrate its 35th annual
Isleno Festival March 19 to 20 at Los Islenos Museum Complex at 1345-1357
Bayou Road in St. Bernard Village. The two-day event will feature a variety
of local seafood and Spanish dishes, music, crafts and living history
demonstrations set on a site that has, to date, seen more than $3 million in
renovations and improvements completed by St. Bernard Parish Government.  

 

The 30-acre complex includes the Isleno Historic Village of seven historic
or replica buildings in the rear of Los Islenos Museum and the Ducros
Museum. The village will be the setting for an expanded series of living
history demonstrations, featuring folk crafts, historic vernacular
lifestyles and the cultural identity of the Isleno descendants' community in
St. Bernard Parish.

Last year, the parish celebrated the grand opening of the Isleno and Ducros
Museum buildings at the fiesta as well as renovations to several other
buildings. Since last year's fiesta, Parish Government has completed the
historical reconstruction of the Multi-Purpose Building and the Estopinal
House and Kitchen as well as improvements to the nature trails adjacent to
the historic village. Additionally, the parish is upgrading the site's
access road and parking.

"It's great to see the culmination of the historically rich and culturally
significant part of our recovery and growth," St. Bernard Parish President
Craig Taffaro said. "I applaud Los Islenos Heritage and Cultural Society and
the Canary Islands Descendants Association for their dedication to keeping
this part of St. Bernard's identity alive."

 

Isleno Society President Dot Benge, who will walk the grounds of the
festival in the traditional Isleno dress, welcomes all to come enjoy the
fiesta.

 

"I believe this will the best festival ever," Benge said. "We've been
working hard to organize new programs which will feature the history and
culture of the Canary Islands. The folkloric group La Parranda de Teror from
Gran Canaria will be coming for the first time. As always, this event is so
important to me because I am very dedicated to the preserving the distinct
culture of my grandparents Manuel and Camille Molero, in whose memory the
Isleno Museum is donated."

 

Taffaro and Benge will open Fiesta 2011 Saturday, March 19 at noon with a
brief welcome ceremony. Saturday's entertainment will include Fredy Omar Con
su Banda, La Parranda de Teror and Way Down South. The Chalmette High School
Jazz Ensemble, La Parranda de Teror and the Top Cats will perform Sunday,
March 20. 

 

The featured group - La Parranda de Teror - is a highly recognized folkloric
group from the city of Teror in Gran Canaria that emulates the style of Los
Sabandenos from Tenerife. La Parranda is currently celebrating its 21st year
and has performed in prestigious folk music festivals throughout the
mainland of Spain and Western Europe. The group's repertoire of music ranges
from the very traditional isas, folias, polkas and mazurkas of the Canaries
to New Orleans Jazz.

 

In addition to entertainment on stage, each building and the surrounding
grounds will be utilized for displays which will include farming, alligator
hunting, trapping, boat building, trawl making, basket weaving, Teneriffe
lace making and quilting. The Isleno Center will be the site of
presentations interpreting the Isleno cultural identity including folk
remedies, traditional Isleno cuisine, historic farming and the Battle of New
Orleans. Los Islenos Historic Village consists of seven structures that
include the Coconut Island Barroom, Estopinal House and Kitchen, Esteves
House and Cresap-Caserta which are historic structures that were re-located
to the museum complex by Los Islenos Society. 

 

At the center of the site are two large food pavilions were visitors can
enjoy seafood dishes cooked a variety of ways including fried shrimp and
fish, grilled oysters, oysters on the half-shell and shrimp and grits.
Spanish offerings include Caldo, which is a Spanish soup, Paella, which is a
Spanish rice dish, Flan, which is a Spanish egg custard, homemade Sangria
and more!

 

For additional information, please contact Isleno Society President Dot
Benge at (504) 554-8412, Fiesta Chairman Hugh Pentney at (504) 251-2040, Los
Islenos Society Publicity Coordinator at Ryan Fink at (504) 650-1010 or
rfink at sbpg.net , Karen Turni Bazile, Assistant to the St. Bernard Parish
President for Public Information, at (504) 874-0980 or kbazile at sbpg.net or
Donna Mumfrey  Martin at (504) 912-3859 plaquemine123 at yahoo.com. Visit
www.sbpg.net <http://www.sbpg.net>  for more information. 

 

SCHEDULE OF FIESTA EVENTS 

MARCH 19, 2011

*	Noon:     Opening Ceremony followed by the Senior Heritage Program
*	1-3 p.m.: Fredy Omar Con Su Banda
*	3-4 p.m.: La Parranda De Teror
*	4-8 p.m.: Way Down South

 

MARCH 20TH

*	12-1:30 p.m.:     Chalmette High School Jazz Band
*	1:30-2:30 p.m.:  Junior Heritage Program
*	2:30-4 p.m.:       La Parranda De Teror
*	4-8 p.m.:            Top Cats

            

LIVING HISTORY DEMONSTRATIONS ON MARCH 18 AND 19 

*	Esteves House: At 1:15 and 3:15 p.m., Pablo and Maria skit starring
Dot Benge and Bertin Esteves, Jr. will be performed.
*	Los Islenos Museum: Bartolome Molero and Maria Quintana skit
starring Ryan Gregoire and Megan Alfonso will be performed. Docent Tours
will be 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m.
*	Estopinal House: Docent Tours will be 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30
p.m.
*	Esteves House: Docent Tours will be 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m.

 

LADIES' DAY PRESENTATIONS AND DEMONSTRATIONS: MARCH 19

*	1 p.m.: Teneriffe lace: Joan Phillips and Doris Serigne
*	2 p.m.: Lost Secrets of the Islenos: Remedies, Cures and
Superstitions, featuring Celie Robin
*	3 p.m.: Cooking and Tasting Demonstration: Spanish soup, also known
as Caldo by Cinda Rodriguez Melerine

                     

MEN'S DAY PRESENTATIONS ON MARCH 20

*	1 p.m.: The Battle Of New Orleans: David Smith
*	2 p.m.: Farming In The Village: Jerry Estopinal
*	3 p.m.: La Parranda De Teror; Meet and Greet Musicians. Cd's for
sale.

 

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