Fiddling, Singing And Stories Highlight Illinois French Program

Illinois Humanities Road Scholar Dennis Stroughmatt will tell stories, sing songs and break out the fiddle during a special Isle a la Cache program on the Illinois French settlers of the 1600s.

The free, all-ages program French Creoles of the Illinois Country: Fiddle Jigs, Creole Folktales and Haunting Ballads will take place from 5-6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 18, at the Forest Preserve District of Will County's Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville.

New France once stretched from the St. Lawrence River of Canada to New Orleans, and within its territory lived a vast population of French colonists almost as diverse as it was strong.

The Illinois French witnessed the coming of new borders and the formation of new countries like Canada and the United States. Eventually these French founders would find themselves divided and even isolated, but their culture has remained, still existing after two centuries of isolation in rural pockets along the Wabash and Mississippi rivers in southern Illinois.

Stroughmatt will take audiences on a journey of discovery in which they will hear the history of this group’s arrival, the French dialects still spoken and the unique music still performed in the old “Illinois Country.”

Perhaps most importantly, through story and song, including a performance of local French “fiddling” on violin and sing-alongs, audiences will have fun learning how the Illinois French serve as a time capsule for their cousins to the north and south — those in Canada and Louisiana.

Light snacks will be provided, but feel free to bring your own. You can also BYOB; beer and wine only please.

Event requirements

Registration required by Wednesday, Aug. 16: 815-722-9301.

Register Online

This program will be held outdoors under the picnic shelter, so please dress for the weather and bring camp chairs or blankets for your comfort. In the event of inclement weather, the program will be moved inside the museum.