Thursday, July 25, 5:00 – 8:30 pm

For the last eight years, as part of the Barre Heritage Festival, the Old Labor Hall has hosted an evening of food and music celebrating Barre’s Quebecois heritage.  For the past four years, the celebration has taken the form of a Soirée Sucrée, the perfect combination of sweet eats and sweet sounds.

The Barre Historical Society hosts the Soirée Sucrée iin honor of the late Chet Briggs, long time President of the Society, for the benefit the Barre Heritage Festival.

Again this year, the Sweet Evening is sponsored by the Delicate Decadence Cake Boutique. Chef Tim Boltin and his staff will fulfill every dream of desserts that melt in your mouth.

But wait there’s more! This year by popular demand we are adding savory to the sweet with our first tourtière contest. Every French Canadian family has its own secret recipe. Can you enter if you don’t come from a family with its own recipe? Sure. There are many not-so-secret recipes online. Just search “tourtière”, and you will be overwhelmed with mouth watering possibilities.

The evening is divided into three exciting components—all for one low price.

French Canadian Tourtière and Dessert Competition

At 5:00 pm, before the doors open to the public, contestants who fancy the quality of their French Canadian tourtière or their French desserts will have their entries judged by a panel of exacting judges.

Here’s how to enter the competition:

  Dowload and complete Tourtière and French Dessert Competition Form (PDF).

  On July 26, bring your dessert with completed form to:

—Delicate Decadence (15 Cottage Street, Barre) by 4:30 pm, or

—the Old Labor Hall no later than 5:00 pm.

Don’t be late. No late entrants will be allowed to enter the competition.

French Dessert Tasting

At 5:30 pm, after the judging, the doors will open to the public. As with any good division of labor, the bakers have baked, the chefs have cooked. Now it’s time to make it all worth their while.

We get to savor the contest entries and also the delicious desserts provided by the talented chefs of Delicate Decadence, while we are royally entertained with a feast for the eyes and ears.

French-Canadian music performed by Michèle Choinière

From 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm, Michèle Choinière will perform the songs of her Quebecois heritage.

Born into a musical Franco-American family in northern Vermont, Michele began performing traditional Franco-American music at an early age with her late father Fabio, an accomplished harmonica player. In 1995, she began writing and composing her own songs.

Among other accolades, Michele received the Governor’s Heritage award in 2007, and has appeared in concert at national folk festivals from Montana to Maine, and Michigan to Massachusetts. She has worked/performed with Le Vent du Nord, David Amram, and members of La Bottine Souriante, among others. Michele’s performances blend traditional Franco-American and Quebec folk songs, original compositions, jazz standards, and an occasional French classic.

Tickets for Soirée Sucrée 2019  – attendance limited to 100.   

• Adults – $15 at the door, $12 in advance. Advance tickets may be in person at Delicate Decadence (15 Cottage Street, Barre)
• Children under 12 – $6

Michèle Choinière talks about her musical heritage (2010)

For more information, contact us:

Sponors: