La Table Française d’Erath: French Table in Erath restarts its fun, French on Fridays

ERATH — Les Amis du Français en Vermillon (Friends of French in Vermilion) is excited to announce that its weekly French table discussion group, La Table Française d’Erath, will begin meeting again at 11:00 am on Friday, March 17, at Erath City Hall, located at 115 West Edwards St. in Erath. Past attendees from across Acadiana are thrilled that La Table Française d’Erath is starting up again after having been postponed for a while due to unforeseen circumstances.
“March is marked as ‘Le mois de la Francophonie’, a global celebration of the French language, Francophone culture and the diversity of those who speak it,” said Layla Melancon, Director of Les Amis du Français en Vermillon. She continued, “This makes it the perfect month for us to celebrate coming together again, and even more fun because it will be on St. Patrick’s Day.”
La Table Française d’Erath provides a place to share the French language, as well as stories of the communities’ strong French culture, and the days when the French language and ways were a part of everyday life. The weekly event promotes the understanding, study and appreciation of our native French language.
Whether a Francophone (a speaker of the French language), or a Francophile (a person that loves and wants to be a part of the French culture), La Table Française d’Erath is open to all. Les Amis du Français en Vermillon encourages any person with any type of French dialect to participate—Cajun, Creole, international and others. La Table Française d’Erath gives locals, as well as tourists and visitors, a place to gather on a regular basis to practice speaking French, allowing participants to maintain or develop their language skills, along with keeping the areas ties to its French culture alive.
“Both young and old, and any skill level, are invited to come and enjoy some fun and French on Fridays,” said Melancon. She continued, “It's through the laughter, the stories, the songs and the French language that Louisiana's rich Acadian culture has its best chance for survival, and that’s what matters most.”
Passionate about her strong French heritage and sincere love of the French language, Melancon did extensive research and discovered that Vermilion parish, an area rich in Cajun and Creole history, is one of the top three Louisiana parishes with the highest percentage of French speakers. Prior to it being postponed, there were so many across Vermilion and Lafayette Parish that were enjoying attending the weekly French table in the Erath area. With that said, the previous location, the Erath Library, seemed a little crowded at times, especially when there was a guest speaker or special event.
“With the overwhelming response our French table has had since it first began, Erath Mayor Taylor Mencacci recognized the need for more space and offered Erath City Hall as our new meeting location,” stated Melancon. “He has always been very enthusiastic and supportive of all of the events and activities hosted by Les Amis du Français en Vermillon, and we are truly grateful,” expressed Melancon.
“Erath City Hall is conveniently located right next to the internationally-known Acadian Museum, making it a perfect place to continue our meetings,” shared Melancon. “The Acadian Museum commemorates and honors the Acadian heritage and Cajun people of Louisiana, and it makes us proud to see the attendees visiting the museum afterwards.”
Les Amis du Français en Vermillon is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of French language, heritage and culture, and to the continued success of French education in Vermilion parish. For information on becoming a member of Les Amis du Français en Vermillon, and/or making a donation to help them continue to provide French cultural learning experiences, enrichment activities and events for students studying French in Vermilion parish, please email the organization’s Director, Layla Melancon, at vermilionfrench@gmail.com.