Ste. Gen gets ready for Jour de Fete

Large crowds were out over the weekend for the 55th annual Jour de Fete in Ste. Genevieve in 2022.

Thousands to crowd streets of historic town this weekend

BY MARK EVANS, STE. GENEVIEVE HERALD

Jami Inman is expecting another big Jour de Fete.

About 140 crafters had signed up by mid-week last week, giving Inman confidence that 150 or more will be here. Many of them have two or three booths.

“We have several new ones this year,” she said. “I think we’ll have more vendors than we had last year.”

The annual festival, which has been held every year since 1967 with the exception of the flood year of 1993 and the pandemic year of 2020, will be held on Saturday and Sunday.

There will be 24 food and/or alcohol vendors this year. The Farmhouse, a food truck from Farmington, is new. Back for just its second year, meanwhile, is Grandma’s Sweet Shack, a food truck also out of Farmington.

The Corvette show, featuring cars from the Cape Girardeau Corvette Club, returns after debuting last year. It will be Saturday only, on the Hoffman property, next to the Jour de Fete property.

Ste. Genevieve’s annual Jour de Fete is on for the coming weekend. With the exception of the pandemic in 2021 and the flood of 1993, the event has been held each year since 1967.

There will be lots of activities, including things for youngsters.

The Boy Scouts will bring in an interactive mobile van for children.

The Ste. Genevieve Museum Learning Center will also have interactive kids’ activities, while the Ste. Genevieve County Library will again be giving away free books to kids and holding reading events.

Meanwhile, Proctor & Gamble will again have a mobile van to distribute free diapers and other items.

The Jour de Fete Committee will have live music on the Moses Austin property, while the Lions and Jaycees will have live music all weekend, as well. Music Art Love, at 137 North Main, will have live music.

Charleville Winery, Baetje Farms, plus Crown and Tower wineries will all have a presence with wine and cheese. Of course, the traditional beer gardens will also be taking place.

The annual 5-K race will also be taking place, although the Ste. Genevieve County Community Center is taking it over.

Ste. Genevieve Trolley will be offering rides from the free parking area at Eric Scott Leathers to the Moses Austin property and US Bank (Fourth and Market) downtown and back.

“That’s fun and different than just having a bus,” Inman said.

Inman hopes to see large crowds turn out for the event.

Being August, it’s a given that the weather will be hot. Inman just hopes there will be no rainstorms like have hit some years.

“As long as there’s no rain, we’re OK,” she said. “Rain tends to ruin it all, but the heat doesn’t tend to affect things too much. Everybody knows it’s going to be hot. But boy, when it rains, that puts a damper on everything.”

Inman expressed confidence that another good festival is in the making.

“We have a lot of good people helping now,” she said. “We’re lucky that we have a good group of people. Hopefully, they’ll hang out next year and the year after. It’s always nice when you find a group of people that works well together.

“I think everything’s on track, and I think we’ll have a good year.”