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PAST EVENTS 2024
18 May 2024
Rendez-vous Détroit and the French Heritage Society, Chicago-Midwest Chapter, co-hosted the Saturday night dinner for the attendees of the French Heritage Corridor Conference. The dinner was held at the Sawyer Homestead in Monroe, MI. The property was once the original French ribbon farm of François Navarre, founder of Frenchtown/Monroe. Rendez-vous Détroit provided the pre-dinner appetizers and punch as well as a French Canadian dinner. After dinner, Russ Navarre and his sister Dar Navarre Darley gave a presentation about their ancestor, François. Rendez-vous Board member Cathy Kirouac Robinson created one of her beautiful baskets, this one with Rendez-vous wine glasses and bottles of wine. Everyone was given a ticket and one lucky person won the basket. Then it was time for the music and dancing sponsored by the French Canadian Heritage Society of Michigan, The Center for French Colonial Studies and the Kalamazoo chapter of Alliance Française. La Compagnie performed before and after dinner and an excellent time was had by all!
24 July 2024 - On 323rd Detroit's birthday: The French Ambassador to the US, M. Laurent Billi welcomed by Msgr. Kosanke at the Basilica of Ste Anne de Detroit, parish founded by Cadillac in 1701 and the last landmark built (1887) by the French community of the city. A short Detroit French History tour was organized by Rendez-vous Detroit board members (below in traditional attire) for this first visit by the Ambassador and his wife to Detroit.
23 July 2024
The French Novena at Ste. Anne de Detroit and the Detroit French History Cruise on July 23, 2023 was a meaningful and fun experience for all!
Sunday, July21, 2024 was the day of the annual French Novena at Ste. Anne de Detroit. The noon mass was attended by people of French descent or whose families once called Ste. Anne's their home parish. The mass was followed by a wonderful buffet in the church hall which featured many French and French Canadian entrees and desserts. To say the least, everyone was well-fed and happy!
Then it was time to take a boat ride for the Detroit French History Cruise on the Detroit River, the main highway of the 18th century. Host John Cooper did an excellent job narrating the historical tour and pointing out all the French landmarks along the river route.
Between John's narrative, lively traditional French Canadian music was provided by Too Happy Voyageurs.
Next year promises to be just as much fun so mark your calendars now for the French Novena and the Detroit French History Cruise on Sunday, July 20, 2025. Tickets will be available for sale on this website.
