WATERVILLE -- Lots of food, live music, dancing, craft sales and a French Mass will be on tap this weekend at the sixth annual Franco-American Festival.

The two-day event, on Saturday and Sunday, will include a bean supper at 5 p.m. Saturday at St. Francis Hall on Elm Street and a performance by the band "Boreal Tordu" at 7 p.m. in the Opera House. The cost for the supper is to be determined.

Those wanting tickets to the Opera House performance may call 873-7000. They are $12 each.

The Franco-American Festival is hosted by both the city of Waterville and the Franco-American Heritage Society of Kennebec Valley.

On Sunday, a Mass in French will be held at 10:30 a.m. at Notre Dame Catholic Church on Silver Street.

Head of Falls, off Front Street, by the Kennebec River, will be hopping with free music and fun from noon to 5 p.m. Large tents will be set up and people can dance to music from bands including La Famille LeBlanc and C'est Si Bon.

Area artisans will display and sell their wares, specialty foods will be sold and the honorary memere and pepere, Ghislaine and Lee Fecteau, will be celebrated.

"It is a lot of fun and it's good family entertainment," said Amanda Domini, executive assistant to Mayor Paul R. LePage and City Manager Michael Roy. "There are no children's activities this year but the live music draws a crowd. People are really, really friendly and hopefully, the weather will cooperate."

A tourtiere pie contest will be held at 1:30 p.m. Anyone can enter; and celebrity chef Gerry Michaud, owner of Big G's, will judge the pies.

"All they (contestants) have to do is show up with their pie before the celebrity judging," Domini said. "There's no formal entry for the contest."

La Famille LeBlanc will perform from noon to 1:30 p.m. Sunday; Marcel and Chantal Mariot will perform 1:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.; and C'est Si Bon will perform 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The Waterville Elks will serve poutin, or French fries with gravy and cheese, according to Janet White, secretary of the Franco-American Heritage Society. The Knights of Columbus will feature ice cream crepes; the Franco-American Heritage Society, tourtiere pie and dynamites; and Silvio Normandeau, hot dogs. Madeline McPhail will sell handmade quilts, White said.

Financial sponsors for the festival are the city, Joyce Gagne, Norman Boulet, Roger Hallee, Boulet Trucking Service & Freight Management; the Franco American Heritage Society and Pearley Lachance.

In-kind sponsors are Omnigraphique, Waterville Opera House, Morning Sentinel, Holy Spirit KC Council, Waterville Public Works and Waterville Parks & Recreation Department.

The festival is held rain or shine.

Amy Calder -- 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com