🍀PoutineFest, St. Patrick’s Day, and Building Something of Our Own

Every March, you can feel it. People just show up in green, and local bars packed. Even if you’re not Irish, for one day you feel like you’re part of it anyway.

I’ve always liked that.

Growing up, I spent more time around my Irish side. My mom’s family was Irish, some straight from Ireland, others through Quebec (that’s a whole blog in itself) and that culture always felt present. It had weight and took up space… maybe too much.

At the same time, I’d go into Boston’s North End and see the Italian festivals. People proud of where they came from, and not shy about it. And the food. Oh, Maronn!

And I remember thinking, even back then, where is that for French Canadians? Saint-Jean-Baptiste celebrations used to be everywhere across New England. Somewhere along the way, those faded out. Maybe they felt too religious. Maybe they just didn’t get carried forward the same way. But once they were gone, nothing really replaced them.

I didn’t have the words for it at the time, but looking back, that’s a big part of where PoutineFest came from. It was never about recreating Saint-Jean-Baptiste exactly. It was about bringing that feeling back, just in a way that fits now.

And honestly, New England is the perfect place for it. Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont know how to show up. People come out, they stay awhile, they make a day of it. There’s a real appreciation here for tradition, for community, and for simply being together.

Portland stood out right away. The city already has a rhythm with St. Patrick’s Day and other cultural festivals, so when Maine PoutineFest landed there, it just worked. It felt natural.

Pictured above O'Reilly's Cure of Scarbourough, Maine, participating in Maine PoutineFest

You see that same energy in New Hampshire. NH PoutineFest crowds really show up, and they’ve been a huge part of turning this into something real. Vermont’s the same way. People want a reason to gather like that.

For me, it’s about creating something that doesn’t feel forced. You come out, you eat, you hang out. Maybe you learn something about the culture, maybe you don’t.

Either way, you leave feeling like you were part of something. That’s what I always saw growing up with the Irish and Italian festivals. You leave feeling like, this is ours.

That’s what we’re building with PoutineFest across Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

And every year around St. Patrick’s Day, I think about that a little more. Not in a competitive way. Just appreciation. This is what it looks like when a culture holds onto something and keeps it visible.

Pictured above is the poutine "Royal Family" enjoying PoutineFest

For me, it finally feels like we’re building what I wish we’d had growing up. And now we get to pass that feeling on to the next generation.

Tim is the founder of PoutineFest USA, which hosts events throughout New England. For more visit poutinefest.com