Woonsocket Call - Bon Appétit, Woonsocket

Rebecca Sylvestre, of Woonsocket, left, and the team of Michelle Marcotte, center, and Lynn Leroux, right, of the Friendly Home in Woonsocket, share a laugh as they get their recipes ready for the judges during the Second Annual Dynamite Cook Off at River Island Park Saturday. Marcotte and Leroux went on to claim the crown for first place and the $200 grand prize award. Call Photo/Ernest A. Brown

WOONSOCKET — Historically, Woonsocket was known as “La ville la plus française aux États-Unis” which translates to “the most French city in America.”

In the 2000 census, 46.1 percent of Woonsocket residents cited their ethnicity as French or French-Canadian — and residents don’t hide that fact, they celebrate it.
Offering a nod to the city’s heritage was this year’s 26th annual French Farmer’s Market & Heritage Day held Saturday at River Island Park from 9 a.m. to 3 p .m.
“There are so many French people [living in Woonsocket] and the history of the city has so much to do with the French culture so festivals and events like this always have something to do with it,” said Jennifer Gagnon of Woonsocket.
Hosted by the city of Woonsocket and the Northern Rhode Island Council of the Arts, the event was designed as a channel for local artists and vendors to display and sell their arts and crafts, enable local farmers sell fresh produce and let community members celebrate learn about French-Canadian heritage or celebrate it.
“We have 23 vendors of arts and crafts, basically, but there are some others that have information about different things,” said event organizer Jeannette Cousineau. “We have a few farmers who sell their produce and we sell the French meat pies and the dynamites. It’s basically to bring the people out so they can see everybody and of course for the farmers.”
Selling fresh produce, desserts, toppings and condiments were representatives from Cook’s Valley Farm of Wrentham and Pennsylvania Dutch Farmer Boy of Bellingham.
“It’s great that you can come to the festival and still get some grocery shopping done and it’s all good, fresh, local stuff,” said Woonsocket resident Bethany Wilkes.
New to this year’s festival was the introduction of “Treasured Recipes,” an assemblage of French-Canadian recipes collected by the Northern Rhode Island Council of the Arts from various residents.
“The cookbook is new. They just went to print about a month ago,” said Cousineau.
The French Farmer’s Market & Heritage Day festival was also the site of the Dynamite Cook-Off Competition, which is in its sophomore year and is expected to become an annual event.
“We thought we’d only do it one year. We never expected to do it a second year but people like it so much that they asked us if we were doing it again so we decided to do it again,” said Lorraine Provencher, manager/coordinator of the Dynamite Cook-Off.
For those who don’t know, the Dynamite sandwich, a local culinary favorite in northern Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts, is a zesty concoction of tomatoes, hamburg, peppers, and onions, served on a fresh torpedo roll.
The sandwich has been a Blackstone Valley staple for more than 70 years. One of the earliest known cooks to serve the dynamite was RoseAnna (Jodoin) Thibeault, who provided the local delicacy in the 1920s to mill workers, people visiting the city by train and patrons of Hamlet Lunch at Hamlet Crossing in Woonsocket.
Ten-cent dynamites were also a “hit” at the former Vermette’s Restaurant at Diamond Hill and Mendon roads, which began offering the locally famous sandwich around 1938.
Sponsored by the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, the Dynamite Cook-Off is a taste-testing contest where entrants compete for a chance at three prizes.
“They’re judged first on appearance and taste and also the appearance of the dynamite,” said Provencher. “The best five go into round two and are judged based on taste and appearance and then there are first, second and third place prizes given to the top three scorers.”
Judges included River Falls Restaurant manager Dave Gouin, Noel Pincince, former mayor Charles Baldelli, city council president Leo Fontaine and Sue Tessier-Mackenzie of The Call. After two rounds of judging, tasting, tallying and scoring, the third place prize of $100 was awarded to Jill Brackett, second place price of $150 was awarded to Dianne Jarrie-Russell and the first place “Dynamite Queens” and winners of $200 and a ride in the Autumnfest parade were Lynn Leroux and Michelle Marcotte, who also won the People’s Choice Award with 450 tickets.
Following the festival, a Marketeer’s Reception was held from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Museum of Work and Culture and featured beer, dynamites and dancing with music performed by Benoit Bourque Trio.