‘PoutineFest’ brings French-Canadian pride to Londonderry
LONDONDERRY, N.H. —
A celebration of Canadian culture and food came to Londonderry for the first time in an event that aims to bring a taste from over the northern border to New England.
On Saturday, “PoutineFest” served up its first celebration at 603 Brewery. The Canadian favorite dish that includes French fries, cheese curds and gravy lets local kitchens put their own spin on their servings.
The festival is part of a series that’s run across New England for more than a decade, also hosted in Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont. Judges and visitors alike get to vote on the best offering, awarding a championship belt to the winner.
Hollis House of Pizza took home the People’s Choice and overall title for 2026.
Part of the festival’s profits also go to local organizations that support education and organizations tied to French-speaking culture. It highlights a need, some say, to bring more attention to Canadian culture domestically.
Timothy Beaulieu is the founder of the festival. He said it grew out of his own family history. His grandfather shared stories about Canada while Beaulieu grew up in New Hampshire, but he said he noticed a gap in how the region connected with its French-Canadian roots.
“As I got older, I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, why isn’t there something that the French Canadians can celebrate?’ In the North and in Boston, they had the feast of St. Anthony or St. Patrick’s Day,'” Beaulieu said. “So PoutineFest is basically taking something that’s Canadian and bringing it into the United States.”
Beaulieu said he’d like to see New England, the Granite State especially, do more to welcome visitors from north of the border. He pointed to how other PoutineFests he organizes in states like Maine add French-language signs for visitors to use.
“I think we could do a little bit more of (that) signage, (make it) a little more welcoming. But people in New England do love Canada,” he said.
For some attendees, the festival carries a personal weight. Elaina McAlister of Derry said she’s a regular at the event, and comes back each year with her family for more than just the food.
“There’s just so much going on,” she said. “This is a community event, and it’s just a fun day all around.”
McAlister said her family’s own Canadian roots trace back generations.
“Our ancestors, we learned, were the first settlers for Quebec,” she said, “and we pay respect to that every year at PoutineFest.”