The Centreville festival (the downtown festival)

Since the turn of the twentieth century (between 1900 and 1905) the Downtown Festival has been organized by the municipality on the first sunday of August...

The mascot of the festival was a penguin made from wicker and nicknamed Alfred.

On Saturday night, Alfred was heading the torchlight parade carried by a man like the « giants » from the north of France during the Mardi Gras parade. Alfred was preceding the Downtown committee and the bands. A ball was ending the day.

1930 - The LAMY-HESS store at that time

The store named « Au Régal d’Alfred » in 1930

This event attracted a large crowd…A parade featuring the local band and some others from the towns around was held. It took place on Sundays and enlivened the streets of the town. The end of the parade was Jean Macé square where carousels and drink joints could be found and where the concert and the ball took place.

Picture legend (on the side)

A rare document from 1930 ; from left to right:
- Victor Lamy – André Lamy’s father
- His son André Lamy, confectioner
- Maria Zoé Hess, Léon Hess’ mother
- Marie Lamy, André’s mother
- Andrée Lamy, Léon Hess’ daughter