This is a difficult time for the organizers of the Franco-American festival in Biddeford. Bad luck and bad decisions have left the perennially popular cultural fair in an uncomfortable position.

La Kermesse this year is coping with a lack of money, an investigation of its finances and the loss of what had been a prime fairground at the city’s St. Louis Field. It is to the group’s credit that the 28th annual festival will take place, but the June 25-27 event at the Biddeford Ice Arena won’t compare with the festivals we have become accustomed to.

In a letter to the community last week, La Kermesse Vice President Raymond Gagne pledged the board’s efforts to rebuilding the festival and sought public support.

We hope support comes through in the form of good attendance at the temporary fairgrounds, just off Route 111 on Pomerleau Street. Although the amusements and entertainment won’t be as extensive as in the past, we expect La Kermesse’s French-Canadian heritage will continue to give it a distinct flavor.

As Gagne wrote last week, this heritage may still be burdened to some degree by prejudice. La Kermesse has always risen above it. The organization mocks the disparagement of Franco-Americans by its conspicuous emblem ”“ a smiling frog ”“ and the success of the fair has rightly been a point of pride for many.

This strikes us as an opportunity for a creative act of friendship. Some profit-making institutions include good works as part of their portfolio, and it might be a good investment to support a festive community event in collaboration with La Kermesse.

In any event, we think the odds are good that La Kermesse will continue to thrive if it can maintain the esprit that has sustained it for 27 years and remains strong in the face of adversity.

Adversity has been a heavy weight for several years. For instance, La Kermesse has repeatedly has been the victim of bad weather ”“ unseasonably heavy rains at the end of June. The downpours last year softened St. Louis Field to the extent that it was damaged during its use as a fairground.

The other adversity was the economic meltdown of 2008-09. It is an unfortunate fact of life that in a recession there often isn’t enough money for parades, fireworks and fairs. La Kermesse’s block party, parade and fireworks for years provided a festive start to summer ”“ at no cost to those who enjoyed them.

La Kermesse and its supporters deserve support in their effort to keep the festival going, in the expectation that happy days will soon be here again.