ABBEVILLE, LA - The sounds of Cajun music echoed through the streets of downtown Abbeville on Saturday as crowds gathered to celebrate Le Grand Réveil Acadien or The Great Acadian Awakening, a cultural festival honoring the heritage, language and traditions of Louisiana’s Acadian community.
Visitors from across the United States and abroad made the trip to participate in the festivities, including Sally and Chris Kenney, who traveled from Nova Scotia.
“We had to leave home at about 8 in the morning to catch a flight out of Halifax,” said Chris Kenney. “We went from Halifax to Philadelphia, Philadelphia to Dallas, and then Dallas to Lafayette. So we got here at 11 o’clock last night plus a two hour time change.”
The weeklong event commemorates the arrival of the Acadians in southern Louisiana following their expulsion from Canada in the 18th century. Organizers say the event aims to celebrate not just their survival, but the thriving of Cajun culture through language, music, and food.
“Oh, this is always fun,” said Sally Kenney. “It’s just so touching to see all the people. You hear some of them speak French, some of them speak English, it’s just a mix of both, which we do at home as well. You just feel like you’re home.”
This year’s festival featured French immersion student performances, traditional fiddle music, and plenty of authentic Cajun food.
“The gumbo was really good and the oysters as well,” said Chris Kenney. “They are pretty well done, especially with his homemade sauce. It makes it taste really good.”
For John Knobloch, visiting from Illinois, the festival was both a cultural experience and a family reunion.
“It’s a neat little town, and I'm looking forward to walking around and exploring it this afternoon,” he said.
Knobloch, who was attending for the first time, said the celebration has already helped him discover new branches of his family tree.
“It’s been a few hours so far, I’ve met cousins I’ve never heard of before,” he said. “Great food, great music, it looks like it’s going to be a fantastic week.”
For a full look of the schedule, click here
