P.E.I.'s Evangeline Region ready for Acadians from around the world

Thousands of travellers are rolling into the western P.E.I. area known as the Evangeline Regionto take part in the2019 World Acadian Congress.

The celebrations beginin Abram-Village on Aug. 10 and endin Shediac, N.B., on Aug. 24.

Roughly 100,000 people are expected to take in the many events in both provinces.

The gathering is held once every five years,allowingfamilies of Acadian descent to come together to reunite with relatives far and wide.

P.E.I.'s portion will include huge family reunions for family names like the Arsenaults and Gallants.

Preparations for the event, centred in Abram-Village, P.E.I., have been in the making for years.

Nearly every house in the area is flying the Acadian flag in one form or another.

A number of vendors have come to sell Acadian memorabilia.

Charlie Thibodeau, of Digby, N.S., is attending and plans to connect with relatives and sell wooden crosses fashioned out of lumber recovered from old Acadian settlements. The hobby has become his retirement project.

No Acadian get together would be complete without music. Concerts and fairs will be the highlights for many.

The bandVishtn performed a soundcheckFriday afternoon at the main event grounds in Abram-Village.

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