Grand Reveil Acadien kicked off in the Teche Area in St. Martinvile with a long slate of events planned for those looking to celebrate the anniversary of of the Acadian arrival in Louisiana.

Event-goers started at Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Park Monday afternoon for a general welcome, followed by a tour of St. Martinville.

A fais-do-do was held on the St. Martin de Tours campus in downtown St. Martinville.

Jambalaya and other dishes were served to the general public while authentic Cajun music was played in St. Martin Square.

Louisiane-Acadie the sponsor of the Great Acadian Awakening is a non-profit organization headquartered in Lafayette,whose mission is to celebrate the native French language, Cajun culture and Acadian heritage.

Grand Reveil Acadien, or Great Acadian Awakening, is held every five years but was postponed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

GRA is patterned after the World Congress of Acadians’ festivities that are held in the Canadian Maritimes. GRA is a multi-day event with activities set to take place all around the Acadiana region.

This year’s ceremonies opened in Abbeville on Saturday. Municipalities holding GRA events include St. Martinville, New Iberia, Arnaudville, Rayne, Church Point, Houma, Thibodeaux, Lafayette, Broussard and Port Allen.

Closing ceremonies, set for Sunday at 9 a.m. with a French mass at St. John’s Cathedral in Lafayette, followed by a Tintamarre to Warehouse 535 and concluding activities at St. Luc’s Immersion School in Arnaudville.