LOREAUVILLE, La. (KLFY) — Every five years, Le Grand Réveil Acadien (“The Great Acadian Awakening”) brings Cajuns and Acadians together to celebrate their shared French heritage. But this year, the crowds look a little smaller.

Randall Menard, president of the Louisiana chapter of Le Grand Réveil Acadien, said fewer visitors from Canada made the trip south to Acadiana, leaving many local communities to carry on the celebration on their own.

“We had a minimum of four tour buses booked to come to this event,” Menard said. “They’d be here today with us. But once the comments of the president occurred about Canada being the 51st state, and then with all the tariffs, they decided they weren’t traveling to the U.S. The tour operators called and said, ‘Look, nobody’s coming.’ They’re dropping like flies.”

Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser said the tension began after former President Donald Trump joked that Canada could become America’s “51st state.” According to Nungesser, Louisiana’s tourism from Canada is down by as much as 30% since those remarks.

Loreauville, one of the weeklong festival’s stops, is home to the Acadian Odyssey Monument (one of only 19 in the world) marking where Acadian families first settled in Louisiana after being exiled from Canada in 1765.

Loreauville Mayor Brad Clifton said while visitor numbers are lower than usual, locals are keeping the spirit of the celebration alive.

“It definitely affected it negatively,” Menard added. “They’re all boycotting us now. But hopefully in the future, we’ll be able to rebuild those bridges and fix that gap.”

“Today is kind of a little bit weak, but it has been fairly steady throughout the year,” Clifton said. “All families go through a squabble every once in a while. Because of the ties with the Acadian people here in south Louisiana, it’s kind of like just that little familial spat every once in a while.”

Even without the wave of Canadian visitors, Loreauville residents say Le Grand Réveil Acadien remains rooted in family, food, and tradition; a culture that refuses to fade.

The celebration continues all week across Acadiana, with events planned in Vermilionville Tuesday, a historical symposium at Nicholls State University on Thursday, and a closing ceremony in Breaux Bridge this weekend.

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