To celebrate the centennial of its most famous daughter’s most famous work, Canada’s Prince Edward Island is hosting numerous Anne of Green Gables-inspired events throughout the year. Lucy Maud Montgomery published her masterpiece in 1908, and the locations she described have since become popular tourist attractions while retaining the bucolic and small-town qualities she promoted. Easily accessible from the mainland, Prince Edward Island can provide a weekend retreat that appeals not only to children and fans of literature, but the entire family.
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Green Gables on Prince Edward Island was the inspiration for L.M. Montgomery's classic tale |
Throughout July and August, special activities will take place every weekday at the island locations made famous in the novel.
On Mondays at L.M. Montgomery’s birthplace in New London, visitors can view her original scrapbooks and chat with an expert about the author.
On Tuesdays, at the site of Montgomery’s Cavendish Home, visitors can wander through the beautiful fields and gardens and meet the author’s great-grandson, John MacNeil, and his wife Jennie, learning about Prince Edward Island then and now.
Every Wednesday at the Anne of Green Gables Museum in Park Corner, the Campbell family will open their homestead, full of Montgomery memorabilia. Visitors can enjoy a picnic by the Lake of Shining Waters, a carriage ride around the property—or even a chance at writing their own story.
On Wednesday evenings, the Bideford Parsonage Museum will feature readings of Montgomery’s short stories while special guests offer insight about the author.
On Thursdays at Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Cavendish National Historic Site, heritage presenters will allow guests to step back in time while they take part in a scrapbooking event topped off with a cup of hot cocoa.
Every Friday, visitors will join the villagers at Avonlea for an authentic kitchen party, a time-honored tradition in Atlantic Canada where friends gather to play music, tell tall tales and step dance.
There are few large hotels or chains on PEI. Instead, most visitors stay at independently run inns and bed-and-breakfasts, maintaining the old-fashioned and intimate feel of the island. Anne’s Windy Poplar’s Cottage Resort is a four-star, 17-cottage estate within walking distance of Green Gables. The Barachois Inn is a five-star B&B, converted from a maintained Victorian country house, which is also close to the popular sites. PEI’s beaches and golf courses offer an ideal alternative to the history and literature, and ensure that every member of the family can find something to enjoy during their stay.
Visit www.anne2008.com for information on the Anne of Green Gables centennial, www.bookpei.com for information on packages and tours available on the island and www.golfpei.ca for information on PEI’s golf courses.