ST. MARTINVILLE — The Acadian Heritage will be celebrated Saturday when the Acadian Memorial holds its annual festival.

The festival will celebrate the theme “A Celebration of Longfellow’s 200th Birthday and His Influence on St. Martinville and Acadian/Cajun History.”

“The festival is our third annual. It’s getting better each year,” said Brenda Trahan, curator of the Acadian Memorial.

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Festivities will commence at 10 a.m. with a welcome by Mayor Thomas Nelson, words of tribute to Longfellow and the introduction of special guests. From there, festival visitors will have a number of activities and attractions to keep them busy until the festival ends at 4 p.m.

The schedule of the festival includes an Evangeline musical by Lisa’s School of Dance at 10:30 a.m. and Cajun music by “Moi-J’aime-Ca-Comme-Ca (I Like It Like That)” at 11 a.m.

Also at 11 a.m., a discussion of the history and stories about wooden boats will open to the public under a tent along the bayou.

“We’ll have boaters coming in to discuss their stories about boating, manufacturing and history. This is for anyone interested in knowing more about wooden boats,” Trahan said.

The annual re-enactment of the Arrival of the Acadians on Bayou Teche featuring the LeBlanc and Trahan families at 1 p.m.

“Antique wooden boats will bring people along the Bayou Teche just as the Acadians arrived in the Attakapas District,” Trahan said.

At 1:45 p.m., the winner of the Memorial’s pig naming contest will be announced and a pig coloring contest will be held. The Memorial has conducted the contest to allow children to give a name and a story to the pig that is on the Memorial’s mural.

Other afternoon attractions include a book signing and lecture by John Albert Landry, author of “Hoorah Plantation — 1930-1945” and a workshop that teaches children and adults how to make traditional screen Mardi Gras masks. The workshop will cost $8 and children must be accompanied by an adult.

Rounding out the activities at the festival are a traditional egg knocking contest, arts and crafts, quilt lessons, moss picking, miniature Acadian boat replicas and antique cars.

“This is our opportunity to showcase the Acadian culture and its traditions in the most amusing light of spending time here with family,” Trahan said.

She added that for everyone, it’s a reuniting of family and heritage.

“For tourists and people here with us from across the world, it’s a chance to experience the flavor of the Acadians here,” she said.