Cavendish's Avonlea Village now featuring restaurants and shops

Avonlea Village has changed the way it will operate its tourist attraction in Cavendish. 

The village will now operate with restaurants and shops in the buildings rather than the former way of theatre and actors portraying characters from Anne of Green Gables.

Property manager Sheela Brennan says it had to change because profit and attendance were stagnant. 

"I've been here for the past 15 years so I know a lot of families that come back year after year. They'll certainly miss what we used to do, but it was a narrow market of people and in order for us to be sustainable and keep going we needed to expand what we're offering," said Brennan.

Customers and local businesses were consulted to determine what the area needed. 

"Our attendance tended to be stagnant with what we were doing so the feedback was great," said Brennan.

"People love what we were doing but our numbers continued to stay the same. We weren't able to grow so it didn't make sense for us to keep doing what we were doing." 

Gone is the $22 entrance fee. Now, six new restaurants and five new retailers will operate in Avonlea Village. Some of the new businesses have opened with the remainder scheduled to open by Saturday, June 20. 

The village will also have a new market that features the work of P.E.I. artisans. There will be daily music shows and an evening ceilidh.

The businesses will stay open until 8 p.m. each night during July and August. 

Dolcie Graham visited Avonlea Village for the first time Monday. 

"We heard it was new this year and we wanted to come check it out," Graham said. 

"I think it's OK. I don't see a problem with it. You know, I think it's a good change."