Manne of Green Gables: P.E.I. teen dresses up as beloved character, helps gift shop go viral

The folks at Borden Carleton's Shop & Play chat about their recent viral videos featuring ‘Manne of Green Gables.’

A store in Borden-Carleton, P.E.I., is getting a lot of attention lately thanks to its viral social media videos with the so-called “Manne of Green Gables.”

Shop & Play is known for helping people dress up and take photos as the iconic “Anne of Green Gables” character.

Several recent videos posted by the business feature summer student Jack Pickering in Anne’s iconic green dress, straw hat, carpet bag and red braids.

The most popular video walks people through the process of getting their picture taken at the store’s fictional Bright River train station, where Anne Shirley meets Matthew Cuthbert in the novel.

That video alone has garnered more than 1.4 million views on Instagram.

Pickering says the shop simply wanted to post more videos to social media this season to try to bring in more customers.

“I was recording a video for our Anne (dress up) parlour and I wasn’t wearing the costume and at the end of it I watched it over and I said, ‘No, something doesn’t feel right about this, let’s do another take’ and this time I put on the costume and it ended up going viral,” the 16-year-old told Your Morning Atlantic’s Crystal Garrett.

Shop & Play owner Barbarann Fall says it’s “amazing” to have an employee go above and beyond to help her business.

“Our Anne parlour was quite popular and now it’s even more popular. We’re very proud of our parlour, we have a lot of fun, we create a lot of memories, a lot of laughs and that’s what everyone wants to take home,” she said.

In one of his most recent “day in the life” style videos, “Manne of Green Gables” mentions the parlour is the best part of his shifts.

“It does not get tiresome at all — it’s my favourite part of the day, coming here and dressing people up, because it’s so full of energy and laughs and just people enjoying life,” says Pickering.

Fall says people even come into the shop — which claims to be the largest on the East Coast — specifically looking for her star employee.

“We have a lot of people stopping, asking if Manne of Green Gables is actually working, if they can meet Manne of Green Gables, if Manne of Green Gables can dress them up, because they are coming from all over the world, so it’s gotten busier,” she says.

And people online love “Manne” as well, with plenty of supportive comments.

“I vote this to be the next Canadian Heritage Minute,” says one follower.

“Can you start making souvenir shirts with Manne of Green Gables? I would buy it and I’m not even kidding,” said another.

Fans of “Manne” don’t need to go all the way to Avonlea to see him, the Shop & Play is just at the end of the Confederation Bridge in Gateway Village.

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