Exploring Fredericton’s Cultural Side This Winter
To borrow a line from Gallery on Queens’ website, "Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." - Pablo Picasso. So why not escape from everyday life and enjoy a getaway to Fredericton to explore the capitals art and cultural scene?
We’ve created this two-day itinerary as a guide so you can plan your own “Culture Crawl" of Fredericton, hitting up galleries, cultural spots and public art. With covid 19 restrictions, double check hours of operation in advance.
Fredericton's annual winter celebration FROSTival takes place from January 21 until February 7, making it a great time to plan to visit with all kinds of cool cultural events like live music, whiskey tasting workshops, painting workshops and some fun outdoor events too!
Where to Stay:
If you’re looking for quaint and quiet, Fredericton’s B&B’s are works of art themselves with their gorgeous Victorian architecture. With our “Dinner’s On Us” Stay & Play promotion, you’ll find some amazing packages and savings too.
If your visit brings you here on a Saturday, you’ll want to make time in your itinerary to visit the Boyce Farmers' Market (7am-1pm) and the Northside Creators Market (8am-2pm).
Day 1 Downtown Gallery Hop
On the corner of Queen and York find two galleries: CreatedHere/NBCCD Studio, and Gallery on Queen, both offering virtual and in-person exhibitions.
At Gallery on Queen you’ll find everything from traditional to contemporary, as the gallery houses an ever-changing collection of artistic mediums, including painting, drawing, sculpture, works on paper and ceramics from artists from the Atlantic provinces and across Canada.
Continuing down Queen, you’ll see the NB Collage of Craft & Design and the George Fry Gallery- presenting virtual exhibitions for now. Enjoy the Rick Burns | Mark-Maker Virtual Exhibition at The Craft & Design Shop has collaborated with Craft NB and has set up a shop in the Created Here gallery.
Hungry? Check out Isaac's Way or The Abbey Café! In addition to yummy food, you’ll find tons of artwork from local artists line the walls and shelves. This is part of an on-going silent auction OR you can purchase local artwork that raises funds for underprivileged kids to access lessons/programs in art, dance, theatre and music.
Just across the street, artist owned Botinicals is selling fine craft made by Atlantic Canadian artists, definitely worth stopping in.
One more block down is the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, closed while they construct another new addition(re-opening in 2022). However it is worth a walk around the gallery to enjoy the many sculptures and art installations that surround the building like the very large sculptures of crows made from used tires by PEI artist Gerald Beaulieu. Behind the Gallery, take a peek in window to see a collection of works by newcomer youth. You’ll also see the colorful designs wrapped all around the café windows, by Tobique First Nation artist, Emma Hassencahl-Perley, who also painted the beautiful mural on the pedway pier near the Wolastoq/St. John River.
The Gallery is presenting content online so be sure to follow their social media channels for things like Masterworks Mondays and their digital artist-in-residence program and digital curator crunch.
TIP: At night from the train bridge when the Beaverbrook Gallery is lit up inside, you can see the huge masterpiece, Santiago el Grande, by Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí .
Next up, head down the Green a bit and across the street you’ll see a gorgeous three storey Queen Anne Revival Style house. This is Gallery 78, where you’ll find the province’s most notable and established painters, printmakers and sculptors. See current exhibitions here www.gallery78.com.
Also in the neighborhood, check out the colorful boutique behind the Gallery, across from the Cathedral! Studio 103/Urban Threads, in addition to beautiful clothes and gifts, features works from local artists. You can also get a fun selfie with the colorful wings a local artist painted on the fence!
Since you appreciate art – you’ll want to take a look at the Christ Church Cathedral! It is one of the finest examples of decorated Gothic architecture in North America.
DAY 2 Odell Park, Fredericton Botanic Garden and Public Art
What better way to start the day than a nature walk through Fredericton beautiful Odell Park and adjoining Botanic Garden. Odell Park (432 acres) is one of Canada’s best old growth forests, with some trees as old as 400 yrs old. Trails wind through a varied forest and several link to the Botanic Garden where you’ll find the giant pink granite statue, The “Rhodo,” a rhododendron bud.
Fredericton has a variety of public art that celebrates our heritage and enhances our public spaces. You could spend the whole afternoon on a self-guided tour of Fredericton’s public art (36 pieces and counting) A virtual tour of Public Art in Fredericton is found here. You will also find a blog post outlining the public art installation in the downtown region here.
Another important aspect of Fredericton's cultural life are its internationally-famous artisans with crafts created in a variety of medium including pewter. Aitken's Pewter, 698 McLeod Avenue offers tours of its workshop floor where you can see them at work creating beautiful jewelry, ornaments and gifts. There are many artisan studios and shops sprinkled throughout Fredericton. A full list of Artisan studios, local and handcrafted shops listed in our Visitor Guide.
Nightime fun
Catch a live show, performance or theatre! The Playhouse is presenting performances with health measures in place and reduced seating capacity and social distancing. Check out the Playhouse event calendar here. Find about more musical happenings in the city at Music Runs Through It
These suggestions for how you can #ExploreFredericton are just the tip of the iceberg! Visit the Fredericton Tourism website, Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram account for more information on what to eat, see and do in the capital city!
