Exploring Fredericton’s Cultural Side This Winter
Beat the winter blues by exploring something new! Fredericton and the Capital Region offer an explosive art and culture scene that can be explored every season of the year - including winter!
We've created this two-day itinerary as a guide so you can plan your own winter "culture crawl" through Fredericton and the Capital Region - complete with gallery hopping, outdoor experiences, and more.
FROSTival
Don't hibernate, celebrate the season with FROSTival! Take part in three weekends of winter fun from January 19 to February 5, 2023. FROSTival is the perfect time to plan a visit and participate in cool cultural events like live music, painting workshops, and outdoor experiences! To see the full calendar of events, click here.
Plan your stay - with dinner on us!
First things first – you'll need a place to stay! We're sweetening the deal this winter with our special accommodation packages that offer a free $50 BONUS CASH to use during your stay. Whether you're looking for something quaint and quiet or a luxurious hotel stay in the heart of the City – we've got you covered with our Stay & Play packages. Click here for details.
Pro tip: If your visit brings you here on a Saturday, you’ll want to make time in your itinerary to visit the Boyce Farmers' Market and the Northside Creators Market.
Day 1 Capital Region Gallery Hop
Start your Gallery Hop in Downtown Fredericton on the corner of Queen and York at Gallery on Queen! Here you'll find everything from traditional and contemporary pieces, 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.
Right next to the Gallery on Queen sits the George Fry Gallery. Run by the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design, the George Fry Gallery showcases the work of students, faculty, and invited artists. Pop in to discover something new!
Is all this hopping making you hungry? Check out Isaac's Way or The Abbey Café, centrally located in Downtown Fredericton! In addition to yummy food (with lots of vegan and vegetarian options to boot!), you'll find tons of artwork from local artists lining the walls and shelves of each restaurant. These pieces help raise funds for underprivileged kids to access lessons/programs in art, dance, theatre and music. Found something you really love? There's an option to buy work at these galleries too!
Continuing down Queen St, you'll come across the newly renovated Beaverbrook Art Gallery. The renowned gallery has an incomparable collection of historical and contemporary paintings, sculptures and more. While viewing collections and current exhibitions, stop by the Café Beaverbrook by Chess Piece and stroll around the gallery to enjoy the many sculptures and art installations surrounding the building.
Across the street from the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, you'll spot a gorgeous three-story Queen Anne Revival Style house. This is Gallery 78 – a local gallery where you'll find some of the province's most notable and established painters, printmakers and sculptors. A list of current exhibitions is available here!
Just around the corner from Gallery 78 is the unique and colourful boutique called Studio 103/Urban Threadz. Located across from Christ Church Cathedral (a national historic site), Studio 103/Urban Threadz features local artists' work and beautiful clothes and gifts. Pro tip: take a photo in front of the colourful wings painted on the fence by local artist Connie Wheaton to capture the moment!
And since you appreciate art – you'll want to step inside the Fredericton Christ Church Cathedral! Built in 1853, the Christ Church Cathedral is one of North America's finest examples of decorated Gothic architecture.
Next up is a stop you won't want to miss – the Charlotte Street Arts Centre. Conveniently located two blocks from the Cathedral, the Charlotte Street Arts Centre houses two galleries, The Charlotte Glencross Gallery and the Penney Gallery, with work from local artists. The Charlotte Glencross Gallery is located in the heart of the beautiful heritage building and holds diverse exhibitions ideal for any art-lover. The Penney Gallery on the main floor shows the best pieces up-and-coming local artists have to offer.
Now it's time to head up the hill! Take a drive to College Hill and check out the two galleries on the beautiful University of New Brunswick (UNB) and St. Thomas University (STU) conjoining campus. First, stop at UNB to check out the UNB Arts Centre, which maintains a collection of over 1,800 artworks on display throughout the campus. Once you're finished, head up the hill a little further and stop at STU to check out the Yellow Box Gallery. The Yellow Box Gallery is dedicated to diversity in its programming and offers ever-changing exhibitions for you to experience while enjoying the beautiful university campus.
Hop back in the car and head towards Woodstock Road, where you'll find the Angel Terry Art Studio. This studio is a must-see for those in awe of Atlantic Canada's landscape's bright and bold colours. Just down the road, you'll come across Garden Creek Pottery, the studio of Joan Shaw that features hand-thrown stoneware and porcelain that is simply too gorgeous to miss.
Journey uptown to Hanwell for your next stop, the RB Studio Art Centre and Gallery! Indulge in a creative workshop and enjoy the art gallery with a curated selection of fine crafts and handmade goods created by Maritime artists and artisans.
Now it's time to hit the highway! Just 30 minutes from Fredericton, discover the Hanson Art Gallery & Sculpture Garden in French Lake. View the extensive collection of paintings by the talented local artist Robin Hanson, and you cannot forget to snap a photo with the 27ft T-Rex dinosaur!
After an inspiring and art-filled day, head back to Fredericton, check into your accommodation, grab a bite to eat at one of our fabulous restaurants, and use your own creative juices painting the evening away at The Dandy Paint Lounge. Join a class or workshop or make a reservation and start creating!
Day 2 Odell Park, Fredericton Botanic Garden and Public Art
What better way than to start your day with a nature walk! How about a snowshoe adventure right in the city? Pop into Radical Edge where you can rent some snowshoes for the day and head over to Fredericton’s 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 years old. 16km of groomed trails wind through a varied forest with several linking to the Botanic Garden. Snowshoe your way through the park and breathe in the fresh air and charming views and be sure to find your way to the Botanic Garden where you will find the picturesque 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 can be 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 is its internationally-famous artisans with crafts created in various mediums, including pewter. Aitken's Pewter offers tours of its workshop floor, where you can see them creating beautiful jewelry, ornaments and gifts. There are many artisan studios and shops sprinkled throughout Fredericton. A complete list of artisan studios and local and handcrafted shops are listed on our website.
Entertainment & Nightlife Fun
Catch a live show, performance or theatre! The Fredericton Playhouse presents performances that you won't want to miss all winter long. Check out the Playhouse event calendar here.
From unique venues to cafes and stages or pubs and clubs, there's live music every weekend of the year in Fredericton. The heat that Fredericton's music scene brings certainly does not cool off during the winter! Keep an eye out for a show at The Cap, The Tipsy Muse Cafe, and more! Discover live music events happening here!
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 Fredericton and the Capital Region!
