#ExploreFredericton
We WELCOME Winter in Fredericton!
Fall in the Capital City was a sight to see but now we are ready to gear up for a new kind of adventure. Get cozy with local craft brews and cuisine that offer a twist on your favourite comfort food; start prepping for the exciting shift in outdoor activities that snow brings (soon enough, you’ll be hitting the slopes!) and don’t forget to mark your calendar, our favorite winter celebration, FROSTival 2021 is now on the horizon!
Stay a Night & Dinner’s On Us!
Yes, you heard us right! If you book a nights’ stay with a featured package from a local hotel, motel or B&B you will receive a BONUS $50 in Downtown or Business Fredericton North Dollars at check-in – the choice is yours! The current packages from local accommodations offer great deals like FREE room upgrades, food and beverage credits to on-site restaurants, extra $$ for local shopping, passes to our favorite local attractions and MORE! Stay tuned for the winter version of our packages. Pro-tip: these packages are the perfect solution for those hard to buy for people on your gift giving list this holiday season!
SAVE THE DATE – FROSTival 2021 is coming!
Don’t hibernate, celebrate - the perfect winter weekend getaway is waiting for you! This year’s celebrations will feature three weekends of winter FUN, from January 21 – February 7. FROSTival 2021 may look a little different from past years but we are still excited for our favorite winter celebration with options to book activities with your bubble, enjoy socially distanced events, take-in virtual activities and get outside for some winter fun! Shivering Songs is always a highlight, an annual festival with an emphasis on the songwriting craft, featuring an array of East Coast artists, songwriters, musicians and storytellers. Foodies will love Fredericton’s Dine Around Freddy, where you can savour the finest flavours of Fredericton with a 3-course meal for just $35!
Sip the City
Why not warm-up with locally brewed beverages? To make taste testing the wide-array of craft brews extra fun, we partnered with local breweries to create the Fredericton Taproom Trail, a passport-style map showcasing the variety of brews our crafty capital has to offer. Here’s the run down: every time you grab a pint or flight at one of the taprooms listed on the map, you will receive a stamp, enabling you to collect exclusive #FredTapTrail swag. Crafty connoisseurs who collect stamps from ALL 10 participating taprooms with be entered into a draw for a grand prize. This is great way to get a sip of the traditional style flavours and inventive brews that make our craft breweries some of the best around! To make the deal ever sweeter, our local Brew Bucks are coming soon, the perfect gift idea for the craft beer or cider lover in your life.
Introducing #FredTapTrail BREW BUCKS!
Just in time for the holidays, Atlantic Canada’s Craft Brewing Capital has launched our very own currency for purchasing craft brews from Fredericton’s 10 local taprooms. The perfect gift for the craft bevvy lover in your life, Brew Bucks fit nicely in a stocking, are snail mail friendly and solve the question “hmmm, what do I get them for Christmas?” Brew Bucks are available for purchase, exclusively from Picaroons Roundhouse in denominations of $5, $10 & $20 dollars. There really is no better way to say Hoppy Holidays!
Remember that Brew Bucks are redeemable at any of our 10 participating taprooms – a great excuse to enjoy local brews and collect stamps toward acquiring some #FredTapTrail swag!
Markets - A Fredericton Tradition
With four markets located right here in Fredericton, we are sure there’s something for everyone! Open every Saturday morning, the Fredericton Boyce Farmers Market offers a cornucopia of baked goods and locally sourced grocery items; ready-made ethnic cuisine, or a hot breakfast that can be enjoyed on-site; you will also find a treasure-trove of fine art, crafts, jewellery – a must-stop for your holiday shopping! The Northside Creators Market is our newest Saturday market, also offering prepared food and locally produced, handcrafted wares. A unique offering of international food and local delicacies is available at The Cultural Market, conveniently open 6 days a week! A similar vibe can be found at Food Market at the Ex with its selection of International food infused local vendors, located outside the Fredericton Exhibition Centre. A great way to shop Fredericton’s market scene on any day of the week is The Market Basket, Fredericton’s newest online hub for browsing handmade, homegrown and locally designed items from your favorite Fredericton Boyce Farmers Market, Garrison Night Market and MORE - all from the comfort of home!
Art all Around
You will notice the city is a little brighter these days, with several NEW outdoor murals created during the warmer months of 2020! Some highlights include, artists Penny Heather and Laura Forrester’s colorful, large scale mural off Westmorland Street, where you will find hidden Fredericton landmarks in the image of local flora and fauna! Artist duo, Midas Well Creations, was chosen by the organizers of Moncton based Inspire Festival, to create a mural in Fredericton; this vibrant artwork found on Carleton Street depicts “planet earth with an iris, in a New Brunswick landscape. Looking to improve your Instagame? Urban Threadz’s new outdoor mural has quickly become a favorite backdrop of selfie takers because of local artist, House of Art by Connie’s interactive art piece – a bright, multicolored painting of wings. We invite you to experience the creative and cultural spirit in our community, by taking a self-guided mural tour of Fredericton!
If you want to discover even more public art pieces around the cultural capital of New Brunswick, we have you covered with this guide to public art in Fredericton.
Hands on History
The Fredericton Region Museum is a great place to learn about history and heritage of central New Brunswick. Interested in the life and work of Stanton Friedman? You can stop by or book an appointment to take a sneak peak of their newest exhibit featuring the renowned ufologist. Check the Fredericton Region Museum Facebook page to stay up to date with their featured collections and upcoming exhibits. Sport fans can take a trip to the NB Sports Hall of Fame! Book a private tour to experience activities that are fun for all ages! Play your favourite game with the sports simulator, experience the amazing stories of the Hall of Famers in the Virtual Locker Room and see the science behind the biomechanics and sports discovery centre!
Explore the Outdoors
You can still rent a bike to experience our 120 km trail system, meander through the old growth forest in Odell Park, take a short drive to Mactaquac Provincial Park and Killarney Lake or enjoy the nature preserves we have close to home! Soon the snow will fall, and we’ll have some great tips on you can take full advantage of winter with activities like cross country and downhill skiing, snowshoeing and skating. Start setting your sights on Crabbe Mountain, the highest vertical decent in the Maritimes and recently announced official alpine, freestyle, and para-alpine ski venue for 2023 Canada Winter Games!
Try Your Arm at Axe Throwing!
There’s a new game in town! HaliMac Axe Throwing has expanded their chain of urban, hip axe throwing lounges to Fredericton’s northside. Test your throw with a variety of different tournament and game types, but be forewarned, you may be enticed to become a full-fledged member of the axe throwing community because (we can vouch for this!) axe throwing is really fun! Local craft brews are available on tap, complete with tasty finger foods.
Tipsy Tours!
Tipsy Muse Café has launched 2 Tipsy Tours, an exciting NEW way for you to #ExploreFredericton! The Foodie Tour will take you on a stroll through downtown Fredericton, sampling eats from 4 local restaurants; not only will you sample tasty cuisine, you will get a chance to chat with local chefs, all while being entertained with local lore by your tour guide. A great way to spend a Saturday afternoon, the Happy Hour Tour will explore some of downtown Fredericton’s hotspots for tasty cocktails, local craft beer and more! Discover the best of happy hour with Lunar Rogue, 11th Mile, The Cap, The Snooty Fox and The Tipsy Muse Café! A THIRD Tipsy Tour is in the works, stay tuned for details!
Family Fun
There are plenty of family friendly activities available in Fredericton all year ‘round! Science East is great place to start for those who want to play, learn and discover! Explore Atlantic Canada’s ONLY science playground, now featuring new, creative experiences for all. Hear about the history of local plants and trees with Wabanaki Tree Spirit Tours and learn about their varied uses in medicines, food and the local plants and wildlife! If you’re looking for indoor fun, visit Kingswood, Atlantic Canada’s Largest Family Entertainment Centre. With lazer tag, two play climber’s, arcade games, bowling, a food court, golf course, 25 km of trails and Sam Snead’s Oak Grill & Tavern, there is something for the whole family to enjoy!
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!
