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Spring is just around the corner in New Brunswick. After months of hellish cold and far too much snow, the warmer weather is on the way as temperatures climb to above zero for one full week (a sure sign of Spring!). Speaking of Spring, it’s also a great time to get outdoors, you’re not going to freeze your butt off, or get buried under six feet of snow!
Spring is Maple Syrup Season!
Everyone (well, almost everyone) loves maple syrup. It’s a Canadian stereotype and rightly so. You must pay a visit to the many Maple Farms in New Brunswick. It’s a great option for a family day out, complete with a sweet treat!
Fiddlehead Picking Along The River Valley Scenic Drive
Fiddleheads are a maritime tradition and are best when freshly picked in the Spring. They spend the colder months buried deep beneath the ground, only to reappear as bright green (delicious) vegetation when the temperatures climbs. Here’s a neat guide to identifying fiddleheads, including preparation and cooking once they’re picked. Go on a hike this Spring along the River Valley Scenic Drive along the Saint John River and keep your eyes peeled for fiddleheads!
Snowshoe to the Midland Ice Caves
It’s not time to put your snowshoes away yet, though you may need to hurry! The Midland Ice Caves make for the perfect weekend day-hike, you’ll need snowshoes to get there and crampons to climb up the ice wall. At 4.8km return, the hike is long and will likely take up most of the day, particularly if you wanted to get some climbing done as well, so you should plan for that. All in all, a late-winter/early Spring adventure (before the melt) at the Midland Ice Caves is a must! Details
Upper Midland Rd, Norton
Get your creative writing juices flowing at the Frye Festival!
This year’s Frye Festival runs from April 27th to May 4th and is jam-packed with writers, poets, lyricists and other wordsmiths sharing their literary talents with attendees from around the province and country, including Monica Bolduc, Andre Marois, Genevieve Cote, Tima Kurdi, and many more! If you’re looking for inspiration for your own writings, be sure to check out any one of the Frye Festival events. Details
$7.00 – $15.00
140 Botsford Street, Suite 21, Moncton
Phone: (506) 859-4389
Rotary RibFest in Miramichi
If you’re a fan of ribs, then look no further than Miramichi’s Rotary RibFest from May 26th – 29th! RibFest is in Miramichi this year and it promises to be just as packed with delicious ribs as the Moncton festival was last year. For those who need to burn off the calories from eating all those ribs, there’s human foosball (16 team maximum, cost-per-team of $300). There’s also live music and plenty more, so between stuffing your face with ribs and human foosball, you’re sure to have a great time at the Rotary RibFest. Details
$25.00
20 Fountain Head Lane, Miramichi
Like Wine? Attend Fredericton Wine and Cider Festival
If you’re a fan of vino and cider, you must come to Fredericton’s Wine and Cider Festival on April 6th. It’s one of the largest expos in the Maritimes for wine and cider and promises to satisfy many a wine lover, offering wines from here in New Brunswick, as well as several international wines to sample. From the oenologists and viticulturists, to the hobbyist growers, to the drinkers-but-not-growers, there’s something for everyone at the Fredericton Wine and Cider Festival!
$70.00
Fredericton Convention Centre, 670 Queen Street
Canoeing and Kayaking Abounds at the St. Andrews Paddlefest!
St. Andrews-by-the-sea is one of New Brunswick’s most sought-after vacation spots, and it’s no wonder: idyllic setting, tons of history with a small-town charm, right on the Passamaquoddy Bay. It’s no wonder then, that the town would celebrate all that with some fantastic live music, and a weekend of paddling in kayaks and canoes from May 16 to 19, 2019! Along with that, you’ll also get to taste some craft beer, participate in beach clean-ups, environmental discussions, workshops and more! Details
$100.00 – $160.00
211 Water Street, St. Andrews
Go Play Golf!
I know all you golfers have been itching for your clubs since last November, when the season officially ended with the coming of snow. Well, Spring will bring you fresh opportunities to golf at any one of dozens of New Brunswick courses. Moncton’s Golf Course scores highly on Google Reviews, and although not being a golfer myself, I can say that just about any of New Brunswick’s golf courses look fantastic! Grab your clubs, and head on down to the course as the days get longer and temperature gets higher.
Free Fishing Days
Get a great start to summer fishing adventures with a chance to fish for free at any of New Brunswick’s 2,500 lakes, 60,000 kilometres of rivers and brooks during the first weekend of June — June 1-2, 2019.
Go for a hike
As the ice begins to melt all around the province, hiking trails begin to open up — while the parks themselves may still be closed, there’s plenty of opportunity for outdoor exploration. Some of the trails may still be covered with snow and/or ice, but some will be open for business for those seeking an adventurous hike.
Check out the Maple Capital of Atlantic Canada Festival!
Maple syrup is so Canadian that we’ve literally got an entire festival dedicated to it! For $25.00, you’ll have access to one of the most Canadian festivals of the year, featuring (probably) more maple syrup than you can possibly handle. From the tapping of the trees for maple sap, to processing of the syrup, to pouring it over your pancakes, you’ll get to see how maple syrup goes from tree to table, in four days of fun for the whole family! Details
$25.00
144A Canada Street, Saint Quentin
Phone: (506) 235-2334
Ride the adrenaline high at Sugarloaf Bike Park
Sugarloaf Bike Park has just re-opened for the season and there’s no better time to get your tires in the dirt and experience some of the best downhill mountain biking that New Brunswick has to offer. From dirt singletrack to wooden bridges over streams, Sugarloaf even has a bike park school for young beginner mountain bikers. Whether you’re new to the sport, or a professional, the generous $25.00 day-pass, or the $175 season-pass is sure to stoke the adventure fire within. Details
$70.00 – $175.00
596 Val D’Amour Road, Atholville
Phone: (506) 789-2366
Hike in Fundy National Park
Fundy National Park is a delight to hike in, no matter the time of year, but in the Spring is when the park is given new life as the wear-and-tear of winter storms are washed away (often with plenty of rain, “April showers” and all that). The trails are often muddy at this time of year, but there is a freshness about the place. Hike any one of Fundy’s 37 hiking trails, ranging in length and difficulty, or complete the Fundy Circuit, a connection of 48-kilometers of each of Fundy’s trail systems for the ultimate spring challenge.
$8.00 – $15.00
Alma, New Brunswick
Phone: (506) 877-6000
Visit Stonehammer GeoPark
If you’re looking for a geological start to Spring, look no further than Stonehammer GeoPark! Looked after by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Stonehammer is a window into the scientific geological past of New Brunswick’s southern shoreline. Go hiking, kayaking and geocaching, or if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, go for a walk above the highest tides in the world at the SkyWalk Saint John! There’s lots of fun to be had at Stonehammer GeoPark, and you definitely learn a thing or two as well. Details
1 Market Square, Saint John
Phone: 1-866-672-0770
Climb High above Centennial Park at TreeGO
One of Moncton’s most popular attractions for visitors to Centennial Park has re-opened for the year. Whether you’re with a family, or by yourself, TreeGO offers a chance for you to test your balance and poise from 50-70 feet above the ground! (Don’t look down!)
Centennial Park, 45 Centennial Beach Lane, Moncton
Phone: (506) 388-4646
$23.00 – $38.00
Welcome Summer with Highland Games in Moncton
Get a headstart to summer festival season of New Brunswick by attending Highland Games on June 15, 2019 before the official start of Summer. Enjoy highland dancing, pipe and drum bands playing Scotland the Brave, and athletes tossing the caber, sheep dog demonstrations, archery demonstrations and much more!
Spring offers us many opportunities to get outdoors and do new things as the new plants blossom slowly, the temperatures hits new highs and the grass grows anew. You can enjoy spring in New Brunswick in a variety of ways, and you should consider all of the above when planning your Spring adventures in New Brunswick.
Author: Jack Hawkins