Charlottetown 
Farewell winter, with your chilly winds and heaping snow mountains, and hello, spring!
Spring in Prince Edward Island is a sign of warming temperatures, more time spent outdoors and the scent of flowers blooming on the soft breeze. With nicer weather and buzzing life about the Island, there are endless adventures to be had.
Here are 25 things to do to experience spring on your favourite Island.
See the Solar Eclipse
Unique for this year is the total solar eclipse that will grace will move diagonally across North America from the southwest to the northeast on April 8. Islanders will have a unique perspective during this celestial event.
Head to Northern PEI to enjoy the stunning corona of the sun.
2. Attend Few Festivals & Major Events
- PEI Burger Love: In April, PEI Burger Love transforms into a culinary festivity, uniting restaurants across the province for a delicious cause. Each succulent, chef-crafted burger sold not only tantalizes taste buds but also carries a benevolent mission. With Anderson House PEI at the helm, this year’s event morphs into a charitable endeavour, directing $1 from every burger to bolster their extensive community work. April 1 – 30, 2024
- Spring Atlantic Maker Market: The 8th Annual Spring Atlantic Maker Market at Delta Convention Centre in Charlottetown promises a unique shopping spree on April 13, 2024, supporting local small businesses through proceeds.
- PEI Fashion Weekend: PEI Fashion Weekend 2024 is set to dazzle as the island’s paramount fashion extravaganza, showcasing unparalleled local designer talent. Elevating the style game, this third annual event combines electrifying entertainment with the innovation of Prince Edward Island’s fashion community This isn’t just a fashion show; it’s a celebration of creativity, community, and dance, inviting everyone to partake in the spectacle and own the night. April 19 to 20, 2024
- East Coast Music Awards: Festival & Conference: The 36th annual East Coast Music Awards, Festival and Conference is set to light up Charlottetown, showcasing over 100 Atlantic Canadian artists and bands. This year’s lineup features a diverse array of performers, from Aaron MacDonald to XIA-3, covering genres that cater to all tastes. — May 1 to 5, 2024
- Charlottetown Taco Battles: Taste your way through delicious Tacos. May 3 to 11, 2024
- PEI Festival of Wines: It’s the weekend and a beautiful spring evening, and you are delighting your taste buds at the PEI Festival of Wines. Doesn’t that sound fabulous? Located at the EastLink Centre in Charlottetown, the wine festival is the perfect place to experience new and limited wines. Enjoy food stations filled with local foods and treats, and wines from around the world at the two-night grand tasting event. 2024 festival — May 23 to 25, 2024
- The PEI Mutual Festival of Small Halls: Welcome summer with this award-winning event that epitomizes the Island spirit, weaving music, dance, and storytelling through over 40 rural community halls. It’s a vibrant tapestry of culture and connection, melding warm Island hospitality with a stellar lineup of artists from both local and distant shores. — June 14 to 23, 2024
3. Book a Campground for the Summer
Are you planning to go camping in PEI Provincial Parks, then summer camping reservations open at 9:00 a.m, Wednesday, April 24, 2024.
- Brudenell River Provincial Park
- Cabot Beach Provincial Park
- Cedar Dunes Provincial Park
- Jacques Cartier Provincial Park
- Linkletter Provincial Park
- Northumberland Provincial Park
- Panmure Island Provincial Park
- Red Point Provincial Park
4. Spring Lobster Setting Day
Govt. of PEI/Flickr
From the beginning of May til the end of June, it’s spring lobster season in PEI – and the boats setting out to sea at dawn on the first day of the season to set their traps is a magical sight to see. Boat after boat they make their way out to deep waters, a sign that fresh feeds of spring lobster from the frigid Atlantic are on the way.
Visit wharves across the Island (such as Covehead Harbour, Malpeque Harbour, North Rustico, and Malpeque Harbour) to experience this unique activity and see boats piled with lobster pots/traps.
The PEI Setting Day Culinary Festival: Celebrate the great seafood and the fishers who provide it at this unique culinary festival at the historic Charlottetown Waterfront. There are culinary feasts that feature chefs from all over PE offering the best of the Island and concerts by famous artists. Dates: May 9th -12th, 2024
5. Sugar Bush
Maple syrup is one of Canada’s favourite sweet treats, and visiting maple farm is an ideal ‘welcome spring’ activity to do with the whole family. MacPhee’s Orchard is known for their apples, but they were making maple syrup long before they were growing apples. In 1998, they turned their hobby of making maple syrup into a business called Woodlands Maple Syrup.
6. Go Antiquing
Spring might be the best season to go antique hunting across PEI to add a unique flair to your dwellings? PEI is home to many wonderful small antique shops packed with gems from another era. While PEI is the smallest province, they make up for the rich history and well-kept antiques.
7. Walk Amid Breathtaking Tulips
Belfast Tulips
Canada’s flagship festival, the Canadian Tulip Festival, in Ottawa is extremely famous and thousands of tourists visit Canada’s capital city each year. But did you know PEI has its own tulip fields? Not one but two. In May, visit Vanco Farms’ tulip fields at Belfast Corn Maze/Chuckwagon Farm Market or Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society’s tulip farms at Montague.
Vanco Farms also has a working (farming) field on Dromore Road (Route 214) that the public is only allowed to see from the road.
8. Free Fishing
If you want to fish for free in PEI waters, then fish for free on May long weekend. Each year, the May long weekend marks Free Family Fishing weekend on PEI. Angling licenses are not required but anglers must abide by all regulations and rules.
9. Lupin Season
Does taking a Sunday drive on the red dirt roads in the spring sound nice to you? You are surely in for a treat on your drive when you spot the Island’s iconic lupins in late spring! In late June and early July, lupins in lovely shades of dark and light purple, light pinks and white line the roadsides across the province from tip to tip.
While PEI’s provincial flower is actually the Lady Slipper, lupins are everywhere on the Island and even the locals get excited to welcome their arrival each year. Although lupins are considered an invasive species (weeds) and the province regularly attempts to control the spreading of lupins, the stubborn flower continues to sprout every spring season.
10. Bonshaw Hills Provincial Park
Be one with nature at Bonshaw Hills Provincial Park. Located in Central Queens, the park is made up of an accessible children’s play structure inspired by nature itself, picnic facilities, washroom facilities, and over 25 kilometres of trail systems. There are a variety of trails for all fitness levels ranging in length and difficulty.
The hills are suitable for hiking and biking, and some trails even lead to the scenic Bonshaw River, where the whole family can enjoy water sports and water crafting during the warm spring season.
11. Tour lighthouses across the province
What’s more nostalgic than visiting one of PEI’s iconic lighthouses? There are 63 Island lighthouses standing tall, and 35 of them are still actively used today.
Some of the lighthouses across the province are national historic sites. These massive, mostly white and red structures make for exquisite photo backdrops and also offer breathtaking mile-long views from the top.
The Island’s oldest lighthouse is located on Panmure Island, and it is perhaps the most picturesque.
12. Dirt Road Driving
Childhood memories, teenage adventures and Sunday drives with your loved one – there is no better place to cruise the day away than on a red dirt road in PEI.
Each with its own history and charm, these tapering clay roads are lined with trees and foliage canopies as you get lost on the rolling hills and countryside back roads.
13. PEI National Park
PEI National Park is known for its sandy beaches and stretching boardwalks. Offering a variety of terrains in a range of difficulties, the park is a wonderful place to venture out for some outdoor fun.
From camping, swimming at the beach, canoeing and kayaking, birdwatching, golfing, and taking in some historical sites like Green Gables Heritage Place, there is no shortage of activities to experience. The Greenwich section of the National Parks is an Island favourite and popular among tourists because of its large sand dunes and thick green foliage and the floating boardwalk leading to Greenwich Beach.
14. Ceilidh at the Irish Hall
The Ceilidh at the Irish Hall is a 30-year-running tradition in PEI. The energetic festivity is a celebration of conventional Celtic songs and dances.
The lively celebration takes starts mid-May each year and runs until October featuring the Island’s best musicians. Enjoy the Island’s traditional heritage through Celtic music as the hall springs to life at the Ceilidh.
15. Tour of Island Breweries
All it takes is to pop into a local restaurant and you will notice the menu filled with local craft beers. The craft beer market in PEI has seen a boom in recent years, which means there’s no shortage of Island breweries to explore. The Island’s first brewery was created by the Murphy Group and was located in the basement of a 19th century home in downtown Charlottetown.
In 2013, the small brewery grew into something more and is now known as the PEI Brewing Company. Since then, a number of other breweries have popped up across the province including Upstreet Craft Brewery, Copper Bottom Brewery, Barnone Brewery and Moth Lane Brewery. Take a tasting tour of any Island brewery to enjoy robust flavours in a variety of styles of brew.
16. Kayak and Canoe
PEI is known as a paddler’s paradise. Whether you are looking to canoe on calm waters or to kayak through some rugged surf and coastlines, the possibilities are endless on the Island. Drop your kayak or canoe in literally any body of water on the north side of the Island to enjoy some beautiful scenery, an adventure in the Gulf of St. Lawrence on the south side, or head down east for a slow trip down Fortune River which is suitable for all.
17. Bird Watching
Prince Edward Island is a great place for avid bird watchers and more beginner watchers alike and spring is the perfect time to do just that. Join a guided tour with PEI National Park to learn more about every important and sensitive species in the area, or set off on your own birding adventure. Be on the lookout for some common birds that live on the Island, such as the yellow warbler, Canadian geese, and great blue heron.
18. Mountain Biking
PEI may not actually have any ‘mountains’, but the sport is thriving nonetheless! Mountain biking on Island trails is a great way to take in a unique side of the province.
From casual trails to more advanced and challenging trails, there is a track for all fitness levels. Join a tour with Sacred Rides PEI at Bonshaw Hills Provincial Park, or create your own adventure at Beck Trail or the Brookvale Nordic Centre.
19. Sailing
The shores surrounding PEI are not only for swimming and fishing. With over 1,000 kilometres of coastline to explore, sailing is a great way to see the Island’s classic red cliffs and rolling sand dunes. Set off on your own boat or join a charter with one of many local tours like Atlantic Sailing PEI out of North Rustico, Saga Sailing out of the Charlottetown Harbour, or learn from the best and put your skills to the test with Wave Skills Sailing School.
20. Confederation Centre of the Arts Gallery
The Confederation Centre of the Arts Gallery is filled with historical artifacts and contemporary art exhibits. Free of entry to all, the gallery is open year-round in the larger exhibit upstairs and a smaller exhibit on the entry level of the Confederation Centre. Over 20 exhibits are displayed each year showcasing Canadian artists. The whole family can enjoy traditional art forms and some newer digital media from sculpture, paintings and photography, to installations featuring varied technologies.
21. Hike
From the Confederation Trail system to the trails at Bonshaw Provincial Park, PEI is home to a vast selection of terrain to hike and bike for all fitness levels. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced adventurer, PEI trails have something for everyone. Enjoy a quiet ride along the countryside taking in the spectacular views or set off on a day trip for a longer endurance ride. No matter your preference, PEI is the place to be for both thrill-seekers and relaxed explorers.
22. Touring Island Wineries + Distilleries
PEI is home to many exquisite wineries and distilleries. Spend an afternoon wine tasting and indulging in the Island’s best and unique spirits. Enjoy national and international award-winning wine at Matos Winery & Distillery, take a tour of Deep Roots Distillery sample organic spirits like maple liquor, or take in a panoramic view of the Northumberland Strait while sipping on some fruity wines at Rossignol Estate Winery.
23. Greenwich National Park
Tourism PEI
Greenwich National Park is a popular destination for all things adventurous including hiking trails and floating boardwalk, a serene beach, a number of rare plants and species to explore, along with the Greenwich Interpretation Centre that showcases 20 exhibits. Learn about the natural and cultural richness of the major humanities that lived on the land in PEI over 10,000 years ago including Mi’kmaq, Acadian settlers, and English immigrants.
24. Tasting local seafood on Canada’s Food Island
You can travel the world indulging in delicious seafood but when you ask the chef where it came from, he will likely tell you: Prince Edward Island. The land and sea in PEI are rich and bountiful. The Island is known worldwide for its famous fresh mussels, oysters and lobster. There are a variety of culinary experiences to take in during the Spring in PEI, from trying a lobster roll at Richards Fresh Seafood in Cove Head to a full-on dining experience at New Glasgow Lobster Suppers.
25. Beach Walks
Beach days are not just for the summer beach bums. As soon as the snow begins to melt and the temperatures begin to rise, the Island beaches are ready for visitors. You don’t have to go too far to find a beautiful, quiet beach to wander around searching for seashells and beach glass or to breathe in some fresh, salty air simply. Pack a picnic, grab a frisbee and take the whole family (even the dog) to relax and play on one of the Island’s many sandy shorelines.
26. Visit a local market for fresh produce and local goods
You can pass through any town in PEI and you will find a local farmer’s market filled with local produce and goods. The Charlottetown Farmer’s Market is the hottest spot to be on the weekend. It opened in 1984 and has grown to host dozens of wholesalers offering a wide variety of vegetables, fruit, baked goods, local meats, fresh fish, crafts, chocolates and more! Stop by for a full breakfast or lunch, or shop a vast selection of items directly from the producer themselves.
27. Charlottetown Art Walk
Explore downtown and the waterfront to find the beautiful art pieces listed in the Charlottetown Art Walk. This self-guided Art Walk features fantastic pieces by Canadian artists. The works highlight the city’s history and nature. You can start the tour at any point in the city.
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Also, Experience PEI has tours and cultural activities available starting in June!
Another fun event: Earth Day Family Expo https://www.facebook.com/events/345138476101091/