A botanical garden after dark is already quite different from a daytime visit. Add thousands of pumpkins, a Ferris wheel, roaming entertainment, live bands and performers working with fire, and the New Brunswick Botanical Garden becomes something else entirely for four days this October.
Jardin Botanique du Nouveau-Brunswick
La Grande Grouille d’automne runs October 1 to 4, 2026, in Edmundston. The annual fall festival takes place after the Garden’s regular season has ended, transforming its paths and gardens with elaborate seasonal displays and evening entertainment. Jardin N.B. Garden
What to See & Do:
The pumpkins are only part of the attraction. The 2026 program brings back the Ferris wheel and includes the Geomatrix fire show, scheduled for 8 p.m. Thursday and Sunday and at 7:45 p.m. and 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Music runs from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. near the Herb Shop. PB & Jay perform Thursday, Les fils du diable take over Friday and Saturday, and Rockin’ Blues closes the festival Sunday.
That mix makes Grande Grouille less like a conventional pumpkin display and more like an evening fall festival spread through a botanical garden.
Jardin Botanique du Nouveau-Brunswick
Is it mainly for families with young children?
Families are an obvious audience, particularly with the pumpkins, costumed entertainment and Ferris wheel. But the evening programming also gives adults a reason to stay after the family attractions.
The Garden says Grande Grouille traditionally includes a special Café Flora menu, local craft beer and its hot gin drink. Jardin N.B. Garden Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
There is no need to treat this as a quick walk through a pumpkin display. With music running for several hours and multiple fire-show times on Friday and Saturday, those evenings offer the most flexibility for visitors who want to see several parts of the program.
MC Creation/Jardin Botanique du Nouveau-Brunswick
What should you know before arriving?
Transportation may be easier than expected for an event of this size. Free festival shuttles begin at 5 p.m., with routes serving stops in Edmundston, Rivière-Verte and Saint-Jacques. Depending on the route, buses run approximately every 15, 45 or 60 minutes.
The Garden itself has free parking.
Visitors should also plan for an outdoor garden environment and October temperatures. The paths are not paved. The Garden describes the property as wheelchair accessible but warns that small rocks incorporated into some paths can make certain areas more difficult to navigate. A wheelchair can be reserved in advance.
Grande Grouille 2026
Jardin Botanique du Nouveau-Brunswick
What: Admire thousands of pumpkins, illuminated at night complete with live entertainment, and savour delicious themed food at the New Brunswick Botanical Garden.
Grande Grouille Fall Festival
When:October 1 to 4, 2026
Hours: Thursday, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday, Saturday and Sunday, noon to 10 p.m.
Where: New Brunswick Botanical Garden, 15 Isidore-Boucher Blvd, Saint-Jacques
How Much: Adults/seniors $17; children $7; family rates from $24 to $45. Taxes included.
Parking: Free. Dogs are not permitted.
Transit: Free festival shuttle service begins at 5 p.m.
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible, although some unpaved paths can be difficult to navigate.
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I was disappointed. We saw the Grande Grouille advised in the Telegraph Journal and decided to go. We left Sussex, NB early morning and also booked a room near Grande Grouille. There was not much to see, the signs were all in French and the guy directing traffic did not speak any English either. The entertainment was French. Just wondering why invite people to come in an english newspaper if it is intended for only French speaking people..