It’s a fact that New Brunswick gets hit with the most snow in the Canadian Maritimes each year. While the “Grinch-y” warmer winter experienced so far this season has prevented us from experiencing winter to the fullest, the season still brings plenty of festivals and other exciting events, even if we cannot enjoy quintessential winter activities.
Credit: Parks Canada
The list includes some of the best activities to enjoy the season until old man winter returns in force, and we can sharpen our blades, shine our sleds, tune our skis or wax our snowboard and head outside to show winter who’s the boss!
1. Greater Moncton Burger Festival
January 9–31, 2026
2. Fundy Winterfest
Celebrate and embrace winter by staying active!
This is what Fundy Winterfest is all about. This 6-week long event is celebrated across six communities of Rothesay, Quispamsis, Hampton, Saint John, Grand Bay-Westfield and St. Martins.
January 17 – March 8, 2026
Various Locations, NB
3. Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival
Since 1976, the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival has been a beacon of mountain culture, fostering appreciation for the world’s majestic mountains. The Festival, held every autumn in Banff, features a curated selection of speakers, films, books, and photographs celebrating adventure, sports, and culture.
January 31, 2026 @ Riverview Arts Centre Inc, 400 Whitepine Road, Riverview
January 22, 2026 @ Imperial Theatre, Saint John
February 6 & 7, 2026 @ Fredericton Playhouse, 686 rue Queen St, Fredericton
4. Shivering Songs Festival
The Shivering Songs Festival is a popular winter music festival that hosts renowned artists in beautiful rustic and historic spaces throughout Downtown Fredericton.
The lineup for the event boasts an eclectic mix of artists, including Amy Millan, Dan Mangan, Niko Stratis, Charlotte Cornfield, among others.
January 23 to 26, 2026
5. Fredericton Frostival
Take the whole family out and celebrate winter at Atlantic Canada’s Largest Winter Celebration. Fredericton Frostival is three weekends packed with winter fun. There are over 100 events that you and your family can check out and participate in.
January 22 to February 8
Various Locations in Fredericton
6. Carnaval en rafale
Edmundston’s winter carnival returns with activities for all ages: live music, tubing, snowshoeing, fat biking, moonlight skating, kids’ games, and more! Enjoy events across three locations, free hot chocolate, a heated tent, and a bonfire.
January 30 to February 1, 2026
7. Parks NB Photo Exhibit & Winter Stroll
Bundle up and enjoy a winter walk featuring stunning photos from New Brunswick provincial parks and events throughout 2025. Learn about the incredible events to come in 2026 along the way!
January 10, 2026
8. Uptown Poutine Fest
Warm up at the Uptown Saint John restaurants and experience the best savoury delights created by talented chefs. During Uptown Poutine Fest, you can take your family and friends out to try a variety of different takes on this classic Canadian dish, which is available for a whole week.
TBA
9. Tracadie Winter Carnival & Tracadie Pond Hockey Tournament
Once the Tracadie Pond freezes, it becomes a popular location for outdoor skating. It also becomes a hockey rink for a massive hockey tournament. The preceding Tracadie winter festival offers a variety of outdoor winter activities.
Details
Tracadie Winter Carnival: January 16 to 25, 2026
Villégiature Deux Rivers Resort, 100 Rue Dues Rivieres, Travadie
10. Winter Warmer Festival
Come and get cozy at this small venue festival that features a number of award-winning regional, national and internationally touring artists!
January 29 to February 1, 2026
St. Andrews
11. HubCap Comedy Festival
More than 20 headline comedians from across Canada come together in Moncton for the HubCap Comedy Festival. There are over 20 shows in bars, restaurants, and theatres. So, bring your friends and laugh off the winter blues.
January 21 – 31, 2026
12. Poley Mountain
Have some family fun on the slopes of Poley Mountain. It is located between Moncton, Saint John, and Fredericton. There are so many fun things to do that you should definitely plan to spend a weekend or longer with your family at Poley Mountain.
69 Poley Mountain Rd, Waterford
13. Maple Tours & Sugar Bush
Credit: Kings Landing
Welcome spring by going on a Sugar bush tour!
Enjoy some delectable, sweet treats as you wait for spring at one of the many sugar bushes across New Brunswick. You can tour the forests, see how the clear sap is made into golden maple syrup, try taffy on the snow or stay warm inside a camp and enjoy a maple-themed meal. The famous festival at Maple, the First Taste of Spring will take place on March 7-8, then March 14-15 at Kings Landing.
14. Atlantic Maple Capital Festival
Enjoy the many flavours at the Atlantic Maple Capital Festival in Saint-Quentin. There will be meals featuring local maple products, shows, guided tours, fireworks and much more.
Saint-Quentin
February 12 to 16, 2026
15. Shippagan Ice Carnival
Shippagan’s Ice Carnival is a must-see event for all ages. People from across New Brunswick and Canada travel to see the ice sculptors and their imaginative ice creations.
February 5 to 8, 2026
Shippagan
16. Sackville Winterfest
Celebrate the frosty season at the Sackville Winterfest! The festival promises plenty of fun for the whole family.
February 5 – 8, 2026
17. Riverview Winter Carnival
Spend 10 days celebrating all things winter at the Riverview Winter Carnival. Go on a sleigh ride, help build the community ice castle, and enjoy winter treats.
January 30 – February 8, 2026
Credit: Riverview Winter Carnival
18. Chinese New Year Gala
Chinese Culture Association of New Brunswick (CCANB)’s annual New Year Celebration Gala.
This year’s Gala is themed “Colors of China”, showcasing five traditional Chinese colors — yellow, light blue, red, white, and black — through captivating Chinese dances, emotionally resonant songs, and dazzling costumes. These five colors correspond to the Five Elements — earth, metal, wood, fire, and water — as well as the five tones in traditional Chinese music — Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, and Yu. The theme is rooted in ancient Chinese philosophy, which seeks harmony between humanity and nature.
Fredericton Playhouse, 686 Queen Street, Fredericton
February 21, 2026
19. Campbellton Regional Sno-Fest
Enjoy the winter wonderland with four days packed with lots of family fun. Campbellton Regional Sno-Fest is the place to be during winter. There will be so much fun, many snow sculptures, live entertainment and more.
February 12 to 16, 2026
20. Moncton Spirits Festival
The Moncton Spirits Festival dazzles with an extensive lineup, including the exclusive Private Tasters Whisky Ball, the New Brunswick Craft & Artisan Awards, a VIP Whisky Dinner, the grandiose Grand Tasting Gala, a thrilling New Brunswick Bar Tender Competition, and numerous other captivating events.
February 20 to 21, 2026
21. PolarFest
Gather around cozy firepits, carve a snow sculpture, and indulge in thrilling activities like hill sliding, ice skating on the Muskrat Trail, snowshoeing, skiing, horse-drawn wagon rides, and snow sculpting, savor delicious food and drinks from a variety of vendors and a beer garden during Moncton’s PolarFest in Centennial Park
Family Day Weekend in February, February 13 – 16, 2026
Centennial Park 801 St. George Blvd Moncton
22. Sackville Snow Days
Get ready for an exciting celebration of winter in Sackville. There will be many activities to enjoy, including skating, sledding, swimming, crafts, cookie decorating, inflatable bouncy castles, contests, movies, and a fireworks show to light up the winter sky.
February 13–15, 2026
23. Perth-Andover Winter Freeze Fest
There is so much to do at the Perth-Andover Winter Freeze Fest. This 4-day winter festival includes daily musical performances, dining and cultural experiences, sporting opportunities, and event grounds jammed back with outside activities and entertainment for everyone.
dates TBA; February 12 to 16, 2025
24. Snowmobile NB Tourism Weekend
Snowmobile NB is offering a 4-day permit for just $50—less than the cost of a one-day pass! Originally aimed at visitors from other provinces and states, this incredible deal is now available to New Brunswick residents, inviting everyone to explore the province’s world-class trails.
February 13 to 16, 2026
25. Snow Bears Loppet
Bathurst will be buzzing with awesome indoor and outdoor activities that will keep you moving, laughing, and loving winter!
February 8, 2026
26. Chocolate Moncton
Experience Moncton’s Hot Chocolate Extravaganza, where top chocolatiers and chefs compete to craft the ultimate hot cocoa masterpiece. Perfect for families or date nights, enjoy affordable treats, and free Polar Fest activities, and connect with local entrepreneurs while savoring warm cocoa delights.
February 15-28, 2026
27. Fredericton Craft Beer Festival
See and taste the latest trends in Craft Beer at the Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, which is considered to be one of the best beer extravaganzas in the Maritimes. There are over 45 beer, cider, and mead breweries from across the East Coast that attend this popular festival every year, including many from just the Fredericton area alone.
March 6, 2026
Fredericton Convention Centre
28. Winter Horseback Riding
There’s something magical about heading out on horseback in the crisp morning air, on snow-covered tracks, with nothing but the crunch of hooves to break the silence. Boyle Family Farm near Moncton offers riding adventures for the whole family.
Boyle Family Farm, 3528 Route 126 Hwy, Lutes Mountain
29. Crabbe Mountain
Gather your friends together and hit the slopes on New Brunswick’s best hills at Crabbe Mountain. There are over 30 kilometres of skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing trails. They have lessons available on certain days of the week.
50 Crabbe Mountain Road, Central Hainesville
30. Sugarloaf Provincial Park
Hit the slopes at Sugarloaf Provincial Park. The park features 13 Alpine ski trains ranging from beginner to expert, a terrain park, a quadruple chairlift, t-bars and a pony lift. Sugarloaf is also home to Les Montagnard Outdoors Club with groomed trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
Details
596 Val-d’Amour Road, Atholville
31. Kouchibouguac National Park
Kouchibouguac National Park stretches along the Acadian Coastal Drive and has some of the most dazzling views in the winter. The park is open year-round, so you can hike or snowshoe through the park during the winter to see all the beautiful views and have an unforgettable adventure.
National 186-117, Kouchibouguac
32. Laverty Falls Trail – Fundy National Park
Laverty Falls is one of the most popular places for people to visit in Fundy National Park because it is so beautiful. There are a number of trails that will take you to Laverty Falls. The hike is short but will feel like it takes a long time because there are so many gorgeous views for you to enjoy along the way.
Alma
33. Sheldon Point Trail – Irving Nature Park
Sheldon Point Trail takes you around the edge of Irving Nature Park and to the beach. The trail is lined with forest, so you have breathtaking views of the forest and the ocean.
1790 Sand Cove Rd, Saint John
34. Dobson Trail – Moncton
Dobson Trail is one of the longest and most challenging trails in New Brunswick, but the breathtaking views that you will see while snowshoeing or hiking on this trail are worth the pain. Most of the trail runs through the forest, and there are beautiful oak, birch, and pine trees all around the trail.
Riverview to Fundy National Park
More Things to Do in New Brunswick
35. Mont Farlagne Outdoor Centre
When the snow starts falling, grab your gear and hit the slopes at Mont Farlagne. Ski down the 22 runs and show off your skills at the snow park. They also have tubing hills to fly down. If you prefer snowshoeing, there are 45km of trails for you to explore.
Details
360 Mont Farlagne Road, Edmundston
36. Broadleaf Ranch
Fun does not stop in the winter at the Broadleaf Ranch. Glide through the breathtaking landscapes of Albert Country Woodland and Shepody Marshland on a sleigh ride. You can also explore the snowy fields on horseback.
Details
5526 Route 114, Hopewell Hill, Albert County
37. Fisher Lakes
When the lake is frozen, the fish bite in Fisher Lakes. Dress warmly and bring some bate with you for a fun day of ice fishing.
Details
55 Lake Drive South, Saint John
38. Sled Dog Mushing Adventures
Dog sledding is a very Canadian hobby, and Sled Dog Mushing Adventures makes it easy to learn how to mush. You can either relax on the sled or drive the team of dogs.
39. Winter Camping at Mactaquac Provincial Park
Visit New Brunswick’s winter wonderland called Mactaquac Provincial Park. Enjoy winter camping, outdoor skating at the 1-acre pond, cross-country skiing on 7 km of groomed trails or snowshoeing at various locations in the park. Fat bikes are available for rent at the park, and complimentary cross-country skis and snowshoes are available courtesy of the Friends of Mactaquac. You can even take a horse-drawn sleigh ride for a magical winter treat (reservations required, 506-328-7030). Pack your toboggan and dress warmly because it will be a fun day in the snow. There are lots of great hills to go sliding down.