To say we had a good time visiting Fredericton last month would be an understatement. My husband Tyson and I are a late 30s-early 40s couple with no children, and we had an amazing time. As our visit was ending, I called my sister to tell her she NEEDED to plan a trip to Fredericton for her family of four with two teens. I knew there was something each of them would enjoy there. While there are many things to do in Fredericton, here’s what we got up to.
When Tyson informed me he wanted to visit New Brunswick’s capital this summer, I was pretty indifferent. I’m up for a road trip anywhere, but this particular destination wasn’t on my radar. For him, it was about visiting the Legislative Assembly building and other architectural features as a politics nerd.
Fredericton is just over 3 hours from our home in Truro, Nova Scotia. It’s 4 hours if you’re coming from the Halifax area. Many airlines also offer flights to Fredericton if you’d rather fly in than road trip like we did.
Once I started looking into things to do in Fredericton, I was a little shocked by how much there was. A vibrant restaurant and cafe scene. A plethora of markets. An impressive number of craft breweries with kilometres of trails. A stacked art gallery and so much more.
We were told it’s a city that feels like a town, and I’d have to agree. The downtown definitely has village vibes with its coffee shops, green spaces for relaxing or watching outdoor concerts.
Here’s a breakdown of our 3-day itinerary with more details on each destination below:
3-Day Itinerary
Day One
Day one began with exploring the downtown core. We started with lunch at The Palate, which was bustling with happy patrons. I got an open faced chicken teriyaki sandwich and a side salad; the special of the day. Tyson enjoyed a gourmet grilled cheese with a side soup. Even though it was a hot summer day, the roasted red pepper soup sounded so good he couldn’t resist, and he was right not to – it was delicious. Of course, we paired our meals with some of the many local craft beer they have on tap.
From here, we made our way to the Legislative Assembly, which was what inspired the whole trip. We took a free tour with a delightful tour guide who was great at keeping me interested, despite not sharing Tyson’s interest in government history. It was the paintings housed at the Legislature, as well as the decor that I enjoyed the most. That, and the construction of the impressive spiral staircase. The tour time can range but should run you under 30 mins.
Next, we went on a free walking tour with costumed actors from a local theatre group called the Calithumpians. Our ward gave a lively recounting of the history of the downtown area and its original patrons. The tour spanned from City Hall, where we met Freddy the Nude Dude, to Garrison Square . We ventured further down Queen Street, covering a number of notable historic buildings. The tour lasts about an hour. The Calithumpians operate their free tours at 10am and 230pm every day from July 2 to Labour Day. Check out their Haunted Hike also!
Our walking tour ended at the Legislative building which was conveniently across the street from the world-renowned Beaverbrook Art Gallery (which I was very excited for). The gallery is home to an impressive collection of works, like the famous Salvador Dali exhibit. You’ll also find an extensive Canadian collection featuring famous artists like Christopher and Mary Pratt, Emily Carr and a rotating exhibit of artists in residence.
We thoroughly enjoyed touring the exhibitions and private collection. Notable for me was the Gustave Sherman exhibit on costume jewelry, and beautiful Indigenous beadwork by the Epekwitk Quill Sisters. You don’t have to be an artist or creative person to appreciate the expansive collection of work the Beaverbrook Gallery houses. If you’re visiting in the summer, a hot tip would be to plan your visit for an afternoon to get inside during the hottest hours of the day. They also offer admission by donation on Thursday evenings.
We fuelled up for our evening activities at 540 on Main which is one of three slightly different locations (540 North & The Lighthouse). Craft cocktails and local brews were had while we dined on lobster rolls and house special burgers. With proper sustenance in our bellies, we tackled the impressive Garrison Night Market that happens on Thursday evenings starting in June and going until September.
The most memorable market stop for me had to be Dennis, who crafts poems for you on the spot by donation. This was such a unique experience I’ve never seen before and we left with a hand typed poem that touched our hearts. Of course we also left with kettle corn, sourdough, and various crafts I’ll be squirrelling away for Christmas gifts. Be sure to plan your visit to include a Thursday as this is a not-to-be-missed event when in Fredericton.
Day Two
Friday we visited a recreated 19th century village complete with costumed actors located about 20 mins outside of downtown Fredericton. King’s Landing is a 300-acre living history museum that truly does take you back in time. It has completely restored houses of families ranging from a single room cottage to large manors. There’s a working print shop, as well as a general store where you can buy sweets (so bring cash with you). There’s also a horse and wagon that can take you through the village where you can hop on or off at any point. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, pay a visit to the King’s Head Inn where you can choose from a hearty selection of menu items that will stick to your bones and leave your hunger satisfied. Of course, the restaurant decor and servers are all keeping with the time period, which was just delightful.
You can easily spend a full day at King’s Landing. We allotted about 4 hours which allowed us to see all of the attractions and have lunch, but we definitely could have stayed longer. It’s hard to narrow down what our favourite part was for us. It’s a truly unique and immersive experience. I think I’d have to say it’s the actors that really made it for me. They are so wonderfully in character, and it really makes the experience come alive.
The afternoon brought us out on the water with kayak rentals from the Big Axe Marina in Nackawic. Kayaking is one of my favourite summer activities. To do it on the majestic Saint John River was truly a notable experience. While there were other boats and recreational vehicles coming and going on the river, we still mostly felt like we had the water to ourselves. The scenery was breath-taking and the feeling so serene, I could’ve stayed there all day. While you’re there, be sure to check out the Big Axe Statue!
I don’t think we realized just how much water there is around Fredericton. While it’s located right on the Saint John River, everywhere you look, there were water activities and people on the water constantly. From the clear acrylic kayaks that light up, to multiple large outdoor water parks and marinas. If you love outdoor water activities, you’ll find great ones here.
Though we’re not fishing enthusiasts, it is worth noting that if you are, Fredericton is for you. You can go right from your hotel’s dock in the downtown area to a fishing boat for multi-species fishing.
After a day of outdoor activities, we headed to the Snooty Fox pub for their famous BBQ chicken nachos. We also had to try the Duke Rolls which are a popular item according to the owner, Jeremy. They’re kind of like deep fried pillows of pulled pork goodness you dip in a Thai chili sauce. We arrived at the tail end of happy hour, which is clearly a popular spot for the locals. A delicious meal on a rooftop patio was just what we needed after a day of adventuring.
Day Three
Our Saturday began with the Boyce Farmers Market. I always seek out a local Farmer’s Market when we travel, and I really loved this one. It was much larger than we expected with a full outdoor set of vendors as well as multiple rooms inside. Tables filled to the brim with varieties of fresh produce, bountiful bouquets of colourful flowers and every manner of craft you can imagine.
We bought bread, pastries, fresh pasta and a few other doo-dads. You could do your entire weekly shopping here. From fully stocked bakeries, to seafood vendors and local meats – there’s also a VERY impressive cheese shop with more varieties of cheeses filling their window displays and freezers than I could count.
After touring the market, we had brunch at Issac’s Way which refers to itself as a community minded restaurant. You may notice a variety of local art on the walls which is a part of a silent auction. The goal is to raise funds for underprivileged kids in the area. It really has an interesting vibe with its bright colours and hodge-podge of artworks hanging everywhere.
We rounded out our morning by taking a short stroll to the Fredericton Region Museum, as Tyson loves museums. We had no idea about Coleman the frog, or the very unexpected UFO exhibit (did you know about the history relating to Ufology and Fredericton?!). The museum has a great exhibit called Our Black Heritage, as well as a fantastic collection of Indigenous artifacts including original tools and arrow heads, and beautiful beadwork.
Saturday afternoon was time to tackle the Taproom Trail. If you’re a craft beer fan, listen up. New Brunswick considers itself the craft brewing capital of Atlantic Canada, with its impressive 73 breweries in the province (as of August 2024). The Taproom Trail consists of 11 breweries around downtown Fredericton on both sides of the river. You can pick up a passport style map that shows you the locations of the participating breweries. This also includes a place to collect stamps where you’ve ordered a drink. If you collect at least 8 stamps, you can exchange your passport for a Taproom Trail T-shirt with the Fredericton Tourism office.
We decided to look into the Drift e-scooter rentals for this so we could cover more ground than walking. We also wanted to take advantage of the paved trail system along the Saint John River; an excellent feature of the downtown area. Fredericton has over 120 kms of trails which make for very easy self-propelled travel. You can walk, rent e-bikes or e-scooters to get yourself around instead of driving or relying on expensive cabs or Ubers.
We chose to go with e-scooters because neither of us had ever tried them, and we loved the experience. Honestly, I was really nervous at first. I’d seen them in other cities and it looks scary and kind of dangerous. I’m clumsy on the best of days and had visions of careening over the handle bars into traffic.
After a few laps in the parking lot, it’s easy to figure out your balance and how to speed up and slow down at your comfort level. Going along sidewalks with busy traffic also isn’t necessary with this extensive and easily accessible trail system. Many of the trails are paved but there are some that are gravel. That was no issue for the e-scooter.
We decided to start with the furthest brewery from us: Picaroons. This is the oldest craft brewery in Fredericton. We crossed over the walking bridge, which I highly recommend. It’s a beautiful structure with gorgeous views over the river. This was one of our favourite activities and we wished we had left more time for this. You can check the website here to see what each spot offers when it comes to patios, food or being dog-friendly. Some of them even have a brew for your canine companions.
Another nice feature we saw was that some breweries offer scooter and bike storage in case you end up enjoying the Taproom Trail a little more than you had planned.
Where We Stayed
You may or may not know that we live full time in our Airstream trailer, affectionately called The Clutterbug. Part of the appeal of this lifestyle is being able to haul our home to a new and exciting location while still sleeping in our own bed!
I don’t mind saying that we’re pretty picky about our campsites. We don’t have kids, and we prefer a relaxed and quiet space, where trailers aren’t smushed up against each other. Sunset View Campground in HawkShaw (about 40 mins from downtown Fredericton) checked all our boxes! This beautiful site is aptly named as every evening we were treated to an Instagram-worthy sunset. The layout of the campsites are tiered up a hill allowing for multiple sites to have this picturesque view.
As if that wasn’t enough, Sunset View also has the nicest outdoor pool and lounge area we’ve experienced to date. The pool is heated, impeccably maintained, and has tiki-like huts with padded loungers to enjoy the sun or shade while relaxing. We didn’t get into the recreation building that has various games and other activities you can partake in, but it’s a great addition for guests.
The biggest bonus for us was how quiet it was. That might sound silly but we’re not party-ers. We’re not loud music people, and these are two things you will find at a lot of campgrounds we’ve been to. To be able to sit out and enjoy the beauty of the area with your morning coffee, or as the sun sets in the evenings was the icing on an already perfect cake.
Already Planning To Go Back
I can tell you that, for us, three days in Fredericton was simply not enough. Though we packed in as many activities as we could without feeling overwhelmed, I feel like we just explored the tip of the iceberg when it comes to things to do in Fredericton.
I can’t stress this enough: it is SO EASY to get around downtown Fredericton. We parked up by the market and easily walked down to Main Street to grab brunch in about 10 minutes, and then from there, went to explore the museum before heading back to our vehicle.
Did I mention Fredericton Tourism offers free parking for visitors? Up to three full days during the week where you don’t have to worry about feeding a meter while you’re out exploring!
Every time I run into someone who asks how my summer is going, my first response is – Have you been to Fredericton? You need to go. It’s amazing. We’re already planning our return. Hopefully we’ll see you there! Big thanks to Destination New Brunswick and Fredericton Tourism for gifting some of these experiences for us.
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