6 Things to Love About Riverview Winter Carnival 2026

Pickle Planet’s Must See Events for Families at Riverview Winter Carnival

It’s no secret we LOVE the passion and creativity that goes into programming the Town of Riverview’s Winter Carnival each year! The team consistently knocks it out of the park in creating events and activities that cater to every age group and interest, from daytime senior’s gatherings to date nights to family-friendly events with kids in mind.

Pickle Planet is thrilled to partner with the Town to help promote this community event & highlight some of our must-do family-friendly activities happening January 30 – February 8, 2026. Check out their website for a full list of more than 50 events with all the storm cancellation plans & more, but let’s get started with our Top 6 for 2026!

1. Winter Carnival Ignite🎆

Nothing kicks off a winter celebration quite like a proper launch party. Winter Carnival Ignite is always going to be top on our Riverview Winter Carnival must-attend list! It’s such a fantastic night, with fireworks at 7pm, Mama K’s food truck, Krysta Jay keeping the tunes playing, skating (bring your own – and helmets recommended), free hot chocolate & s’mores & lusknikn (bannock) while supplies last – and there’s even the Hot Chocolate Express bus to help you get to & from the site! (A reminder the sliding hill is closed during the event, as that’s where the fireworks are set up; we highly encourage you to check it out another day, though!)

📅 Friday, January 30, 2026
⏰ 6-7:30pm
📍 Winter Wonderland Park (5 Quinn Court)

2. Learn & Grow – Workshops & more! 🖌️

Some of these workshops allow youth, while others are just for the grown ups reading this. (We need a little non-kiddo time, too!) Don’t forget – workshops should be booked in advance! 

• 🍵 Paint Your Own Mug Workshop
  📅 Sat, Jan 31 ⏰1-3pm📍Parks & Recreation Boardroom
  Personalize a beautiful pottery mug created by Alicia Kate. Paint today, pick up the glazed product later. Open to all ages.
• 🏒 Ringette – Try It!
  📅 Sat, Jan 31 ⏰11:15am-12:15pm📍Byron Dobson Arena
  A free chance to learn about this popular sport! Just bring skate & a CSA-approved helmet.
• 🥖 Sourdough Basics
  📅 Mon, Feb 2 ⏰5-8pm📍Coverdale Centre
  This one is for the adults! An intro session to sourdough, from making and maintaining a starter right through to the baking process, Alicia Clarkson will take you through what you need to know.
• ⛺ Winter Camping 101
  📅 Sun, Feb 1 ⏰1-2pm📍Riverview Fire & Rescue
  An introduction to safe winter camping, great for beginners or those looking to refresh their skills. Learn about the gear you should have, how to set up camp, fire safety, and more with Foret Acadienne School of Bushcraft.
• 🎨 Floral Watercolour Workshop
  📅 Sun, Feb 8 ⏰1-3pm📍Ji Hyang Ryu Art Studio
  We are huge fans of Ji’s work – even have a few prints at home! What a treat to be able to spend time with her, learning to paint – all materials provided. Cost is $45+tx to register. Email paintingwithji@outlook.com to book.
• 🧵 Sip & Stitch
  📅 Sun, Feb 8 ⏰1-4pm📍Parks & Recreation
  A cozy afternoon of cross-stitching with new friends, led by the Stitch Bug. Materials provided; call 506-387-2024 to register. Cost is $20/person.
• 🖌️ Northern Lights Watercolour Workshop
  📅 Sun, Feb 8 ⏰4-6pm📍Ji Hyang Ryu Art Studio
  Another opportunity to paint with Ji, no experience required! Materials provided, cost is $45+tx/person. Email paintingwithji@outlook.com to book.

3. Indoor Family Fun 🏠

Honestly, with 56 events in total, it’s impossible for us to highlight just six – so we’re bringing you a quick look at some of the best kid-friendly indoor events planned for Riverview Winter Carnival 2026!

• 🙋 Bingo for Kids
  📅 Sat, Jan 31 ⏰ 6:30-7:30pm📍Riverview Lions Club
  Another Pickle Planet favourite! A bingo game catering to kids, with fun treats for prizes. Admission is a donation to the food bank. Adults are welcome to stay & play – but must be accompanied by a youth and only the young ones can call Bingo!
• 🪩 Snowflake Shindig Dance
  📅 Sat, Jan 31⏰7-10pm📍St. John the Baptist Anglican Church
  Family dances are an incredible way to build community! Join the Gallant Family Band for a little line dancing, rock n’ roll, and event a waltz or two. All ages welcome! Canteen available, admission is $10 at the door.
• 🧩 Puzzle Exchange
  📅 Mon, Feb 2⏰5:30-7:30pm📍Parks & Recreation
  Bring a puzzle, take a puzzle. It’s as simple as that! Open to all ages and all puzzles; a great way to refresh your puzzle collection for snowy nights indoors!
• 🦒 Stuffie Sleepover
  📅 Thurs, Feb 5⏰6:30-7:30pm📍Riverview Public Library
  The stuffies are going to have so much fun! Drop your favourite companion (or maybe second favourite, if it’ll be tricky to sleep without them!) at the library for a special night of stories & more.
• 🤽 Open Swim
  📅 Sat, Feb 7⏰2-3:30pm📍Pat Crossman Memorial Aquatic Centre
  Free open swim for all ages – with winter-themed challenges & more to add to the fun!

4. Get Outdoors ☃️

• ❄️ Family Snowshoe
  📅 Sun, Feb 1⏰10:30am-noon📍Mill Creek Nature Park
  There are lots of guided walks open to those who can keep the pace, but the Family Snowshoe is always special! This is a great outings for first timers, but also welcomes more experienced snowshoers. Guided by Town staff, this event is geared to keeping pace with little legs. There’s no charge, and the Town does have some equipment available to borrow. Call 506-387-2024 to register.
• 🧭 Winter Geocoin Challenge
  📅 Sun, Feb 1⏰2:30-4pm📍Riverfront Trail Gazebo
  Geocaching is a great way to get outdoors any time of year – but snagging a limited edition Riverview Winter Carnival geocoin makes winter adventures a little more special.
• 🔥 Bonfire & Tunes
  📅 Wed, Feb 4⏰6:30-8:30pm📍Mill Creek Nature Park Lookout
  Nothing beats gathering around a campfire, singing songs together. Join the Riverview Scouts and musician Chris Glidden around the fire, with snacks and hot chocolate while supplies last. Everyone welcome!

5. Tweens & Teens 🎧

• 🛹 Frozen Open
  📅 Sat, Jan 31 ⏰1-6pm📍Riverview Indoor Skatepart & Youth Centre
  One of the annual highlights of Winter Carnival! Everyone from beginners to veteran boarders can take part, with skaters attending from across the Maritimes. Whether you’re competiting or just cheering them on, it’s sure to be a great day!
• 🎸 Battle of the Bands
  📅 Mon, Feb 2 & Tues, Feb 3⏰6:30-9pm📍Riverview Community Hall
  Two full nights of amazing youth bands! These are Anglophone East students from various schools; entry is $10/person (or pay what you can). Hosted by EQ Music Lab
• 🤓 Brain Freeze Trivia
  📅 Wed, Feb 4⏰7-9pm📍Community Hall
  For ages 12-17, a chance to test your knowledge with fun, fast-paced trivia rounds. Prizes, bragging rights, and laughs to be had!
•  🎶 Winter Carnival Dance
  📅 Thurs, Feb 5⏰6:30-8:30pm📍BGC Riverview
  We love BGC programming, and their dance for ages 11-13 creates a great space for youth to enjoy a dance party with friends. Cost is $5 in advance, $8 at the door.
•  ⛸️ Glow Skating
  📅 Fri, Feb 6⏰TWO sessions: 6-7:30pm & 7:45-9pm📍Byron Dobson Arena
  Grab your neon, your skates, and your helmet for an out-of-this-world fun night at the rink! The ice will be painted, there’ll be ice sculptures by Joel ‘Swamp Bear’ Palmer, glowing stars, pumping tunes, and so much fun!

6. Skip Cooking!🥡 

I love when I can support the community by not cooking a meal at home! It’s more than just my lack of culinary skills; there’s something magical about a group of people coming together to prepare food and the sense of warmth and connection that comes from those gathered to enjoy the meal. (It’s often a good deal for a family meal, too, which never hurts!) There are Warm Winter Specials at lots of Riverview businesses throughout Winter Carnival, as well as these special events:

• 🍲 Hot Chowder & Soup Night
  📅 Fri, Jan 30⏰4:30-6:30pm📍Dan Bohan Centre
  Choose between hot corn chowder, turkey soup, or vegetable soup, prepared by the Knights of Columbus. Take out & frozen options available; pay at the door.
• 🥞 Pancake Breakfast
  📅 Sat, Jan 31⏰8:30-11am📍Bethel Presbyterian
  Live music & yummy eats! A family of five can enjoy breakfast for $30; individual prices are $12/adult, $8/youth, and those under five eat free. Proceeds support West Riverview Elementary & Claude D. Taylor Schools.
• ☕ Hot Chocolate Day
  📅 Sat, Jan 31⏰📍Nine locations in town are offering you a sweet treat when you visit to celebrate the day!
• 🐔 Chicken Luncheon
  📅 Sat, Feb 7 ⏰11am-1pm📍Dan Bohan Centre
  The ladies of Immaculate Heart of Mary began this tradition in 1976 – and it’s still a favourite! Enjoy chicken a la king, cranberry sauce, coleslaw, tea biscuit, and gingerbread with caramel sauce and whipped cream for dessert. Tickets should be reserved by calling Pam at 506-386-5451; cost is $15/person.
• 😻 The Cat’s Meow Tea Party
  📅 Sat, Feb 7 ⏰11am-1pm📍Riverview Lions Club
  A fundraiser with a furry mission – supporting the work of CARMA Cat Rescue. Enjoy tea, hot chocolate, sandwiches, dessert, cat-themed items for sale, and more. Entry is $10/child and $15/adult.

Whew – and that’s not even all the events! Riverview Winter Carnival is celebrating 51 years of community fun this year and we can’t wait to continue to see this event evolve in years to come. Remember, you can find all the details on the events we highlighted, as well as all the others, on the the Town’s website: www.riverviewwintercarnival.ca

BONUS: Snowshoe artist Matt Robinson is planning another Winter Carnival creation, weather permitting! Watch the Town’s social media for updates to see if you can catch him in Mill Creek Nature Park, turning snow on ice into something spectacular!

Want more? Here’s a quick snapshot of the full schedule; find details for all these events on the Town’s website: www.riverviewwintercarnival.ca (We’ve bolded the ones we think are best suited for toddlers through teens.)

Thursday, Jan 29

• Thursday, Jan 29: HUBCAP Comedy Show

Friday, Jan 30

• Friday, Jan 30: Warm Winter Specials

• Friday, Jan 30: Hot Chowder and Soup Night

• Friday, Jan 30: Introduction to Pickleball

• Friday, Jan 30: Winter Carnival Ignite

Saturday, Jan 31

• Saturday, Jan 31: HUBCAP Comedy Show

• Saturday, Jan 31: National Hot Chocolate Day

• Saturday, Jan 31: Pancake Breakfast

• Saturday, Jan 31: Ringette – Try it Day!

• Saturday, Jan 31: Crib Tournament

• Saturday, Jan 31: Paint Your Own Mug Workshop

• Saturday, Jan 31: Surface Skateshop Frozen Open

• Saturday, Jan 31: Adult Paint Night

• Saturday, Jan 31: Bingo for Kids

• Saturday, Jan 31: Snowflake Shindig Dance

Sunday, Feb 1

• Sunday, Feb 1: Family Snowshoe

• Sunday, Feb 1: Winter Camping 101

• Sunday, Feb 1: Winter Geocoin Challenge Round Up

Monday, Feb 2

• Monday, Feb 2: Sourdough Basics

• Monday, Feb 2: Puzzle Exchange

• Monday, Feb 2: Battle of the Bands – Night 1

• Monday, Feb 2: Guided Snowshoe

Tuesday, Feb 3

• Tuesday, Feb 3: Polar Plunge & Lap Swim

• Tuesday, Feb 3: Battle of the Bands – Night 2

• Tuesday, Feb 3: Guided Snowshoe

Wednesday, Feb 4

• Wednesday, Feb 4: Wastewater Facility Tour

• Wednesday, Feb 4: Mayor’s Luncheon

• Wednesday, Feb 4: Bonfire & Tunes

• Wednesday, Feb 4: Guided Snowshoe

• Wednesday, Feb 4: YOUth Drop-in Brain Freeze Trivia

Thursday, Feb 5

• Thursday, Feb 5: Giant Card Party

• Thursday, Feb 5: Guided Snowshoe

• Thursday, Feb 5: Stuffie Sleepover

• Thursday, Feb 5: Winter Carnival Dance

• Thursday, Feb 5: Polar Glow Aquafit

Friday, Feb 6

• Friday, Feb 6: Introduction to Pickleball

• Friday, Feb 6: Out of This World Skate Glow Party (6:00 p.m.)

• Friday, Feb 6: Out of This World Skate Glow Skate Party (7:45 p.m.)

• Friday, Feb 6: Jacob Lewis – Meant to Be Tour

Saturday, Feb 7

• Saturday, Feb 7: Highland Dancing Championships

• Saturday, Feb 7: Snowshoe Poker Run

• Saturday, Feb 7: Wastewater Facility Tour

• Saturday, Feb 7: Chicken Luncheon

• Saturday, Feb 7: The Cat’s Meow Tea Party

• Saturday, Feb 7: Muscles for Menopause

• Saturday, Feb 7: Riverview Veterans Open House

• Saturday, Feb 7: Winter Carnival Open Swim

• Saturday, Feb 7: Classified – SOLD OUT

Sunday, Feb 8

• Sunday, Feb 8: Warm Hearts Yoga

• Sunday, Feb 8: Fat & Flurious Fat Bike Race & Poker Run

• Sunday, Feb 8: Floral Watercolour Workshop

• Sunday, Feb 8: Sip and Stitch

• Sunday, Feb 8: Sound Healing for Adults

• Sunday, Feb 8: Northern Lights Watercolour Workshop