Fun family things to do in Moncton
Wondering what to do with the family in Moncton?
We’ve got you covered!
This is your one-stop list for events, activities, attractions, and more in Southeastern New Brunswick! The events are updated weekly, usually by Thursday at noon. You can also check out Pickle Planet’s Guide to Family Fun in Greater Moncton for our mega list of museums, arcades, pools, & more.
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND WITH THE KIDS
OCTOBER 23 – 25
PLEASE NOTE: Zone 1, which includes the GMA, is potentially moving from the Orange Level of New Brunswick’s COVID response to Yellow this weekend. You can find updated information from the province on their dashboard.
- This is a bare-bones list; we don’t overload on hours/prices, etc, for attractions, as these change often. But we provide links to the sources so you can quickly find the most up-to-date information!
- We update the events weekly; if you have something to submit, please drop us a note.
- This is a free resource we’ve created just for you. It’s not funded by any municipal or commercial group. If you find it useful, please share it with your friends & family!
IF we’re back in the Yellow Phase, the Moncton Wildcats will be hosting the Titan Friday night at 7pm.
The pumpkin patch at Trueman’s Farm remains open, as well as the market to buy all their goodies! Fall hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11am to 6pm. Did you know they now feature homemade donuts alongside their amazing ice cream?! YUM!
The Magnetic Hill Zoo is allowed to open with a limited number of people admitted each day, spaced out over several times. (You are asked to purchase tickets online in advance to ensure entry.) Interior exhibits are closed & Boo at the Zoo will NOT be able to happen while in Orange. Looking ahead, the Zoo is hoping to offer a limited number of ‘behind the scenes’ sessions, where you can learn more about the zoo’s big cats with a special tour, coming up in November.
Resurgo Place is sharing an outdoor Culture & Heritage Scavenger Hunt Challenge throughout downtown Moncton. Find the details here! (You might also want to throw in a fun photo-based adventure exploring the public art installations around our communities, thanks to Festival Inspire!)
The Town of Sackville is organizing a socially-distanced scavenger hunt for October 25, but you’re asked to register in advance.
Sunday family skates are back at Sackville’s Tantramar Veteran’s Memorial Civic Centre, 2:30-3:30pm. Cost is $8 per family, or $3/adult, $2/senior & children under 12. Skating is also available weekdays from noon until 1:30pm.
There’s a new walking trail in Salisbury! While we LOVE walking the wetlands trail & playing at the natural playground at Highland Park, we’re excited to check out the new Woodland Trail, located behind the baseball fields behind JMA Armstrong High School.
Speaking of trails, don’t forget the 3.5km of lovely trails around the Sackville Waterfowl Park, the City of Moncton’s trails & parks, Riverview’s amazing waterfront, Dobson, & Mill Creek, & Dieppe’s fantastic trail system.
And remember – you can find more details on arcades, bowling alleys, and other attractions on Pickle Planet’s Guide to Family Fun in Greater Moncton.
MONCTON & AREA HALLOWEEN EVENTS – OCTOBER 23 – 31
This is the last weekend for the flashlight corn maze at Green Pig. Open 7-9pm, bring your own flashlight. You can also visit during the day for their large & small mazes (small ones are great with little ones, taking about 25-minutes to complete), pumpkin blaster, yummy market goods, and their new
Boyle Family Farm is holding family-friendly AND scary haunted hay rides this weekend. Haunted rides happen Friday, Saturday, & Sunday from 6-10pm ($15/person), with kid-friendly rides Saturday & Sunday 11am-4pm ($10/person).
Hub City Drive In at Solomon Gardens is planning a whole schedule filled with awesome Halloween movies! Thursday features Nightmare on Elm Street, with Little Shop of Horrors on Friday, Bettlejuice on Saturday, and Ghostbusters on Sunday. Thursday, Oct 29 they’re playing Halloween 4, followed by Halloween 5 on Friday, and the original Halloween on Saturday, October 31!. Check out the details here.
Friday kicks off the 1st annual Moncton Pumpkin Pageant, where various downtown businesses will be decorating for Halloween! Each time you visit a participating business between October 23 & 31, your name can go in a draw for a fun prize package.
If we’re in Yellow, Memramcook is planning a Halloween show with Art Richard on Sunday afternoon.
Hillside Kids is holding a driving scavenger hunt, Treat Street, on Tuesday evening. Ideal for families with children in grades two through five, this event takes place throughout the North End of Moncton. Follow your map to discover wonderful decorations, decode a secret message, and collect a treat bag at the church. Families are encouraged to wear their costumes! More details online, including how to register.
Farmer Brown’s Greenhouse is planning ‘Ghosts in the Greenhouse,’ a series of spooky visits suitable for various ages happening October 29 – 31. You can purchase your tickets online now.
New Hope Ministry & Community Centre (on the Homestead Road) is hosting a Candy Caravan on October 31, between 2 & 4pm. They will have a parade of decorated cars (find the route & other details on their website), as well as treat bags to hand out.
Riverview’s Fox N Hound Pub is planning a Halloween event for children, following their operating rules as an eating establishment, that would see kids walk through the pub and pick up treats from various stations. They’re sharing the details on their Facebook page.
Please note: Atlantic Wellness’ annual fundraiser, Monster Trot, has been cancelled following guidance from the province, due to Zone 1 being in the Orange phase of recovery. Boo at the Zoo is also cancelled if we remain in Orange.
TRICK-OR-TREATING INFO
If your Zone is in the Yellow Level, door-to-door trick-or-treating is allowed. You’re asked to stick to one neighbourhood, follow public health advice on hand-washing/sanitizing, and giving out individual treat bags rather than picked from one bowl. As always, it’s suggested you turn your outdoor lights off if you don’t wish to participate – some municipalities & individuals are even printing great little signs to help let trick-or-treaters know whether or not a home is giving out candy.
If your Zone is in Orange, door-to-door trick-or-treating is not permitted. You’re asked to keep celebrations to family/bubbles.
You can see the full provincial guidelines here.
Regardless of our phase, we can have lots of fun at home for Halloween! Check out our tips for decorating, making spooky snacks, and more!
Coming up Monday on the podcast: a chat with Lily Lynch, co-founder of Sankara Market, a New Brunswick-based social enterprise with a mission to “build empathy in our communities by sharing culture.” Check out their amazing meal box options – you can click now & have a box of meals ready to eat, on your doorstep, on Sunday afternoon! (Pro tip: use promo code sankaragift10 for a discount on your order. Yay!)
FEATURED PLAYGROUND
There are more than 100 playgrounds in the Greater Moncton Area. We’re making our way around to them all, providing you with visual guides to all the best spots to spend time with the kids. We’ll feature a different spot each round up, but you can find the full archive of all the parks we’ve visited here.
REMEMBRANCE DAY 2020
A quick reminder that Remembrance Day is coming up, and many traditional events may not be happening to mark the occasion because of the pandemic. You can find amazing resources on the Veterans Canada website to help you talk with children of all ages about Canada’s military, which is especially wonderful if you’re homeschooling or trying to augment remote learning this year.
We’ve also seen folks posting online that it would be wonderful to fill our windows with poppies this year, much like we did with rainbows when the pandemic first arrived. To help you out, we’ve created a simple poppy colouring sheet. Please feel free to use this or create your own & share your photos with us on social media! We also have a list of books you might want to read with the kids, as well as some other craft ideas coming to the blog soon.
Something we forgot? Let us know! You can message us through our Facebook page.
