What to do with the kids this weekend in Greater Moncton (Feb 23-25)
Welcome to the last weekend in February, everyone! It’s a bit of a quieter weekend after the fun of Family Day (and before March Break kicks in), but there are still lots of events, activities, & ideas for family fun. Read on!
Our annual MEGA GUIDE TO MARCH BREAK is coming soon! If you have an event or activity happening that you want the community to know about, be sure to send us a note. Watch for the Guide to hit the site on Wednesday, February 28. (March Break means no school March 4-8, 2024.) We also have advertising options available, both within the Guide and on our site.
Please remember to click through to the source links we include before heading out; we don’t always catch updates based on weather, etc. And if you find this information useful, PLEASE hit the share button & tell your friends – but please don’t copy our work & repost it without attributing it to Pickle Planet.
Let’s get planning, shall we?!
FRIDAY
🏊 YMCA public swim, 7-8pm, $3/person
🏀 Drop-in basketball for ages 12-18 at the YMCA, 8:15-9:30pm, $5 for non-members (also on Mondays!)
🏸 Drop-in badminton for ages 14 & under 6-7pm & 15+ 7-9pm at CCNB Dieppe
⛸️ Shediac, 9:30-10:30am
⛸️ Moncton Superior Propane Centre, Parent & Tot, 10-11am
⛸️ Moncton Kay Arena, Parent & Tot, 10:15-11:15am, $2
⛸️ Sackville, 10:15-11:15am, Parent & Tot
⛸️ Sackville, Noon-1pm, Lunch skate
⛸️ Riverview parent & tot 1:30-2:30pm
⛸️ Moncton Kay Arena, public, 3:30-4:30pm
⛸️ Riverview 12 & under, 4-5:15pm
⛸️ Hillsborough, 8:15-9:15pm, $2/person or $5/family
It’s the second-last Fun on Ice party tonight at Dieppe’s Place 1604, with DJ Empire spinning French & Latin Top 40 AND a laser show!
The Little Mermaid opens Friday night at the Capitol, with performances until March 3. These musicals are always amazing, but this one looks like it’s going to be the best yet!!
We can’t say it often enough – our community public libraries are awesome places to take the kids anytime! We love the large play space at the Moncton library & the chance to enjoy a stroll downtown. A perfect choice with the littles on Friday at 10:30am for storytime!
🎬 Friday is Movie Night at BGC Dieppe, with Sonic 2 showing. (English, with French subtitles.)
Danse DNA Dance is holding performance at the Riverview Arts Centre with their competitive teams. A great chance to cheer on young talent!
And don’t forget – Chocolat Moncton continues through this weekend, with some incredible creations on various menus around Greater Moncton!
SATURDAY
⛸️ Moncton Coliseum, Parent & Tot, 9:30-10:30am, $2
⛸️ Moncton Kay Arena, public, 2:30-4pm, $2
⛸️ Hillsborough, 2-3pm
⛸️ Moncton Coliseum, public, 3:45-5:15pm $2
⛸️ Riverview 3:45-5:15pm
⛸️ Dieppe AJL, 6:15-7:15pm
⛸️ Hillsborough, 8-9pm
🏊 Riverview Aquatic Centre offers open swim on Saturdays at 1:35 & 2:40.
🏊 CEPS (UdeM) public swim, 3-4:25, $3
🏊 The Dieppe Aquatic Centre has public swims on Saturday at 3:15pm & 6pm. $10/adults, $5-$8 for youth (under 2 free)
🏊 YMCA public swim, 6:30-7:45pm, $3
🥞 Start the morning off without making breakfast – head to the Coverdale Masonic Lodge in Riverivew (36 Bradford East Road), 9-11am, for pancakes, sausages, drinks, & more. Just $10/adult, $5/child – cash only.
🐦 Nature Moncton is hosting an bird feeder tour on Saturday. This is a full day event, including stops for potluck meals. Check out their Facebook event for a great description & details!
📚 This Saturday at Moncton library, there’s Chess Club at 10am, D&D (ages 13-18) at 2:30pm, & more!
🎨 BGC Dieppe is hosting a family paint day, 12-3pm!
🏒 The Moncton Wildcats are hosting the PEI Islanders on Saturday night. It’s PRIDE night in the Den, so wear your colours (and try the promo code PRIDE for a discount when buying tickets).
Celebrate Rendez-vous d’hiver de la Vallée de Memramcook with a fun community morning at Abbey-Landry School, 9am-12pm, with horse drawn wagon rides, JOJO’s small trains, inflatables, face painting, treats, and more!
If you’re looking for something for yourself, our friend Jeanne Balcom is hosting a workshop this weekend that provides you with the foundations of Healing Touch, a technique that she’s used for years with her children and grandchildren. Check out the article we wrote for Jeanne a few years ago & reach out to her at humming4health @ hotmail.com if you’re interested in learning more! #sponsored
SUNDAY
🐴 Sleigh rides, Dieppe Rotary Park, 1-4pm, $5/person
🏊 YMCA public swim, 1:30-3pm, $3/person
🏊 CEPS (UdeM) public swim, 3-4:25, $3
🏊 Dieppe Aquatic Centre public swim Sunday at 3:15pm. $10/adults, $5-$8 for youth (under 2 free)
⛸️ Moncton Superior Propane Centre, Parent & Tot, 9:45-10:45am, $2
⛸️ Moncton Superior Propane Centre, public, 11:45am-12:45pm, $2
⛸️ Dieppe AJL, 1-2pm
⛸️ Moncton Kay Arena, public, 2:30-4pm, $2
⛸️ Petitcodiac 1pm-2:30pm ($2/skater, free for ages five & under)
⛸️ Riverview public 2:30-4pm
⛸️ Sackville public 2:30-3:30pm
⛸️ Shediac, 5:30-6:30pm
⛸️ Hillsborough, 2:15-3:15pm
This Sunday at Place Resurgo Place it’s another Discovery Labs event, this time with MR21 visiting. Enjoy a virtual reality experience featuring Moncton’s architectural & cultural icon, the Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption Cathedral. Included with your general admission to the museum!
FYI: You can always check whether walking/skiing/ trails & outdoor rinks are open using the municipal websites for Dieppe, Moncton, & Riverview! Most of these activities are starting to wind down for the season, so get out soon!!
MORE FAMILY FUN IDEAS INDOOR & OUTDOOR
INDOOR FUN IDEAS
Here’s our trusty list of places you might want to check out with the family anytime!
- The indoor splash pad at the North End YMCA is an amazing place to bring the kids!
- Want to move as a family? Try a visit to FitRocks Climbing Gym, Marco’s Clinic (laser tag), or the Riverview Indoor Skatepark & Riverview Youth Centre. We see the new Moncton North skate park is open now at the North End YMCA, too!
- Creative mood? Try DIY Studio to paint your own pottery! They usually have lots of holiday themed pieces – now’s a great time to start thinking ahead for holiday gifts, too!
- Up for a challenge? Room Escape Atlantic usually has a few non-scary, kid-friendly options & Mystery Moncton Mystere is great for the teens & up. There are also online options you can purchase to play on your own time!
- If board games are your family thing, check out the new shop on Moncton’s Main Street, Board Miniatures!
- Cineplex is always a fun option for a family outing.
- The Early Childhood Family Resource Centre has lots of drop-in & scheduled events throughout the month, both at its Dieppe location and its satellite locations. Check out their online calendars for details; a great option for littles throughout the week!
- The Dieppe BGC also has its monthly schedule of events online, too!
- And don’t forget our local libraries; they’re full of fantastic programming, as well.
- Hop! Skip! Jump! is open again; perfect for little ones to play, as well as the cool climbing wall & laser room for older kids.
- Bowling is always a fun idea! Go retro vibes with Holy Moly in Riverview, check out glow bowling times at Fairlanes in Moncton, or head to Bowlarama & its awesome arcade in Dieppe. (We recommend calling ahead to book in advance so you’re not disappointed.)
- Resurgo Place is a hands-on hit with our kids; a great outing anytime. (Open 10am-5pm Saturday and noon-5pm on Sunday; it’s half-off on admission on Thursday nights, 5-8pm, if you’re looking for an evening outing.)
OUTDOOR IDEAS
- Poley Mountain is open for the season, 9am-9pm.
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Country Sleigh Rides, about 20 minutes north of Moncton – past Irishtown, offers daytime ($125/15 people) and evening ($150/15 people) group sleigh ride bookings, as well as special rides.
- Trueman Blueberry Farms is open during the winter, with train rides & treats!
- NB Urban Mushing allows you to visit during dry land training. Get out and meet the sled dogs & learn how they work.
- Llamazing Adventures often has weekend spots available this time of year. A great way to get out & get moving!
OUTDOOR RINKS
- ⛸️ The Oval at Place 1604 in Dieppe is always a great spot to visit! Lace up your skates (or use their free loan program – check for available dates & times on their website) daily (weather permitting) from 10am – 9pm, though there are short closures from 1-1:30 & 5-5:30pm for maintenance.
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⛸️ You can also skate under the sky at the Ian Fowler Oval in front of Moncton’s Avenir Centre! Please remember, no sticks/nets/pucks/rings allowed, and CSA-approved helmets encouraged. The oval is open 10am-10pm daily, weather permitting. (Check conditions here in case of weather closures; it also shows conditions for the outdoor rinks planned for other parks in the city, as well as sliding, skiing, and walking trails.)
- ⛸️ The Moncton North YMCA has an outdoor rink to enjoy, too, and there’s the Kaboom Hockey Rink & the Muskrat Skating Trail both at Centennial Park. (You can check if Moncton rinks are open on their website, updated daily.)
- ⛸️ There are also a few community rinks at city playgrounds; these are maintained by volunteers: Jonathan Park, Maplehurst Park, Roxborough Park, Brian Hicks Park, Canada Heights Park, Grove Hamlet Park, & Lewisville Park.
- ⛸️ Irishtown/Maple Hills – Check the Facebook group for updates on rink conditions & to see all the hard work volunteers put in to make this happen!
- ⛸️ Petitcodiac – Check for updates in the Petitcodiac Happenings Facebook group on conditions at the Maple Street Park ODR
- ⛸️ Salisbury – The Town’s Facebook page posts updates on the condition of the ODR, which is next to the high school.
- ⛸️ There’s an outdoor rink in Elgin; stop into the General Store if you need to borrow skates to use.
- ⛸️ There’s an outdoor rink in Dorchester, too!
- ⛸️ And not to be left out, look at what’s happening in Alma!
SLIDING HILLS IN GREATER MONCTON
Tobogganing, sliding, sledding – whatever you call it, it’s one of the most fun things to do in winter! There may or may not be enough snow this weekend to hit the hills, but just in case … here are a few to-go spots:
- There are a few municipally-approved toboggan runs at Centennial Park in Moncton.
- Rotary St-Anselme Park in Dieppe also has several great spots.
- In Riverview, head to Winter Wonderland Park, on Quinn Court (off Gunningsville Boulevard) for some awesome tracks (and some snowboarding ones, too!) or behind Claude D. Taylor School.
- Our kids love sliding at Highland Parkin Salisbury; the hill is fantastic!
- Shediac’s Pascal Poirier Park is often home to many sliding tracks in the winter.
- In Fundy Park, check out the Headquarters Tobogganing Hill, and if you’re at Kouchibouquac Park, Patterson Hillis a great spot for sliding, though it is a long walk (2km) to reach the site.
LOOKING AHEAD
Our MEGA MARCH BREAK GUIDE will drop mid-week, but a shout out to our friends at the Friends of the Zoo who are again opening for Sunday winter visits in March! Make plans now to see the animals & enjoy the outdoors next month at Magnetic Hill Zoo! #sponsored
Looking for a fun way to mark the Leap Year?! Shediac is hosting a 3-6-6 party! Live music, cozy bonfires, chowders, drinks & more in Pascal Poirier Park, 6-8pm, on February 29.
Coming up later in March, the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra is presenting the music of Queen at the Wesleyan Centre. There will be a choir with 100 singers & soloists along with the amazing musicians. Mark March 23 on your calendar now & grab tickets quick!
Pssst! Maple Season is coming soon! We’re busy updating our GUIDE TO MAPLE SUGAR CAMPS IN GREATER MONCTON & we have a special podcast episode with author & sugar maker Kim Renton coming up on March 11. If you can’t wait for your maple fix, here are two things to watch for:
Salisbury’s Pizza Mill is offering two special pizzas on the menu from March 1 – 29: the Maple Chili Pizza & the Sugar Shack Pizza. Click the link to head to their Facebook page for descriptions of the pizzas!
Riverview’s annual Maple Fest is taking place April 5-7, 2204.
For more on maple season in New Brunswick, check out last year’s interview with the ever-educational & fun Heather Fraser!
Thanks for reading & have a great weekend, everyone!
riverview skating club is having there skating show
Riverview Skating Club is proud to announce another production of our annual ice show March 16 from 2-4pm.
This is an opportunity for all skaters in all programs to show off what they have learned this year. We encourage all skaters to attend. It is always a fun afternoon that the skaters and families enjoy.