What to do with the kids in Greater Moncton this weekend (Jan 19-21)
Welcome to another weekend full of fun ideas & opportunities!
TELL A FRIEND: If you’ve found your way here, either for the first time or the five hundredth time, please take a moment and thank us for this free resource by sharing the link with friends & family. It takes hours & hours each week to keep this site updated & it’s the power of your recommendations that keeps us motivated to keep writing for NINE years! There are more & more new New Brunswickers now calling this place home; be sure to let them know that Pickle Planet is the best place for local family-friendly ideas & resources. Thank you!!
WINTER CARNIVALS in 2024
-
- Dieppe annual winter carnival from January 12 to February 18, 2024; check out their website for all the details.
- Shediac’s Winter Carnival starts at the end of January, with festival mascot Bonhomme Coueche arriving for Groundhog Day.
- Riverview’s Winter Carnival takes place February 2-11, 2024 with lots of great events throughout the Town and at Winter Wonderland Park.
- Tantramar’s annual Winterfest takes place February 8- 11, 2024.
- And Moncton‘s PolarFest returns this year for another weekend of fun in Centennial Park over the Family Day weekend in February.
Up for a meal out? Check out the FLIP Burger Festival! Dozens of restaurants have special burgers on their menus until January 28. For other restaurant inspo for the family, check out our friends at The Daily Feast for some great ideas!
THURSDAY
Shediac is hosting a free presentation on cyber safety for youth, with the RCMP at 6pm at the Multipurpose Centre. (This session is in English; a French presentation has held January 16.)
FRIDAY
⛸️ Shediac, 9:30-10:30am
⛸️ Dieppe AJL, 9:30-10:30am, Tots with sticks
⛸️ Superior Propane Centre parent & tot 10-11am
⛸️ Sackville, 10:15-11:15am, Parent & Tot
⛸️ Sackville, Noon-1pm, Lunch skate
⛸️ Riverview parent & tot 1:30-2:30pm
⛸️ Riverview 12 & under, 4-5:15pm
⛸️Hillsborough, 8:15-9:15pm, $2/person or $5/family
🏊 YMCA public swim, 7-8pm, $3/person
Dieppe’s Friday nights are all about the free Fun on Ice at Place 1604, with live music and skating on the oval. This week, it’s DJ Alexx spinning hits from the ’70s to the ’90s.
506 Elite Allstars has a daytime playtime drop-in for kids on Friday & Monday mornings, 10-11am. Cost is $5/child (or $4/sibling)
The Dieppe BGC has all kinds of great programming, including their family supper, happening this Friday. Registration is required; check out their programming & more on their website. (Psst! looking for a fun night out for the grown ups? BGC Dieppe’s 2nd annual Masquerade with silent auction is coming up Saturday, March 23rd, 2024.)
The Riverview Youth Centre is hosting a Bob Ross painting night for ages 12-17; it’s free, but spaces are limited so sign up!
Friday Cineplex is celebrating National Popcorn Day by offering Scene+ members a free small popcorn with any movie ticket purchase.
Add a little nen flair to your weekend with Glow Zone nights Friday & Saturday at SkyZone. Lasers, black lights, fog machines & more! All ages welcome, wear white or florescent colours, 7-10pm.
SATURDAY
⛸️Moncton Coliseum parent & tot 9:30-10:30am ($2)
⛸️ Hillsborough, 2-3pm, $2/person or $5/family
⛸️Riverview 3:45-5:15pm
⛸️ Moncton Coliseum 3:45-5:15pm ($2)
⛸️ Dieppe AJL, 6:15-7:15pm
⛸️Hillsborough, 8-9pm, $2/person or $5/family
🏊 Riverview Aquatic Centre offers open swim on Saturdays at 1:35 & 2:40.
🏊 The Dieppe Aquatic Centre has public swims on Saturday at 3:15pm & 6pm
If it’s not already part of your Saturday routine, consider making a visit to a local market a must-do each weekend! The Moncton Market (120 Westmorland Street) is open Saturdays, 8am-2pm, with lots of yummy treats to enjoy on site and to take home. You can also indulge at the Dieppe Market, open Saturdays 8am – 1pm.
The Salisbury Farmer’s Market is going to take a break until the spring, but are opening this Saturday for a special sale, 9am-3pm.
🥞 Salisbury Lion’s Club is hosting a pancake breakfast Saturday, 7-10am, with pancakes, sausages, treats, drinks, & more. Children under six eat free, ages six to 10 are $5, others $10. It’s always a great meal!
There’s also a weekly market in Sackville, 9am-noon.
There’s a weekly drop-in playgroup for pre-schoolers & their adults on Saturdays, 10am-noon, at the Dorchester Veteran’s Community Centre.
Brilliant Labs will be holding a winter-themed event in Dieppe’s Rotary Park from 10am-4pm. Drop by to explore the science of winter! There will also be a hot chocolate bar & craft activities ($4) with students from Université de Moncton as part of the city’s winter carnival.
This Saturday there’s a craft market at the Riverview Lions Club, with a face painter on site.
Add a little nen flair to your weekend with Glow Zone nights Friday & Saturday at SkyZone. Lasers, black lights, fog machines & more! All ages welcome, wear white or florescent colours, 7-10pm.
SUNDAY
⛸️ Superior Propane Centre parent & tots 9:45-10:45am ($2)
⛸️ Superior Propane Centre 11:45am-12:45pm ($2)
⛸️Dieppe AJL, 1-2pm
⛸️ Petitcodiac 1pm-2:30pm ($2/skater, free for ages five & under)
⛸️Riverview public 2:30-4pm
⛸️Shediac, 5:30-6:30pm
⛸️Hillsborough, 2:15-3:15pm, $2/person or $5/family
🏊 YMCA public swim, 1:30-3pm, $3/person
🏊 Dieppe Aquatic Centre public swim Sunday at 3:15pm
It’s Make Something Sunday at the Owens Art Gallery in Sackville! This month, you’ll use wind-up toys and spinning tops to draw. These drop-in, hands-on art sessions are free and intended for children 12 & under with their adult. Open 2-4pm.
Dieppe is offering $5 Sunday sleigh rides in Rotary Park (1-4pm) throughout the winter. There’s also a community lunch at the Rotary Pavillon on Sunday, 9am-1pm, as part of the city’s Winter Carnival.
Also part of Dieppe’s Winter Carnival is a special skating event with the Aigles Blues at Place 1604 from 2:30-3pm.
Codiac Storm Lacrosse is holding a free trial session for kids born 2016-2019 (U7 & U9). Beginners or returning players welcome; bring your helmet, gloves, and pads – sticks will be provided (and if you need help with the other pieces, let them know). The sessions are at the Crossman Community Centre, 6-7pm. Register in advance: https://forms.gle/4sXz2inkm81wc4Kq5
OUTDOOR IDEAS
- 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!
- Poley Mountain is open for the season, 9am-9pm.
-
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.
Outdoor Skating Rinks:
- ⛸️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
- ⛸️ 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.
-
⛸️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.)
- ⛸️Irishtown/Maple Hills – Check the Facebook groupfor updates on rink conditions & to see all the hard work volunteers put in to make this happen!
RELATED: HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN HOT CHOCOLATE BOARD
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 to seek out over the coming weeks & months:
- 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.
INDOOR 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!
- Cineplexis always a fun option for a family outing, too!
- 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.
- REMINDER: Hop! Skip! Jump! is closed for renovations. Watch their social media for updates on reopening; we hear it will likely be early to mid-February.
- 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.)
LOOKING AHEAD
Come back next week for another full round up, but for those of you who can’t wait to plan ahead, here are a few teasers to put on the calendar:
-
-
- The Early Childhood Family Resource Centre in Moncton is hosting a clothing swap on January 22, 1:30-3:30pm. Bring a bag of clean, good condition clothes (adult & children), leave with a bag of the same.
- The CHL/NHL Top Prospects game is coming to Moncton! Some of hockey’s top players from across the country will be on the ice at the Avenir Centre on January 24. Seats begin at less than $40; tickets are on sale now.
- Celebrate Family Literacy Day (January 26) with free, online readings by local author and musician, Jeff Somers, from his children’s book, Avery and the Special Shoe. There are morning and afternoon sessions; you must register in advance: https://forms.office.com/r/AhKAb5fgQN
- Moncton Cares is hosting a Newcomer Social Gathering with Zumba on January 26; register in advance.
- The new traveling exhibit at Regurgo Place opens January 27, focusing on light.
- Looking for a fun activity with older children? There’s a four-week wool felting workshop happening at the Dieppe Arts & Culture centre in February that is open to those ages 10+.
- Maybe a night out is on your wish list? Check out the amazing line up for the annual HUBCAP Comedy Festival. Top headliners from around the country in our local pubs and venues. French shows January 24-27, English shows January 31-February 3. (Pssst! There’s even an afternoon show if that’s more appealing than staying up late after a busy day with the kiddos!)
- Halifax’s Museum of Natural History has a Dinosaur exhibit opening February 2!
- Travel to You Zoo is opening to the public for a pre-Valentine’s Day special event on Saturday, February 10, 9am-3pm
- February 10 is also the first Fiddle Doo of the year! Ivan & Vivian Hicks will be at the Salisbury Lions Club for an afternoon of music & fun; everyone welcome.
- February 17 will be the annual #KiltSkate!
- February 18 will be the first Skate for Tate at the Avenir Centre, 9am – noon. Donations collected at the door will be given to Open Ice for Kids, to allow other children the chance to experience the joy of hockey.
- Boyle Family Farm is planning a celebration for Family Day on February 19, 10am-4pm, with snowshoeing, sliding, bonfires, pony rides, petting zoo, and more. Children two & under free, general entry $13+tax.
- Between February 7 & March 2, Theatre New Brunswick will be traveling the province with a play based on #BeccaToldMeTo. The play will be at Theatre L’Escaouette in Moncton on February 21 & 22.
-
