What to do with the kids in Moncton this weekend (Nov 4-6)
Well, hello November!
After a crazy busy pre-Halloween weekend of events, it’s a much calmer vibe as we head into the first weekend of November … but then things quickly ramp up with Remembrance Day ceremonies and holiday events happening close behind!
Don’t forget: the time change happens this Sunday, with clocks falling back an hour.
We’ve started a list of holiday markets & Santa sightings at the end of the weekend round up; we’ll keep sharing it each week & adding as we find more. If you know of something not on here yet, drop a note in the comments, please!
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND NOVEMBER 4 – 6
The Moncton Wildcats are hosting Baie-Comeau Drakkar on Friday night at the Avenir Centre.
Chess club alert! There’s a new drop-in chess event happening at the Moncton Public Library, open to all players ages kindergarten to Gr 12, on Saturday 10am – noon. Members of the New Brunswick Chess and Math Association will be there to help guide the games, with the hope this becomes a monthly drop-in session.
Also at the Moncton library on Saturday afternoon is the regular D&D campaign; for ages 13 to 18, beginners welcome.
Rockhounds will want to check out the special presentation happening at Resugo Place on Saturday afternoon, 1:30-4:30pm. Exhibitors from Science East, Stonehammer Geopark, Fundy Biosphere, Let’s Talk Science, UNB Science, Quartermain Museum, and the Atlantic Geoscience Society will be on had with fun activities to explore fossils, minerals, rocks, and more. At 3:30, geologist Susan Johnston will give a talk on the best-selling book, The Last Billion Years. The event is free, but registration is required in advance.
Poley Mountain’s ski rental program kicks off this weekend. Kids up to age 12 can rent gear for the season for $150+tx, while those 13 & up are charged $200+tx. It’s first come, first served until supplies run out. You get either skis, boots, and poles OR a snowboard and boots to use for the season; helmets are not available. (There will be other fitting dates November 12, 19, 26, and December 3. All sessions are 9am – noon.)
Have you checked out The Comic Hunter at their new location on St. George Street? They have an in-store Digimon Championship happening Sunday, a regular Friday night Magic game, and they also host regular D&D events, too.
Sunday is Family Fun Day at the Avenir Centre, with the Wildcats hosting the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. A family four-pack of tickets (two adult, two youth) is $40 plus fees – and the first 800 fans get a free pack of Tims NHL hockey cards!
Plus, there’s all the usual fun ideas like bowling, swimming, trampoline parks, museums, & more — find the detail on our MEGA LIST of THINGS TO DO WITH KIDS IN MONCTON!
REMEMBRANCE DAY RELATED
A quick reminder: schools are closed next Friday, November 11, as are most establishments in the province. (Heads up: Anglophone East, school’s out on the 18th, too!) Here’s a quick look at what we know is happening for local services (we’ll update if we confirm others), as well as some ideas on places you may want to visit as a family.
The Moncton Coliseum will again host the large Remembrance Day service for the Greater Moncton Area, open to the public. The parade will begin inside at 10:40am.
This year is also the 100th anniversary of the cenotaph being unveiled in Moncton’s Victoria Park, which remains a popular destination for families to observe Remembrance Day.
There’s also a lovely memorial behind Dieppe’s City Hall.
Shediac will hold a Remembrance Day Service at Parc Pascal Poirier, starting at 10:30am.
Salisbury Legion will host an outdoor service, followed by fellowship in the hall and a dinner in the evening.
A ceremony will be held at Veterans Park in Memramcook at 11am on November 11.
Resurgo Place has a fantastic display featuring the contributions of Canadian women during the First and Second World Wars. A great learning opportunity alongside the everyday fun of visiting the centre! World War Women is at Resugo Place until January 8, 2023. On November 9 at 2pm there will be a special free presentation with PhD student Delaney Beck on the New Brunswick nursing sisters who served during WWI & a specially curated Moncton Memory Box with military artefacts and images.
Singer/songwriter/rocker Andrew Waite, the 2022 ECMA Solo Artist of the Year, is performing at the Riverview Arts Centre on November 11 at 7:30pm. He’ll pay tribute to the day with a performance of his song Cash It In, based on the final letter his grandfather, New Brunswicker John Thomas Love, sent home from the front in WWI. (Psst! We’re big fans of Andrew’s LEGO music videos!)
The Albert County Museum has some incredible military history displays and Petitcodiac’s War Museum is another wonderful local source for military history.
RELATED: #HistoryNB Podcast: WWI remembered at Albert County Museum
LOOKING AHEAD
Have a child interested in a music career? The incredibly talented Andrew Waite is holding a weekend masterclass workshop for students at the Riverview Arts Centre, focusing on performance, songwriting, grants, production, and just about everything else you might want to know about a career in the music industry from the 2022 ECMA Solo Artist of the Year & a team of professionals. The workshop runs Saturday, November 12 & Sunday, November 13; cost is $100 but some bursaries are available through Anglophone East if students require assistance.
Riverview Lions Club is hosting a pancake breakfast on Saturday, November 12. Pancakes, sausages, eggs, beans, toast, and a drink for $10/person or $30/family. Proceeds go to Shelter Movers – a charity that helps move women and children fleeing abuse AND our guest on the podcast Nov 7!
The Maritime Reptile & Pet Expo is at the Moncton Coliseum on November 12. Admission is $5/person; children five & under are free.
Tickets are on sale now for the twice-a-year Moncton Multiples Consignment Sale! You must buy advance tickets online for entry at 9am or 10am; doors are open to all with free admission at 11am. More than 200 local families will be selling their gently-loved items for newborn to tween; this is a must-shop event if you’re looking to save one clothes, toys, books, shoes, and more!
November 20 sees the return of Tis the Season at the Riverview Arts Centre. A great holiday concert with Ivan & Vivian Hicks, Les Fireflies, and more!
LOCAL CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIRS, MARKETS, & MORE
We love supporting local crafters and vendors & hope you do, too! We’ll keep updating this list of local holiday craft & vendor fairs as we find more info, so if you know one we’re missing, pop it in the comments!
DYK: St. Andrew’s has a website JUST for its Christmas events?! Check out Christmas By the Sea for lots of fun seaside ideas this holiday season.
November 4
- Stoney Creek’s Stars & Stitches 7th Annual Christmas Open House, 10am – 8pm
- Friends of Rudolph, Mapleton Lodge Park, 10am – 2pm
November 5
November 6
November 12
- Wintergreen Handmade Fair (Riverview), 11am – 5pm
- Crandall University Christmas Manor, 9am – 3pm
- Christmas Bazzar, Salisbury Legion, 9am – 2pm
- Christmas as the Manor, 11am – 7pm (tickets required, purchase online)
November 13
- Christmas at the Manor, 10am – 4pm (tickets required, purchase online)
- Art in your Holidays, Riverview Community Hall, 9am – 4pm
November 15
November 17
- Affinity Farm’s Christmas in the Cape kicks off, 11am – 7pm
November 18
- Sackville’s Moonlight Madness, 7am – 11pm
- Belding Hill Farms’ (near Hampton) much anticipated Outdoor European Style Christmas Market kicks off November 18, with dates until December 10
November 19
- Magnetic Hill School’s Christmas Tea & Craft Fair, 9am – 2pm
- Rexton Craft Fair, Bonar Law Memorial School, 9am – 5pm
- Moncton Multiples Consignment Sale, 9am – 1pm (free entry begins at 11am)
- Ukraine Resists Art Sale at Resurgo Place, 9am-3pm
- Christmas Craft Fair, Shediac Legion, 10am – 3pm
- Tantramar Regional High School Christmas Craft Sale, 10am – 3pm
November 20
- Mistletoe Kisses, Moncton Lions Community Centre, 10am – 2pm
November 24
- Riverview Light Up & Vendor Market, 3:30-8:30 (light up at 7pm)
November 25
November 26
- Turner’s Christmas at the Coliseum, 10am – 9pm
- Holly Jolly Market by Etsy NB (Fredericton), 10am – 4pm
- Moncton Lion’s Club, 9am – 4pm
November 27
- Turner’s Christmas at the Coliseum, 10am – 5pm
December 3
- Christmas in the Country (Albert County)
- Queen Elizabeth School, 10am – 2pm
- Sleigh the Holidays Pop-Up Market at Canvas Moncton, 10am – 2pm
- He’s a Jolly Elf, Boyle Family Farm, 11am – 3pm
- Chipoudy Community Revitalization Committee Christmas Craft Fair, Riverside-Albert Recreation Center, 9am – 4pm
- Olde Tyme Christmas with Story Time with Father Christmas at Bates Barn, 10am – 3pm
December 4
- Christmas in the Country (Albert County)
- Ukrainian Christmas Fair, 10am – 4pm
- Maritime Creations’ Handmade Holiday Craft Fair at Riverview Community Hall, 9am – 3pm
- Chipoudy Community Revitalization Committee Christmas Craft Fair, Riverside-Albert Recreation Center, 9am – 2pm
December 8
- Old Tyme Christmas in Sussex
December 9
- Moonlight Madness, Sackville, 7 – 11pm
December 10
- Christmas in the Country (Albert County)
- Shediac Christmas Market, 10am – 5pm
- Irishtown Community Centre Christmas Craft Fair, 8am – 3pm
December 11
- Christmas in the Country (Albert County)
- Shediac Christmas Market, 10am – 3:30pm
- Christmas Cheer, The Grand Ivory Event Space, 10am – 2pm
SANTA PARADES 2022
We’ll have our annual Guide to the Royale Greater Moncton Santa Claus Parade & more posted soon, but we know you all like to get these dates on the calendar early, so here’s the quick list:
- Amherst’s Santa Claus Parade is Friday, November 19 at 6pm.
- Shediac’s Santa Claus parade is Friday, November 25 at 7pm.
- Royale Greater Moncton Santa Claus Parade is Saturday, November 26 at 5pm.
- Petitcodiac’s Santa Claus Festival of Lights Parade is Friday, December 2 at 7pm.
- Sussex’s Santa Claus Parade is Saturday, December 3 at 6:30pm.
- Cap-Pelé’s Santa Claus Parade is Sunday, December 4 at 6:30pm.
And while we’re on the topic, here are a few other Christmas-themed posts you might want to read before the end of November!