What to do with the Kids this Weekend in Moncton (July 12-14)
Welcome to the end of week three of summer vacation, folks!
Yes, school has been out for three weeks now, with eight more to go. We’re working hard behind the scenes here at Pickle Planet, trying to wrap up production on THREE new, different issues of Family 1st for Moncton, Fredericton, and Saint John, so our apologies for being a little late with some of our usual summer updates. (PS – Did you pick up your copy yet? Check out our tips for beating summer slide, our summer bucket list bingo card, amazing features of local families, and awesome local coupons – only available until August!) We’re also about to head on vacation with the kiddos, so we’ll try our best to bring you a new playground profile and weekend round up next week, but you might need to give us a little grace.
No worries, though, if you’re wondering what you’re going to do with the kids. We’ve got another jam-packed lined up this weekend and always have lots of ideas on the MEGA LIST, our playground section, and more.
Festival Inspire is underway with lots of mural artists to visit, The Sputnik at Festival Inspire on the Riverfront, a Grand Opening concert at the Graystone Stage at Festival Inspire Thursday night, the Disco Bike Ride ! Nuit Vélo Disco! and Art in the Dark Friday, mural tours, food trucks, buskers, and more on Saturday – including Inspireland for the kids! Just head for Riverfont Park in Moncton or visit www.festivalinspire.com for all the details.
If you’re up for a little adventure, Sussex Summerfest is on this weekend, with some great outdoor concerts planned. Headliners include Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine (Thursday), Charlie Major (Friday), and Hunter Brothers (Saturday).
The 70th annual Shediac Lobster Festival is underway, with all kinds of family fun for all ages! Amusement rides, live music, and much more. If you’re heading that way, be sure to check out Point du Chene Wharf on Saturday; the Coast Guard vessel Caporal Kaeble is offering tours to the public in the afternoon, 1 to 4pm. Lots of fun on the wharf highlighted in this post, too!
Cape Jourimain Nature Centre is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the local lighthouse all weekend. There’s live music on Friday night, a BBQ on Saturday, lots of games and crafts, and a shuttle to the lighthouse running 11am until 2pm Saturday and Sunday. We visited Cape Jourimain for the first time a few weeks ago; I knew the views would be incredible, but so was the interpretative centre. A chance to tour the lighthouse would be fantastic!
Lots of family fun can be found at Dieppe’s summer installation, ConneXion Zone, with amazing life-size games (battleship, chess, etc.), a beer garden, the awesome umbrella art, and much more! Details here.
Moncton’s Acoustica free summer concert series is back again, with concerts Saturdays at the Moncton Market, Tuesdays at Victoria Park, and Thursdays at Downtown Plaza.
Every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday until July 21, Bass Pro is offering workshops for kids and adults, at noon, 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm.
Great for summer nights, Resurgo Place is open late on Thursdays, and admission for 5pm to 8pm is half-off the individual rate!
At the movies this weekend, Sussex Drive In is showing Spider-Man: Far From Home & Men in Black International, Neptune Drive In in Shediac is playing Spider-Man: Far From Home and Men in Black: International , and the $2.99 Saturday morning special at Cineplex is Wonder Park! Moncton Public Library is offering free family movies (1pm in English, 3pm in French) each Sunday this summer. Free popcorn, too!
Friday afternoon at the Hillsborough Library, enjoy storytime with goats! There will be goat-themed stories at 1:30pm, followed by a chance to meet baby goats at 2pm. Wrap up the fun with a gaot-themed craft!
Saturdays and Sundays through the summer Camp Indigo at Chapters offers kids the chance to create fun projects an hour before the store opens! This is a Plum members exclusive; you need to register in advance and there is a fee. Looks like tie dye socks and t-shirt bags are on the schedule this weekend; next weekend there are Peppa Pig and Beyblade themed events!
Riverbend Family Camping (on the Salisbury Back Road) is offering its 40 tent sites for FREE this Saturday; call 506-801-0269 to book! They plan on having fireworks and live music, and offer swimming in the Petitcodiac!
Don’t forget: Thomas William House is open for the summer! You can enjoy tea on the verandah Wednesdays through Sundays, 11am until 5pm. Reservations recommended for groups of four or more; call 506-857-0590 for more information.
Saturday is the annual Shepody River Day at Riverside Consolidated School. Enjoy kayak races, strawberry shortcake, and fireworks at dusk.
Budding Motocross fan at home? Riverglade Motocross is holding a one-day school for beginners and more skilled riders. Call Lee at 506-850-3014 for details and to register.
Saturdays in July and August at 10:30am you can visit the Moncton Public Library for a family sing a long. All ages welcome, no registration required.
Saturday is the annual BHP Challenge Obstacle Course Race at Sackville’s Beech Hill Park. The main race is for ages 12 and up; there’s a Mini Challenge for those ages five to 11. The main race is a 4km route that promises “fun for people of all shapes and sizes, so get ready to get wet, dirty and to have a blast!” Pre-registration required via www.sackville.com/programs or contact Matt Pryde, Manager of Recreation Programs and Events, at 364-4946.
Also in Sackville on Saturday, the Campbell Carriage Factory is holding an All Things that Fly craft-making session; cost is $5.
Want a great reason to skip making lunch on Saturday? Head to the fundraising BBQ at Moncton Chrysler Superstore on Mountain Road! Hamburgers, hot by dogs, and pop will be available – it’s pay-what-you-can donation! There will also be freezies, thanks to Malley Industries. This fundraiser is in support of the awesome Matt Kinnie of Riverview; he’s got a chance to compete at the 2020 Paralympic Games and he needs our community’s help to get there! You might remember Matt from our work with Tango at the Riverview Winter Carnival. He’s a wonderful advocate for accessibility and an incredible paracycling athlete. Can’t make it this weekend? There’ll be two more fundraisers this summer; click the Facebook event and say ‘going’ for a reminder!
There are great things planned all summer long for Downtown Place, the space beside the Avenir Centre. All July there are activities on Thursday, Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday: this weekend, enjoy live music, a demonstration by Baton Atlantik, games, and more.
Sunday in Sackville there’s a bike rodeo for children, taking place at Foodland.
And the Moncton FisherCats play another home game Sunday night at 7pm at Kiwanis Park Ball Field.
A few more ideas …
You can still cool inside but still burn off energy at Hop Skip Jump!, Crystal Mountain Party Palace, Skyzone Moncton, and FitRocks Climbing Gym. And don’t forget bowling! Fairlanes in Moncton, Bowlarama in Dieppe, and Parklane Bowling in Riverview all offer gutter blockers for kids.
Timber Lounge Moncton welcomes kids ages 10 and up (during certain hours) to experience the art of axe throwing, and ages eight and up can take part in the fun at Room Escape Atlantic. You might also want to check out Riverview Indoor Skatepark, The Clayspace, and DIY Studio.
We’ve rounded up a list of arcades in the GMA; you can find that info here!
Magnetic Hill Zoo, Magic Mountain, Butterfly World & The Boardwalk, and TreeGo are all great summer spots to visit.
Outdoor Pools can be found in Riverview, Salisbury, and Petitcodiac. We’re waiting for the City of Moncton’s new pool to open soon at Centennial Park and in the East End, too! We’ve posted a list of great splash pads on our Facebook page, and you can always find our playground recommendations here.
AND … the strawberry u-picks are now open! It’s been a later start to the season, but now is the time to get out and fill your baskets! We’ve updated our list of local spots to visit: find the details here.
Riverview’s Rebecca Schofield All World Super Playpark Playground Profile