While the world has been still during the pandemic, the New Brunswick capital of Fredericton has remained lively, with new and exciting product being created to offer the world when travel resumes. And here are a few of those things to consider for future trips to East Canada:
Kings Landing
This open-air museum covers 300 acres and includes more than 70,000 artifacts and a 19th-century village documenting the cultural and social history of the St. John River Valley. “Situated on a picturesque bend along the St. John River, Kings Landing’s village is brimming with activity, with costumed characters depicting real people from New Brunswick’s past going about their day-to-day lives,” says Fredericton Tourism’s Mary Ellen Hudson. “You can help keep house, work up a sweat with the farmers, and get acquainted with the friendly animals.” For the 2021–22 season, Kings Landing will offer new dining experiences for groups, like the Village Feast, which features traditional New Brunswick fare and libations as well as entertainment from some of the village characters.
Wabanaki Tree Spirit Tours
Launched last year, these tours encompass medicine walks, workshops, and culinary experiences “with the hope of creating dialogue that leads to a more harmonious world,” says Hudson. “Visitors can join Wabanaki medicine keepers for a walk through Fredericton’s unique old growth forest park. They share the fascinating history of local plants and trees along with their use as medicines, food, and in ceremony.” As part of a lunch tour, Four Sisters Soup & Acorn Bread serves up soup made from hominy corn, squash, beans, and sunflower seeds or sunchokes. “You will see the traditional way the meal is prepared as taught by the ancestors,” Hudson says. This experience is available for large or small groups.
Jail tours at Science East Science Centre
This attraction is located inside a Victorian-era prison, formerly known as the York County Jail. Built in 1842, it served its original purpose until 1996. “Our experienced tour guides will unveil the people, places, and events of this fascinating architectural treasure in the heart of downtown Fredericton—from the thwarted international breakout plot of a Columbian drug cartel to the precedent-setting case of a former New Brunswick inmate, which changed Canadian legal history forever,” Hudson says. Science East is also home to 150 hands-on exhibits and the only outdoor science playground in Atlantic Canada.
Many events and celebrations were canceled this year due to COVID-19, but these three special Fredericton happenings are set to resume in 2021:
- Fredericton’s biggest festival, the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival, turned 30 in September.
- The New Brunswick Spirits Festival, Canada’s oldest spirits festival, celebrates its 25th anniversary in November.
- National Historic Site and one of the finest examples of gothic revival architecture in Canada, the Christ Church Cathedral turns 175.
For more information, email Hudson or go to tourismfredericton.ca.
Top photo: Kings Landing gardening
Photos by Fredericton Tourism
