A Landsby Spotlight on Fredericton

Last Updated: 27 July 2022

Written By: Landsby Editorial Team

Photo by Brian Atkinson

New Brunswick’s capital offers big city amenities but has the heart of a small town. The welcoming nature of Fredericton — both in layout and in its residents — makes this an amazing city to get to know. The winding Saint John River (or Wolastoq as it is known in its original Indigenous name) winds through the city and offers plenty of places to explore nature while the many pubs, restaurants and cafes liven up the downtown.

The city’s crown jewel is the Fredericton Trail system, where a network of 120 km of trails gives residents and visitors a chance to experience the beauty of the river and surrounding wooded areas. Take some time during your Fredericton vacation to experience the tranquility of the trails just steps from downtown.

Boyce Farmer’s Market. Photo c/o New Brunswick Tourism

What’s there to do in Fredericton?

Shop the markets

If you love outdoor markets, you’ll be in heaven in Fredricton. At the top of the list is the city’s most visited attraction, the Fredericton Boyce Farmers Market, which features more than 200 local vendors. No matter the time of year, this market is hopping every Saturday morning. But its not the only market in town worth visiting. Stop in at the Cultural Market or the Northside Creators Market for lots of locally made goods. In the summer, check out the Garrison Night Market, which takes place on Thursday evenings.

Picaroons Brewing Company. Photo c/o New Brunswick Tourism

Grab a drink & a meal

Fredericton proudly bills itself as Atlantic Canada’s Craft Brewing Capital and rightfully so — there are more taprooms per capital in this city than in any other in Canada. The Fredericton Taproom Trail will take you on a tour of some of the city’s 26 craft alcohol producers, each with its own unique atmosphere and taste. The Trail is a passport-style map that lets you explore at your own pace and collect stamps as well as swag.

Of course there’s no shortage of places to eat in Fredericton, from the above mentioned markets and taprooms to eateries that feature fresh local seafood and flavours from around the world.

Photo c/o Kings Landing

Experience art & culture

See what life was like in New Brunswick in the 19th century with a visit to Kings Landing, an open-air museum in Mactaquac County (37 km away) or get a taste of local Indigenous culture with a medicine walk through old growth forests at Odell Park on a Wabanaki Tree Spirit Tour. There are also plenty of art galleries and museums to visit, including the Beaverbrook Art Gallery and the Fredericton Region Museum.

If you have time, don’t miss a chance to catch a show at the Fredericton Playhouse.

Our weekly 2022 Summer Spotlight series has short introductions to Canada’s 14 capital cities (10 provincial, 3 territorial and 1 national) and was created to inspire us Canadians to explore more of our own country. For more details on each province or territory, visit our Experiences page or search our Journal by location. Better yet, reach out to us! We’d love to tell you more about these great places and create travel itineraries for you to explore them.