Western New Brunswick offers a variety of events, accommodations for tourists
By Hannah MacFarlane
As the summer tourism season begins, many in the Upper River Valley are starting to plan getaways. U.S. President Donald Trump’s focus on tariffs has pushed many Canadians to focus on staycations.
The Western Valley Regional Service Commission (WVRSC) is developing a regional tourism website and guide. Ashlie Brown is the Regional Tourism Coordinator from the WVRSC.
“Both will be great resources for visitors and tourism operators to showcase what western New Brunswick has to offer,” she told the River Valley Sun.
Municipalities up and down the St. John River are busy organizing for traditional events like the Centreville Truck and Tractor Pull on June 27 and 28, July First Floats events on Canada Day in Woodstock, National French Fry Day on July 11 in Florenceville-Bristol, the Big Axe Beer Festival in Nackawic on July 12, the Woodstock Truck and Tractor Pull on the July 11 weekend, the Dooryard Arts Festival on July 17-19, and Old Home Week in Woodstock, starting on July 27.
Shirley Dickinson is one of the lead chairs of the Covered Bridge Events Committee, organizing Big Bridge Fest in Hartland this summer.
This year’s Big Bridge Fest theme is “Canada True North Strong & Free, Elbows Up.”
This year marks the festival’s 10th anniversary. Dickinson expects this year’s Big Bridge Fest to draw 8,000 and 10,000 people. The famous New Brunswick Day Market on the covered bridge will cap off the festival.
Summer events in the region continue throughout August, with the Larlee Creek Hullabaloo in Perth-Andover from Aug. 6 to Aug 10. The Festival on the Bend in Nackawic will occur from Aug. 10 to 16. The River Bend Balloon Festival in Bath is from Aug. 28 to Sept 1.
Some local tourism operators are making the most of the opportunity to host more Canadian tourists. For example, the Tabernacle wedding venue in Hartland now offers overnight spaces through Airbnb to boost business.
