6 fun things to do this Islander Day long weekend on P.E.I.
1. Jack Frost Festival
This is one of the most exciting weekends of the winter on P.E.I. if you have small children — The Jack Frost Festival is on.
The outdoor fun begins Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Charlottetown Event Grounds on the waterfront. There's skating, ice slides, tubing, ice sculpting demonstrations, buskers and more.
If you get too cold, head over to the Eastlink Centre for a petting zoo, seven giant bouncy castles and live performances by Alvin!!! and The Chipmunks, Bobs and LoLo and more.
Find the complete schedule of events here.
Tickets start at $11.25 for a one-day pass to the outdoor kingdom, up to $127 for a family of four for all events. See all the variation here, and get them at the Eastlink Centre's box office or the lottery booth in the Confederation Court Mall.
2. Cardigan Winter Carnival
Cardigan's Winter Carnival kicks off Friday night with fireworks at 8 p.m. at the Cardigan fire hall on the Shore Road followed by a singalong — bring your own guitars! There will free pizza and hot apple cider.
Saturday there's trivia at the Cardigan Fire Hall at 7 p.m. Admission is $2.
The fun wraps up with a pancake breakfast Sunday morning from 11 till noon at All Saints Parish Centre on Chapel Rd. for $5 per person.
3. Murray River Winter Carnival
Friday night through Monday, there are many events planned for Murray River's annual winter carnival.
Friday night from 7 to 8 enjoy a free skate at Northumberland Arena wearing your favourite hockey jersey. Stick around for a fun hockey game between local fire departments ($2 admission, $5 per family).
Saturday at the rink there's a pancake breakfast and sleigh rides, followed by sledding and a bonfire at the fire hall and a ceilidh at the Murray River Hall at 7 p.m. for $5. There's also a free family snowman-building contest at the fire department starting at 6 p.m. with judging at 8.
Sunday afternoon there are tarot card readings by local medium The Wood Islands Witch, a disco skate for $2 and bingo.
Monday at the rink there's a minor hockey skills competition for $2 per competitor and trivia at 7 p.m.
Complete schedule on the event's Facebook page.
4. Thriftspotting pop-up flea market
The P.E.I. Facebook group Thriftspotting is a popular place for Islanders to post and compare their thrift-store finds and now organizers hold pop-up flea markets.
The events are popular among avid local thrifters, who sell their excess — clothes and shoes, housewares, vinyl records and more. Receiver Coffee will be there selling java and cookies.
It's Saturday at Central Christian Church on Kent Street in Charlottetown from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission is $2 or a non-perishable food item for the local food bank. Remember to bring cash as there's no ATM on site.
Details on the event's Facebook page.
5. Brown Girl Begins
As part of Black Heritage Month, the Black Cultural Society of PEI and FilmPEI are presenting the film Brown Girl Begins.
The film will be shown at City Cinema in downtown Charlottetown on Sunday at 9 p.m.
The film, based on the book Brown Girl in the Ring, is set in Toronto in the year 2049 and envisions a world without water or electricity and a shortage of food. The world is populated with strong Black women and celebrates Caribbean traditions as a powerful agent for changing the course of the future of the city.
"It's about — how are we going to see Black people in the future?" its director Sharon Lewis has said.
Admission at the door is by donation.
6. Islander Family Fun Day
Many people are off work Monday for the Islander Day holiday, and there's plenty to do. In Charlottetown there are free, fun activities for everyone including a family skate at Simmons Sports Centre at 9:30 a.m., Glow-in-the-Dark bowling at The Alley, family swims at the Bell Aliant Centre, several showings of family movies at City Cinema and free family stage shows at The Guild. There's also free snowshoeing in Victoria Park. Note: some of the events required booking free tickets in advance.
Find the complete schedule and details on the city's website and Facebook event page.
- MORE P.E.I. NEWS | 5 ways to lower your weekly grocery spending
- MORE P.E.I. NEWS | Shawn Mendes will add pop to Cavendish Beach Music Festival
