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Spring Events and Destinations in Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview

by Heather Ferguson

At this time of year, spring is most eagerly anticipated by the “winter weary” residents of our province. Buried under layers of snow deposited by a cycle of snowstorms this winter, the familiar signs of spring – longer days, more warmth in the sun, crocuses popping up in the garden, and the return of birds from southern climes – are all welcomed as heralding this wonderful season of awakening and rebirth!

One of the surest signs of spring on the horizon in the Greater Moncton Area is the Greater Moncton Home Builders Home Show. This year, the show will be taking place a good two weeks earlier than usual. Slated for the last weekend of March Break, it will encompass March 7th to 9th at the Moncton Coliseum Complex. Now in its 19th year, this annual rite of spring will feature up to 150 member showcases of idea-driven displays highlighting every commodity and service geared to enhancing the home and garden.

In April, the much anticipated Kiwanis Lifestyle Show will run from the 11th to the 13th and will also feature home and cottage ideas with displays in family lifestyle, sport and fitness, vacation and travel, landscaping and gardening, activities, and retirement planning. With an emphasis on “going green,” both these events will usher in the change of seasons. With these shows on the horizon, can spring be far behind?!

Soon area garden centres will be open as avid gardeners prepare for planting perennials, starting seedlings, and designing flower beds in preparation for summer blooms. This is also the perfect time of year to clear out the garage or basement and mount the seasonal yard sale.

Spring is the time to plan important renovations and building projects around the house, or to map out your vacation whether it be close to home or some faraway destination. May 1st will see many provincial parks open for a season of camping, hiking, biking, or beach fun. Fundy Park, Kouchibouguac National Park, and the Irving Eco-Park at Bouctouche are just a few that come to mind. Gift and antique shops will also open for the season and area farmers markets will shake off their winter confines and expand their wares in attractive outdoor venues. Many neighbouring communities like Riverview, Sackville, Saint John, and Fredericton will host events worthy of a day trip or a weekend getaway which is especially nice as the weather improves.

Close to home, many local events will offer much varied entertainment during this seasonal transition. March 6th will feature the Russian Moscow Circus at the Capitol Theatre and March 7th will re-visit the previously cancelled Sum 41 Concert now at The Oxygen Nightclub (previously at the Moncton Coliseum). March 8th will feature the Zimbabwe’s Black Umfolosi at the Capitol Theatre, AbbaMania on March 12th, and The Trailer Park Boys on March 13th. Dale Kavanagh will play on March 13th, a date that will also feature Ron Hynes both playing at the Capitol Theatre. The Boat Show will occupy the Moncton Coliseum on March 28th and 30th, and George Belliveau will play the Capitol Theatre on March 29th.

April ushers in Pascal Lejeune on the 4th, Red Sky on the 9th, Elizabeth Hill on the 12th, and Nanette Workman on the 17th – all at the Capitol Theatre, and music legends Anne Murray and George Jones will appear at the Moncton Coliseum on April 15th and 16th respectively. May will feature Patricia Léger on the 2nd and 3rd, Juan Sebastian Larobina on the 10th and Mathieu D’Astous et Ginette on May 16th at the Capitol Theatre. Love to be entertained while dining? Visit McSweeney’s Dinner Theatre in Downtown Moncton. It’s the longest running dinner theatre in the Greater Moncton Area.

The Town of Riverview will welcome spring with its Sugar Camp trip on April 8th and will celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd, with its annual cleanup day to take place on April 26th. Do you love a little mystery? Enjoy Riverview’s Spring Fling Mystery Tour on May 15th. Home to the Riverview Arts Centre, Spring in Riverview will feature highlights from the Arts Centre repertoire which will include the Hub City Big Band on March 15th, The Saloon Keeper’s Daughter on April 11th and 12th, Codiac Concert Band on April 15th, the 20th Annual Super Fiddle Show on May 10th, and the Atlantic Sinfonia on May 22nd.

Enjoy a leisurely drive to the coast. Visit Shediac By The Sea and enjoy the heritage sites at the Tait House and Maison Gabriele. Both sites have fine restaurant facilities and the Gabriele will feature a collection of paintings by artists Adrienne Goodbout, Michele Robichaud, Roger Vautour, and Paul Thebeault.

The Village of Pre d’en Haut will host the annual April Blossom Festival at Belliveau Orchard this spring, and the university Town of Sackville will wrap up Mount Allison’s Performing Arts Series with area musician J. P. Cormier in Concert at Convocation Hall on March 8th, and baritone High Russell at Brunton Auditorium on March 28th. In the mood for theatre? Sackville’s The Festival By the Marsh will hold open auditions for the summer production of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” on March 5th, 6th, and 8th, and don’t forget to visit Owen’s Art Gallery and The Fog Forest Gallery in Downtown Sackville!

A little further afield, the Fredericton Playhouse will feature Mocean Dance on March 7th, and the Beaverbrook Art Gallery will host a series of events for the whole family. Theatre New Brunswick will present Norm Foster’s New Supernatural Comedy, “The Love List,” from March 13th to 16th. In Saint John, the New Brunswick Museum will host explorer Saturdays throughout March and programs which will include movies at the museum and Robert Bateman’s Writing and Art Contest as well as Studio Watch: the exhibition entitled, “Cultural Treasures: NBM Recent Acquisition,” until March 27th.

Our region is filled with lovely natural beauty, historic cities and towns, and exciting cultural events. At any given time of the year, there’re many things to do and see. Make this spring an exciting experience by sampling the offerings of our lovely province. For more information of dates and times of the above-mentioned events, contact the Moncton Coliseum at www.monctoncoliseum.com, call the Capitol Theatre box office at 856-4379 or toll free at 1-800-567-1922, the Riverview Arts Centre at 852-7189, and you can go to www.activeriverview.com as well as www.festivalbythemarsh.ca. You can email the Fredericton Playhouse at boxoffice@theplayhouse.ca, and the Beaverbrook Gallery at adda@beaverbrookartgallery.ca, and you can call the New Brunswick Museum at 1-506-643-2300.

There are so many ways to enjoy springtime in New Brunswick, and while you’re keeping busy and having fun, before you know it, there’ll be new leaves on the trees. Have a happy spring!