Canada As You Like It Blog
Eat Your Way Around Atlantic Canada
- by Canada As You Like It
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- 03 Jan, 2023
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Atlantic Canada is famous for its fresh and abundant seafood, from succulent lobster, to scallops, mussels, oysters and cod – but it offers so much more. Dine at a seaside restaurant, take a stroll through a local farmers' market, or take in one of the many culinary festivals. It’s truly a foodie’s paradise.
Here's a round up of a few amazing foodie events and experiences that we thought you might want to try:
The Halifax Seaport is a vibrant arts and cultural district found at the south end of the Halifax waterfront. Extending from Piers 19 to 23, you will find artisans, retailers, cruise terminals, event facilities, cafés, galleries, offices, a museum and a farmers’ market. This district has been redeveloped to showcase local talent and is now a popular destination for locals and visitors alike. The 15th Cider & Beerfest will take place 1-12 August 2023 and has has now expanded to offer a wide variety of refreshing hard seltzers, pre-mixed cocktails, and sodas, in addition to the extensive assortment of delicious craft beers and cider.
A festival of this proportion would not be complete without some spectacular munchies. Halifax is not just known for its great beer, it's also known for its vibrant culinary scene. The organisers have brought locally-inspired food from a mix of restaurants and food trucks to serve up some of the finest food. The event also includes live music and local DJs, so you'll never be without entertainment at the Halifax Seaport Cider & Beerfest.
The Nova Scotia Good Cheer Trail is Canada’s first winery, craft brewery, cidery and distillery trail. It is a toast to the craftsmanship and creativity of the many wineries, craft breweries, cideries and distilleries.
From Yarmouth to Sydney, discover new favourites as you sample locally produced wines, beers, ciders, and spirits at any of the more than 80 stops on the Good Cheer Trail. Whether you're interested in trying the latest vintage of Tidal Bay, meeting an award-winning brewmaster or sampling a fresh cider or single malt whisky straight from the barrel, the Good Cheer Trail has you covered.
The annual celebration of Cape Breton-based Gaelic music gives locals and visitors alike insight into this distinct and vibrant living culture, bringing the kitchen-ceilidh feel to the forefront. Fiddles and bagpipes, concerts and céilidhs, food and drink, Gaelic language and song, informality and hospitality — consider this your official invitation to Cape Breton’s biggest kitchen céilidh! Local food producers put on special dishes for the festival featuring the freshest, local ingredients including lobster, fresh scallops, shrimp, haddock, salmon, and mussels, blueberries and rhubarb. Your taste buds will be tingling!
The Labrador Straits Bakeapple Folk Festival is a celebration of local culture and a salute to that most wonderful of wild berries — the bakeapple, also known as a cloudberry, a plump golden-orange berry that looks like it is seconds away from bursting at the seams. It grows in the bog lands, marshes and wet meadows throughout Newfoundland & Labrador and tastes lightly sweet by slightly sour with large, crunchy seeds.
The annual festival features lives music and entertainment and events for both children and adults. Food delights include a bakeapple breakfast and a fish fry.
Twillingate’s annual Fish Fun and Folk Festival attracts visitors from near and far who join the region in celebrating a week of friendship, fun, music and food. It is the height of Twillingate’s summer season and a wonderful time to be in the town.
The festival’s celebrations start with a parade through town followed by traditional Newfoundland & Labrador music fireworks, adult dances, a street dance, bonfire, a craft fair, games, a variety of fish meals, special church services, a children’s show and much more. The festival shines a light on rural living, highlighting crafts and different aspects of living in an outport town of Newfoundland & Labrador. 2023 will be the 41st festival!
Each year on the third weekend in September, Elliston, Newfoundland & Labrador, the root cellar capital of the world becomes the backdrop for a two-day celebration of Newfoundland & Labrador Food, Culture, Land & Sea.
Sample Newfoundland & Labrador's most sought-after commodity – cod. Award-winning chefs compete in an all-out war creating the ultimate cod dishes. Indulge in them all, as you sip cocktails and wine and determine who will be crowned victorious.
Sample a hand-made cocktail prepared with local ingredients while indulging in a plate of mixed small bites. Explore the park while listening to Newfoundland & Labrador musicians belt out tunes that will get your toes tapping. Watch as the competitors put the finishing touches on their best cod dish! The War begins, seven of Newfoundland & Labrador's top chefs go head to head. Make your way to the stations and indulge in each chef's unique expression of Newfoundland & Labrador's cod culture. Be sure to stop by the wine stations to taste wines that have been specially selected to pair with the King of the sea.
Hike along the rugged coastline of Elliston, sampling culinary creations from world-famous chefs while sipping wine and local craft beer. Musicians play along with the music of the ocean, while waves crash against the rustic cliffs that guide your trail. Lie in the grass and gaze at the birds flying overhead while you indulge in decadent desserts and locally roasted coffee that awaits you at the end of your journey.
PEI Setting Day Culinary Festival - April / May
The PEI Setting Day Culinary Festival is a celebration of the first lobster catch of the season. Locals celebrate by enjoying exquisitely prepared fresh lobster paired with wine, music and dance. This three-day celebration includes a fresh seafood feast, a chefs’ seafood competition, lobster boat tours, a ceilidh on the wharf, a songwriters’ concert and much more!
The PEI Fall Flavours Festival - September / October 2023
PEI Fall Flavours Festival was born in 2007 as a 10-day celebration in the capital city of Charlottetown. It has grown so much over the last 15 years that it's now a month long! Islanders welcome you to join them on Canada’s Food Island to experience PEI’s incredible food scene during the autumn harvest season.
From kitchen parties to community lobster suppers, oyster shucking shindigs and potato peeling contests, Islanders have a long tradition of celebrating food and inviting visitors to join the party.
Today, Fall Flavours Festival is renowned as Canada’s premier culinary festival and draws in visitors from across the country and around the world.
Maple Capital of Atlantic Canada Festival, New Brunswick - end March / beginning April
Enjoy the many flavours of maple at the Maple Capital of Atlantic Canada Festival. There will be fun events for the whole family taking place across the lovely town of Saint-Quentin and the surrounding area. Saint-Quentin lives up to its reputation as the maple capital of the Atlantic Canada. The festival features maple syrup, wood sawing and carving, as well as a culinary programme, fireworks, shows and sweet activities. Free tastings of taffy on the snow, maple-themed meals and many other activities take place.
Down East Brew Fest, New Brunswick - August
You’re invited to Down East Brew Fest - an outdoor brew party in Fredericton – Atlantic Canada’s Craft Brewing Capital!
Hosted on Saturday, August 5, 2023, the Down East Brew Fest showcases some of the region's best products for you to sample – including beer, cider, mead, spirits and wine. This is an outdoor event held in Downtown Fredericton on Carleton street, rain or shine.
Expect to sample New Brunswick produced crafts beers from producers such as Big Axe Brewery, Hampton Brewing and Foghorn Brewing Company accompanied by awesome live music and on-site food trucks.
In the northwest of Canada where eighty percent of the area
is wilderness, lies the Yukon. With friendly locals, wildlife to observe,
activities to immerse yourself in and fascinating history to explore, this destination makes
for the perfect fly-drive holiday.
Lace up your boots and hit the back country. With trails at your doorstep for exploring, hiking is the best way of seeing the province on a fly drive holiday. There are areas suitable for all levels of hiking, from the congenial leisure walk to the avid hiker. Head to Saskatoon at the Meewasin Valley, this area offers over 105 km of trails across 67 square km of land. It provides year-round adventure and sightseeing opportunities in the heart of beautiful Saskatoon. Benefit from the well-maintained, multi-use pathways to cycle, jog or walk the scenic riverbank trails. Sections of the Meewasin Trail are also part of the Trans Canada Trail which extends almost 24,000 km across Canada from coast to coast. Keen for a challenge? Look at some of the best back country hiking at places like Prince Albert National Park, Lac La Ronge, Meadow Lake- and Narrow Hills Provincial Park in the north or Grasslands National Park and Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park in the south.
With three different water ways and an UNESCO heritage site, Ottawa is the place to explore. Take a trip down the Rideau Canal or explore the ByWard market. Walk along Parliament Hill and through acres of woodland and royal trees planted by dignitaries.
Imagine swimming thousands of miles to find that special someone. Whales complete this every single year, known as a whale migration, to find suitable habitat for feeding and reproducing. In British Columbia, these stunning orcas, also known as killer whales, are a prominent site and seeing them is a once in a lifetime experience. As well as orcas, expect to find humpback whales, grey whales and minke whales. These amazing creatures call BC their home from April to October. When the sun is out the whales come to play. From tail flukes to pectoral slaps, go for a whale watching trip and you can bask in their playful nature and enjoy the sunset with a relaxing drink, perfect for families and solo travellers. You can also go paddleboarding with orcas for a unique perspective from the water to see these magnificent creatures. You must, of course, always keep four hundred metres away from them for their safety and yours.
Welcome to the province of Saskatchewan, Canada – a place of breath-taking landscapes, wide-open spaces and hospitality that is second-to-none. This province is big – 651,900 km2, in fact, and has nearly 100,000 lakes and waterways. Natural beauty is not the only thing this province is known for though. Join us on a culinary journey of Saskatchewan, where food and drink abound, and you will find something good to eat around every corner!
Welcome to the fourth largest province in Canada. With five National Parks and six UNESCO Heritage sites, Alberta is a wonderful and varied place to visit. This blog will explore this great province and expose you to the unique qualities that make this area a location sure to be your next travel destination. A playground for outdoor adventure, popular summer activities include hiking, biking, horse riding, rafting, and fishing. As the seasons change and snow begins to fall, head to Alberta for world-class winter activities including skiing, snowboarding, dogsledding, snowshoeing, heli-skiing, ice climbing and more. From wildlife in the Rockies to Waterton Lakes National Park, and art and culture to explore, Alberta is a wonderland packed with options for every traveller.
Head to Northern Manitoba for a wild and exciting trip. Waterways provide refuge to an abundance of wildlife and the land holds the stories of Indigenous peoples.
Bear viewing
Reconnect with nature in BC and experience spectacular wildlife viewing in stunning landscapes.
Search for grizzly bears, black bears and the rare spirit bear in pristine river valleys in the Great Bear Rainforest. Spot whales, porpoise, sea lions and much more while exploring the Great Bear Sea.
Cubs emerge from their dens in early spring and by August they will be sniffing the beginnings of the great salmon run. Autumn is a feeding frenzy for wildlife. Eagles, seals, sea lions, wolves, whales and bears fill up on salmon for the long winter ahead.
Situated 70 kilometres north of Campbell River, and accessible by floatplane, Glendale Cove is home to one of the largest concentrations of grizzly (brown) bears in BC. In the peak autumn season when the salmon are returning to the river, it’s not uncommon for guests to see up to 40 bears from the viewing platforms. In spring and summer bear viewing is done from the water for a good view of the bears feeding and this is often the best time to see small cubs.