Salty Towers
St Andrews Activities
Although we do not generally plan activities for our guests, St Andrews is one of the busiest small towns found anywhere. Depending on the season visitors to town can take in theatre, movies, opera, contemporary music, visual art, sailing kayaking, world class challenge events and more. Salty Towers has also been known to host the occasional concert on the porch or in the living room!
Ongoing
Below are a few ideas for you to think about. We can make other suggestions too!
Food Options
St Andrews has a wide range of eating options. Try fine dining at The Rossmount Inn or Europa, casual fare at The Gables, The Harbourfront, a cafe experience at The Niger Reef Tea House or a unique open-air experience at the Char & Chowder, great pub food at The Red Herring or The Kennedy Inn or even take out from The Clam Digger or King Street Pizza. And don't forget great early morning breakfast at Lumberjacks Café or coffee tea and treats at Honeybeans and pick up a loaf of homemade of bread!
In total St Andrews boasts more than 20 eating establishments and on Thursdays there is a great farmers market in Market Square, next to the post office with great prepared food! Check it out!
Music
St Andrews boasts an impressive music scene! All year round The Red Herring pub hosts live music on various evenings (Happy Hour and/or late night). Ask about the famous Thursday night Boom Boom! The pub at the Kennedy Inn has live acoustic music most Fridays and Saturdays.
Other venues to check include the Gallery at Sunbury Shores. They often host well known touring acoustic acts and Savour in The Garden presents an early evening Wednesday music event in the summer usually featuring local artists. Look for posters.
Also during the summer the St Andrews Arts Council presents an Opera workshop (end of July) and a variety of classical concerts in July and August. Minister's Island has created a summer concert series that has become a must go to event.
In addition watch for the occasional event at the Algonquin Hotel and even right here at Salty Towers!
Skywatching & Ocean Walking
Spend early mornings at Indian Point or Pagan Point watching the sunrise or at the town wharf or the Blockhouse in the evenings to see sunsets. St Andrews does sunrise and sunset very well! All forms of yellows, oranges pinks and reds can be seen and on a clear day or evening the change in the blue of the sky to indigo and mauve is really quite remarkable.
A walk out on the ocean floor any time of day is a unique experience, rain or shine. Some brave souls take dips year-round as well.
Environmental Explorations
Plan a day exploring our backyard. Hike, kayak, whalewatch, fish, cycle or just poke around the nooks and crannies along the shore.... there's lots to do to keep your senses occupied.
A number of whalewatching companies are based at the wharf in St Andrews. Choose from Zodiac, sailboat (72 ft Pilot Cutter), to Catamaran or custom built tour boats to access the waters beyond Passamaquoddy Bay and the wildlife that awaits. Harbour and Grey Seals, Finback, Minke, Humpback and occasionally Right Whales are seen at one time or another in season. Even the odd Basking Shark and Great White Shark have been spotted. A couple of companies also offer fishing charters.
Kayaking trips can be booked in town (short excursions) or travel to Deer Island and access "big water" and the swells of the ocean. Seascape Kayak Tours will lead you on half day, day long or multi day trips showing you the best of region's marine envirionment.
If you cycle you will find a number of easy and moderatly challenging trail options in and just outside of town. For a unique experience call Kurt Gumushel owner of Off Kilter Bike Tours.
He'll outfit you with a riding kilt (yup that's right!) and take you on a tour along local beaches, through woodland trails and to Minister's Island across the ocean floor feeding you local information all the way. The island and its buildings were once the realm of Sir William Van Horne, builder of the Canadian Pacific Railway. It's a fantastic site whether visiting with Kurt or on your own. There are daily tours, when the tides are right, throughout the summer.
If you just like to walk or do some light to medium hiking there are several kilometers of trails within town and several kilometeres more a few minutes drive away. Easy coastal and woodland trails are minutes from the house or on Minsiter's Island. Drive a few minutes more and get a workout hiking up Simpson Hill, Chamcook Mountain or around Sam Orr's Pond.
Some our favourite short jaunts include walking the intertidal zone at Indian Point at low tide and seeing what critters you can find, or enjoying the quiet solitude of the O'Neil Farm Marsh and walking the old railbed to the ocean side of Katy's Cove (skinny dipping allowed in the evening and at night!). It's also quite relaxing just to walk through town and enjoy the incredible architecture of this historic town.
Attractions
For a small community St Andrews has a great range of attractions.
Located just outside of town is the Fundy Discovery Aquarium, part of the Huntsman Marine Science Centre. Live fish, beach critters and harbour seals are on display. Summer programs for kids are offered too.
Also a few minutes outside of town The Atlantic Salmon Federation has an interpretive centre and a series of short paths through their grounds.
Right in the middle of town sits Sunbury Shores Arts and Nature Centre, the longest continuously running facility of its kind in Canada. Programs in the visual arts and natural history for those 6 - 96 are offered year round.
Sheriff Andrews House and The Ross Museum display artifacts of a time gone by. The first is a New Brunswick heritage site the second a private family museum operated by the town.
Kingsbrae Gardens, at the head of King Street, is a 27 acre horticultural treasure that has been named Canada's top Garden by the Canadian Garden Tourism Assn. With over 2500 species on the premises it is worth visiting if only for the colour.
Annual Events
St Andrews hosts a number of great annual events winter spring summer and fall!
Starting in January think about visiting and getting cozy at Winter Warmer. This small intimate festival has been attracting some of the best Atlantic Canadian acoustic musicians for a number years. Small venues, intimate crowds, tasty winter food and drink it's a great way to get to know the town and its people.
In May, for close to 20 years, music "affectionados" and outdoor enthusiasts have been coming to Paddlefest. It's a chance to welcome the warmer weather, get on the water and take in great music.
Another great May event is the Town Wide Yard Sale. Households and local businesses participate and maps are produced to lead you to all sorts of second hand treasure!
Every Father's Day for decades now, the annual St Andrews 5 Mile Road Race has taken place. It has grown from a few local runners to being a part of the Road Race circuit. Through most of June the St Andrews Arts Council produces an Early Music Festival that involves local community members as well as professional musicians from Canada and the US.
July 1st - Canada Day
Canada Day in St Andrews is a huge event. Thousands of people flock to town to enjoy a day full of activities for young and old, includinga parade, farmers market and food fair, children's activities, music and evening fireworks...some of the best you're likely to see anywhere!
The first full weekend in July sees the town taken over by some of the worlds's finest Tri Athletes. Challenge St Andrews is a bona fide stop on the North American "Challenge" circuit and athletes compete to see who will be best at the 2km swim, 90km cycling course and the 21km half marathon.
At the beginning of August the St Andrews' Arts Council's annual Opera Workshop finishes with a public performance by its participants. Many are world class young singers just strting their professional careers.
August also brings New Brunswick Day celebrations and festivities to town. Look for an expanded farmer's market a food fair and music in Market Square, a community breakfast, a regatta, an antique show and sale, special events on Minister's Island and more...
Throughout the month of August the St Andrews Arts Council stages its Piano Academy and festival which includes a series of piano recitals by guest artists from around the world culminating in a Gala Performance by the Festival Orchestra
Food continues to be a theme in October during Indulge St Andrews. Sample beers, wines and foods in dozens of establishments downtown and at the Algonquin Resort and Rossmount Inn.