Festival Fun
Workshops, presentations, pirates, food and drinks. It's all here!
Find your waypoints to all the festival fun. There's something for every member of your crew.
PLEASE NOTE
Most activities require registration due to limited space/slots.
Registration information and costs will be detailed in our ticketing system.
For the dates/times for each activity, check our schedule.
Storytelling & Presentations
First Nations Storytellers Walk
Join Dave Smith, of First Nations Storytellers, and discover a unique perspective of the Wolastoq and Mi’kmaq people’s history while meandering along the Irish River and harbour. His two-eyed seeing approach to sharing the stories of the first peoples of Turtle Island stems from his involvement in the“60’s Scoop” and he is passionate about helping facilitate a better relationship between the two Nations which is now Canada. Join Dave on his journey to reclaim his culture by sharing what he has learned along the way.
90 minutes | Walking Suitable for all ages
Walk n' Talks with David Goss
Join local author, folklorist and storyteller David Goss as he takes you on one of THREE interactive walking tours around the village!
1) The Ghost of John and his Bay of Fundy Ghost Stories from the Saxby Gale to Today, 2) A Cemetery Speaks. Stories the stones tell through their symbolism and epitaphs and 3) The Best of Fundy Folklore sea stories, treasure tales.
Meet the Johnson Girls
Join us for a fun Meet & Greet with Deirdre, Joy, Bonnie and Alison!
New to our 2023 line-up, the Internationally acclaimed The Johnson Girls have been a force on the folk and maritime music scene since 1997 as the leading all-woman, a cappella maritime group in the world. Believing that sea chanteys and sea songs were the first real “World Music”, each member brings a special influence to their music.
Shipbuilding in St. Martins with Rob Moran
A lifelong resident of St. Martins, Robert Moran currently resides on the outskirts of the Village with his wife Tami. He is a seventh-generation Moran to live in the area and is a direct descendant of Mathias Moran, one of the original land grantees of Quaco in 1784. His ancestors are credited with having constructed the first square-rigged ship, the ‘Waterloo’ in 1815 and producing the greatest tonnage of wooden sailing vessels ever to launch from the shores of St. Martins during the Golden Age of Sail.
Rob is proud of his heritage and the proud father of two sons, Matthew and Anthony. He is a past president of the Quaco Historical and Library Society (currently vice-president) and a published author. Along with the help of many friends and acquaintances, Rob spear-headed the campaign to raise funds to repatriate the original figurehead from the ship, ‘Prince Victor’ back to St. Martins in August 2016.
Rob’s presentation will look at the shipbuilding families of St. Martins and surrounding areas, and what was involved in the construction of the various types of vessels launched from St. Martins during the 1800’s and early 1900’s.
Shipwrecks of the Bay of Fundy with Chelsea Pasch
Chelsea Colwell-Pasch is a professional archaeologist based out of Fredericton, New Brunswick and specializes in underwater archaeology and innovative technology in archaeological field methodologies and equipment.
Chelsea will be providing a Walk-N-Talk, titled ‘Shipwrecks of the Bay of Fundy’, through the Village of St. Martins and discussing the shipwrecks of the Bay of Fundy, specifically those close to St. Martins, the importance of underwater cultural heritage and its protection and the wider context of Canada’s role in Transatlantic trade during St. Martin’s hay day and how there are modern colloquial sayings many of us use in our vocabulary today that have their roots in the rich maritime heritage we all share.
Sea Shanties Explained
How much do you actually know about sea shanties? Do you know there are different types? Are you curious to learn about the reasons for each type, and when they were sung and why? And how about the history? Join Eric Ruff from The Yarmouth Shantymen for "Everything you wanted to know about Sea Shanties"!
Food & Drink
Rum Tasting
Join whiskey and rum enthusiast Graham MacKenney, Atlantic Rum Connection, as he presents a variety of rums from around the Atlantic Provinces.
Pancake Breakfasts
Join us on Saturday and/or Sunday morning for a scrumptious pancake breakfast at the local Legion!
Fundy, Fin & Fire
Indulge your senses with ongoing entertainment and a five-course, farm-to-table food, and libation experience. Start with a chilled welcome beverage while you take in the beauty of the Amphitheatre on Vaughan Creek. Take your seat on your picnic blanket, lawn chair, or at one of our farm tables. There are 5 stations scattered around the Amphitheater to explore. Savor the flavors of each course while enjoying the pairings and interacting with our team, and the experts from Benjamin Bridge Winery, who will offer an in-depth look at their wines and the stories behind them. Stop by the local beer or rum tents if you are still thirsty (cash bars).
Later in the evening, you will step back in time and enjoy 150-year-old shanties sung by our many performers. When this happened last year, it was truly a magical moment, I can only imagine what it will be like under the evening sky in an old shipbuilding harbour.
Beer Tastings
We'll be hosting multiple beer tastings in the Amphitheatre with the fine folks at Gridiron Brewing. Cheers!
Maritime Kitchen Party
Join Before the Mast on Friday night at the local legion for a good 'ol fashioned kitchen party! Get the party started with toe-tapping tunes and a scrumptious dessert.
Workshops
Decorative Knot Tying
Join Daryl Caines for one of two 90-minute workshops where you will make and take home your own decorative knot project! 1) Trinity Rope Coaster and/or the 2) Carrick Bend Placemat
Tin Whistles
Learn to play the tin whistle with this workshop by Bob Burgess
For AGES 8 and UP.
All Weekend Long
Port City Pyrates
The Port City Pyrates are coming to the shores of St Martins and will set up their encampment alongside the Irish River. Drop by for a visit and endless photo-ops. They'll also mix n’ mingle amongst us all weekend long at various locations and host several family activities!
Watch out, because who knows what mischief they’ll be up to! They are Pirates after all!
For the Family
Beading Workshop with First Nations Storytellers
The town of St. Martins sits in what was originally called Mi’kmaki, where stories were told thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. Sit with founder Dave of First Nations Storytellers for easy-to-do beading while sharing in his journey to learn and reclaim his Mi’kmaq culture through story.
Dave loves sharing his culture and works daily to educate himself and others of the ancient wisdom of Turtle Island.
Celtic Dance Workshop with Paige LeClair
Join Paige LeClair, director of Celtic Roots Dance Academy for a family-fun Celtic dance workshop! Jigs and reels will fill the air as we dance and clap along to lively fiddle tunes while learning this upbeat traditional dance style! This workshop is open to all ages, no experience necessary!
Paige began dancing at the age of three, where she found her love for step dancing and all things Celtic. Originally from Prince Edward Island, she has competed and performed at various events, fundraisers and concerts across the Maritimes and Ontario. In recent years, Paige has performed with the College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts of Canada in their seasonal production of Highland Storm, where she was a principal dancer, fiddler, vocalist and dance captain. Her most notable performance was for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during their visit to Prince Edward Island in 2011. Some of her other accomplishments in the performing arts include performing with the PEI Music Awards, PEI Shellfish Festival, 2 CMBG Petawawa Pipes And Drums, 5th CDSB Gagetown Pipes and Drums, and the NB Country Music Showcase.
Pirate Training & Games with the Port City Pyrates
On Saturday, meet the Port City Pyrates and become a pirate in training with sword lessons and pirate-speak tutorials. Balloon swords will be provided!
On Sunday, you can join the Pyrates for more fun and merriment. You'll play games with the crew such as: The Cap'n Says, Walk the Plank and Hook the Treasure!