10 Reasons to Spend May Long Weekend in Charlottetown

In case you need a permission slip to kick up your heels and celebrate this May Long Weekend, this is it! We’re preparing to turn things up a notch in downtown Charlottetown with lots of fun, Covid-friendly programming and want you there to help us embrace the city coming alive. Because if this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we really need to seize the day – you just never know what can happen.

Our hoteliers and accommodation are open and offering amazing deals on family, romance or fun packages. So plan a staycation and enjoy DJs outside each day, stiltwalkers, live music, horse & wagon rides, a guided nature walk in Victoria Park, outdoor yoga & fitness classes, patios coming to life, cheery hospitality staff, dance performances in the street, and tulips poppin’ on the street corners.

1) Take in Live Outdoor Music 

T’is the season for good vibes in town. From Victoria Row to Sydney Street, we’ve got some stellar live music by local musicians like Nick Doneff, Fraser McCallum, Brandon Roy, Nathan Carragher, Bridgette Blanchard, Lawrence Maxwell, and more to treat your ears this holiday weekend. There will also be DJs on Confederation Centre Plaza Friday & Saturday.

2) Enjoy an Incredible Deal on a Hotel Package 

You’re due for a reset! Whether it’s treating yourself to a swanky boutique hotel, splashing the weekend away at a pool, or going tech-free at a B&B for the weekend, we have tons of deals for every taste and preference – all at super discounted rates!

3) Hit Up Some Free Outdoor Yoga or Fitness Classes

Come stretch it out with a pop-up yoga class led by Charlottetown Yoga Space instructors in scenic and unique spaces like Salt & Sol’s front lawn, Connaught Square and Beaconsfield, or get your heart rate and your spirits lifted with Gord McNeilly of UFIT on Victoria Row.

4) Check out the Stilt Walkers Roaming the Streets

These fanciful stilt walkers add a whimsical flair to our downtown core and will be the highlight of the weekend for your kids! They’ll be out and about throughout May Long Weekend in the City so be sure to keep an eye out.

5) Take a Horse & Wagon Ride Through the Historic Downtown

Hitch a horse and wagon ride with Great Northern Adventures and experience the historic downtown core in a unique way. Rides are free for hotel guests (you’ll be given a voucher) and $5 for the general public. Rides are first-come, first-serve! Pick up is at the corner of Great George Street and Richmond Street (Victoria Row) Saturday, Sunday, and Monday 12-5pm.

6) Watch a Captivating Dance Performance on Victoria Row

Catch two different dance troops on Victoria Row May Long Weekend. “Living Colour” celebrates and recognizes the power in truth, culture and belonging through the strength and beauty of their dance (performances 4x throughout the weekend). You also don’t want to miss the show-stopping performances by the Hurricane’s Dance Team taking place at various times throughout the weekend.

7) Take Part in a Guided Nature Walk on Victoria Day

Join a free, guided nature walk through some of Victoria Park’s 30 acres of woodlands and trails. Learn about the park’s history, native plants and pollinators, and see if you can spot some local wildlife. Meet at the verandah of the ballfield clubhouse off Forbes Kennedy Way at 11am on Monday, May 24th. Family-friendly!

8) Learn about Fossils with the Kiddies

“The Future is Fossils: A Pop-Up Museum at the Carriage House” invites you to come to experience some of the many fossils in their collection, of both the prehistoric kind and the pre-modern kind. The Pop-up Museum will take place at Beaconsfield Carriage House on Sunday, May 23rd and Monday, May 24th, 2021 from 10am-4pm.  It’s free to attend but please pre-book your spot!  UPDATE: This is Sold Out event. 

 9) Eat & Drink on a Patio Eat & Drink on a Patio

As the warmer weather returns, our many patios have started opening up and this holiday weekend feels like the perfect time to clock some hours on your favourite outdoor deck! Whether it’s streetside dining somewhere like Sims Corner or Slaymaker & Nichols, drinks & cocktails overlooking the harbour at Salt & Sol, or a true Victoria Row experience at John Brown Richmond St. Grille, we’re all about it!

10) Enjoy the Tulips Poppin’ on Street Corners

Charlottetown is becoming more and more vibrant as the tulips start to pop up on street corners and the trees & there flowers come into bloom throughout our parks, streets and green spaces. Watch the city come to life and soak up all the good vibes this holiday weekend has to offer.

Take advantage of these staycation deals and make a whole weekend of it! 

Click here for the full May Long Weekend in the City Schedule of Events.