Shediac, New Brunswick, will host a nine-day food event called Chowder Madness from February 20 to February 28, 2026. This winter soup tour, organized by Centre-Ville Shediac Downtown Inc., encourages people to visit local restaurants to try different seafood chowders. The event is listed on the ExperienceShediac website and aims to bring more customers to downtown businesses during the colder months.
The event works as a self-guided trail where residents and visitors can stop at various participating restaurants between Chesley Street and Ste-Anne Street. Instead of buying a master ticket, patrons purchase a bowl of chowder directly from the participating locations. Each purchase usually comes with a ballot to enter a prize draw, which has historically included $450 in gift certificates to be used at downtown shops.
According to the Town of Shediac, this initiative helps support the more than 135 local businesses in the downtown core. The soup trail follows shortly after the local winter carnival and serves as a way to keep the community active during the late-winter period. Local spots like Maison Tait House and Pump House Shediac often use the event to show off their own unique recipes, ranging from traditional seafood soup to modern versions.
While the community is widely known for its summer seafood celebrations, this event is part of a plan to attract visitors to the town throughout the entire year. By focusing on existing restaurant locations, the program highlights the local food scene without requiring a single festival tent or central site. This allows businesses to use their own kitchens to serve the community during the slower months of the year.
