Fall/Winter Seasonal Guide
The crisp wind means Uptown Saint John is embracing Fall & Winter! Check out our seasonal signature initiatives, Season of Sparkle activities, Uptown Saint John Gift Card, and Clean Crew services.
We suggest you keep this bookmarked and check back often for up-to-date info!
Fall Uptown Saint John Gift Card Sale – Pause
Our bi-annual sale is pending for Fall & Spring. The sale is for 20% off Uptown Gift Cards while supplies last. $250 will be available for purchase for $200 Maximum one card per purchase per person per email address with Card Pick-up next day.
We will email you & post on our social media when the next one is about to happen.
Uptown Sparkles – Dec 5th 2025
We encourage all Uptown Saint John BIA business members to join us for Uptown Sparkles! Our annual Uptown Sparkles is where we kick off the holiday season with lighting displays, entertainment, and more! We invite all businesses to stay open late and take part!
Opportunity: Let us know what your business is doing for the day of Uptown Sparkles!
Uptown Sparkles has a new look! If you are a business located within the Uptown Saint John BIA or if you are having an event happening for Uptown Sparkles within the BIA you are welcome to download & use the new logo & graphics, by clicking here.
The Gingerbread Trail – Dec 2nd to 24th, 2024 (2025 Date TBD)
Be part of a delightful holiday tradition! The Gingerbread Trail, presented by the Ginger Agency and sponsored by Uptown Saint John BIA, & Flewwelling Press, invites local businesses to showcase their creativity through festive gingerbread displays.
This beloved event is a community favourite, and your participation helps create magical holiday memories for locals and visitors alike. 2024 sign ups are now closed
What You Need to Know:
✨ It’s FREE to participate! No participation fees, just festive fun.
✨ Be creative! Your display can be made with or without real gingerbread. Let your imagination take over, and use materials that fit your vision!
Why Should You Join?
- Spread holiday joy—be part of a fun, creative tradition the community loves.
- Get featured—your business will be included on the Gingerbread Trail map, making it easy for visitors to find and enjoy your display.
Chop Chop, Fundy Winterfest Edition – January 26 – February 1, 2026 (NEW DATES & NEW PRICES)
We’re feeling Winterlicious! This year, Chop Chop is moving to the last week in January to coincide with the already successful Fundy Winterfest. This shift gives us a high-profile, seasonally perfect opportunity to showcase Uptown dining during a time when locals and visitors are looking for ways to warm up and indulge.
For this delightful week-long food initiative, we ask you to submit a menu item of your choice for one or each of the following NEW pricing category ranges;
Lunch: $20 – $55
Dinner: $35 – $75
(Choose your price and menu offering within either or both categories.)
By combining the creativity and energy from our past Poutine Week and Taco Week into Chop Chop Winter, we’re building on the strong brand recognition Chop Chop already has. The timing, during Fundy Winterfest, makes this initiative especially impactful, giving you, our Uptown restaurants, a chance to shine when diners are eager for special food experiences.
Participation Details:
- Submit your menu for one or both categories.
- Each participating restaurant is asked to donate $1 per dish sold directly to the Lunch Connection Program.
- Clearly note if any of your dishes are gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, or halal when submitting your menu.
- Sign-up details will be emailed closer to the date.
Promotion Tip: Tag us on Instagram @UptownSJ in your photos and use the hashtags #ChopChopSJ and #UptownSJEats
Farewell to Uptown Poutine Fest & Uptown Taco Week
Over the years, both Uptown Poutine Fest and Uptown Taco Week have been delicious ways to spotlight your creativity in the kitchen, and we’re grateful to every restaurant that participated and helped make them a success.
As we refresh our annual food initiatives, these two events have now run their course. Moving forward, we’re inviting you to bring all that same innovation and flavour to Chop Chop Fundy Winterfest Edition. Thank you for helping us grow Uptown’s foodie scene, and for continuing to make Uptown Saint John a year-round dining destination.
Fall Resources – Uptown Saint John BIA
Uptown Retailer & Restaurant Guide – Online Map
Our interactive online map makes it easy for visitors to find all Uptown Saint John BIA retailers and restaurants in one place.
📍 Where to Find It:
Scan the featured QR code in these locations:
- Discover Saint John & Towns by the Bay information booklet
- Port Saint John Cruise Ship Map
- Skipper (our Clean Crew rig)
- Uptown Tent Cards for Businesses (available for pickup at our office or request one)
- Both sides of our Uptown Retailer & Restaurant Guides
Complimentary Items for Your Business
Our office has free resources available to support and promote your business!
Is your shop or restaurant patio pet-friendly? Let us know! We will add your pet-friendly business to our Uptown Saint John BIA Pet Friendly online map!
Hosting an Outdoor Event?
We offer fun equipment you can borrow for outdoor events or to use in front of your business!
Fire Pits
Hosting a pop-up event or patio gathering? Our fire pits add warmth and atmosphere. (Propane not provided.)
Bubble Machine
Want to create a playful vibe? Borrow our bubble machine! (Bubble fluid available for purchase, delivered with the machine.)
Clean Crew -Uptown Saint John BIA
Setting the Stage
Saint John Energy and Uptown Saint John BIA continue to work hard to make the Uptown Sparkle. In preparation for the holiday season, Uptown will be brightly lit beginning the middle of November with snowflakes, and as always, King’s Square will be lit up, with the bandstand will shine bright as usual!
Fall & Winter Resources – Community & Beyond the Uptown BIA
- Click here to see Port Saint John’s cruise ship schedule. Find out when changes happen by signing up for SMS text alert by texting the word “CRUISE” to 833-222-1191
- City of Saint John snow removal page, you can find out about plowing and parking bans there.
Year Long Initiatives – Uptown Saint John BIA
Feature Your Event on Our Calendar
Hosting something special in the Uptown Saint John BIA area? From open mics and pop-ups to community festivals, restaurant specials, or retail sales, you’re invited to share it on our Uptown community calendar.
Once approved (typically within 2–3 business days), your event will appear on our website for locals and visitors to discover.
Tip: Be sure to add an image (under 1MB), choose the right category, and double-check your dates!
We welcome:
- Community & business-organized events
- Restaurant specials and drink features
- Retail sales and promotions
- Activities tied to Uptown initiatives like Uptown Sparkles’s
Please note: All events listed are independently organized. Uptown Saint John Inc. is not responsible for event planning, promotion, or execution.
Uptown Saint John Gift Card
Have you registered to accept our Uptown Saint John Gift Card? It is accepted by 100+ Uptown businesses and is free for our business members to join.
Contact our Senior Project Manager Tracy at tracy@uptownsj.com to join now!
Business Safety Summary & Resources
Looking for practical tools to keep your business safe? Our Uptown Business Safety Resource Hub brings together everything from our Crime Prevention & Community Safety Workshop, including the full session video, handouts, and quick reference links. Whether you need a refresher or want to share resources with your team, it’s all in one place to support your daily operations.
Facade Grants (Paused for 2025)
The application period for annual Facade Grants starts at the beginning of every year. Facade Grants are awarded to cover up to fifty percent of project costs, to a maximum of $2000 per PID. Funds are limited, and awards are given out on a first-come, first-served basis. To apply, visit our Uptown Grants page by clicking the button below and fill out the form. Please get your application in by mid-fall, so we have time to process it before year-end.
Uptown Saint John Social Media
Connect with us on Facebook & Instagram at @UptownSJ and remember to use the hashtags #UptownSJ
- Do you have a feel good moment you want us to share? Tag us on Instagram. We share highlighted moments Uptown in our Instagram stories according to our capacity. (Our Instagram account is most active during our regular office hours of operation)
- Private message us on Instagram if you want to be featured on our Instagram account showing off all the work your business does for a special behind-the-scenes video!
Please note that Uptown Saint John Inc. has over 500+ members in the Uptown Saint John BIA. Please tag these accounts a maximum of once a week. We share according to our capacity.
Behind-the-Scenes Features On Uptown Saint John’s Social Media
The Uptown Saint John Business Improvement Association knows that businesses put in so much work behind the scenes through making products, setting up product displays, taking product photos & more! We want to highlight all the hard work that you, Uptown Saint John BIA Businesses, do. We love getting short videos & photos of your behind-the-scenes moments to share with our followers on Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok.
Want to be featured next? Message us on @UptownSJ on Instagram (click here to visit our profile) or email Lea through our contact us page by clicking here.
Uptown Saint John’s Marketing Strategy
Elevate the Uptown Saint John area through promotion and support of the overall landscape of Uptown Saint John based on our 3-year strategic plan, pillars, and the New Brunswick BIA Act.
Uptown Saint John Inc. Marketing FAQ for Uptown Businesses
With over 500+ businesses in the Uptown Saint John BIA, we love seeing all the awesome things you are doing across all business sectors!
How does Uptown Saint John Inc. support the Uptown Saint John BIA through marketing and social media?
Our marketing strategy’s mission is to elevate the Uptown Saint John area, taking into account the bigger picture and the overall landscape of Uptown Saint John. Our marketing focuses on our signature initiatives and events that align with and support our 3-year strategic plan, pillars, and the New Brunswick BIA Act. Our content on our social media platforms reflects these values.
How does Uptown Saint John Inc. promote individual businesses in the Uptown Saint John BIA online?
We know that our 500+ businesses operate across different sectors, each with its own marketing plan and strategy with specific target audiences in mind. Uptown Saint John’s marketing strategy does not include promoting individual businesses.
However, Uptown Saint John does have some digital marketing tools that individual businesses can use to promote themselves;
Uptown Saint John’s Website Events Calendar – All special events happening within the Uptown Saint John BIA area are welcome to be submitted to the events calendar. Our Uptown event calendar proudly features activities submitted by event organizers, reflecting the dynamic spirit of our community. It’s important to clarify that inclusion on our calendar means visibility on our site and does not extend to further promotional efforts. Each event’s marketing and promotion are solely the responsibility of its organizers, and Uptown Saint John Inc. is not associated with the management or execution of these activities.
Uptown Saint John’s Instagram Stories – Does your business have a feel-good moment you want us to share? Each month, we share a few feel-good moments from our Uptown businesses in our Instagram stories. Tag Uptown Saint John’s Instagram accounts in your stories, feed photos, and reels for your business’s opportunity to be shared on the Uptown Saint John stories. Tag @UptownSJ to share your Uptown events, products, sales, menus, and other fantastic things your business is doing.
Please note that Uptown Saint John Inc. has over 500+ members in the Uptown Saint John BIA. We share according to our capacity.
Community Resources
Sign up for Envision Saint John newsletter & get updates on upcoming conferences and events, but please note the list sent is not exhaustive as the list of events is always changing.
Discover Saint John’s events calendar
Find the latest City of Saint John News & Notices Here
City of Saint John Homelessness Crisis Contact Sheet
City of Saint John Winter Management Plan
Want to see King street traffic, weather, or if there is a cruise ship in port? Click here for the City of Saint John Webcam on King Street
City of Saint John Permits, Licenses, and Service Requests
Heritage Conservation | City of Saint John, New Brunswick
Saint John Police Force non-emergency police number 506-648-3333
“The Saint John Police enforce by-laws related to noise (disturbances of the peace such as loud parties and construction noise), panhandling (obstructive and threatening panhandling), street events (parades, festivals, and demonstrations), and will assist the SPCA for animal control calls.” quote from the City of Saint John website
For emergencies, call 911
Have questions about parking Uptown? Contact the Saint John Parking at the City of Saint John at 506-658-4455
Happy To See You Here
At the Uptown Saint John Business Improvement Association, we are passionate about our Uptown Saint John BIA area! We represent the interests of over 500 business members. Membership is automatic and is based on the location of businesses within a defined area, as seen in this map.