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Good morning, Saint John! While today is big day for music in the city, last night was a helluva show at the Imperial Theatre as Dwayne Gretzky payed a visit. If you were there you know…if you weren’t, see if you can still book ‘em for your cousin’s wedding this summer 🎹.

Here’s the lowdown for the day:

Enjoy the day!

-Geoff Walsh, Publisher

For a lot of Saint John families, the YMCA is just part of life.

Maybe it’s where the kids learned to swim. Maybe it’s the place you go to clear your head on a treadmill after work. Or maybe it’s the one place in the city where fitness, family time, and community all happen under the same roof.

Right now is a great time to jump in.

The YMCA of Southwestern New Brunswick is offering $0 joiner fee on new memberships until March 31, so you can start swimming, lifting, joining group fitness classes, or finding your wellness groove again without paying the usual sign-up cost.

Your membership also includes access to three local locations - the Saint John Regional Y, Irving Oil Field House, and the Glenn Carpenter Centre.

If getting active again has been on your mind, this is a great time to start. Become a Member Today.

📦 AREA 506 lineup drops today

If your screen time jumps a little today, you’ve got a good excuse.

AREA 506 kicks off what they’re calling The Least Productive Day in New Brunswick starting at 9am, with artist names rolling out throughout the day before tickets go live at 5pm.

They’re dropping 25 bands in total, with reveals coming steady (and maybe not so steady) as the day goes on. So if you’re at work, you might consider this a keep-a-tab-open, refresh-when-the-alarm-goes-off kind of situation.

This year’s festival runs July 30 to Aug. 2 on the waterfront, and with nearly double the artist applications, it sounds like they had some tough calls to make.

🍻What a time to be alive

Saint John’s Moosehead Breweries is heading somewhere new… like, really new.

The west side brewery just launched a limited-edition Space Beer to mark an upcoming Canadian space mission, and it’s not what you think. It’s their classic lager, freeze-dried into little snackable pieces with zero alcohol, designed for zero gravity.

So technically beer, but practically astronaut trail mix.

The idea came together with a Canadian food innovation team, turning Moosehead into something shelf-stable, space-friendly, and definitely not available at your usual fridge door.

Only a handful of six-packs are being released, and you’ll have to go through Moosehead’s Instagram to try your luck.

No word yet on what pairs best with it, but somehow pretzels still feel right.

📊 Economic development report card

Saint John got its annual check-in yesterday as Envision Saint John rolled out its Year-in-Review and State of the Economy.

The big engines are still doing their thing. The port’s moving product, industrial space is tight, and the region continues to punch above its weight on exports.

But not everything’s keeping pace.

Office vacancy is hovering around 30%, tourism’s holding but not surging, and while more people are arriving, housing and workforce haven’t quite caught up.

CEO, Andrew Beckett walked through the year, with economist Lana Asaff putting numbers behind the trends.

You can get full details here.

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✂️ Fresh cuts, familiar face

You might recognize Randy Richard from around uptown. As of last month, he’s now running Haircraft Studio at Princess and Canterbury.

He’s been cutting hair for nearly 30 years, working across women’s and men’s styles, with a focus on custom colour. Blondes are his specialty, but he handles everything from precision cuts to full colour transformations. He also offers perms, which are getting harder to find.

“I like blending creativity and technique to help people feel their best every day,” he said. “Je suis aussi bilingue.”

He’s taking new clients now, and booking is open.

Get your brand in front of eager eyes. Partner with us for prime advertising opportunities!

WEEKEND PREVIEW

THURSDAY

Spring Tide Shantyfest | March 26-28
Uptown Saint John trades late-winter gloom for sea songs and salt-air spirit when Spring Tide Shantyfest returns from March 26-28. The festival stretches across multiple venues with music, workshops, talks, and themed food events, all tied to the city’s seafaring roots. It’s part cultural celebration, part good excuse to roam Uptown and hear a few hearty choruses along the way.

FRIDAY

Fusion Mineral Paint Night at Emporia | March 27
Emporia is hosting a special drop-in night Friday from 5-7pm with Fusion Mineral Paint founder Jennylyn Pringle. It’s geared toward current fans, curious DIY types, and anyone who has ever stared at a piece of furniture and thought, maybe. There’ll be product talk, specials, drinks, and snacks, which is honestly a pretty decent combo for a Friday evening browse.

Solina at Trinity Galleries | March 27
Trinity Galleries is welcoming Solina back on Friday for a 7pm night of brand-new jazz right in the middle of Easter season. Reservations are suggested, which tells people two things: it’s intimate, and it may fill up. For anyone craving something a little moodier and more refined than the usual Friday scene, this one sounds like a strong Uptown pick.

The Dooryard Drifters at Wasted Day | March 27
Wasted Day Brewing is handing the stage to The Dooryard Drifters on Friday from 9pm-midnight for a night of Atlantic-flavoured rock and roll with a heavy Canadian streak. Advance tickets are $10, or $15 at the door, which feels pretty reasonable for anyone looking to close out the week with guitars, beer, and a little maritime swagger.

The Mike Biggar Jazz & Blues Revue | March 27-28
Mike Biggar and company are back at the BMO Studio Theatre March 27-28, with shows at 7:30pm both nights. The lineup promises jazz, blues, and R&B in that intimate room that tends to make everything feel a little closer and a little better. For local music fans, this is one of those dependable crowd-pleasers that usually lands well.

SATURDAY

Bobby’s Hospice Spring Market | March 28
Exhibition Park turns into a full-on spring shopping circuit Saturday from 9am-3pm, with 175 vendor tables, live music, raffles, door prizes, and all kinds of handmade goods and treats. Admission is by donation, with proceeds supporting patient care through Bobby’s Hospice, so it’s one of those rare errands-meets-good-cause situations where browsing around actually feels pretty noble.

Celtic Culture at the City Market | March 28
The Saint John City Market is leaning into Celtic culture Saturday afternoon with a lineup of live performances starting at 1:30pm. Expect dance from Celtic Roots Dance Academy and Forever Highland Dance School, plus live music from Andrew Whitaker, all layered into the usual Market buzz. There’ll also be a cultural booth hosted by the Saint Andrew’s Society, making this an easy stop if you’re already downtown.

Just Like Heaven New Wave Matinee | March 28
Five and Dime is swapping late-night energy for a synth-soaked afternoon Saturday from 1:30-4pm with Just Like Heaven, a new wave matinee featuring Dillon Ryan & Friends. It’s got retro mood, daytime drinks, and a playlist lane built for anyone who likes their Saturdays with a little atmosphere and a lot of 80s-inspired cool.

Beer Tasting at The Porch | March 28
The Porch in Hampton is pouring a guided beer tasting Saturday, with Luke and Josh walking guests through a four-beer flight and the stories behind each brew. Tickets are $25 and include the tasting plus a full 20oz pint at the end, which feels like a pretty fair deal for anyone who enjoys beer talk, beer drinking, and not overcomplicating the evening.

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📸 Ruth Ellen Smith | 📍 300 Union Street

This could be your photo tomorrow — tag @sjtoday on IG or SJTodayNewsletter on FB.

🌅 7:15am | 🌇 7:44pm

Today’s Tides 🌊

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Thanks for reading SJ Today - If you found it useful, share it with someone who can sing a verse of The Weight 🎤.

-Geoff Walsh - Publisher