👀 What's new at Haymarket Square?

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Good morning, Saint John! Lawmakers in Brazil had to pause their day after a group of capybaras wandered into the legislature. That'd be like a seagull strutting into City Hall demanding to speak to... the gull.

Here’s the lowdown for the day:

Enjoy the day!

-Geoff Walsh, Publisher

Life gets busy. Between work, practices, errands and everything else, sitting around the same table doesn't happen as often as we'd like.

East Side Mario's has always been one of those places families come back to. Big portions, Italian favourites, endless Soup, Salad and Garlic Homeloaf, and something on the menu for everyone. Proudly locally owned and operated, they're ready whenever you are.

🍕 One pop-up deserves another

Turns out flowers were just the beginning. After helping Keirstead's Flower Shop with a sold-out pop-up last week, In Pursuit is teaming up with Julius Pizza for a one-day Pizza Pickup Party this Friday.

Here's how it works…pre-order your slices directly from Julius by sending them a message on Facebook or Instagram, or by texting Alex at (506) 285-6261, then pick up your order at In Pursuit (20 King St.) at 11:30am. The goal is to sell 50 slices while giving people an easy, construction-free way to grab lunch.

For Julius co-owner Alex Vlamakis, the pizza is only part of the story. "The team at In Pursuit reached out to us out of nowhere, and that kind of random kindness is what we love so much about Saint John," he told SJ Today. "The world would be a better place if we all just helped each other more because you don't know how much that little bit of help could brighten someone's day."

🚧 King Street slowdown

King Street in front of 99 King St. will be reduced to one lane at times today from 11am to 5pm for crane work. Businesses will stay open, but expect brief delays if you're heading Uptown.

🏋️ Fundy CrossFit muscles back

After three months without a home, Fundy CrossFit is just one “teeny tiny issue” away from reopening at 319 City Road, better known to locals as Haymarket Square and the former bingo hall.

It’s the third location in 14 years for the gym, which started small at Place 400 before moving to Bentley Street in 2020. Co-owner Jennifer Constantine says they were negotiating another five-year lease there when a deeper-pocketed tenant landed the space. “We were given three months to find a new 6,500-square-foot warehouse-type location that was centrally located and didn’t break the bank,” she said. “A real estate unicorn.”

The team toured at least 35 properties before securing City Road, a space that had sat vacant for roughly a decade and needed a serious workout of its own. With no time left before leaving Bentley, they had to pause memberships and bet on rebuilding. “We had to decide whether to make the investment and trust our members would come back, or shut our doors for good,” Jennifer said. “We were optimistic it would take 30 days to get up and running again. We were very wrong.”

Members helped move several tonnes of equipment into storage, then spent evenings and weekends painting, plumbing, building and cleaning alongside the owners. “They came in after work, on weekends, even the sunny ones, and picked up hammers, mops and paint brushes to get the work done,” Jennifer said. “This new place belongs to them. We just pay the rent.”

The gym completed its final city and fire inspections Monday and could reopen any day now. Once approval lands, Jennifer says they’ll be “lighting the bat signal.”

Fundy CrossFit will return with unlimited CrossFit memberships, several powerlifting options and teen classes, with a new seniors lifting program also on the way. Beginners are welcome too. “CrossFit has a reputation for being very intense, something you have to be ‘in shape’ to start,” Jennifer said. “Nothing could be further from the truth. CrossFit is challenging, but the hardest part is walking through the door.”

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WEEKEND PREVIEW

THURSDAY

Concert in the Common | August 6
Ella Campbell takes the Rothesay Common stage from 7pm to 8pm for another free Thursday-night concert. Bring a blanket or chair and park at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. Rain moves the show to Wells Community Centre.

FRIDAY

Fundy Sea Shanty Festival | August 7–9
The Fundy Sea Shanty Festival sails back into Fundy-St. Martins for three days of maritime music, food, storytelling and workshops. Heather Rankin, Les Gabiers d’Aquilon and the Bytown Sea Shanty Collective headline a weekend that also includes pub nights, singalongs, dancing, coastal crafts, historical presentations and the Harbour Bazaar. Most activities require registration, so don’t wait until the ship has sailed.

Buskers on the Boardwalk | August 7–9
The Boardwalk turns into one big open-air circus for three days of magic, comedy, fire, music and people with considerably better balance than the rest of us. Free shows run from noon into the evening Friday through Sunday, featuring Junkyard Symphony, Madame Guillotine, Super Silly Danger Boy, Astonishment and daredevil magician Spencer Scurr.

Bay of Fundy Sand Sculpture Festival | August 7–9
The Bay of Fundy Sand Sculpture Festival gets rolling Friday as eight professionals turn 60 tonnes of sand into an Uptown masterpiece on the Market Square Boardwalk. The action moves to New River Beach Saturday and Sunday for two days of world-class sculpting, an amateur competition, free family workshops and a Vendor Village featuring more than 30 local makers and food vendors. Enjoy the art while it lasts because the Bay has already scheduled its demolition crew.

New Brunswick GeoGuessr Party | August 7
The Saint John Free Public Library puts New Brunswick geography knowledge to the test with a GeoGuessr competition at 2pm. Players 13 and older should bring their own device and prepare to identify obscure corners of the province for a prize. Registration is required.

Kirtan in the Park and Ecstatic Dance | August 7
An evening of mantras, prayers, medicine songs and dancing begins at 5:30pm in the Saint John Public Gardens on Seely Street. It’s a Friday-night option for anyone seeking something considerably calmer than the Boardwalk fire jugglers.

SATURDAY

Free Kids Book Market | August 8
Young readers can pick out free books outside the Carleton Community Centre from 2pm to 4pm, or until the supply disappears. Organized by Marlee Learmonth, the market features new and gently used books for children from pre-K to Grade 5, plus story time, face painting, bookmark decorating and comfortable places to immediately crack open the new haul.

Her-Story Guided History Walk | August 8
Take a walk through the stories of the formidable women in Saint John’s past beginning at 7pm. Tickets are $10, with proceeds supporting the New Brunswick Historical Society and Loyalist House. Rain will move the walk to August 9.

AREA 506 Kidstage - The Lumberjack’s Alphabet | August 8
Before alphabet songs were teaching kids their ABCs, lumberjacks had one of their own. Musical storyteller Mike Bravener brings The Lumberjack’s Alphabet to the AREA 506 Kidstage from 11am to 1pm, sharing the songs, rhythms and stories once heard in logging camps across North America.

Kingston Farmers Market | August 8
More than 80 vendors fill the Kingston Farmers Market from 8am to 1pm with New Brunswick produce, salmon, grass-fed meats, baking, crafts and food from around the world. It’s the market’s 28th season, so at this point, it knows exactly how to ruin your plan to buy only one thing.

SUNDAY

Queen Square Farmers’ Market | August 9
Queen Square fills with produce, flowers, eggs, cheese, local meats and ready-to-eat food from around the world from 9am to 2pm. The weekly market runs rain or shine, making it a dependable Sunday stop for groceries, lunch or an accidental armful of baked goods.

🎟️ Looking for something else? Browse all of this week’s local events.

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Thanks for reading SJ Today - If you found it useful, share it with someone who loves to squawk and steal french fries 🐦.

-Geoff Walsh - Publisher