St. John's
Around St. John's
Photo: CyberDetroit · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Metro area · Newfoundland and Labrador · 212k people
St. John's
“City of Legends”, “The Fog City”
The colourful capital of the Rock
Navy BlueGoldCrimson
Welcome to St. John's, where the ocean breeze and colourful houses greet you. Get ready for friendly banter, great music, and the most dramatic coastline in Canada.
Clubs for St. John's
No clubs for St. John's yet.
The room
One room for everyone around St. John's. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.
Ask the neighbours
AllA good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.
Coming up
No events in the next month. Events made in the room show up here.
Marketplace
Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around St. John's. Sign in to sell something.
Things to do
- Signal Hill Historic site with Cabot Tower and panoramic harbour views.
- Cape Spear Lighthouse Easternmost point in North America, with a historic lighthouse.
- Quidi Vidi Picturesque fishing village and microbrewery.
- The Rooms Provincial museum, art gallery, and archives.
- George Street Famous for pubs and live music, especially at night.
- Water Street One of the oldest streets in North America, with historic buildings.
- Outdoors Hike Signal Hill
- Outdoors Walk the East Coast Trail
- With kids Visit Bowring Park
- With kids Explore the Johnson Geo Centre
- Evenings Pub crawl on George Street
- Evenings Live trad music sessions
- Locals love Pubs with live music
- Locals love Coastal hiking trails
Through the year
- Royal St. John's Regatta August North America's oldest sporting event, held on Quidi Vidi Lake.
- George Street Festival August Multi-day music festival on the famous pub street.
- Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival July Folk music and culture in Bannerman Park.
- Tely 10 July 10-mile road race from the city to the village of Torbay.
- Iceberg Festival May-June Celebrates the arrival of icebergs along the coast.
St. John's has a maritime climate with fog, rain, and mild temperatures. Best time to be out is July to September. Best: July to September
Talk like a local
- “b'y”
- boy, used as a term of address.
- “whadd'ya at?”
- how are you?
- “screech”
- local rum.
- “touton”
- fried bread dough, often served with molasses.
Getaways
- Gander Known for aviation history and the Gander Heritage Trail.
- Grand Falls-Windsor Waterfalls, salmon fishing, and the Exploits River.
- Corner Brook Skiing at Marble Mountain and the Humber River.
Local flavour
Teams
- Newfoundland Rogues Basketball Super League
- Memorial University Sea-Hawks U Sports
Also rooting for Toronto Maple Leafs
Eat and drink
- Jiggs dinner Salt beef, cabbage, potatoes, and pease pudding
- Fish and brewis Dried cod with hard bread, scrunchions, and molasses
- Toutons Fried bread dough, often served with molasses
- Scrunchions Pork fat cracklings used as a topping
- Partridgeberry jam Local berry jam, often served with toutons
- Newfoundland screech Dark rum, a local staple
Where people go
- Colourful row houses Iconic jellybean-coloured homes on steep streets
- Harbourfront Working harbour with fishing boats and cargo ships
- Historic fortifications Signal Hill and other military sites
- Lighthouses Scattered along the rugged coastline
- Fishing villages Outports with wharves and sheds
- Pubs with live music Traditional Newfoundland music sessions
Heritage and traditions
St. John's is proud of its deep-rooted maritime heritage, colourful row houses, and the warm, witty spirit of its people, who have turned a rugged North Atlantic outpost into a vibrant cultural capital.
This time of year in St. John's
- St. John's International Women's Film Festival October Showcases films by women from around the world.
Say it like a local: “Yes b'y” — Yes, boy (used as an exclamation or agreement)
Festivals
- Royal St. John's Regatta July North America's oldest annual sporting event, held on Quidi Vidi Lake.
- George Street Festival August Multi-day outdoor music festival on the famous pub street.
- Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival July Celebrates traditional folk music, dance, and storytelling.
- Tely 10 July A 10-mile road race from Paradise to St. John's, a local institution.
- Iceberg Festival May–June Celebrates the arrival of icebergs with tours, food, and cultural events.
- St. John's International Women's Film Festival October Showcases films by women from around the world.
Landmarks with a story
- Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist A stunning Romanesque Revival cathedral and the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese.
- Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist A Gothic Revival cathedral, one of the largest in North America.
- Government House The official residence of the Lieutenant Governor, built in the 1820s.
- Newman Wine Vaults Historic stone vaults where port wine was aged, now a museum.
- Fort Amherst A coastal fortification at the entrance to St. John's Harbour, dating from the 18th century.
- The Battery A colourful historic neighbourhood clinging to the cliffs near Signal Hill.
Food traditions
- Cod tongues and cheeks A delicacy from the fishing heritage, often fried and served with scrunchions.
- Figgy duff A boiled pudding made with raisins and molasses, served with butter or syrup.
- Bakeapple (cloudberry) jam A tart, golden berry jam unique to the region, often served with bread or desserts.
- Moose stew Hearty stew made with moose meat, vegetables, and often partridgeberries.
- Tea with condensed milk A social custom where strong tea is sweetened with condensed milk, offered to guests.
Music and arts
- Traditional Newfoundland folk music Accordion, fiddle, and tin whistle tunes with Irish and English roots.
- Kitchen parties Informal gatherings where friends play music, sing, and tell stories in a home setting.
- Mummering A folk tradition where people dress in disguise and visit neighbours during Christmas, revived as a performance art.
- Visual arts at The Rooms The provincial art gallery and museum showcases Newfoundland artists and history.
A little history
- 1583 Humphrey Gilbert claims Newfoundland for England
- 1762 Battle of Signal Hill, the last battle of the Seven Years' War in North America
- 1892 Great Fire of St. John's destroys much of the city
- 1901 Marconi receives the first transatlantic wireless signal on Signal Hill
- 1949 Newfoundland joins Canada as the 10th province
- Game day Tely 10
- Game day Royal St. John's Regatta
- Outdoors Hike Signal Hill
- Outdoors Walk the East Coast Trail
- With kids Bowring Park
- With kids Johnson Geo Centre
Newfoundland English blends Irish and West Country English with a distinctive lilt, unique vocabulary, and a warm, humorous tone. Locals often drop 'h' sounds and use 'b'y' for emphasis.
Only here
- The Royal St. John's Regatta is North America's oldest annual sporting event, held on Quidi Vidi Lake.
- The 'Screech-in' ceremony, where visitors are initiated with Newfoundland Screech rum and a kiss on a cod, is a local rite.
- Jellybean Row—the iconic colourful row houses that line the downtown streets.
- Mummering, a Christmas tradition of disguised house visits, is kept alive in St. John's.
New here? A few tips
- Dress in layers—the weather changes quickly, and fog can roll in any time.
- Learn a few phrases like 'Yes b'y' and 'Whadd'ya at?' to fit in with locals.
- Try a screech-in at a pub—it's a fun rite of passage involving a shot of Newfoundland Screech and kissing a cod.
- Drive carefully on the steep, winding streets, especially in winter.
- Visit Signal Hill for the best view of the city and harbour—it's worth the climb.
Make this page better
Know a place, a festival, a word locals use, or something here that's wrong? Suggest it; someone at Popchat checks every one.
Sign in and join a club here to suggest.
Nearby
Every areaAvalon PeninsulaNewfoundland and LabradorWhere the Atlantic meets ancient rockClarenville–BonavistaNewfoundland and LabradorWhere the ocean meets the rock, and tradition holds fast.Burin PeninsulaNewfoundland and LabradorWhere the sea shapes the soulGanderNewfoundland and LabradorWhere the runway meets the rock
St. John's. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.