Things to Do in Dartmouth

Reopened in 2011 after a two-year hiatus, Briarwood Golf Club’s 18-hole executive course invites clubbers to an abridged layout stationed in the heart of a vibrant ecosystem. Briarwood’s shorter links make an ideal training ground for casual golfers; aces can loop the verdant grounds to shore up their short game or fulfill their mission to graze on the grasses of all the world’s courses. Each fairway plays into immaculate, revitalized greens, which were reseeded before 2011 and should be growing out of their brambly adolescence and into smooth, pimple-free adulthood in their second consecutive season of usage. A burbling river runs throughout the course, and cool breezes gain momentum on a course-side lake before swooping through the towering tree lines and tickling the collared necks of Briarwood’s birdie-hunting guests.

Since its first year more than 25 years ago, Greek Fest has immersed attendees in Greek culture and culinary tradition with a four-day indoor and outdoor festival. Each day, visitors can explore a cultural exhibition spanning traditional crafts, art replicas, and religious artefacts; guided tours roam within the local Byzantine Greek Orthodox church to highlight colourful iconography and ornate interior architecture. A massive white-tented dome hosts live music played on painted mandolins while dance troupes perform regional dances. Children can work out extra adrenalin in a kids' area, where coaches supervise soccer-training zones to keep them away from wild vuvuzelas. A contest running throughout the festival can award two participants with a trip to Greece, allowing them to further explore Greek culture.

Foodies can placate their palates with a range of authentic Greek dishes, assembled from the grill and formed into plates of souvlaki, chicken-filled pitas, and beef donair kebabs. Mythologists can also explore the obsessions of Dionysus at a Greek wine tasting led by local sommeliers Costa Elles.

Glowing monkeys scamper toward a neon waterfall, and a knight bearing a radiant yellow lance rides past a bright orange octopus emerging from the ocean. What appears to be a time-traveling session gone awry is really the evolving environment within Putting Edge’s indoor black-lit mini-golf course, which whisks players to deep seas, Aztec jungles, and medieval times. Since opening its original location in Canada, Putting Edge has now expanded to 18 North American locations, all of which invite guests onto its challenging 18-hole courses to seek victory over opponents and the forces that keep their teeth from not glowing as brightly as they could. Elsewhere, the facility houses private party rooms, concessions, and an arcade filled with gamer favorites such as air hockey.

The course at Harbour Ridge Golf Club blazes a winding path among numerous water hazards, opening out onto greens with sweeping views of the harbour below. As the slate-blue water ruffles in the wind, players work their ways across two par 3 holes, six par 4 holes, and a hole that can be played as a par 5 or a par 4 depending on the chosen set of tees. A clubhouse perches on a small hillock, overlooking the evergreen trees that line the fairways and distract lumberjacks from continually asking about the rules of golf.

Course at a Glance:

• 9-hole, par-34 course

• Total length of 2,301 yards from the back tees

• Course rating of 31.6 from the back tees

• Course slope of 101 from the back tees

• Three sets of tees per hole

Fundy Tidal Bore Adventures founder Morgan McDonald is a passionate rafter with a decade of experience navigating the Shubenacadie River, whose shores are made of clay and dotted with trees. The high and low tides here mean that there are varying degrees of wave intensity, and the company's experienced guides can tailor the experience to suit each group’s comfort level. Before the trip, guides will help passengers suit up in PFDs and store their valuables in waterproof bags. The crewmember can snap pictures of the trip along the way; they’ll then email the photos to you later or stuff them into a bottle and float them to postal workers wearing waterskis.

Certified by Transport Canada for safety, Four Winds Charters' experienced captains have been floating guests across picturesque St. Margaret's Bay for more than two decades. Tours and private charters set sail toward scenic coves and private islands as dolphins and sea birds pass by on their watery commutes. Four-hour deep-sea fishing trips drop anchor approximately 5 miles from shore, allowing the included hooks, rods, and hand lines to grab at mackerel, cod, and shipwrecked inner tubes. Catering is available for both private charters and fishing trips upon request.