A beer fest puts Nackawic on the map with another big axe

by Dale Dunlop

For more than 100 years, national brands under the Molson’s and Labatt’s labels, plus Saint John’s Moosehead Brewery, dominated New Brunswick’s beer scene. That began to change in 1994 when Picaroons opened in Fredericton, with Pump House in Moncton following in 1999. Those craft breweries were producing distinctly different products than the large establishments, and in miniscule volume compared to the big guns’ output.  

Things were tough as these pioneers fought for the right to sell their products directly to customers in their own taprooms. Opposition from both the government and the big three kept the number of breweries to a minimum for a while, but eventually crumbled in the face of a growing demand new brews, and for better tasting products. The number of craft breweries in New Brunswick started to explode in the second decade of the 21st century. Today there are more than 50, along with many in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island. 

In 2004, Pete Cole moved from his home province of Newfoundland and Labrador to the small village of Nackawic, N.B. It’s a relatively new town with a paradoxical long history. Once known as the United Empire Loyalist lumbering community of Otis, it has an ideal location at the confluence of the Wolastoq (Saint John) and Nackawic rivers. With the creation of the Mactaquac dam in the late 1960s, Otis was destined to flood. The residents were moved to a higher location, renaming the town Nackawic. The lumber industry is still the predominant employer and when in 1991 Nackawic was named Forestry Capital of Canada by the Canadian Forestry Association, residents celebrated by building the world’s largest axe. Until recently, this was the main draw for tourists. 

Photo Credit: Big Axe Craft Beer Festival

After working in Nackawic for 10 years, Pete Cole found his true calling as a brew master and in 2014 he opened Big Axe Brewery with the slogan is “Craft beer that kicks axe.” His beers were an immediate hit, and you can now sample a dozen different products at the taproom on Otis Drive.  

Pete’s vision was greater than just owning a successful craft brewery. In 2017, in cooperation with local officials, he founded the Big Axe Craft Brewery Festival on the open community space right beside the world’s largest axe. 

The first festival was held in 2017 and attracted 30 craft brewers from around the Maritimes, and a modest crowd of 700 attendees. 2018 saw an increase in numbers of both brewers and attendance, but then COVID-19 struck, and the festival was forced into a two-year hiatus. When it was safe to hold public gatherings again, there was a pent-up demand to socialize while tasting great beers in a congenial outdoor atmosphere. In 2023, there were 40 vendors, seven food trucks, and the largest crowds yet. 

 The festival takes place under a large canopy where the various brewers set up. Last year, several cideries, distilleries, and even a New Brunswick winery joined them. Attendees buy a ticket that gets them water, a commemorative glass, and the right to sample as much beer as they might desire from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.  

The night before the festival, there is live music under the canopy from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. with several different acts.  

There’s little accommodation to be had in the village, so organizers charter buses to run festival goers from Fredericton, Woodstock, and Saint John/Rothesay to Nackawic and back. The Delta in Fredericton now offers a festival rate. 

Other options include renting a houseboat in nearby Mactaquac Provincial Park and pulling up to the marina in Nackawic. This is a popular choice, so make make reservations in advance. There are also two campgrounds nearby and seven within easy driving distance, many with locations on the Wolastoq River. One bus picks up ticket holders at campgrounds on the way from Fredericton to Nackawic. Organizers say the combination of transportation and accommodation options means there’s never been a known incident of drunk driving by a festival-goer. 

The Big Axe Craft Beer Festival is just getting started, but has already attracted repeat attendees from as far away as British Columbia and California. Plans are underway to expand the festival for up to four days in the future. The 2024 date is July 13. Bigaxefestival.com