Amidst trade uncertainty, the Mactaquac Craft Festival 2026 in Fredericton is one way New Brunswickers are supporting local. From workshops to products for purchase, the festival spotlights local artisans. St. Stephen resident Angela Tozer drove over an hour to the event to support Canadian artists. Part of her shopping included buying maple leaf magnets for her American relatives. “We live in a border town, so we definitely want to support this side of the border,” she said. Fredericton resident Katherine Williams braved the cooler Saturday weather to see local artist friends and buy local. “My partner owns his own business locally, and so we do try to be mindful to support local because we know that it does make a difference,” she said. The executive director of Craft NB, Christina Foster, said customers like Tozer and Williams are important at a time where tariffs are hurting artists’ business — and customer base. Recently implemented U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods include 50 per cent tariffs on art products like paintings and drawings. “It’s a double-edged sword. We want to be able to have our artists sell into whatever markets they are able and they want, but when they can’t, the New Brunswick population is coming out in droves,” Foster said. Meanwhile, some artists at the craft festival are supporting local by avoiding American supplies. Sebastien Landry owns Bare Hands Jewelry Company and produces leather and jewelry products. He said he started sourcing his supplies from non-American businesses. “It’s kind of hard to buy stuff from the U.S. now because of all the tariffs and everything and dealing with the duties and all that stuff,” he said. While Fredericton ceramics studio Nu Ceramics has taken it a step further — collaborating with a local mine to produce New Brunswick-sourced clay. “Having a clay that’s made locally and then you can say it’s made with material right from your region, people are really responsive to that. And to be able to hold something that was made using the earth right here, it’s something special,” said the studio’s owner, Andrew McCullough. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
