Try as we might, we just can’t figure out how to change the weather! When the rain clouds ruin your beach plans, it’s time to find some rainy day fun and PEI is jammed full of things to do when the sun takes a break! The next time your beach day is a wash, keep this list in your back pocket to make every minute count on your Island vacation.

1. It’s Raining, Let’s Eat!

This is a food-lover’s paradise and a rainy day is an opportunity to make the most of the island’s food scene!  There’s nothing like a rainy day to make you yearn for everything comfy-cozy, and Samuel’s Coffee House in Summerside or their seasonal Avonlea Village location in Cavendish is the perfect place to sit with a book, a hot cup of coffee, and a delicious treat! And don’t let the rain stop your seafood dreams from coming true – New Glasgow Lobster Suppers offers the feast of a lifetime, or warm up at FiN Folk Food with a big bowl of creamy seafood chowder while you watch the rain fall down over Tracadie Harbour. Looking for a cozy corner somewhere in the city? The Gahan House Pub & Brewery not only offers a delicious meal and their craft beer, but you’ll find yourself wrapped up in the history and character of the building itself.

Photo via Samuel’s Coffee House

New Glasgow Lobster Suppers

FiN Folk Food

Gahan House

2. Retail Therapy

Cavendish Boardwalk

Confederation Court Mall

3. Brush Up on Your Kitchen Skills

Whether you’re a pro, a foodie, or totally terrified of the kitchen, there’s fun to be had and skills to acquire when you join a Culinary Bootcamp. In the state-of-the-art kitchen at the Culinary Institute of Canada, you can learn to work the kitchen with the confidence of a chef! In classes that range from half to full days, for all ages and skill level, you will learn to plan and prepare delicious meals, with flavour pairings to take a meal from good to great. Pick from any number of classes depending on your preference, and experience a memorable day as a chef!

4. Practice Wellness

A rainy day is the perfect opportunity to lean into some much needed relaxation! Stretch, strengthen, and let loose with a rejuvenating hot yoga sesh at Modo Yoga. Conveniently located right next door and fully equipped for a wide range of professional spa and aesthetic services, Pure Spa has all you need for a cozy afternoon of blissful pampering. Nothing like a post-workout massage for a majorly euphoric experience!

Pure Spa PEI

Photo via Pure Spa Charlottetown

Modo Yoga

5. Get Creative

There’s nothing like losing yourself in some arts and crafts to make the most of a day indoors. Pop in for an afternoon workshop at Blank Canvas Art Supplies! With classes happening five days a week, you’ll have the opportunity to explore all kinds of crafts like water colour and acryllic painting, and even learning how to make your own puppet! Ever wanted learn the art of needle felting or how to dye your own yarn? Learn from the pros at Green Gable Alpacas!

Green Gable Alpacas

Blank Canvas Art Supplies

6. Get to Know a Musical Legend

The Stompin’ Tom Centre hails tribute to the life and music of local music legend, Stompin’ Tom Connors. Come for a clappin’, boot stompin’ good time with a concert or the dinner theatre. And don’t forget to take your turn with the singing and try your hand at the recording booth, where you can sing along with Stompin’ Tom’s songs!

Stompin’ Tom Centre

Stompin’ Tom Centre | Photo by Janik Robichaud

7. A Tasty Tour, Tip to Tip

Spend a rainy day exploring the Island Ale Trail and you’re sure to be rewarded with a perfectly balanced pint. PEI’s craft beer scene is booming, with breweries all across the island. Take a tour of the PEI Brewing Company to taste and see the work that goes into their hand crafted ales. Moth Lane Brewing serves a brew with a view overlooking the Gulf of St. Lawrence from their spot on the shore in Tyne Valley. Dig into great food and bold, new flavours at Bogside Brewing in Montague. Most taprooms also have community events, trivia nights, and live entertainment all throughout the week!

PEI Brewing Company

Upstreet Craft Brewing

Moth Lane Brewing

Bogside Brewing

8. Cue Up the Fun

Lean into the classic comforts of the good old days at PonyBoat Social Club! The first of its kind on PEI, here you’ll find 12,000 square feet of fun. Gather your friends and play the day away with arcade games, pool, ping pong, darts, and more while enjoying casual food, local beer, milkshakes, and craft cocktails.

PonyBoat Social Club

PonyBoat Social Club

9. Discover All Things Whimsical, Weird and Wonderful

The odd, the absurd, the amazing, and the truly weird await you at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium. From shrunken heads to unbelievable artifacts, this is a must-see spot, especially on a rainy day. And if the sun peeks through, pop outside for some mini golf at Mariner’s Cove!

Mariner’s Cove

10. Set Yourself Up for a Scare

Check in for a true fright at the Haunted Mansion in Kensington. While the outside of the mansion has beautiful gardens and fun-filled attractions, those brave enough to step inside are in for a real heart-pounding experience! You’ll love the spinning vortex hallways, you will be screaming as startling surprises pop out of the woodwork, or if you’re a little more faint of heart, the by-pass hallways to the lighter rooms will calm your nerves. There’s fun for all ages at The Haunted Mansion!

Haunted Mansion

Secret Gardens

11. Step Into the History of the Spud

There are treasures galore along the North Cape Coastal Drive and the Canadian Potato Museum is one of them. Keep an eye out for the giant spud during your drive through the town of O’Leary! PEI may be Canada’s smallest province, but with the largest potato crop in Canada, taters and the farmers who grow them are the pride of the island. Take a tour through time and see how farmers have turned the spud into a deliciously successful industry – and stop for some fresh and crispy fries before you leave!

Photo by A for Adventure

12. Immerse Yourself in Local Talent

If there’s one thing we know for certain, it’s that Prince Edward Island is chock-full of incredible talent! Feast, laugh, and toe-tap along with the kitchen party at the Village Musicale Acadien dinner theatre in the Evangeline Region. Is a city vibe more your speed? Experience rhythm and soul and incredible local talent at the Trailside Music Hall. And of course, a summer just isn’t complete without heading to the Confederation Centre of the Arts for a show that will blow you out of the water. Before the show, don’t forget to roam through the exhibits at the Confederation Centre of the Arts Gallery!

Trailside Cafe

Anne of Green Gables- The Musical | Confederation Centre of the Arts

Confederation Centre of the Arts National Art Gallery | Photo by Davey and Sky

13. Pump up the Adrenaline

Looking for fun ways to burn off some energy on a rainy day?  Off the Wallz trampoline park is what childhood dreams are made of! Challenge each other to a slam dunk basketball competition, a frisky game of dodgeball, or get nimble on the ninja obstacle courses. Or if you really want to up the ante, strap on a vest and set your phaser to stun with some laser tag at the Cavendish Beach Adventure Zone. This giant airplane hangar is black-lit, fog-filled, and packed with obstacles a specific mission you must accomplish! What better way to spend a rainy day than trying to get your friends and family, before they tag you!

Hangar Laser Tag

Off The Wallz Trampoline Park

14. Visit the Land of Anne

Take a trip into history and see life through the eyes of the author of Anne of Green Gables herself by walking through Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Birthplace in the beautiful village of “Clifton”, New London. See scrapbooks depicting her life, and replicas of her accessories and even her wedding dress! At the Anne of Green Gables Museum  you can explore the 110-acre property full of literary inspirations such as the Lake of Shining Waters. And you’d be remiss to skip the Green Gables Heritage Place which is a part of Lucy Maud’s Cavendish National Historic Site where you can wander down Lover’s Lane or the Haunted Wood, or take part in the bilingual interactive activities!

Anne of Green Gables Museum

Green Gables Heritage Place

15. Lighthouse Road Tripping

A little rain never stopped a lighthouse keeper from keeping the light on, don’t let it stop you from exploring some of the 63 lighthouses that still stand proud across the island. Covehead Lighthouse is known as the most photographed lighthouse in PEI, West Point is PEI’s tallest, and East Point‘s lighthouse overlooks the clashing tides of the St. Lawrence and the Northumberland Strait. Some have gift shops filled with Island treasures like the one on Panmure Island and some are now complimented by a restaurant (the Point Prim Chowder House is a must!). Each one is unique and well worth a visit, rain or shine!

Photo by Close to Home Images

Point Prim Lighthouse | Photo by Karthic Ravi

Photo by Carrie Gregory ©Tourism PEI

For more summer fun in PEI, check out Your Go-To Event Guide for a PEI Summer, Unforgettable PEI Experiences Up West, 49 Travel Tips from PEI Locals, or An Islander’s Guide to Eastern PEI.