Last stop - Hubbards!

Our summer has been filled with adventure, touring along Nova Scotia’s breathtaking South Shore! From hidden culinary gems, historic lighthouses, scenic beaches, and welcoming overnight stays, we’ve shared our pride of the region as we’ve travelled from town to town – and we’re not done yet. 

This week, we wrap our South Shore experience with a trip to the vibrant, coastal community of Hubbards! 

 

A Little History

Nestled along the scenic shores of St. Margaret's Bay, Hubbards boasts a rich history that began long before European arrival, when the Mi'kmaq utilized the region's fertile waters and lands as a vital seasonal camp for fishing and hunting. This deep Indigenous connection laid the groundwork for the area's eventual transition in 1785, when French-speaking Protestant settlers established a permanent European foothold. Over the following century, the community quickly grew into a prosperous lumber, fishing, and railway hub on the border of Halifax and Lunenburg counties, balancing its industrious resource-gathering roots with its legacy as one of Atlantic Canada's earliest cottage-country destinations.

Despite its small size, Hubbards offers a quintessential Nova Scotian mix of coastal beauty, legendary culinary traditions, and local charm.

Let’s start our day with a quick coffee and a little shopping!

Welcome to Rosa Rugosa Cafe & Retail

Rosa Rugosa Cafe & Retail is a year-round restaurant, general store, and vintage shop dedicated to turning the shopping experience into an intentional form of self-care.

Enjoy espresso-based drinks, pastries, tap beer, wine, charcuterie; cheese. Their kitchen champions comfort food, made from scratch. The menus change with the seasons but consistently highlight regional ingredients.

Visitors are encouraged to slow down, enjoy a beverage and browse an ever-changing collection of unique finds. Guests can easily leave with a fresh bouquet of flowers, a hand-poured candle, or a beautiful antique piece. The marketplace thoughtfully curates a mix of everyday essentials and specialty goods, placing a strong emphasis on high-quality, Nova Scotian-made products. 

Next stop…The Beach!

Hubbards is one of Nova Scotia's premier summer destinations, largely due to its amazing choice of beautiful white-sand beaches tucked into the sheltered and surprisingly warm waters of St. Margaret's Bay. While water temperatures along the open Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia can be brisk, the protected coves around Hubbards regularly reach 70–75°F (21–24°C) during July and August.

The only question is, which one should we visit first? 

The Top Beaches Around Hubbards

Queensland Beach Provincial Park

•    The Vibe: Located just minutes east of Hubbards, this is undeniably one of the most popular and high-energy beaches in the entire province. It boasts a spectacular stretch of soft white sand.
•    Amenities: Features vault toilets, changing rooms, and a newly updated parking lot. The beach is fully supervised by lifeguards throughout July and August.
•    Pro-Tip: Because it is the closest major white-sand beach to Halifax (about a 35-minute drive), the free parking lots fill up incredibly fast on hot summer days—arrive early.

Fox Point Beach

•    The Vibe: A smaller, 700-foot local favourite located a short drive down Highway 329. It offers a quieter alternative to Queensland with a mix of sand and smooth ocean pebbles.
•    The Highlights: A freshwater stream flowing from Fox Point Lake cuts across the sand into the ocean, providing a shallow, warmer wading pool that is perfect for young children.
•    Planning: Be sure to check the tide charts before visiting; at high tide, much of the sandy beachfront is completely submerged by water

Hubbards Beach

•    The Vibe: A private, impeccably maintained, and highly sheltered beach known for fine white sand and exceptionally calm waters.
•    Amenities: Complete with ample parking, a picnic area, full washrooms, public showers, and a seasonal canteen. 
•    The Highlights: The beach features an iconic floating swim raft anchored a comfortable swimming distance from the shore, which serves as a favourite platform for sunbathing and diving. 
•    Access: Managed by the Hubbards Beach Campground & Cottages. Walk-on access is free for registered campers, while day visitors pay a vehicle entry fee ($10 weekdays, $20 weekends)

Let’s head to the Campground…

Hubbards Beach Campground & Cottages is a historic, family-operated resort that serves as the heart of summer life in Hubbards. Run by the Harnish family since 1936, this expansive coastal property delivers an all-in-one vacation environment by seamlessly joining private beach access, varied lodging configurations, and immediate proximity to the famous Shore Club. 

Operating seasonally from May 15 to October 1, the grounds accommodate a wide range of stay preferences: 
•    Wyndecrest Vacation Home: For large groups, they offer a premium oceanfront rental home that accommodates up to 10 guests and includes its own private hot tub and direct  water access.
•    Rustic Cottages & Log Cabins: Scattered across the property are 8 classic beach cottages, 5 smaller orchard cabins, and 3 log cabins built by generations of the Harnish family between 1927 and 1955. 
•    The RV & Tent Community: The park features 127 total full-service RV sites equipped with 30-amp electrical, water, and sewage hookups, alongside roughly 40 designated overnight tent and pull-through camping spaces. Each individual campsite comes furnished with its own campfire pit and picnic table. 

Grab your appetite and your dancing shoes. Next stop: The Legendary Shore Club!

Marking its 90th season of fresh lobster feasts and its 80th year as an iconic dance hall, the Shore Club stands as a beloved Atlantic Canada landmark that beautifully preserves a classic era of coastal hospitality under the care of the Harnish family for four generations. Over the decades, this historic venue has welcomed millions of travellers, most notably serving King Charles III and Princess Diana during their 1983 royal tour. Beyond hosting royalty, the hall’s timeless maritime charm has made it a popular backdrop for Hollywood films and acclaimed Canadian television series like Moonshine and Sullivan's Crossing.
Earning its reputation as “Nova Scotia's Last Great Dance Hall,” the Shore Club has hosted a live band on stage every single summer Saturday night since August 1946. The venue acts as a legendary cultural hub, seamlessly shifting from a world-famous family restaurant into a high-energy music hall when the sun goes down.

The Music: Decades of Legendary East Coast Dance Parties

•    A Historic Legacy (1946): The very first dance kicked off on August 24, 1946, featuring the big-band swing melodies of the Jit Cunningham Orchestra. Over the last 80 years, the hall's signature salvaged-hardwood dance floor has survived nearly every genre of music, spanning rock and roll, blues, R&B, reggae, zydeco, and country.
•    The Modern Vibe: Around 9:00 PM, the dining tables are cleared away and the bar expands. Concertgoers crowd the floor to experience top-tier sound dynamics underneath original wood rafters, often pairing the music with the club’s custom, localized beer collaborations like the yearly "46'er Lager".
•    A Stage for Icons: The venue has become a beloved rite of passage for Canadian touring musicians. Rock and alternative stalwarts like Matt Mays, Joel Plaskett, Sloan, Arkells, and the Sam Roberts Band routinely book multi-night, sold-out summer residencies here. Local legends like Matt Minglewood have been performing high-octane rock and blues sets on this stage since 1969.

If you'd like to learn more about the history of the Shore Club, pick up a copy of Susan Harnish's charming memoir - "Dancehall Daughter: Growing up in the Shore Club in the 1950s"

Giving Back! 

In 2025, Canadian rock icon Matt Mays celebrated his 20th consecutive year headlining at the Shore Club by launching a new outdoor tradition centred on community impact. To accommodate massive demand, Sonic Concerts shifted the two-night event completely under the stars into an open-air concert grounds. This expansion was more than just a musical milestone—it was a powerful engine for local giving, raising over $6,000 for the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia.
Matt and his band elevated the weekend into a festival-style celebration of East Coast generosity by recruiting the Juno-winning band The Sheepdogs and singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards to share the outdoor stage. By pairing world-class rock-and-roll with a deep commitment to provincial wellness, the collaboration between Mays and the Shore Club demonstrated how local arts and legendary venues actively give back to the heart of Nova Scotia!

Photo cred - Jennifer Roy

What a whirlwind adventure this has been. As our South Shore tour comes to an end, we can’t help but reflect on the beautiful places we've visited and what an amazing place we live in! From our incomparable arts communities to our world class beaches, we can’t imagine calling anywhere else home. Nothing left but to clean the sand out of our car and say thanks for coming along! 

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