So your friend’s coming from Vancouver and you’re thinking, “What am I going to show them that won’t make them remember PG as just that place with the weird smell?”
I asked my friend Lauren, who’s been here her whole life, and combined her tips with my own seven years of experience plus the Tourism PG visitor guide. I broke it down by days, so just imagine your friend’s here for a week.
*Quick disclaimer: these are my personal opinions, and Over The Edge isn’t promoting any of these spots. Depending on the weather and season, some of them might be a miss or a hit.*
## Monday-Tuesday
**Lunch:** Hit up The Wall of Fame Sandwich Shop downtown. They’re so good they’re only open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed on Sundays. Always packed, no seats inside, so grab it and go. Absolutely worth it.
**Afternoon:** Give them the UNBC campus tour and check the Over The Edge events calendar for what’s happening that week. Just google “Events Over The Edge UNBC” and it will come up. This calendar covers all the events across UNBC and Prince George, so it’s a great tool if you don’t want to miss anything special.
**Evening:** Betulla Burning is known as one of the best restaurants in PG. They do wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizza and Italian cuisine, and the atmosphere is great if you want to impress your date.
## Wednesday
**Morning:** Ritual Coffee Shop. Nice vibe, friendly staff, tasty hot chocolate, and they make their own pastries.
**Night:** Wings night. Tons of places do Wednesday specials. The Canadian Brewhouse is a go-to for Wing Wednesday, Montana’s does half-price wings (Mondays), and most sports bars run deals. Check around for who’s got the best price that week.
## Thursday
**Daytime:** The Exploration Place. Normally you need tickets, but Thursdays are entrance by donation, so you can literally donate 25 cents and go have fun. Lots of interactive stuff even as an adult, they’ve got a nice pool table, and have you tried their ice cream? So good. They’ve got merch too. And since it’s in Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park, if the weather’s decent you can walk around after.
**Night:** BlackClover. They’ve got a $10.95 burger special on Thursdays, and I’ve been getting that since 2019. Live music, pool table in the corner, and a good spot to enjoy some drinks with friends.
## Friday
**Afternoon:** Northern Lights Estate Winery. I grab their wines as gifts because they’re one of the most northern wineries in Canada. Nice location near the river with a full bistro menu. They do free public tours on Sundays, Mondays, and Wednesdays at 2 p.m., but those run seasonally from early summer to early September. If you’re visiting in winter, they won’t have the official tours, but they still offer wine tastings, so it’s still worth the trip. Check northernlightswinery.ca for their event schedule.
**Night:** Red Tomato Pies for pizza. Their crust is crazy good, and they’re always recommended on Facebook PG groups as the best pizza in town.
## Saturday
**Morning:** Open Door Cafe, the only cafe where I actually want to sit and hang out with friends. The other ones feel too small.
**Afternoon:** If the weather’s decent, check out Cottonwood Island Nature Park. There are 20 faces carved into the trees by local artist Elmer Gunderson. Some are over 15 years old and slowly growing back into the bark.
If you’re a fan of art galleries, Two Rivers Gallery has contemporary Canadian art. Their gift shop has art-focused items created by artists, artisans, and makers from Western Canada, including local pottery, prints, and scarves.
## Sunday
**Day trip:** If they ski, consider Hart Ski Hill, Powder King, Purden, Tabor Mountain, or the Outdoor Ice Oval. All way more affordable than Vancouver prices.
## Backup Plans
If the weather’s brutal: OVERhang Climbing Gym, Exit PG escape rooms, bowling, or Game Changerz VR.
## If They’re Here During Events
**January:** Coldsnap is a two-week festival that brings Canadian artists and musicians to Prince George in the dead of winter. It’s ranked as one of Canada’s best winter parties. Kiwanis Alefest is a beer tasting event where you can try brews from multiple BC breweries, plus they do special Brewmaster Dinners. Tickets usually go on sale in September or October.
**February:** Downtown Winterfest transforms downtown into a winter wonderland with family games, ice sculptures, and snowy festivities. Prince George Iceman is a unique 20 km winter challenge where you ski, run, skate, and swim. You can join solo, as a relay team, or just show up and watch.
## One I’ve Been Meaning to Try
Hit-to-Pass at PGARA Speedway. It’s a demolition-style racing event where full-size cars intentionally collide while racing. It only happens once a year, usually in late August or early September. PGARA’s racing season runs roughly May to September, and I’ve been meaning to check this out for years. For official dates, check the PGARA website’s race and event calendar.
Let’s be honest here, folks. I don’t think we can compete with Vancouver. But I do think these spots will leave your friend with some awesome memories.
