Things To Do in St Jacobs Ontario (Don’t Miss Any of These)

The beautiful small town of St. jacobs, Ontario is located just outside the city of waterloo. The charm and character of this town compare to no other with its rich history and beauty. 

While it may be small there are many places in St. Jacobs you should visit and many things you should try out. I have visited the small town myself and now I’ll be sharing the best things to do in St. Jacobs, Ontario with you! Let’s get right into it. 

About St. Jacobs:

The waterloo region is home to the largest population of Old Order Mennonites in Canada. Particularly in the area of St. Jacobs. Due to its quaint village appearance St. jacobs has become a very popular location for tourism. For this reason, you might often notice the locals on their horses and buggies. 

The village has an estimated population of only around 2000 people. You’re more likely to bump into tourists than the locals themselves. However, when you do run into the people of St. jacobs they invite you to their small town with open arms. 

The people and the culture is the most beautiful thing ever. During my time in St. jacobs, I never felt like I was in another country. Instead, it felt like home. 

Things To Do in St. Jacobs, Ontario:

Now it’s time to see some of the things you can do when you visit St. Jacobs. The town is small but there are so many places to explore and fun things to experience, which will blow your mind. I will be including things I feel are the best and also what everyone else suggested to me, to give you the best guide to the town of St. Jacobs. Here are some of the things to do in St. Jacobs, Ontario: 

1. Visit the St. Jacobs Farmers and Flea Market

You cannot miss the farmers and flea market when you visit St. jacobs. The St. Jacobs farmers and flea market is the biggest year-round market in Canada. This market can be a little overwhelming if you visit it without a game plan.

It’s important to know that the market is only open on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. But the reason you should plan is the endless options of things you can buy from here. 

The market has both an indoor and outdoor section. You can find almost anything here. From Freshly produced delectable meats and cheese to jams, bread, and many more. Unlike many other markets around the world, their food court and the selection of foods are quite impressive.

Apart from the cultural dishes, you can also find Mexican food, Egyptian food, etc. They’re cooked in their own way but taste very good. The diversity of the food is quite admirable. 

So let’s say it’s not just food you’re looking unlike me. The market has your back with many jewelry stores, craft vendors, clothing shops, and also many accessories shops. The collection in these shops is pretty good and you should check them out. 

Another thing that will surely catch your eye in the market is the Market Road Antique shop. The farmers and flea market is famous for this ever so unique shop that’s located in its own separate building right across the road. This shop has many vintage antiques, and it’s very easy to get lost in this shop because of its size. The antiques come in various shapes and sizes and are incredible to look at. 

Unlike the usual markets around the world, the farmers and flea market is very organized and beautiful. There are a lot of people but it doesn’t feel suffocating and dirty. Instead, the beauty is endless. It’s fun to just wander around and lose yourself in the different sections of the market and it’s also a great place to get a gift for your friends back home! 

2. Watch a Live Show at the St. Jacobs Theatres

The love for art in St. jacobs is endless. If you are a fan of live shows just like me you should definitely watch a show at one of the two theatres of St. Jacobs. There’s The St. Jacobs schoolhouse theatre and the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse theatre. Both theatres are unique and cozy and show different sets of traditional live shows which you can not miss. 

The St. Jacobs schoolhouse theatres have more of a cabaret-style look than a classical theatre. It has a table seating only 100 guests, so you have to arrive early.

Compared to the cozy schoolhouse theatre The St. Jacobs country playhouse is much bigger and displays traditional Mennonite Architecture. I love the color scheme of this theatre, it’s red and green and very easy to track down. The theatre is located in the heart of the market district and has a peaceful courtyard. One thing I love about this theatre is you can pre-order your drinks and meals for the show. 

3. Get a Bite of Jacobs Grill or Stone Crock Bakery

Are you hungry yet? If you are I got you. With all the things to do in St. Jacobs hunger can become the enemy. For this, get a bite of Jacobs grill dining room.

This dining has a selection of very tasty meals with carefully selected wines and local craft beers. The line is a little bigger than other food vendors but trusts me it’s worth the wait. They have a wide variety of pizzas and burgers and also many gluten-free options. 

Now, time for dessert. Stone crock bakery is my favorite place in St. Jacobs for freshly baked bread or delicious cookies and treats. This bakery produces family recipes and the food feels like it’s made right at home.

However, if you’re not a fan of dessert you can also visit their restaurant where you can get something else that you may like. 

4. Visit the St. Jacobs Mennonite Museum 

As I said a little earlier, St. Jacobs is the home to the oldest Mennonite community in Canada. The history is truly fascinating and for you to learn more about it, you should visit the St. Jacobs Mennonite museum. In this historic museum, they show the history of the religion, the culture, etc of St. Jacobs. 

The museum has virtual displays and shows short films and videos presenting the history of the Mennonite community. Moreover, there are guided tours of the countryside where you can meet the Mennonite people and learn about them more intimately. 

The museum and tours are open from 1-6 PM only on Mondays and Sundays. 

5. Take a Hike Along the Health Valley Trail

Even if you don’t like hiking you have to try this out. St. Jacobs countryside is absolutely breathtaking in its beauty.  The health valley trail runs along the Conestoga river from Waterloo.

If you are not used to hiking don’t worry, it’s only around 2.4 kilometers long. While your legs walk through the countryside your eyes experience the real beauty of what St. Jacobs is. Your goal should be to find the secret wise old oak tree. The tree looks unreal and feels as if it’s taken out of a fantasy movie. 

If hiking just isn’t your thing you can go cross country skiing and snowboarding there for fun. If you’ve never done any winter activities this is the best place to try it out. The people are very nice and the service is one of a kind. They even have trainers who will take the responsibility of teaching you snow sports. 

6. Spoil Your Dog at the Spoil the Dog Bakery & Boutique

Enough of your enjoyment. Now it’s your turn for your best buddy to have themselves a treat. The Spoil The dog bakery is a bakery for dogs and cats.

There are many healthy wheat-free, organic, and grain-free treats with many benefits baked on site. They also give out free samples, which is always fun. Apart from all the tasty treats, this unique bakery offers many locally made gifts and toys for your cats and dogs. 

7. Get a Look Around the Small Shops at St. Jacobs

Not just in the markets but there are so many small shops scattered around St. Jacobs that it’s amazing. Since the town is tourist-heavy, the locals make sure they get themselves a paycheck out of it. Many small shops of antiques, accessories, jewelry and even small food courts are almost everywhere around the town. 

Most of these shops have homemade things that they sell. Even the food items are very minimal and have a home vibe to them. The diversity is notable when it comes to these shops. 

8. Take a Coffee Break at the Eco Cafe

Time for coffee! And what better place to get yourself a coffee in St. Jacobs than the Eco Cafe. The vibe of this cafe is incredibly wholesome. The minute you walk in you just know how caring the community is. Good people, good coffee in a lovely community, what else do you need? 

Eco Cafe pride itself on having certified organic, fair-trade coffee with its customers. You can choose the type of beans and blends you want for your custom-made coffee. The coffee here might be some of the best iv ever tried. You can also order your coffee beans at your doorstep if you are staying around the place. 

The whole company is a community of the locals of St. Jacobs. Moreover, they don’t only sell coffees. you can find sandwiches, ice- cream and other sweets to enjoy as well. They also serve tea, which can be a rarity in coffee houses. You can also get many coffee-making tools and coffee products from their online shops. 

9. Take a Walk Around the Beautiful Streets of St. Jacobs and Look for the Murals

The town is beautiful you can not argue with that. And the best thing you can do in St. Jacobs is just walk around the streets of the town. Take a step back and just notice how jolly and wholesome everyone is. How the whole community comes together to make this beautiful town as lively as it is, how admirable it is to see love being displayed like this. 

Murals and many street arts are scattered around the town. Take a walk and you’ll notice many beautiful murals around the town. There are many muralists from the region of waterloo and they all have their community.

One of the most famous murals you should look for is the ‘St. Jacobs’ mural. ‘A little bit of country is good for the soul’ is another beautiful work of art. 

My favorite is the ‘Conestogo River scene’ which was done by a father-son duo. The love they have for art and each other can be seen in the artwork. 

Conclusion:

Of course, this article isn’t about my experience, it’s more about making your experience as good as possible. But this town is so beautiful and rich in its culture, it’s very much possible that I might’ve left something out that might amaze you just as much. Maybe you can tell me all about that when you get back from your visit to St. Jacobs. 

There arent many places in the world which are as beautiful as St. Jacobs and if you have the opportunity, you should visit it. That’s it from me, I hope you have safe travels and a happy journey.