Programs

Downtown Charlottetown Gift Card

The Downtown Charlottetown Gift Card works just like cash and encourages local spending. They are ideal for the ‘hard to shop for’ people in your life, and make great corporate gifts - reward your staff & clients. Gift Cards can be redeemed at more than 140 participating businesses. Click here for more information.

The Award Winning Adopt a Corner Program
Winner of the 2009 IDA award of Distinction

This program is a great example of the benefit of partnerships. We call it the little program with a big impact. Local businesses can take ownership of their corner of the city and are rewarded with a sense of pride at having contributed to the beautification of the city. 

Each year DCI puts all of the corners within the BIA up for adoption. Local businesses request their space, the city crews dig and prepare the beds, the businesses plant the gardens, and purchase the material. The city crews maintain the gardens throughout the summer. The results are wonderful blooming gardens all over the city. No two are alike! We receive 100s of comments on this project every year, and every year it just gets better.

Big Red Numbers

The Big Red ‘2026’ is placed at the foot of Queen St. at the former Coast Guard Wharf, for all to enjoy. The numbers are updated each new year. The sign continues to be the backdrop for many photos – graduations, family reunions, weddings, vacations, birthdays, and more. The 10 red Adirondack chairs behind the numbers, facing the harbour, continue to be enjoyed by locals and tourists alike.

The Downtown Discount Card Program

This Downtown Discount Card provides customers with a minimum of a 10% discount when they shop at one of more than 50 participating businesses

Cards are sold for $5 at participating merchants, and expires May 31st. Click HERE for more information. 

DCI has compiled a list and map of downtown business that carry local craft beer. We update this list yearly and distribute it to visitor information centres in the downtown core. Find more details  HERE.

Eckhart in the City Scavenger Hunt

Downtown Charlottetown Inc. has created “Eckhart in The CIty” aN interactive scavenger hunt. The scavenger hunt is based on author David Weale’s "The True Meaning of Crumbfest". It is a permanent fun attraction for families and children of all ages. Nine of our little bronze mice are installed in their “hiding places” around the City. Can you find them all? 

Fox Story Walk

This free family friendly activity is made up of a series of 9 story boards placed around  downtown, that tell the story of Ringo the Fox and his family. Each story board includes a page of the story, directions to the following page/board, and a downtown map with fox prints indicating the story board locations, as well a fox facts and original artwork. It begins at the giant sunflower at Founder's Hall.

The Story Walk is a wonderful way for families and people of all ages to combine literacy and healthy exercise as they follow the trail to each of the 9 reading stations – all while enjoying and exploring downtown Charlottetown. For more information click HERE.

Love Locks

Latch on a Token of Your Emotion: 21’ free standing, steel installation spells out the word “LOVE” before a beautiful harbour water backdrop, inviting visitors to lock down their love; it can handle hundreds of personalized locks. The Love Locks installation is located at the bottom of Queen street, near the Big Red Numbers. 

Parking Ticket Forgiveness Program

For the month of October 2025, if you receive a parking meter ticket in downtown Charlottetown you are eligible to have it forgiven, using a purchase receipt of $35 or more from a downtown business, restrictions apply. More Information HERE

Present Passport

The Present Passport is an added incentive for customers to shop local during the holiday season. Participating businesses hand out Present Passports to any customer who spends $25 + (before tax), each $25 spent equals 1 "stamp" on their present passport. Customers can fill their passports at one or more participating businesses. Each completed passport can be dropped in the ballot box to be entered to win a weekly draw of a Downtown Charlottetown Gift Card OR the Downtown Charlottetown Gift Card grand prize draw!

Program runs from late November to mid-December.

Parking Tokens

 The Parking Token Program is a perfect way to reward your valued customers when they visit your business.These tokens are sold at a discounted rate to business owners in downtown Charlottetown to be given out to their customers, and can redeemed in any meter or parkade in exchange for one hour of free parking.

Tokens can be purchased at any of the Parkade booths; Queen, Pownal or Fitzroy.

Small Business Week

Each year DCI hosts a series of events to celebrate our small businesses and encourage everyone to come downtown to #supportlocal. Small Business Week initiatives in the past have included: Shop n Stroll - Sidewalk Sale, Promoting Sales and Promotions, Park Free, Meet Your Downtown, Co-op Ads, Give Away A Day and more!

Downtown Charlottetown Nutcracker Tour

Discover the magic of the holidays in Downtown Charlottetown! Wander through our streets and admire the 30+ unique, hand-crafted nutcrackers, each uniquely decorated by local businesses. Follow our Nutcracker Tour Map to find them all! All nutcrackers are placed on display during the holiday season: late November through the end of December. Follow us on Facebook to see the new Nutcrack Tour Map posted the last weekend in November each year.


Are you a business interested in adopting a Nutcracker? Please contact us today to learn more!

Christmas Window Decorating Contest

Each year, during the holiday season, our downtown businesses deck the halls with festive cheer. From dazzling window displays to twinkling lights, our streets come alive with holiday magic. Join us for a memorable holiday experience in the heart of Charlottetown.

Members, Elevate Your Business and Brighten the Holidays:  Participate in our annual Christmas Window Decorating Contest. By decorating your storefront with festive cheer, you can attract more customers and contribute to creating a magical holiday experience for everyone. DCI also offers a Light Up Your Business Grant  to help cover the cost of revamping your Holiday Window Display. 


Pine Boughs & Lights: Mark Blanchard - 902-393-2239

Winterdine - Charlottetown's Dining Festival

Winterdine is a dining festival that takes place the last few weeks in January, and the first weekend in February at participating restaurants in downtown Charlottetown. This event is price driven - all meals will be $45 or $55 each and includes 3 courses. This is a great time to plan a social event, meet up with some friends for a fabulous meal, or plan a romantic dinner - all at an exceptional value.  WinterDine Lunch was  first launched in 2023 to provide smaller restaurants and cafes an opportunity to participate. Enjoy a delicious 2-course lunch at the price points of $16  at restaurants & cafes in downtown. 


People's Choice  Award: each year during WinterDine the public is given the opportunity to vote on their favourite menu - the top 2 menus with the most votes WINS the People's Choice Award. List of Winners 2015 - Present


Visit the website for a list of participating restaurants and menus.

Clean Team

Clean Team creates and maintains a clean, welcoming and safe environment for the downtown Charlottetown core. The Clean Team works cooperatively to maintain streets and sidewalks, remove graffiti, paint public realm items, and assist with poster removal and kiosk duties as required. While working at assigned tasks, the Clean Team Members  projects a positive image of the downtown Charlottetown businesses, and provides friendly helpful information and assistance to the residents, visitors, and tourists.

Graffiti Removal Program

DCI is committed to providing a clean, vibrant, safe and welcoming downtown for all residents, workers and visitors. As a part of this commitment DCI has created the Graffiti Removal Program.

'Buy Local' Campaign

DCI Promotes 'Buy Local' - Why Buy Local?:
  • Keep dollars in the Charlottetown economy
  • Embrace what makes Charlottetown unique
  • Foster local job creation
  • Help the environment
  • Nurture the community
  • Conserve your tax dollars
  • Have more choices
  • Benefit from local owners expertise
  • Preserve entrepreneurship
  • Ensure Charlottetown stands out from the crowd

Coats for Kids Every October – a way to give back

You can help ensure every Island child has a warm coat in the winter.


Bring us your new or gently used kids coats, mittens, hats, scarves and boots. Don't forget the special need for infants and toddlers. The collected coats are cleaned by Sterns Laundry and are distributed to families through the Salvation Army.

Business Development - Recruitment

Our recruitment team has chosen to focus on financial institutions. Yearly this dedicated group travels to Toronto to meet with a group of CEOs, and sell the benefits of living and doing business in downtown Charlottetown. So far our successes include AimTriMark, Ceridian and Data Shapers. Our efforts are ongoing. This year DCI hired Rain Communications to create a 3 yr Prospecting and Marketing Strategy.

Sponsorships

A part of the DCI mandate is to encourage and support new events in downtown – in hopes that these functions will encourage visitation and retail/dining sales. Here are events we have sponsored over the past number of years:
  • Music PEI
  • Diverse City, PEI Assoc. for Newcomers to Canada
  • Moonlight Bazaar
  • Jazz and Blues Festival
  • Always on Stage
  • PEI Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival
  • PEI Beer Festival 
  • PEI International Shellfish Festival
  • This Town is Small
  • Island Fringe Festival
  • GranFondo PEI
  • Savour
  • PEI Marathon
  • Jack Frost
  • PEI Wine Festival
  • Gold Cup Parade
  • Savour Food and Wine Show

Art & Seek

This event saw art from talented local artist  wrapped and hidden around the downtown for people to find and take home.


Here's how it works:

1. Follow the clues posted on our Instagram account. Plus bios and samples from our amazing artists!

2. Find the Art: All art pieces are wrapped in brown paper with the Art & Seek sticker on them.

3. Post a Pic – You & Art: Take a photo of your find.

4. Thank the Artist: Tag the artist and post it on social media to thank them.

5. Take the art home to cherish


This event was held on Friday, August 20th, 2021. 

Christmas Co-op Marketing Campaign

Downtown Charlottetown “Make it Your Own this Christmas”, TV, print and radio ads with tag can be reimbursed to downtown businesses who participate (25% of advertising cost reimbursed to a maximum of $500).

Marketing Campaigns

Our spring and fall marketing campaigns primarily include purchasing and producing TV commercials that highlight features of our downtown. “What Brings you Downtown?”

Streetscape and Capital Projects

This project is set to see the redevelopment of University Avenue, Euston to Grafton. We hope to see progress on this project with our partners: The City of Charlottetown and ACOA.

Special Project - Design Charrette

How best to create a new vision for an old street? You put some of the best architectural minds your city has to offer in one room for one day with a common purpose. The results; a new vision for a redesign on the historic portion of University Avenue, which we hope to see it become reality in the near future.

Heritage Wayfinding Project

This project saw new street blades, information kiosks, gateway and directional signage placed throughout the downtown core. DCI contributed to this project over two years in partnership with TCI, ACOA and the Province.