Niagara Falls Events and Festivals

(Niagara Falls, Ontario - ON, Canada)

Niagara Falls has an amazing selection of events and festivals throughout the year to entice and entertain visitors. Helpful tourist information offices in Niagara Falls are always a useful source for current events listings in the area. Many of the events and festivals in Niagara Falls draw large crowds, offering tourists a range of things to see and do whilst staying in the vibrant city of Niagara Falls.

Nearby Niagara on the Lake has much to offer and visitors to Niagara Falls can travel the short distance to appreciate a wider selection of festivities.

National Public Holidays

• 1st January - New Year's Day
• Third Monday in February - Family Day (Alberta)
• Monday closest to 17th March - St. Patrick's Day (Newfoundland)
• March or April - Good Friday and Easter Monday
• Monday closest to 23rd April - St. George's Day (Newfoundland)
• Monday before 24th May - Victoria Day
• 24th June - Fete Nationale / St. Jean Baptiste Day (Quebec)
• 1st July - Canada Day (known as Memorial Day in Newfoundland)
• Monday closest to 13th July - Orangeman's Day (Newfoundland)
• First Monday in August - Civic Holiday
• Third Monday in August - Discovery Day (Yukon)
• First Monday in September - Labor Day
• Second Monday in October - Thanksgiving
• 11th November - Remembrance Day
• 25th December - Christmas Day
• 26th December - Boxing Day

Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015

January

• Niagara on the Lake Ice Wine Celebration - late-January, wine tasting event, held during the last two weekends in January, celebrating the harvesting of local grapes
• Ice Carving Demonstrations - late January, held during the Ice Wine Celebration, at Niagara on the Lake

February

• Days of Wine and Roses - held during weekends in February, featuring many special events, including local wine tours and samplings
• Maple Sugar Bush Tours - late February, enjoy trips to the Maple Sugar Bush and see how maple syrup was originally produced

March

• Chorus Niagara - mid-March, offering a varied selection of concerts and events, with Niagara's leading 100-voice classical choir

April

• Shaw Festival Theater - April, offering a varied selection of plays, held from April to November in different theaters at Niagara on the Lake
• Niagara Food and Wine Expo - late April / early May, featuring cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs, the best chefs in the region rustling up tasters of their signature dishes, cheese tasting seminars, informative wine and beer presentations and much more

May

• Falls Fireworks and Concert Series - early May, free concerts and a dazzling fireworks display, every Friday, Sunday and holidays, from May to September
• Spring Festival at the Falls - mid-May, events welcoming the spring, beginning with the Maid of the Mist Parade, featuring an array of attractions including fireworks, concerts, sports and marching bands, held during May and June
• Spring Ghost Tours - mid-May, hear ghostly tales of the haunted Fort George and the nearby area, during a lantern-lit tour, held during May and June
• Wineries of Niagara on the Lake Wine and Herb Experience - throughout May, sample mouth-watering herb-infused dishes and wine pairings, at 17 different wineries, during weekends in May
• Niagara Symphony - late May, enjoy spectacular Pops and Masterworks concerts by the Niagara Symphony Orchestra at Center for the Arts, Brock, University, held between May and October
• The Annual Niagara Folk Arts Festival - mid-May, one of Canada's oldest heritage events, held over 16 days, celebrating the arts, with a wealth of entertainment such as music, dance and theater

June

• Showboat Festival Theater - situated in the historic Roselawn Complex, visitors can experience a wealth of entertainment to delight audiences, held from early June to September
• The Niagara New Vintage Festival - mid-June, enjoy special wine tastings, and tours of over 30 wineries in this spring extravaganza

July

• Music on the Henley - early July, a four-day event offering a wealth of entertainment with music to suit everyone, together with food, beer and a wine garden
• Canada Day Celebration at Memorial Park - mid-July, fun for the whole family with an abundance of entertainment and activities, including a fireworks display
• Hillebrand Estates' Vineyard Jazz - mid-July, visitors can enjoy fine jazz performances and sample tasty wine country dishes
• Niagara International Chamber Music Festival - mid-July, featuring a superb selection of classical music performed by celebrated musicians in Niagara on the Lake
• Welland Heritage Council Folklore Festival - July, enjoy a wealth of entertainment and cultural experiences

August

• Seige of Fort Erie - second weekend in August, enjoy a re-enactment of the 1814 battle at Fort Erie, together with an insight into the lives of the soldiers during this time, including a wide range of demonstrations and drills

September

• Niagara Food Festival - late September, enjoy delicious samples of food from many of Niagara's restaurants during this three-day event, with wines from top Niagara wineries
• Niagara Wine Festival - late September, this large event is extremely popular and includes concerts, wine tastings and tours, fine cuisine, and plenty of family-related activities

October

• St. Catharine's Pumpkin Festival - late October, featuring pumpkin carving and costume contests, together with a variety of entertainment and activities
• Art by the Falls - early October, with around 100 Canadian artists displaying and demonstrating their arts and crafts

November

• Winter Festival of Lights - early November, a winter wonderland festival of lights with over two million lights, featuring live displays, Disney show displays and spectacular parades, from November to mid-January
• Thorold's 13th Annual Christmas Art and Craft Show - late November, a two-day arts and crafts event
• Santa Claus Parade - late November, experience the magic of this spectacular Santa Claus Parade

December

• Winterglow at Niagara on the Lake - early December, a winter spectacle from early December to late February, featuring an array of attractions and activities, with fun for the whole family
• Ice Festival Niagara - December, a popular winter event, with numerous ice sculptures on show for free