Road alert: getting to Niagara this week
QEW Burlington Skyway: The rehabilitation work is finished, and the project’s lane closure page lists no planned closures. Crashes and weather can still slow the QEW, so check Ontario 511 before you leave.
Garden City Skyway, St. Catharines: Current prep work for the new bridge is happening away from the QEW, and the project says traffic lanes are not affected.
Queenston Road and Coon Road, NOTL: Both are still closed to through traffic for Garden City Skyway work, and no reopening date is posted. Detour via York Road, which connects at Airport Road (east) and Niagara Stone Road (west).
Check Ontario 511 for live conditions. Schedules can change with weather and site conditions.
This Week’s Standouts
Fall colour in Niagara Falls
Late foliage and thinner crowds at the Falls. Cost varies by activity.
Waterfall walks near St. Catharines
Self-guided and daylight only. Check trail conditions and access before you go.
Niagara-on-the-Lake walking tour
A self-guided stroll along historic Queen Street. The walk is free, but parking and shops vary. Check the forecast.
Niagara farmers markets
Seasonal produce and local makers, free to browse. Hours vary by market, so confirm first.
Niagara Trivia
Niagara Falls, Ontario’s Winter Festival of Lights was inspired by a similar festival across the river. In what year did Niagara Falls, New York, launch its first Festival of Lights?
Think you know the answer? Reply directly to this email with your guess!
Local Insider Tips
The Falls tour-bus crunch: Skip 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunset is around 5 p.m. this week, so arrive near 4 p.m. as the buses head out. You get the late light over the Horseshoe Falls, then dusk, and parking gets easier as day-trippers leave.
Visit a few times a year? A Niagara Parks Annual Parking Pass costs $50. It covers almost all Parks lots along the 56-km Parkway, for up to two registered household vehicles. Confirm current terms with Niagara Parks.
Clifton Hill lot prices: Skip the private lots. The City of Niagara Falls Ellen Avenue Lot is an easy walk. Rates can change.
NOTL on a busy weekend: Queen Street meters fill up. Park at Fort George National Historic Site, about a 10-minute walk from lower Queen.
NOTL parking costs: Most Old Town parking is metered from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, at $5.25 to $5.75 per hour. Some free parking is reported in front of Veterans Memorial Park at King and Centre streets, a short walk from Queen Street. Check posted signs before you leave your car.
Remembrance Day is Wednesday, November 11.
The City of Niagara Falls service is at 10:45 a.m. at the cenotaph beside the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Fairview Cemetery, 4501 Stanley Avenue. It will also be livestreamed on the city’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
Niagara-on-the-Lake and St. Catharines hold services at their cenotaphs too. In past years, NOTL’s were at 10:45 a.m. on Queen Street and 1 p.m. in Queenston, and St. Catharines’ was at 11 a.m. at Memorial Park. Confirm this year’s times with your local Legion branch.
Worth Booking Now
Winter Festival of Lights opens Wednesday, November 11
Three million lights across Queen Victoria Park, Dufferin Islands, Table Rock Centre and the Niagara Parkway. Lights on nightly from 5 p.m. to midnight through January 10. Arrive before 4:45 p.m. or after 8:30 p.m. to beat the traffic.
First fireworks weekend: Friday, November 13 and Saturday, November 14
8 p.m. every Friday and Saturday in November and December. Nightly shows run Christmas week, plus New Year’s Eve at 8 p.m. and midnight.
Hot Chocolate Trail
Dates have not been confirmed yet, and we are working to get more information. We’ll share them as soon as we have them.
Closing
Enjoying this newsletter? Forward it to someone trying to figure out their weekend plans. That is how most new readers find us.
Till next week….
Tim
Niagara Digest
P.S. Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe free to get it every Tuesday.
Trivia answer: 1980. Niagara Falls, New York, launched its Festival of Lights that year, and the Ontario side followed in the early 1980s.