Hey Niagara! ☕✨
December is HERE and the Region is absolutely glowing! 🎆 The Winter Festival of Lights is in full spectacular swing (3+ million lights, nightly through January 4th!), holiday markets are popping off in every municipality, and there's hot chocolate with your name on it at like 47 local spots. Bundle up, Niagara — winter just got cozy! 🧣
— Tim
Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud.
Local Business & Food Scene Highlights
Listen, I’m not here to shill for anyone — but I am here to save you money and warm your soul this week.
New & Noteworthy:
🍷 The Good Earth Food & Wine Co. in Beamsville just named one of Canada's Top 100 Restaurants for 2025 — stunning views, incredible local cuisine (Lincoln)
🥩 STK Steakhouse now open at Embassy Suites — upscale dining meets high-energy vibes (Niagara Falls)
☕ Hot Chocolate Trail running through Feb 1 — hit up wineries and cafes across the region for seasonal sips
🎄 Jingle Bar Pop-Up at Old Stone Inn through Jan 11 — winter cocktails in a festive atmosphere (NOTL)
🍕 Local faves like Brazen Head in Welland serving cozy comfort food and live music (Welland)
🥐 The Pie Plate in Beamsville taking holiday pie orders — their butter tarts are legendary! (Lincoln)
Holiday Shopping: Hit up Pen Centre (St. Catharines), Seaway Mall (Welland), and Outlet Collection at Niagara (Niagara Falls) for extended holiday hours!
Community & Feel-Good Stories
🐾 Lincoln County Humane Society had a record adoption weekend in late November — 12 pets found forever homes, including Mr. Whiskers, a senior cat who'd been waiting 8 months! (St. Catharines)
🏅 Welland's Girls Sports Day won the 2025 IDEA Award from Parks and Recreation Ontario — empowering young athletes in partnership with Niagara College! (Welland)
🎓 Niagara College ranked #1 in Canada for research funding among colleges for the 3rd time in 5 years — 10th consecutive year in top 10! (Welland/NOTL)
🎅 Santa Parades brought joy across all 12 municipalities in late November — from Fort Erie to Grimsby, communities came together to welcome the season with parades, tree lightings, and festive cheer!
Event Calendar – 60+ Ways to Get Out There
This Weekend & Coming Days (Dec 7-15)
🎆 Lights & Illuminations:
Nightly through Jan 4 – Winter Festival of Lights – 3+ million lights, free admission, fireworks Fri/Sat 8pm (Niagara Falls) ✨
Nightly through Jan 4 – Laser Light Spectacular – Queen Victoria Park, select dates (Niagara Falls) 🌈
Nightly through Dec 30 – Safari Lights – drive-through at Safari Niagara (Stevensville/Fort Erie) 🦁
Ongoing – Downtown holiday lights in Thorold, Port Colborne, and across the region (Thorold, Port Colborne) 🎄
🎄 Markets & Shopping:
Dec 7-8, 10am-4pm – St. Catharines Museum Christmas Market – local vendors, hot cider (St. Catharines) 🎁
Dec 7-8, 9:30am-4:30pm – NOTL Holiday House Tour – 7 decorated homes + McArthur Estate (Niagara-on-the-Lake) 🏠
Dec 13, 10am-3pm – Grimsby Christmas Market – Nelles Manor Museum (Grimsby) 🎨
Dec 13, 10am-3pm – Fort Erie Holiday Market – Fort Erie Optimist Club (Fort Erie) 🎅
Every Saturday through December – Welland Farmers Market holiday edition, 8am-1pm (Welland) 🥕
🎭 Theatre & Shows:
Through Dec 21 – Shaw Festival: "A Christmas Carol" – Royal George Theatre (Niagara-on-the-Lake) 🎭
Through Dec 21 – Shaw Festival: "White Christmas" – Festival Theatre (NOTL) 🎶
Dec 8, 7:30pm – "A Niagara Christmas Carol" at Mandeville Theatre (St. Catharines) 🎩
Dec 13-14, 7pm – "Home for the Holidays" concert – FirstOntario PAC with orchestra & choir (St. Catharines) 🎻
Dec 13, 11am – NOTL Christmas Tractor Parade – Meridian Arena, Virgil (Niagara-on-the-Lake) 🚜
Dec 15-16 – The Nutcracker by Niagara Ballet – FirstOntario PAC (St. Catharines) 🩰
🎵 Music & Entertainment:
Dec 8, 3pm – Greg Frewin Theatre Holiday Show (Niagara Falls) 🎩
Dec 8, 7:30pm – "The Music of A Charlie Brown Christmas" – FirstOntario PAC (St. Catharines) 🎹
Dec 13, 7pm – Niagara Symphony Orchestra Holiday Pops (St. Catharines) 🎺
Ongoing – Live music at local venues: Murphy's Law Pub (Fort Erie), Brazen Head (Welland), Doc Magilligan's (Niagara Falls) 🎸
👨👩👧👦 Family & Seasonal:
Dec 7, 1-4pm – Photos with Santa at various locations across all municipalities 📸
Dec 7-8 – McFarland House Holiday Tours – Sundays only (NOTL) 🕯️
Dec 13 – McFarland House special Christmas event (NOTL) 🎄
Dec 15 – Gingerbread decorating workshops at libraries across Pelham, Lincoln, West Lincoln 🏠
🍷 Wine & Culinary:
Weekends – Trius Winery Icewine tastings & holiday brunches (NOTL) 🍷
Dec 14, 6pm – Hernder Estate Wines Mulled Wine Night (St. Catharines) 🍷
Dec 15, 12-4pm – Tawse Winery Holiday Open House (Vineland/Lincoln) 🎄
Dec 31 – Peller Estates New Year's Eve "The Iconic 90s!" party (NOTL) 🎉
Late December & January Highlights (Dec 16-Feb 1)
🎆 New Year's Celebrations:
Dec 31, 9pm-midnight – Niagara Falls New Year's Eve – fireworks at midnight over the Falls! (Niagara Falls) 🎇
Dec 31, 6pm – Downtown St. Catharines NYE celebrations (St. Catharines) 🥳
Dec 31 – New Year's Eve dinners at Watermark Fallsview, Table Rock House, and wineries across the region 🍾
🍷 Niagara Icewine Festival (Jan 16-Feb 1, 2026):
Jan 16-18, 23-25, 30-Feb 1 – Icewine Discovery Pass – self-guided tastings at 20+ wineries (NOTL, Lincoln, Grimsby, St. Catharines) 🍷
Jan 17-18, 24-25, 12-6pm – NOTL Icewine Village – free outdoor festival with tastings, food, live ice carving (Niagara-on-the-Lake) ❄️
Jan 24 – Icehaus Cocktail Competition at Icewine Village (NOTL) 🍸
Jan 31, 7-11pm – Cool As Ice Gala – Niagara Parks Power Station (Niagara Falls) ✨
🎭 Arts & Culture:
Jan 1, 12pm – New Year's Day Brunch – Queenston Heights Restaurant (NOTL) 🥂
Jan 15 – FirstOntario PAC events (check schedule) (St. Catharines) 🎭
Ongoing – Film House at FirstOntario PAC – independent films & classics (St. Catharines) 🎬
👨👩👧👦 Family Events:
Jan 1 – Free skating at community rinks across Welland, Thorold, Port Colborne, Fort Erie ⛸️
January weekends – Family activities at libraries, community centres across all 12 municipalities 📚
🏒 Sports:
Throughout December & January – Niagara IceDogs home games at Meridian Centre (St. Catharines) 🏒
Jan 1 – New Year's Day hockey tournaments in Pelham, Thorold, Lincoln 🏒
🌟 Ongoing Through Winter:
Sundays, Nov-May – Sunday Brunch at The Good Earth (Beamsville/Lincoln) 🥐
Nightly – 10Below Icewine Lounge at Peller Estates – igloo tastings! (NOTL) 🧊
Dec-March – Ice skating on outdoor rink at Wayne Gretzky Estates (NOTL) ⛸️
That’s a wrap for this edition… Stay warm, shop local, and keep being the best neighbors on earth! ❄️✨
The Niagara Digest Team
P.S. Grab your free Hot Chocolate Trail passport this weekend — it’s the sweetest way to explore every corner of Niagara! 🗺️🍫
niagarafallstourism.com/Hot-Chocolate-Trail