Hey Niagara! ☕✨
Monday motivation, Niagara style! 🎄 We made it through the weekend and wow what a weekend it was — fireworks lit up the Falls Friday AND Saturday, Shaw Festival is in its final week ever at the Royal George Theatre (closing Dec 21!), and there's still SO much magic happening this week. The Nutcracker hits the stage tonight, hot chocolate trails are flowing, and holiday spirit is at peak levels across all 12 municipalities. Let's dive in! ❄️🎆
Top News Stories in Niagara Right Now 📰
🎆 Winter Festival of Lights continues nightly through Jan 4 with 3+ million lights — fireworks this Friday & Saturday at 8pm, PLUS nightly Dec 25-Jan 4! (Niagara Falls)
🎭 Shaw Festival Final Week — "A Christmas Carol" & "White Christmas" close FOREVER on Dec 21 as Royal George Theatre ends its 110-year run. This is history happening! (Niagara-on-the-Lake)
🩰 The Nutcracker by Niagara Ballet opens TONIGHT (Dec 15-16) at FirstOntario PAC — classic holiday magic on stage! (St. Catharines)
🍷 Niagara Icewine Festival tickets selling fast for Jan 16-Feb 1, 2026 — Discovery Pass, NOTL Icewine Village, Cool As Ice Gala (Lincoln, NOTL, Grimsby, St. Catharines)
🌟 Christmas Week ahead — fireworks going NIGHTLY Dec 25-Jan 4 at Winter Festival, laser shows every 30 min 6-9pm, holiday dining across the Region (Niagara Falls)
🎄 Downtown St. Catharines FREE parking continues all December — perfect for holiday shopping on weekdays! (St. Catharines)
Local Business & Food Scene Highlights 🍴🛍️
New & Noteworthy:
🍷 The Good Earth Food & Wine Co. in Beamsville celebrating Canada's Top 100 Restaurants 2025! Sunday brunch is legendary (Lincoln)
🥩 STK Steakhouse at Embassy Suites — upscale dining with high-energy atmosphere (Niagara Falls)
☕ Hot Chocolate Trail running through Feb 1 — 30+ stops including Queen Victoria Place Café's Butter Pecan Hot Chocolate with Wayne Gretzky Liqueur! (Region-wide)
🎄 10Below Icewine Lounge at Peller Estates — igloo tastings at -10°C, bucket-list winter experience! (NOTL)
🍕 Brazen Head Irish Pub in Welland — cozy comfort food & live music (Welland)
🥐 The Pie Plate in Beamsville — holiday pies still available! (Lincoln)
🍷 Wayne Gretzky Estates outdoor rink open — sip wine, skate, repeat! (NOTL)
Holiday Shopping:
Pen Centre (St. Catharines), Seaway Mall (Welland), and Outlet Collection at Niagara (Niagara Falls) all have extended hours through Dec 24. FREE parking downtown St. Catharines all month! 🅿️
Community & Feel-Good Stories 💙✨
🐾 Lincoln County Humane Society continues celebrating recent record adoptions — 12 pets including Mr. Whiskers (8-year-old senior cat!) found forever homes. Senior pets make amazing companions! (St. Catharines)
🏅 Welland Girls Sports Day won the 2025 IDEA Award from Parks and Recreation Ontario — empowering young female athletes in partnership with Niagara College! (Welland)
🎓 Niagara College #1 in Canada for research funding among colleges (3rd time in 5 years!) — 10th consecutive year in top 10! Our region's students are changing the world (Welland/NOTL)
🎄 Shaw Festival Food Drive collecting non-perishable items for Newark Neighbours at all final performances through Dec 21 — bring donations to "A Christmas Carol" & "White Christmas"! (Niagara-on-the-Lake)
Event Calendar – 60+ Ways to Fill Your Weekends (or Weeknights) 🎉
This Week (Dec 15-21)
🎆 Lights & Illuminations:
Nightly through Jan 4 – Winter Festival of Lights – 3+ million lights, FREE, fireworks Fri/Sat 8pm (Niagara Falls) ✨
Dec 20, 8pm – Fireworks at Winter Festival (Niagara Falls) 🎇
Nightly, 6-9pm – Laser Light Spectacular – shows every 30 min, Queen Victoria Park (Niagara Falls) 🌈
Ongoing through Jan 4 – Downtown holiday lights in Thorold, Port Colborne, Grimsby, St. Catharines, and across all municipalities 🎄
🎭 Theatre & Shows - FINAL WEEK:
Through Dec 21 – Shaw Festival: "A Christmas Carol" – Royal George Theatre, FINAL PERFORMANCES EVER! (Niagara-on-the-Lake) 🎭
Through Dec 21 – Shaw Festival: "White Christmas" – Festival Theatre, closing Dec 21! (NOTL) 🎶
Dec 21 – Final Curtain Celebration – Farewell to Royal George Theatre fundraiser (NOTL) 🎩
Dec 15-16 (TONIGHT!) – The Nutcracker by Niagara Ballet – FirstOntario PAC (St. Catharines) 🩰
🎵 Music & Entertainment:
Dec 18, 4:30pm – Downtown St. Catharines Holiday Trail (St. Catharines events) 🎁
Ongoing weekends – Live music at Murphy's Law Pub (Fort Erie), Brazen Head (Welland), Doc Magilligan's (Niagara Falls) 🎸
👨👩👧👦 Family & Seasonal:
Dec 19-20, 6-8pm – FREE Photos with Santa at Skylon Tower arcade (Niagara Falls) 🎅
Dec 20, 10:30-11:30am – Storytime at Port Colborne Library (Port Colborne) 📚
Dec 15-21 – Gingerbread decorating workshops at libraries across Pelham, Lincoln, West Lincoln 🏠
Through Jan 4 – Floral Showhouse Poinsettia Display 12pm-8pm (Niagara Falls) 🌺
🍷 Wine & Culinary:
Weekends – Trius Winery Icewine tastings & holiday brunches (NOTL) 🍷
Ongoing – Hot Chocolate Trail at 30+ locations region-wide ☕
Dec 18 – Winery holiday events at Hernder Estate (St. Catharines), Tawse (Lincoln) 🍷
🏒 Sports:
Throughout December – Niagara IceDogs home games at Meridian Centre (St. Catharines) 🏒
Christmas Week (Dec 22-31)
🎄 Holiday Events:
Dec 25-Jan 4, nightly 8pm – Winter Festival Fireworks EVERY NIGHT! (Niagara Falls) 🎇
Dec 26-Jan 4, 6-9pm – Laser shows nightly every 30 min (Niagara Falls) 🌈
Dec 27, 10:30am – Storytime at Port Colborne Library (Port Colborne) 📚
Dec 31, 8pm & MIDNIGHT – New Year's Eve Fireworks — TWO shows over the Falls! (Niagara Falls) 🎊
Dec 31 – New Year's Eve dinners at Peller Estates, Trius, Wayne Gretzky Estates (NOTL, Lincoln) 🍾
January Highlights (2026)
🍷 Niagara Icewine Festival (Jan 16-Feb 1):
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, fire pits, ice carving, tastings, live music (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, $250 all-inclusive (Niagara Falls) ✨
🎉 New Year's & Ongoing:
Jan 1, 12pm – New Year's Day Brunch at Queenston Heights Restaurant (NOTL) 🥂
Jan 1 – Free skating at community rinks across Welland, Thorold, Port Colborne, Fort Erie, Pelham ⛸️
Throughout Dec-March – Wayne Gretzky Estates outdoor rink open for skating (NOTL) ⛸️
Throughout Dec-Jan – Niagara IceDogs home games at Meridian Centre (St. Catharines) 🏒
Sundays, Nov-May – Sunday Brunch at The Good Earth (Beamsville/Lincoln) 🥐
Nightly through winter – 10Below Icewine Lounge igloo tastings at Peller Estates (NOTL) 🧊
📍 Community & Ongoing Events:
Through Dec 17 – Safari Lights drive-through at Safari Niagara (Stevensville/Fort Erie) 🦁
Ongoing – Clifton Hill Candy Cane Trail family activity (Niagara Falls) 🍬
Ongoing – Community holiday activities in Wainfleet, West Lincoln, Thorold town centres 🎄
🎭 Ongoing Through December:
Every Saturday, 8am-1pm – Welland Farmers Market holiday edition (Welland) 🥕
Weekends – Holiday markets in Grimsby, Fort Erie, Pelham, West Lincoln 🛍️
Ongoing – Live entertainment at local venues across all 12 municipalities 🎸
That's a wrap for this edition… 🎁
Happy Monday, Niagara! This week is HUGE — Shaw Festival's final performances at Royal George Theatre (Dec 21 marks the end of an era!), The Nutcracker opening tonight, fireworks Friday & Saturday at Winter Festival, and we're just 10 days from Christmas! From Port Colborne to Wainfleet, Pelham to Thorold — every corner of our Region is glowing with holiday magic.
Get your Shaw tickets before they're gone forever, catch The Nutcracker, explore the Hot Chocolate Trail, and soak up every moment. The holiday countdown is ON! ❄️💙
See you under the lights,
The Niagara Digest Team
P.S. This is your LAST CHANCE to see a show at Shaw's Royal George Theatre — the building closes forever after Dec 21. Seriously, this is history happening. Grab tickets while you can! 🎭 Get tickets here