Holiday & Winter Season

The following information has been prepared to inspire future visits to Niagara Falls and we look forward to welcoming visitors back in keeping with any public health restrictions. Due to fluctuating COVID-19 restrictions, we recommend visitors contact businesses directly to confirm availability.

Between December and March, Niagara Falls is transformed into a winter wonderland of sparkling snow and ice. Whether you bundle up and explore the outdoors or head inside to escape the cold, here are some activities and events that will make your holidays in Niagara Falls unforgettable.

Niagara Falls Winter Festival of Lights

Niagara Falls Winter Festival of Lights, Make it your winter tradition!

Celebrate winter with Canada's Largest free lights festival with 51 Nights of Twinkling Lights at the Niagara Falls Winter Festival of Lights.

(Niagara Falls, ON) The 41st annual Niagara Falls Winter Festival of Lights is running from November 18, 2023 until January 7, 2024.

Festival goers can experience the beauty of icy Niagara Falls, explore the engaging outdoor displays, with plenty to see and do for visitors who may wish to enjoy multiple visits to this popular winter event.

With over 3 million lights and 75+ spectacular displays providing colourful visuals, Niagara Falls will be transformed into a twinkling winter wonderland along the Niagara Parkway, Dufferin Islands and across the tourism districts. Visitors to this popular annual festival can bundle up and walk or drive through the Festival route to explore the outdoor, socially distanced, self-guided experience.

Annual Pointsettia Show

November 13, 2021 – January 9, 2022

Floral Showhouse, Niagara Parks

A family holiday tradition for over 65 years, the Floral Showhouse Annual Poinsettia Show features cyclamen, azaleas, Christmas cactus and paperwhite narcissus in addition to a spectacular display of festive poinsettias.

New Year's Eve (Details TBC)

Traditionally a major annual celebration in Niagara Falls. Stay tuned for further details about 2021 event programming!

365 Days of Culinary Offerings

Indulge in delicious offerings and spectacular settings in any of Niagara Falls’ exclusive restaurants with many restaurants open 365 days a year welcoming diners on December 25th and January 1st. Visit Monastery Cellars, the first vineyard adjacent to the Falls or The Niagara Distillery featuring six signature spirits that result in perfect pours either on their own or when mixed as a cocktail. A short walk from the Falls, The Niagara Brewing Company proudly represents Canada’s brewing heritage and today’s innovative craft beer scene. Or head to nearby Niagara Wine Country. Enjoy responsibly by booking a private guide or group tour. Half-day and full-day tours available with hotel pick-ups.

Falls Illumination

See the Canadian Horseshoe, American and Bridal Veil Falls brilliantly illuminated in a multi-coloured masterpiece. This stunning light display can be viewed 365 days a year from Queen Victoria Park, Fallsview hotels and restaurants, beginning at dusk.

Inspired by Nature: watch nature come to life with a nightly illumination display featuring colour palettes and movements inspired by nature, including the sunrise, aurora borealis, rainbow and sunset.

Winter Events and Activities in Niagara Falls

Outdoors

Skating (2021-22 dates TBC)
Cocktails, wine and beer and a fire pit at Wayne Gretzky Estates Winery make for a fun skate alongside the vineyards of this hat trick winery, brewery and distillery. Popular weekend events include Friday Date & Skate and Saturday DJ Night (TBC for 2021).

Iconic Niagara Falls Bucket List Experiences
Venture to the Falls at night to experience an icy cool illumination or get a new perspective of the great wonder by taking flight with WildPlay Zipline to the Falls, soaring through the skies in a helicopter, taking a Journey Behind the Falls, going for a spin in the Niagara SkyWheel, or elevating your view at Skylon Tower.

Indoors
When the weather gets chilly, head indoors to warm up. Escape to a tropical oasis at the Butterfly Conservatory, Bird Kingdom, Floral Showhouse, or one of our indoor waterparks.

Other Events (2021-22 TBC)
The status of these events will depend on health restrictions at the time. Further updates will be provided.

Only during winter can you experience unique events such as Niagara Icewine Festival 2022.

Birding in Niagara Falls

February - Birds on the Niagara Festival

Every February in Niagara Falls, bird lovers and conservationists celebrate the vast diversity of northern birds that call the mighty Niagara River corridor their home each winter at Birds on the Niagara International Bird Festival and Celebration, the only international bird festival in North America. With its proximity to the Niagara River corridor, one of the world’s most biodiverse places, Niagara Falls is an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) and four-season destination for bird lovers, adventure travellers and ecotourists alike. Over 280 bird species and 27 species of gulls, many of them rare, have been found here making it the best gull watching location in the world and a top destination for birders from around the globe hoping to add them to their list. According to eBird, 170 species can be sighted at Dufferin Islands alone in Niagara Falls.

Click here for more information about Bird species that can be found in Niagara Falls each season and where to find them.

Honouring Black Canadian History in Niagara Falls

February is Black History Month

Niagara Falls, Ontario holds a place in history as one of the final destinations of the renowned ‘Underground Railroad’, a secret network of routes from Fort Erie, Niagara Falls and on to Niagara-on-the-Lake that enslaved people from the United States followed to find freedom in Canada. It is estimated that 30,000-40,000 enslaved people escaped into Canada from the US from 1800-1865. For those who wish to retrace the final steps of the thousands who found freedom in Canada and pay hommage to the heroes and heroines who helped them, here are some ways to explore the region.

Know Before You Go

By Canadian winter standards, the weather in Niagara Falls is considered mild. Typical winter temperatures in the region range from +2 to - 8 degrees Celsius. Layer on your cozy winter outfits and journey outside for an adventure. Be sure to take advantage of savings with winter iconic attraction packages.

ABOUT NIAGARA FALLS CANADA

Home of the legendary Canadian Horseshoe, American and Bridal Veil waterfalls, Niagara Falls is a four-season destination renowned for its awe-inspiring natural wonders combined with world-class accommodation, thrilling entertainment and a burgeoning culinary scene. Visitors from Ontario, across North America and around the world who come to experience adventure, discover family fun, feel the romance and create unique and memorable experiences have made it Canada’s #1 leisure travel destination.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

For more information about unique and memorable experience in Niagara Falls, please visit www.niagarafallstourism.com and these helpful resources:

WHERE TO STAY

Book a room in nearby hotels within walking distance of the Falls or a Fallsview room to enjoy a Room with a View, the majesty of the Falls from the comfort of your bed, any time of the day. Niagara Falls campgrounds and cottages afford visitors a special way of getting a little closer to nature.

RESOURCES