In addition to its many family-friendly attractions and outdoor activities, Niagara’s vibrant festival and events scene offers fabulous options for families looking for a new way to experience the region with kids. Here are some favourites that are well worth planning a trip around.
In May, Carousel Players invites families to Niagara Children’s Festival, an exciting explosion of creativity offering live theatre performances and arts-based activities for young audiences and their families. Programming includes indoor and outdoor performances, paid and free programming, live music, interactive installations and opportunities for children to create things themselves.
July’s Nikola Tesla Day Festival is a powerful event celebrating the life and legacy of one of history’s greatest inventors in Oakes Garden Theatre in Niagara Falls. Parents encouraging STEM learning will appreciate this electrifying night of live music, cultural and science-based performances, interactive exhibits, and hands-on activities that bring Tesla’s spirit of innovation to life.
Young guests will love the Kid Zone and Boat Parade of Lights at August’s Port Colborne Canal Days Marine Heritage Festival in H.H. Knoll Lakeview Park.
The Niagara-on-the-Lake Peach Festival, also in August, offers a Peachy Keen Kids Zone and plenty of farm-fresh treats that kids will love.
Each Labour Day weekend, the present meets the past at the Marshville Heritage Festival in Wainfleet. The three-day, family-friendly event explores the lifestyle and history of Niagara’s pioneers through fifteen carefully restored heritage buildings and demonstrations by over 100 passionate crafters and artisans, including timber framing, lathe turning, wood carving, spinning, rope making, weaving, quilting, soap making, and more.
Niagara Grape & Wine Festival in September takes great pride in its children’s programming, which includes the popular Pied Piper Parade through historic Montebello Park and a Family Fun Day with inflatables, crafts, activities, and entertainment.
October’s Cicada Music and Arts Festival is a two-day music festival hosted on picturesque Henley Island in St. Catharines, showcasing some of Canada's best artists alongside rising stars from the Niagara Region. It has earned a reputation as a very family-friendly event and has even hosted Fred Penner!
Ball’s Falls Thanksgiving Festival has become a cherished Thanksgiving weekend tradition for many families who make the trip each year to enjoy unique artisan vendors, delicious food, craft beverages, live music, children’s activities, historical demonstrations, heritage tours, and guided nature hikes.
Every year from mid-November until early January, the Niagara Falls Winter Festival of Lights lights up the darkest nights of the year with millions of twinkling lights in larger-than-life displays, interactive experiences, and fireworks over Niagara Falls.
FAQs
Q: What are some of Niagara’s best festivals for families?
A: Niagara’s Ball’s Falls Thanksgiving Festival and Winter Festival of Lights have become cherished family traditions for many families, and both festivals have been recognized among Ontario’s Top 100 Festivals and Events.
Q: Can kids come to the Niagara Grape & Wine Festival?
A: September’s Niagara Grape & Wine Festival dedicates an entire day to family-friendly programming at Montebello Park, which includes a Family Zone and the annual Pied Piper Parade.
Q: Where can I find what other family-friendly events will be taking place when we visit Niagara?
A: The Visit Niagara Canada Events Calendar is an excellent resource for discovering events across Niagara.
