Events

Winter Festival of Lights

November 15 - January 4

The Winter Festival of Lights was founded in 1982 by a partnership between the Niagara Falls Canada Visitor and Convention Bureau (now known as Niagara Falls Tourism), the City of Niagara Falls, the Niagara Parks Commission and a number of private businesses in Niagara Falls’ tourism sector.

The Festival was created as a way to extend what had (for more than a century) been a summers-only tourism season in Niagara Falls. During its first season, the Festival had a small collection of lighting displays located near the Falls, drawing a respectable 250,000 visitors. Each year the Festival displays were expanded and audiences grew larger, quickly making a visit to Niagara Falls an annual winter tradition for family and friends.

In 1992, the Winter Festival of Lights partnered with Disney for the “Enchantment of Disney” program, which included over 20 animated displays of Disney Classics throughout Queen Victoria Park and an opening ceremonies with Disney characters. Unfortunately, in 2013 the Disney displays were removed as Disney decided to limit their character appearances to their theme parks.

From 1998-2006, the Festival introduced a weekly Night Parade of Lights, featuring illuminated floats.

After the Disney years, the Festival introduced different themes including a Korean Lantern display, art installations, and interactive light displays. In 2020, the Winter Festival of Lights doubled its inventory of displays and in 2021 almost doubled the duration of the Festival from an average of 54 nights to 101 nights.

Today, the Winter Festival of lights transforms Niagara Falls into a palette of breathtaking colour from mid-November to into the New Year. Millions of twinkling lights, engaging displays, and interactive experiences continue to enhance the annual winter tradition along the route of the Niagara Parkway through Dufferin Islands and into the tourist districts of Fallsview Boulevard and Lundy’s Lane.

Focused on providing fun for all ages with family-friendly displays and entertainment, the Festival continues to expand by adding new displays and lighting. Illuminations include more than 50 larger than life displays and dozens of trees wrapped in lights along the Niagara Parkway, including Canadian wildlife displays, the two-storey tall Zimmerman Fountain, 40ft light tunnel, castle and more!

Fallsview Casino's Christmas on Ice

November 27 - December 17: Multiple Shows Available

A thrilling high-paced spectacle of world-class ice skating and holiday cheer, Fallsview Casino’s Christmas on Ice features a winter wonderland of national championship ice skaters, dancers and singers that will fill you with the magic of the season.

Christmas with Johnny Reid

December 3 at 8:00pm

Over an illustrious career spanning more than two decades, JUNO Award winning singer-songwriter Johnny Reid has captured the hearts of fans and audiences around the world. The critically acclaimed singer is widely known for his lyrical honesty and musical ability, as demonstrated by an extensive catalogue of hit songs, album sales totaling over 1.5 million units in Canada, countless awards and multiple sold out national arena tours. Catch Johnny Reid live on stage in a joyful celebration of holiday spirit, sharing personal favourites, cherished classics and inspiring stories to usher in the holiday season.

Matt Dusk - A Very Sinatra Christmas

December 20 at 8:00pm

Matt Dusk is one of Canada’s most beloved male vocalists, forging a career in music that has resulted in fourteen critically-acclaimed studio albums and sold over one million albums world wide.

Dusk has been awarded four GOLD albums: TWO SHOTS (Canada, The Netherlands) and GOOD NEWS, SINATRA Vol.2, four PLATINUM albums: MY FUNNY VALENTINE and JUST THE TWO OF US, OLD SCHOOL YULE!, JETSETJAZZ and SINATRA Vol.1.

He has had three number one radio hits: ALL ABOUT ME (Canada), BACK IN TOWN (Japan), and GOOD NEWS (France), is an alumnus of the St. Michael’s Choir School and studied under jazz piano legend Oscar Peterson at York University.

Notable award nominations include, five JUNO awards, one ADISQ, and one Róże Gali: Muzyka.

Dusk also has countless TV appearances under his belt, notably lead roles in “The Casino” on the FOX Network and Hallmark’s “Deck the Halls on Cherry Lane”.

Blue Rodeo

December 28 at 7:00pm

When fans lined Toronto’s Queen Street to get into clubs where Blue Rodeo was performing in the mid-1980s, the band felt they had achieved success. And, in fact, they had. But that success has grown exponentially over the ensuing four decades, and by staying true to themselves, Blue Rodeo has built an enduring love affair with Canadians.

Now celebrating their 40th anniversary, Blue Rodeo has proven to be one of Canada’s most enduring and important bands. They have received 31 JUNO Award nominations (winning 12) and 17 CCMA Awards (winning two). Blue Rodeo has sold more than four million albums, played thousands of shows, been inducted into both the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame, been named to the Order of Canada and been honoured with the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award.

Reflecting back on four decades of success, the band is able to fully appreciate where Blue Rodeo sits in the pantheon of music. “Success seemed real when we were entertaining people in The Horseshoe. That was the top of the heap for us,” Cuddy says. “When you look back, you realize it’s just been this beautiful dream.”