Peak tourism for Canada's Niagara region is during the summer months but millions of visitors have come to discover that Niagara can be a very rewarding wintertime destination.
The Niagara CAA Winter Festival of Lights and the Niagara Icewine Festival were recently included in a list of top winter festivals in Canada by Canoe.ca, one of Canada's largest online news portals.
CAA Winter Festival of Lights
Begun in 1983, the CAA Winter Festival of Lights at Niagara Falls now attracts more than one million visits during its November to January showing. The festival includes over 125 animated lighting displays and 3 million tree and ground lights that can be seen within the Niagara Parks Winter Wonderland, which also includes the world-famous Enchantment of Disney displays and the world’s largest illuminated Canadian-American Flag.
There is no admission fee to view the illuminations but donations are gratefully accepted. The suggested contribution is $5 to $10 per car or $1 per coach bus passenger, with proceeds used to enhance the lights and displays. Both the illumination of the falls and the festival’s illuminations occur from 5:00 p.m. to midnight.
The current festival runs through January 31.
Niagara Icewine Festival
The celebrated Niagara wine industry grows every year and with it so do the festivals. The Niagara Icewine Festival is held every January and celebrates one of Canada`s most cherished products, Ontario Icewine.
Icewine is made from grapes that have been left to freeze naturally on the vine. Ontario has produced Icewine since 1984 and is now considered one of the world's premiere producers, with an average annual volume of 900,000 litre.
Throughout the nearly three week festival that is packed with special events, Icewine is served up at wineries and venues across the peninsula, including popular outdoor ice bars in the villages of Jordan and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Many area restaurants also serve special Icewine inspired culinary creations.
The 2012 Niagara Icewine Festival, which will run from Jan 13 through Jan 29, marks the event's 17th anniversary.
Gay-friendly Accommodations
- Niagara's Finest Inns (International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association member)
- White Oaks Resort (Travel Gay Canada member)
- Four Points by Sheraton Niagara Fallsview (TAG Approved)
Visiting Niagara
Detailed information on visiting the Niagara region is available from Tourism Niagara, Niagara Falls Tourism and Ontario Tourism. There is also excellent information on the area's wine region available from Wine Country Ontario.
Travel Note: Direct flights from the Washington, D.C., area to Toronto Pearson International Airport are available by Air Canada and United Airlines from Baltimore Washington International Airport and by Air Canada, United Airlines and Continental Airlines from Dulles International Airport.
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