Milestone moments feel even more special when those celebrating can enjoy the festivities with a fun change of scenery as well. Rather than hosting your next celebration on home turf, bring the party to Niagara, where fantastic restaurants, wineries, and craft breweries can be paired with engaging activities nearby to mark the moment in a memory-making way. Here are some suggestions to get your wheels turning and inspire a next-level fete for your friends.
Brunch With The Bride-To-Be
Transform that small-group bridal shower or bachelorette party from ho-hum to so fun by taking the best meal of the weekend on the road! Rather than fight the crowds in Niagara Falls or Niagara-on-the-Lake, head to mid-day meal hotspots in and around St. Catharines and the Niagara Benchlands. St. Catharines’ Pique-Nique serves Mimosas, croissants, and sweet and savoury brunch dishes that will make your guests feel like they’ve skipped off to Paris for the day. The restaurant also has a pretty little side room that can be reserved for group events. Afterward, head to Port Dalhousie to snap some fun group photos of your group aboard the carefully preserved carousel located at Lakeside Park.
For another fun brunch option, time your trip for the annual Niagara Grape & Wine Brunch By The Lake event in early July. Set on the stunning shores of Lake Ontario, Brunch by the Lake pairs up Niagara’s top chefs with local wineries to compete in a Top Chef-style brunch battle where guests vote to choose the best brunch pairing.
In the Niagara Benchlands, The Watering Can Flower Market hosts Tropical Garden Tea experiences for groups of up to 10, complete with house-made pastries and delectable bites, individual pots of tea, and a photo-worthy mix of vintage bone china teacups and saucers. In addition to browsing the beautiful plants and giftware, guests can sign up for on-site group workshops and take home personally crafted arrangements and urns as a memento of the fun day spent together.
Hit The Greens With The Groomsmen
Choosing one of Niagara’s lesser-known golf courses around St. Catharines and the Niagara Benchlands offers players a more relaxed environment for a game where catching up with friends is the priority. Excellent options include St. Catharines’ Garden City Golf Course, Rockway Vineyards Golf Club, and Twenty Valley Golf and Country Club. Afterward, head to a Niagara Benchlands’ winery for some wood-fired pizza, like Honsberger Estate Winery or Calamus Estate Winery, or a St. Catharines spot known for its killer slices, like OddBar or Helliwell Hall.
Say Happy Birthday With Beer & Tacos
While exploring the entire Niagara Ale Trail in one day is a tall order, designating a driver and sipping at the seven spots that call St. Catharines and the Niagara Benchlands home is entirely doable. For an efficient east-to-west craft beer touring route, start at Newark Brewing, then try Bench Brewing Company, before making your way to downtown St. Catharines to sample the brews at Cold Break Brewing, Decew Falls Brewing, The Merchant Ale House and Helliwell Hall. Tempting tacos to try as you tour in the Niagara Benchlands include Smoke & Moonshine’s brisket tacos and Coastal Kitchen and Bar’s fried catfish tacos. In Port Dalhousie, the Pastor tacos at Patio Andaluz are a must. In St. Catharines, hit Trust Beer Bar to taste why their Crunchwraps are a can’t-miss. Plan to stop for a second course of Mexican fare at The Mule, located right around the corner. While you’re downtown, keep the fun going with a game of pool at Pool City Billiards.
Start An Annual Friend Getaway Tradition in Niagara
If busy schedules have been making it difficult to find time to meet face-to-face with friends beyond the big milestone moments, consider taking a lesson in connection from the Germans. The German word Stammtisch refers to a recurring, standing gathering that happens at the same time and place, regardless of who attends. While these pre-scheduled dates typically occur at nearby coffee shops, parks, and restaurants, there’s no reason the tradition can’t be tweaked to gather your friend group for an annual getaway in Niagara. Some fun ideas for recurring meetups include:
- A June trip to attend Graze The Bench
- A last day of spring hike on the Bruce Trail or e-bike ride on the Niagara Escarpment
- A first day of summer winery touring adventure
- A summer evening savoured at the weekly Supper Markets on the shores of Lake Ontario in Port Dalhousie and Lincoln’s Prudhomme’s Landing
- A last day of summer sail on Lake Ontario
- A yearly visit to the latest Niagara restaurant that’s captured the attention of MICHELIN Guide inspectors, like Restaurant Pearl Morissette or Fat Rabbit
- A September trip to join the Grape & Wine Festival fall fun
Find even more ways to get your friends together for fun celebrations around the Niagara Benchlands and St. Catharines in our Flip Side Files and by browsing our Culinary, Wine and Craft Beverages, Farms and Markets, Arts and Action, Outdoor Adventure, and Stay pages.