The Cozy Quotient: 9 Unexpected Ways to Celebrate the Season in Niagara

The surest way to find Niagara’s warmest holiday feels is to take a turn down the road less travelled! Exploring the side streets and backroads around St. Catharines and the Niagara Benchlands lets you stumble upon unexpected festive flavours and holiday happenings. Here are just a few fun ways to stir up some spirit this season!

1. Spend A Day Exploring Niagara’s MICHELIN Scene

A two-tier platter of oysters, sliced steak, flatbreads, shrimp and roe at Les Incompetents — Les Incompetents (opens in a new tab), St. Catharines

MICHELIN Guide inspectors found even more to love in the Niagara Benchlands and St. Catharines in their latest release. Start with brunch at RPM Bakehouse (opens in a new tab), followed by a walk-in Petit Caveau tasting at Pearl Morissette Winery (opens in a new tab) if you haven’t been able to secure a reservation at Restaurant Pearl Morissette (opens in a new tab). Then head to St. Catharines for happy hour snacks and cocktails at Les Incompetents (opens in a new tab) and OddBird (opens in a new tab), followed by dinner at Fat Rabbit (opens in a new tab). While you’re visiting all these stops, consider picking up a gift card or two for the favourite foodies on your holiday gift list.

2. Pair Some New-To-You Pints With Your Favourite Holiday Music

A pint of Helliwell Hall’s Foeder-Fermented Märzen on a wooden table — Helliwell Hall (opens in a new tab), St. Catharines

Create your own spirited blend of craft beer and festive tunes by enjoying a tasting flight at Merchant Ale House (opens in a new tab), Decew Falls Brewing Co. (opens in a new tab), or Cold Break Brewing (opens in a new tab) before one of St. Catharines’ many holiday shows taking place this season, including performances by Holly Cole (opens in a new tab), Natalie MacMaster (opens in a new tab), and The Music of a Charlie Brown Christmas (opens in a new tab). Sports fans who’d rather pair their beer with some football over a concert will want to time their trip for a Buffalo Bills game and join the fun of being part of Helliwell Hall’s (opens in a new tab) “Herd (opens in a new tab),” where they can snack on some of Buffalo’s most famous culinary delicacies and cheer on the team with Canadian members of the Bills Mafia!

3. Take a Glowy After-Dinner Stroll

A woman and a young child in a star headband smiling in a tunnel of warm lights at Let It Glow — Let It Glow (opens in a new tab), Port Dalhousie

Port Dalhousie’s holiday vibe is too holly jolly to miss! After dinner at KaiserHaus (opens in a new tab), Lokanta (opens in a new tab), or The Twisted Pig (opens in a new tab), bundle up and enjoy Let It Glow: A Celebration of Light (opens in a new tab). The annual winter light festival in St. Catharines features interactive light installations, festive decorations, and family-friendly activities at both Rennie Park and Lakeside Park in Port Dalhousie.

4. Visit A Picture-Perfect Holiday Market

Marquee letters spelling STARLIGHT glowing in front of a light-strung timber pavilion at the Starlight Market — Starlight Market (opens in a new tab), Jordan Village

This year’s many holiday markets offer a festive way to shop for unique gifts and stock up on special items for holiday entertaining. Excellent options to consider timing a trip around include the Starlight Market in Jordan Village (opens in a new tab), Port Dalhousie Christmas Market (opens in a new tab), Ridley College Christmas Market (opens in a new tab), and Grand Oak Culinary Market’s Christmas Vendor Market (opens in a new tab). The recently opened Provisions Outpost (opens in a new tab) is another fun destination for stocking up on drool-worthy grazing-board items, as well as apothecary and lifestyle accessories.

5. Sip Your Way Through The Season

A bottle of Malivoire Stouck Viognier and a glass of white wine beside a small plated bite, surrounded by silver and gold ornaments — Get Wrapped Up (opens in a new tab), Niagara Benchlands

Wine lovers will want to mark their calendars for festive fun at Niagara wineries like Get Wrapped Up (opens in a new tab), when Niagara Benchlands Wineries open their doors with festive flair and invite pass holders to wander through eight participating wineries and savour a wine and holiday bite at each one. The Holiday Wine Trail event (opens in a new tab), taking place at Fielding Estate Winery (opens in a new tab), Cave Spring Vineyard (opens in a new tab), 180 Estate Winery (opens in a new tab), Malivoire (opens in a new tab), and Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery (opens in a new tab), is another fun outing worth timing a trip around. Head to Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers on Thursday evenings in November and December for Dillon’s After Dark (opens in a new tab), to sip something delicious while you shop for all your favourite cocktail fans!

6. Head Out On A Winery Open House Tour

Two friends in toques admiring ornaments on a lit Christmas tree at 13th Street Winery — 13th Street Winery (opens in a new tab), St. Catharines

Niagara’s wineries welcome visitors year-round, but turn things up a notch further at their holiday open houses. Check the Niagara Benchlands Wineries event calendar (opens in a new tab) to find open houses to visit on your trip to Niagara, including Kacaba Vineyards and Winery (opens in a new tab), The Foreign Affair Winery (opens in a new tab), and Henry of Pelham Family Estate (opens in a new tab). For those who prefer a guided option, Crush on Niagara Wine Tours (opens in a new tab) or Coventry Transportation (opens in a new tab) can take you and your crew on a personal holiday tasting tour.

7. Create A Stunning Holiday Urn

Three friends laughing with a small potted evergreen arrangement among holiday decorations at The Watering Can — The Watering Can Flower Market (opens in a new tab), Vineland and St. Catharines

DIYers who want to deck the halls will adore the hands-on holiday urn, wreath, and floral arrangement workshops hosted at The Watering Can Flower Market (opens in a new tab). The European-inspired flower market also offers take-home kits for those who prefer to get crafty after their trip!

8. Settle In With A Cocktail At A Vibey New Bookshop Bar

This fall, Thistle Bookshop (opens in a new tab) in Port Dalhousie recruited a human chain of book lovers (opens in a new tab) to carefully transfer books from its former shop to its cozy new Lock Street location. Browse for a holiday read or shop for the book lovers on your list while sipping a delicious cocktail, because that’s right, folks: this bookshop now boasts its own bar (opens in a new tab)!

9. Next-Level Your Holiday Baking & Entertaining Game

A hand lifting a tart from a plate of holiday butter tarts, with a glowing Christmas tree behind — 13th Street Winery (opens in a new tab), St. Catharines

13th Street Winery (opens in a new tab) isn’t gatekeeping its culinary prowess! This holiday season, guests can master the art of decorating Christmas cookies with 13th Street’s baker, learn to pair wine with food over a six-course meal, and join an interactive culinary demonstration where Anna Olsen shares her favourite tips, techniques, and inspiration for creating elegant yet effortless holiday appetizers.

While all of the above options make for delightful day trips, they’re even better when you can slow the pace by spending a night or two at a cozy inn, comfortable hotel, or unique vacation rental (opens in a new tab). Particularly festive options include Inn on the Twenty (opens in a new tab) and Jordan House (opens in a new tab) in the heart of Jordan Village, Al Borgo Estate’s newly built Casetta cottages (opens in a new tab), The Farmhouse at Queylus (opens in a new tab), and Port Dalhousie’s The Juniper Inn (opens in a new tab).