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The Niagara Wine Festival

The Niagara Wine Festival is one of Niagara’s largest and longest going events, with this year’s 63rd annual event beginning on Saturday, September 13th, until Sunday, September 28, 2014. September’s Niagara Wine Festival features more than 100 events, which include concerts, one of Canada’s largest street parades, and of course our region’s finest winery and tasting tours.
This is Canada’s largest celebration of wineries and vineyards, showcasing its harvest and farm to table experience. You can explore the wineries of Twenty Valley and Niagara on the Lake with the Discovery Pass. The Discovery Pass is the best way to taste and experience a variety of Niagara’s famous wine and cuisine. For only $40 (plus HST), you gain access to eight participating wineries which includes food and wine pairings. Click here to view a full list of the Niagara Wine Festival Discovery Pass participants and experiences. Enjoy the pass on September 13th, 14th, 20th, 21st, 27th or 28th.

The Discovery Pass is available for purchase online until August 29th, and after that you may purchase them at any of the participating wineries, Ontario Tourism Travel Centres in Niagara Falls (Stanley Avenue and the QEW Skyway location), Niagara Falls Tourism, Grimsby Gateway Tourism Information Centre, or the Niagara on the Lake Chamber of Commerce.
No one is left out during the Niagara Wine Festival events — $30 (plus HST) gives non-drinkers the opportunity to purchase the Driver’s Discovery Pass — access to eight participating wineries to sample some of Niagara’s most delectable culinary experiences.
On weekends 2 and 3, don’t forget all the exciting festivities that go on at Montebello Park (64 Ontario St.) in Downtown St.Catharines! Montebello Park will have a variety of wine tasting and food pairing vendors lined up that are participating in the Niagara Wine Festival. Wristbands will be in effect for those wishing to drink, however families are welcome as there will be a stroller and wagon entrance through the Lake St. entrance. Apart from the obvious celebration of Niagara’s finest wines, there will be plenty of live entertainment with a full list of concerts:
Friday, September 19th, 2014
Hotel California – A Tribute to the Eagles – 7:20 – 10:30 pm
Saturday, September 20th, 2014
Garden of Eden – 12:00 – 12:45 pm
Soul Jam – 1:00 – 2:45 pm
Stereoflavour – 3:00 – 4:45 pm
Trouble & Daughter – 5:00 – 6:45 pm
Desire – A Tribute to U2 – 7:30 – 10:30 pm
Sunday, September 21st, 2014
S.C.E.N.E. People’s Choice Winner: Cardinals – 12:30 – 2:30 pm
Royal Wood – 3:00 – 4:45 pm
Elton Rohn – A Tribute to Elton John – 5:00 -8:00 pm
Friday, September 26th, 2014
Jonesy – 6:30 – 7:30 pm
The Caverners – A Tribute to The Beatles – 8:00 – 10:30 pm
Saturday, September 27th, 2014
Flat Broke – 12:30 – 3:00 pm
The Mandevilles – 3:15 – 5:15 pm
The Wheat Kings – A Tribute to The Tragically Hip – 8:00 – 10:30 pm
Sunday, September 28th, 2014
Brad James – 12:45 – 1:45 pm
Ash & Bloom – 2:30 – 4:30 pm
Leah Daniels – 4:45 – 6:15 pm
Tebey – 6:45 – 8:00 pm

On Saturday, September 27th, enjoy the colours and the pageantry of one of North America’s foremost street parades! Featuring an outstanding procession of marching bands, drum corps, community groups, majorettes, floats and amazing performances. This is one of my absolute favourite aspects of the Niagara Wine Festival. This year’s 2014 theme is “Celebrating 200 years of Peace”, as they will complete Niagara’s commemoration of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812, while moving into the present day. The parade starts at 11:00 am through the Downtown core of St.Catharines, and is a rain or shine event that sees more than 100,000 spectators!

*Please be advised that Montebello Park festivities are only active during the weekends of the Festival. Wineries are open throughout the week for tours and tastings, but Discovery Pass events only occur on the weekend as well.
One of the best features of travelling to Niagara Falls in September is the drastic cut in hotel costs and great midweek specials. If you are a wine enthusiast or you just want to simply get away during the week, than you should consider the cost-friendly and convenient Clifton Hill Niagara Falls Hotel hotel. Since Clifton Hill is the main tourist promenade in Niagara Falls, and this hotel is located right on Clifton Hill itself, after kids go back to school there is a drastic decrease in people traveling to this location, but a rise in international travel. This is a perfect time for traveling. The Fall colours are beautiful, the weather is crisp and cool, events are still rampant (such as the Niagara Wine Festival!), and the Comfort Inn Clifton Hill offers up to 15% off on selected rooms during certain days of the week. This is a great time to take advantage of these discounts. Click here to view the highlighted 15% off days and reservation chart.
Attraction line-ups are non-existent in September. Grab the family and purchase the Clifton Hill Fun Pass for a 50% off savings on the Niagara SkyWheel, Dinosaur Adventure Golf or Wizard’s Golf, Movieland Wax Museum, the XD Ride Theatre, the Ghostblasters Dark Ride, plus additional tokens to play at the Great Canadian Midway. Purchasing the pass online by clicking here will also get you an additional Niagara SkyWheel admission, so that you have the opportunity to catch both sunrise and sunset 175 feet in the sky! Get amazing photos of the Niagara Falls and the surrounding landscape.

For more information on the Niagara Wine Festival and all its events, participating wineries, tastings and every day occurrences go to www.niagarawinefestival.com or go to their social media pages:
www.twitter.com/NiagaraWineFest
www.facebook.com/NiagaraWineFestivals