NOV 14 to JAN · Niagara region
Christmas and winter events in Niagara 2026
Niagara's holiday season starts on Saturday, November 14, 2026, when the Niagara Falls Santa Claus Parade and the Winter Festival of Lights both begin. This page puts the Christmas parades, markets, lights and holiday concerts I have found on the organizers' own pages in one place, in date order within each group. Each entry links to its own page with hours, routes, parking and prices where the organizer publishes them.
Santa Claus parades, in date order
- Sat, Nov 14, 4:00 pm: Niagara Falls Santa Claus Parade, Niagara Falls
- Sat, Nov 28, 4:00 pm: Thorold Santa Claus Parade, Thorold
- Sat, Nov 28, 5:00 pm: West Lincoln Santa Claus Parade, West Lincoln
- Sat, Dec 5, 5:15 pm: Grimsby Santa Claus Parade, Grimsby
- Sat, Dec 5, 6:30 pm: Port Colborne Lighted Santa Claus Parade, Port Colborne
- Sat, Dec 12, 11:00 am: Niagara-on-the-Lake Christmas Parade, Niagara-on-the-Lake
- Sat, Dec 12, 1:00 pm: Fenwick Santa Claus Parade, Pelham
Three Saturdays have two parades each: November 28 (Thorold and West Lincoln), December 5 (Grimsby and Port Colborne) and December 12 (Niagara-on-the-Lake and Fenwick). Check each route and the road closures before you plan around one.
Lights and New Year's Eve
- NOV 14: Winter Festival of Lights, Niagara Falls
- NOV 26: Grimsby Town Tree Lighting, Grimsby
- DEC 31: Niagara Falls New Year's Eve, Niagara Falls
The Winter Festival of Lights is free and runs nightly from 5 pm to midnight, with fireworks on set dates listed on its page.
Holiday markets, house tours and family events
- NOV 14–15: Thorold Arts & Craft Show (31st annual), Thorold
- NOV 20: Starlight Market, Jordan Village, Lincoln
- NOV 21: Roselawn Christmas Makers' Market, Port Colborne
- NOV 27–29: Holiday HandMade Market, Niagara Falls
- DEC 3: Pelham Christmas Market, Pelham
- DEC 4–5: Niagara-on-the-Lake Holiday House Tour, Niagara-on-the-Lake
- DEC 4–13: Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre Holiday Market, Niagara-on-the-Lake
- DEC 5: Tug Boat Santa, Port Colborne
- DEC 18: Pelham Santa's Workshop, Pelham
Concerts, theatre and talks
- NOV 20: Royal Wood with special guest, Fort Erie
- NOV 27: The Men of the Deeps: 60th Anniversary Christmas Tour, Welland
- DEC 5: Christmas with The Ennis Sisters, Welland
- DEC 5: John Muirhead: The Never Ending Road Tour, Fort Erie
- DEC 13: Celtic Noël with Glissandi and Guy Bannerman, St. Catharines
- DEC 19–20: Home for the Holidays with the Niagara Symphony Orchestra, St. Catharines
- JAN 6–13: Legends in Concert, Niagara Falls
- JAN 27: The Beaches, Niagara Falls
- JAN 31: Niagara Symphony Orchestra: Bold Beginnings, St. Catharines
Not listed yet
These are the events I looked for and could not confirm on an official page, so they are not listed. I will add each one when its organizer publishes the details.
- Welland's Santa Claus parade: the city's page says 2026 parade applications are open but gives no date.
- St. Catharines' Let It Glow and the Fort Erie Santa Claus parade: no 2026 dates found.
- The Niagara-on-the-Lake Candlelight Stroll: the town's own pages show it on both December 4 and December 5.
- Niagara Icewine Festival 2027: the organizer has not published its 2027 dates where I could find them, and other listings disagree.
Know of something else?
If you run a holiday event in the Niagara region, or you have spotted a date or detail that is wrong, send it to me and I will check it against the organizer's page before it goes up.
Page updated October 22, 2026. Each event page shows when I last checked it against the organizer. Dates and details can change; confirm with the organizer before travelling.