Upcoming Event: Niagara Grape & Wine Festival Celebrates 70 Years In A Big Way With Stylish Upgrades, Parading Puppies And A Full Month Of Harvest Fun

Tuesday, 30 August 2022 10:22.AM

Niagara Grape & Wine Festival is celebrating its platinum anniversary this September with a big, bold move that will supersize Canada's oldest and largest wine festival from two weeks of programming to an entire month of fun. In addition to perennial favourites like two parades, live music, and wine and food tastings, Grape & Wine Month will see the addition of fun new programming, perks and puppies!

The Return of Grape & Wine Favourites

Downtown St. Catharines will continue to serve as a key community hub for Grape & Wine fun with free admission to the Montebello Park Wine and Culinary Festival on September 16, 17, 18, 23, 24 and 25 and Family Fun Zone on Saturdays and Sundays of those weekends. Age of majority park guests can select their sips from over 100 VQA wines paired with food from 15 local culinary partners as they groove to a 50-hour soundtrack of live Ontario music, including hometown favourites like My Son The Hurricane, The Mandevilles, and Jonesy.

The Pied Piper Family Parade returns on September 17, and in partnership with the Lincoln County Humane Society, with see the delightful addition of dogs! Pied Piper Parade participants will have the option of promenading their pooches along the route.

The Grande Parade returns September 24th, with over fifty marching bands, dance and performance artists enlivening Downtown St. Catharines. The five neighbourhoods selected for showing the greatest Grape & Wine spirit during 2020's Porch Parade will also be celebrated as part of the Grande Parade festivities.

A favourite of foodies, the Discovery Pass Touring Program is also back, allowing those who prefer to sip at the source to choose from 24 wine and food pairings at various winery locations across Niagara on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays beginning September 9th through the end of the month.

New Programming, Perks and Creative Ways To Get Your Grape On

The launch of 30 days' worth of programming for Grape & Wine Month will create a diverse range of new activities for locals and visitors to enjoy throughout September. Grape & Wine Month programming in the works includes wine and culinary events at local restaurants, guided outdoor hikes and vineyard yoga, interactive winery experiences, and wine-themed events offered by area retailers and arts organizations. For the growing list of Grape & Wine Month programming, please visit niagarawinefestival.com.

Exciting new perks and places launching at Montebello Park will include:

• The In Good Spirits Lounge, a highly stylized cocktail lounge set in the park's historic rose garden offering delicious drinks featuring grape-based spirits
• A Sommelier Bar open to any guests wishing to enjoy unique, ultra-premium VQA wines
• New VIP Cabanas, six private glamping tents in the heart of the action, outfitted with luxe lounge furnishings and a private wine steward

According to Grape & Wine Festival Executive Director Dorian Anderson, "Niagara has so much love for all things local that growing the Grape & Wine Festival into a month-long celebration just seemed like the right thing to do. From wine, to food, to music, our goal is to shine the spotlight on all the fabulous things we're making right here in Niagara. Our Festival contributes $25 million toward Niagara's economy each year, and we hope to increase that with the addition of Grape & Wine Month programming that encourages Festival guests to support local businesses that could use a post-pandemic boost right now."