- Niagara Parks to host free outdoor event to kick-off the 42nd annual Winter Festival of Lights on November 16, 2024
- The family-friendly celebration features an unforgettable high-energy performance from Circus Orange with aerialists, acrobats, a special musical guest and more
- Visitors are invited to explore the illuminated pathways and interactive lighting displays along the Niagara Parkway
- Guests of all ages will enjoy free programming throughout the festival including performances from Chris McKhool, violin sensation and winner of the Canadian Folk Music Award for Children’s Album of the Year
- For more information about opening night and upcoming festival events visit niagaraparks.com/WFOL
Niagara Falls, ON – Canada’s largest free outdoor light festival, the Winter Festival of Lights presented by Niagara Falls Tourism, returns to illuminate the Niagara River corridor with an eight-kilometre wonderland of twinkling lights, captivating performances and family-friendly fun from November 16, 2024, to January 5, 2025.
This year’s event offers a stacked lineup of entertainment and enjoyment, including brand-new interactive light displays along with returning favourites, free concerts, holiday meet and greets and a picturesque poinsettia display inside the Floral Showhouse, creating the perfect Canadian winter getaway in Niagara Falls. On select nights guests can enjoy the awe-inspiring weekend fireworks show and receive a special delivery of cheer from the Coca Cola Holiday Caravan.
For more information and full event programming, visit niagaraparks.com/WFOL.
Winter Festival of Lights Kick-Off Celebration
On Saturday, November 16, guests are invited to join the fun and help kick off the 42nd annual Winter Festival of Lights in Queen Victoria Park with a full evening of free entertainment for all ages. The magic begins at 6:30 p.m. as the park transforms into an illuminated winter oasis. Circus Orange will then take the stage to present a mesmerizing spectacle of gravity-defying performances and electrifying fire acts, followed by an entrancing firework display to light up the night sky.
For more information, visit niagaraparks.com/WFOL.
New Interactive Light Installations Spark Connection and Play
New and returning fan favourites will light up Niagara Parks and transform the area into a winter wonderland for all ages. This season, iconic displays return, including Impulse the interactive See Saws created by Lateral Office and CS Design, with soundscape by Mitchell Akiyama, the larger-than-life Aurora Moose and the beloved nature displays within Dufferin Islands. Joining the lineup are four captivating new interactive installations: Les Diamants by Perséides Studio, Entre les rangs by KANVA Architecture in collaboration with Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, Musical Bikes by Atracktiv and The TUNNEL, a BIG ART Tour Produced by Creos. While the classic light displays continue to illuminate Niagara Falls, these new interactive installations spark play, connection and curiosity, encouraging guests to fully embrace the holiday spirit.
For a map of all Niagara Parks displays, visit niagaraparks.com/WFOL.
Annual Poinsettia Display
Yuletide joy is blooming at the Annual Poinsettia Show inside the Floral Showhouse. Opening on November 16, the festive display features the iconic poinsettia, arranged in traditional holiday landscapes and enhanced with vibrant colours and lights. Known to symbolize goodwill and community, this quintessential flower display is one of Niagara’s top picturesque photo locations to explore this holiday season.
During the Winter Festival of Lights, the Floral Showhouse will extend its operating hours into the evening (12 p.m. to 8 p.m.) and the display will be further accented by special lighting activations.
For more information, visit niagaraparks.com/poinsettia.
Award-Winning Children’s Entertainer Chris McKhool Fires Up the Festival Stage
Niagara Parks welcomes renowned children’s music artist Chris McKhool to the Queen Victoria Park event stage for three special evenings of immersive and joyful music. The JUNO award nominee and multi-time Canadian Folk Music Awards winner is known for his captivating, high-energy performances that transport young listeners and their families into a world of global beats, fiddle tunes, jazz and flamenco.
These interactive concerts are free to the public and will take place on the first three Saturdays of the festival following the kick-off on November 16, featuring a blend of traditional and original songs. Each performance will be filled with infectious rhythms, scat-singing and lively percussion, sure to enchant audiences of all ages.
For more information and details on McKhool’s three events, and other programming features, visit niagaraparks.com/WFOL.
Free Holiday Shuttle
Niagara Parks will provide a free hop-on, hop-off shuttle on all performance nights. Operating from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., connecting guests to featured illumination displays at Table Rock Centre, Grand View and Queen Victoria Place.
For more information and event details, visit niagaraparks.com/WFOL
Quotes
“Niagara Parks’ Winter Festival of Lights attracts over one million visitors annually and is the largest illumination festival in Canada, clearly demonstrating that Ontario’s tourism season stretches well beyond the warmer months,” said Stan Cho, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. “From spectacular lights displays to family-friendly performances, pictures with Santa, and the Hot Chocolate Trail, this year’s Winter Festival of Lights has something for everyone. Make the trip to Niagara Falls to create amazing memories that will last a lifetime!”
Media Assets are available here.
About Winter Festival of Lights
The Niagara Falls Winter Festival of Lights, presented by Niagara Falls Tourism, in Niagara Falls, Ontario, is Canada’s largest lights festival. This year, the festival runs from November 16, 2024, to January 5, 2025, and features a spectacularly decorated eight-kilometre-long lighting route that travels along the Niagara Parkway, through Dufferin Islands and surrounding tourist areas in Niagara Falls.
About Niagara Parks
Since its establishment in 1885, Niagara Parks has remained a self-financed agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, entrusted to preserve and protect the land surrounding Niagara Falls and the Niagara River. Today, Niagara Parks boasts gardens, a horticulture school, recreation, golf courses, restaurants, heritage and historic sites, gift shops and, of course, Niagara Falls. In short, natural landscapes, history, family fun, hiking, culinary delights, attractions and adventure.
For more information, please visit niagaraparks.com
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