Niagara Icewine Festival 2025 in Niagara Falls

During the month of January, the Niagara wine region celebrates one of Canada’s most famous drinks: Ontario Icewine. Throughout this month, Niagara Falls hosts several festivals and events dedicated to the winter's most festive drink. Niagara Icewine Festival features numerous local wineries showcasing their best products. The Cool as Ice Gala is a highlight of the festival, with glitz & glamour paired with delicious icewines and farm-to-table cuisine. You may also indulge in an unusual taste-testing combination and try out ice wine with roasted chestnuts or marshmallows.

Icewine Festival Events

The first festival weekend kicks off without major events and lets visitors explore the selection at the local wineries at their own pace and indulge in the delicious selections there. During the second weekend, besides the usual program at the local vineyards and wineries, visitors might enjoy the Cool as Ice Gala featuring mocktails, cocktails, and thrilling live performances. Niagara-on-the-Lake Icewine Village is an unforgettable part of the festival, with scrumptious food, icewine varieties, and bonfire entertainment.

Niagara-on-the-Lake Icewine Village (January 18-19, 25-26, 2025)

Outdoor Niagara-on-the-Lake Icewine Village is an excellent locale, suitable for an afternoon stroll, adorned with stunning ice sculptures and holiday lights to set the mood. Its romantic and cozy atmosphere will make you forget about the cold. The festival also features plenty of live music and entertainment. Taking place in the Niagara’-on-the-Lake’s Historical District on Queen Street, the village offers a chance to enjoy ice wine by the fireside or indulge in scrumptious culinary pairings.

Cool As Ice Gala (January 13, 2024)

The Niagara Icewine Gala (Cool As Ice Gala), held at Niagara Parks Power Station from 7 pm to 11 pm, offers participants to try out the luxurious Niagara wines, Icewine cocktails, and mocktails. Beyond the luxurious drinks, the party boasts some of Niagara’s most talented chefs and live entertainment. The tickets to this delicious event are $225 ($267.79 with tax) per person.

Participating Wineries

The festival showcases around 30 of the best local wineries. Some of the most notable picks are 13th Street Winery, Creekside Estate Winery, 180 Estate Winery, Bella Terra Vineyards, De Simone Vineyards, Malivoire Wine Company, Reif Estate Winery, and Flat Rock Cellars.

Schedule & Dates

The festival runs mainly on the weekends–on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The first weekend kicks off on January 10th-12th, followed by a whirlwind of festivities on January 17th-19th, with the Cool as Ice Gala on January 18th. The last chance to visit the festival is on January 24th-26th. Niagara-on-the-Lake Icewine Village takes place on January 18th-19th and on January 25th-26th.

Discovery Pass & Tickets

Discovery Pass takes visitors all over the Niagara wine region during a wine and food tasting tour from 11 am to 5 pm. There are several pass options, including Mini Pass, Discovery Pass, and Flex Friday Pass. Mini Pass costs $39.46 with fees and gives you access to three seasonal experiences. Flex Friday Pass, with which you can enter six wine and culinary experiences on Fridays, costs $57.67 with fees.

Discovery Pass itself costs $69.82 with access to six experiences on all weekends of the festival. Note that if you'd like to bring your pet, not all wineries are pet-friendly, so be sure to check with the participating winery to confirm if it allows pets.