Add a little snow and the setting will be complete for the 27th annual Winter Festival of Lights that shines brightly through Jan. 4 and attracts more than a million people.
New is the Rink at the Brink for outdoor skating and there's a huge ferris wheel overlooking the falls and indoor skydiving.
The featured lighting displays can be found at:
- Dufferin Island: With numerous displays of Canadian wildlife including moose and buffalo, howling wolves, charging rams, bears, beavers, deer and dinosaurs. There are also 3,000 sets of tree lights creating a "mystical aura" of illumination.
- Queen Victoria Park (at the bottom of Murray Hill): For the 20 "Enchantment of Disney" displays depicting classics such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty's Castle, Fantasia - the Sorcerer's Apprentice, Winnie the Pooh and Tinker Bell.
There are also new classics including as Toy Story, Beauty and the Beast, the Little Mermaid and the Lion King.
- Niagara Falls: Various areas of the city are alight including the Lundys Lane, now known as Candy Cane Lane, with candy cane displays and lamppost illuminations.
Fallsview tourist area has lamppost illuminations along Fallsview Boulevard and downtown has lights on trees and building decorations along Queen Street to complement the illuminations at Centennial Square.
- Niagara Parkway: The "Winter Wonderland" is along this five-kilometre stretch with displays featuring the grape and wine industry, historic Battle of 1812 and Fort Erie racing.
Activities depicted include skating, skiing, hockey and carriage rides along with the huge Canada-U.S. flag, a snowman band, large illuminated Menorah and teddy bear parade.
Outside the Niagara Parks Police building, which is illuminated with lights choreographed to music, are Royal Canadian Mounted Police displays.
Just beyond the Rainbow Bridge, there are brightly decorated houses and bed-and-breakfast establishments and a nativity scene.
Festival chair Joe Miszk said the rink is a "huge hit" with visitors being able to skate "just steps away from the magnificent sights and sounds of Niagara Falls."
It's at the brink of the Horseshoe Falls across from the Table Rock Centre and is open daily through Feb. 28 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. There are skate, helmet and locker rentals available, along with skating lessons.
Then, view the falls from the towering Niagara Skywheel with its enclosed climate-controlled gondolas and visit Niagara Freefall for indoor skydiving in a vertical wind tunnel with padded floors and walls.
Over at IMAX Niagara, Santa Versus the Snowman is playing on the huge screen while the Oh Canada Eh?! Dinner Show has Jump, Jive and Jingle. Some 30 holiday classics are given "a rock n' roll twist" in this tale of six strangers stranded in a 1950's-style diner on Christmas Eve.
There's also the Broadway-style production of Scrooge at the Niagara Centre for the Arts through Dec. 27.
The Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse has its seasonal display of red, white and pink poinsettias, cyclamen, azaleas, Christmas cactus and paperwhite narcissus while tropical birds fly throughout the display houses.
The free New Year's Eve Extravaganza in Queen Victoria Park starts at 8 p.m. with entertainment including headliners Glass Tiger and Styx and fireworks over the falls at 9 p.m. and midnight. There are also fireworks next Friday and Dec. 18, 26 and Jan. 1 at 9 p.m.
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Foxtrots:
- The Woodstock Fanshawe Singers perform the "Sleigh Bells Ringing!" concert today at 2 p.m. and "Christmas Tidings," an evening of traditional choral music, tonight at 8 p.m. at St. Davids United Church, Springbank Avenue, Woodstock. Info: (519) 539-9411.
- Christkindl Market, reflecting a German Christmas market, is on this weekend at Kitchener City Hall. Reliving a centuries-old tradition, the free fest has more than 70 vendors and music, dance, traditional food and drink, model train display and crafts. It continues today until 9 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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If you go:
Winter Festival of Lights information: www.wfol.com; www.niagaraparks.com; 1-800-563-2557.
There is no charge but donations are "gratefully accepted" at the exit of Dufferin Islands ($5 to $10 a car suggested to support the displays).
The Rink at the Brink charges $9.99 for daily admission with skate rental ($8 without) and $7.99 ($5.75 without skates) for children to age 12.
Winter Driving Conditions Cause Drivers Anxiety from Coast to CoastOxford aglow with festivities
