Visiting Southern Ontario and Niagara Falls

Celebrate summer solstice in Ontario’s Niagara wine region. Over 35 of Ontario’s wineries join in the 2012 Niagara New Vintage Festival, the weekends of June 16th and 17th, and June 23rd and 24th. Events kick off with the TD Tailgate Party on the 16th, featuring a casual setting filled with farm-to-table cuisine, live entertainment and the best wines of the region. Continue your wine tour and discovery at vineyards across southern Ontario showcasing their wines with tastings and food pairings. From Ontario’s wine route to summer festivals, this is season to getaway and see southern Ontario’s sights.

Theater fans get ready for Shaw Festival 2012. Now featuring works on four stages, Niagara On The Lake hosts the festival April 10th through October 28th. Marking its 51st season, Shaw Festival continues to showcase the best in contemporary theatre, both past and present.

The Festival Theatre season includes performances of Ragtime, Present Laughter, and His Girl Friday. Among the shows at the Court House Theatre are Shaw’s The Millionairess, with the Royal George Theatre featuring Misalliance in its lineup. The Studio Theatre presents Helen’s Necklace, with shows July 15th through August 31st. Shaw enthusiasts can join the Shaw Symposium, a collaboration of the festival and the International Shaw Society, July 27th through the 29th.

Summer is the season for a thrilling Niagara Falls experience. View the falls from high above on a Niagara Helicopter or get a bit closer on the Whirlpool Aero Car, taking viewers near the Niagara Whirlpool via cable car. From late April or early May, enjoy a ride on the Niagara River past American Falls to the basin of the spectacular Horseshoe Falls or for the ultimate in Niagara tour excitement, board a Whirlpool Jet Boat Tour for a ride through the Class 5 rapids to the base of the falls. A dome for protection from the water is optional! Refresh yourself and your senses at Niagara Falls this summer.

Calling itself Canada’s premier World Music Festival, London’s TD Sunfest 2012 is July 5th through the 8th at Victoria Park. Festival admission is free, supported by Sunfest paid concerts scheduled throughout the year. Join fellow music fans for four days of outstanding world music, in London.

Close your summer with real serious fun at London’s 2012 Western Fair. From September 7th through the 16th, enjoy all the fun of a traditional country fair featuring livestock and agriculture exhibits, live entertainment, and amusement rides and games. Kids love kiddyland at the fair. Get the teenagers to compete in the youth talent search, while you enjoy some time in the Molson Music Garden.

For a quick summer getaway from the city, check out Orillia, located 90 minutes north of Toronto between Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching, on the Trent-Severn Waterway. Canada Day is a great time to visit for a day of fun at Couchiching Beach with live music and handicrafts, along with fun and games for the kids. Stick around until dusk for the fireworks, topping off a full day of fun.

Southern Ontario and Niagara Falls Hotel Map