The back story

Niagara-on-the-Lake: the Shaw Festival and the wine country

In depth·Niagara-on-the-Lake

A historic town on the lake, the Shaw Festival and the vineyards and icewine of the Niagara Peninsula.

Queen Street and the clock tower in Niagara-on-the-Lake
Queen Street and the clock tower in Niagara-on-the-Lake
Photo CreditImage courtesy of © DXR · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Niagara-on-the-Lake, where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario, is a town of historic streets, the Shaw Festival’s theatres and the vineyards of the Niagara Peninsula.

The town

Tourism Niagara-on-the-Lake describes historic charm, scenic vineyards and cultural allure; the Prince of Wales hotel is, in its words, a place of Victorian grandeur on Queen Street.

The festival

The Shaw Festival’s 2027 season includes Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific, Arsenic and Old Lace and The Color Purple, with A Christmas Carol for the 2027 holidays (shawfest.com).

Ripe grapes on the vine in Niagara wine country
Ripe grapes on the vine in Niagara wine country
Photo CreditImage courtesy of © Graham · CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The wineries

Inniskillin and Two Sisters Vineyards are among the estates of the Niagara wine country.

See a play at the Shaw, then taste icewine at a cellar door.

Our advice: book a driver or a tour if you plan to taste.

Why it's on our list

  • The town
  • The festival
  • The wineries

Location

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