Niagara Grape & Wine Festival
September 19 to September 28, 2008
Niagara Wine Festival 2008
Last year the Niagara Wine Festival attracted well over 500,000 visitors and more are expected this year. The Grande Parade day on Saturday, September 29 is expected to draw approximately 150,000 visitors to downtown St. Catharines.
Vini Central
The main festival activities take place in St. Catharines’ historic Montebello Park, where fine wine, food and outstanding entertainment meet. Dating back to 1952 the festival is rich in history.
Directions to Niagara Wine Festival
Pre- Festival Events: (before September 19th)
Tuesday September 16th – RBC Awards
Rockway Glen Golf Course & Estate Winery
St. Catharines, 5:30pm
This ticketed event is by invitation only.
Wednesday September 17th – Scotiabank Celebrity Luncheon
Guest Speaker, Don Cherry
Club Roma, St. Catharines
11:30 am wine reception, 12:15pm lunch
Grape King Crowned at Winery, Approximate time is 3:00pm
This is a ticketed event. Tickets are available on our website.
Club Roma
125 Vansickle Rd,
St Catharines, Ontario
L2M 1A1
Directons from Lodge Inn and Suites
1. Head east on Ferry St toward Stanley Ave
0.1 km
2. Turn left at Stanley Ave
0.7 km
3. Turn left at HWY-420 W
3.6 km
4. Merge onto QEW
16.7 km
5. Take exit 48 for RR-38/Martindale Rd
0.2 km
6. Turn right at Martindale Rd/RR-38
2.8 km
7. Continue on Louth St
3.1 km
8. Slight right at Pelham Rd
0.5 km
9. Turn right at Westland St
0.2 km
10. Turn left at McIntyre Ave
0.3 km
11. Turn left at Vansickle Rd
15 m
RBC ONTARIO AWARDS Honouring Ontario’s Grape & Wine Industry
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2008
~ Invitation Only ~
The RBC Financial Group annually honours Ontario’s grape and wine industries with the presentation of Canada’s most prestigious awards – the RBC Ontario Awards for Grape King, Business Citizen and Ontario Licensee of the Year.
Niagara Culinary Institute
Niagara-on-the-Lake.
290 John St. East
Niagara-on-the-Lake, L0S 1J0
From The Lodge Inn and Suites
Head east on Ferry St toward Stanley Ave
Turn left at Stanley Ave
About 5 mins
Turn right at RR-102/Stanley Ave
About 5 mins
Turn right at Portage Rd
About 4 mins
At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Niagara Pkwy
About 12 mins
Turn left at John St E
About 2 mins
21.3 km – about 28 mins
For more information on the various events and tours, visit niagarawinefestival.com.
PURCHASING A DISCOVERY PASS:
To purchase a $30 Discovery Pass, please visit any of the participating wineries, call the
office at (905) 688-0212, or visit our online store (niagarawinefestival.com – Click on ‘Buy
Your Tickets Online’). If you have a group of 10 or more, please allow us to assist you in
planning your trip. Please call (905) 688-0212 to speak with a representative from our
office to help customize your experience.
Fall Festival Events: (September 19-28)
The Niagara Wine Festival offers a variety of events for people of all ages. For the full
line-up and details on performers, please see our Events Calendar online.
(niagarawinefestival.com/events) For ticket information, please see the last pages of this
document.
Friday, September 19th Park opens at 5pm
Opening Ceremonies - 8:30pm Crash Parallel in Montebello Park
Saturday September 20th Park opens at noon
Artisan Fair 9am – 5pm along James Street and in Montebello Park
The Artisan Fair is a chance for local artisans to display their unique, handcrafted work.
Pied Piper Parade – Registration at 10am (Queen &Lake), Parade at 11am
The Pied Piper Parade is a children’s event that encourages creativity, exercise and the
celebration of grapes! The parade route is approximately thirty minutes long and begins at
Queen and Lake street. Participants are encouraged to dress up and incorporate this year’s
theme, Wild About Grapes. Immediately after the parade, the judges will determine who
will win a spot on Via Rail’s float in the Grande Parade the following weekend. The
application form is available online. Alternatively, it can be completed in registration.
Participation is free.
Mayor’s Invitational Grape Stomp- From 1pm to 3pm, Mayor Brian McMullan invites
mayors from across Ontario and the U.S. to a grape-squashing contest.
8:30pm Faber Drive in Montebello Park
Sunday September 21st Park opens at noon
Artisan Fair 9am-5pm in Montebello Park
8:30pm Sarah Slean in Montebello Park
Monday September 22nd Park is not open to the public.
Industry Night - This event is for those who work in the industry. Tickets include dinner
prepared by Erik Peacock of Wellington Court and one glass of wine .
Wednesday September 24th Park opens at 5pm
8:30 PM The Wheat Kings in Montebello Park, Canada’s # 1 Tragically Hip Cover Band.
Thursday September 25th Park opens at 5pm.
Big Ticket Night
8:30 Daniel Lanois and Friends in Montebello Park.
Buy your tickets now to watch one of the greatest Canadian musicians of our time, singer,
composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist, Daniel Lanois. Opening for Daniel Lanois
will be Martha Wainwright, The Neverending White Lights, Oliver Black and Joe Lapinski.
This is one show you don’t want to miss. An East Coast Surf and Turf dinner is also
available. Please see ticketing information at the end of this document for more
information.
Friday September 26th Park opens at noon
8:30pm The Caverners in Montebello Park
Saturday September 27th Park opens at noon
Pen Centre Grande Parade – The 57th annual Pen Centre Grande Parade begins at
11:00AM, but streets close at 9:45, so come early to grab the best spot.
Enjoy the colour and pageantry of one of North America's foremost street parades! The parade hosts an outstanding array of floats, marching bands, drum corps, majorettes, giant inflatables, steel bands and so much more! Harvest Party Street Festival – The performers in the Harvest Party are sure to dazzle and amaze. Come see the excitement after the Grande Parade on Church Street in downtown St. Catharines on Saturday, September 27th from 1:00-3:30PM. Feast your eyes on a plethora of jugglers, balloon yielding stilt-walkers as well as belly and acrobatic dancers while listening to the musical stylings of local jazz band, Tarragon J. Enjoy the antics of The Silly People’s variety act, the sensational skills of Aidan Orange, Madame Buskerfly, the antics of The Silly People and Nick Wallace, practitioner of the art of astonishment. 8:30pm Tomi Swick in Montebello Park Sunday September 28th Park opens at noon Closing Ceremonies - 8:30pm The Philosopher Kings in Montebello Park.
TICKET INFORMATION:
For the most part, admission to Montebello Park to watch performances is free. There are a few
exceptions, however, and there are a few tickets that will substantially improve your experience
at the festival.
WestJet First- Class Stage Seating – These tickets are
available for every day in the park starting at 5pm .
Purchasing the $35 ticket will uarantee a spectacular view of the stage for the entire day. To purchase your ticket, visit our online store. Niagara College VIP Discovery Pavilion– The Niagara College Discovery Pavilion is a fantastic opportunity to experience the bounty of Niagara’s finest foods and wines, prepared, served and showcased by the emerging talents of the students and mentored by the faculty of Niagara College. Take a step up into the historic Walter Ostanek pavilion, enjoy Marché style cuisine and sip on our featured VQA wines. VIP pass holders get a clear view of the entertainment with exclusive seating and closed circuit coverage of performances.
VIPs will also enjoy private premium wine service and
local cuisine all within luxurious surroundings outfitted by Winner’s and Homesense. There is no
better way to experience the Niagara Wine Festival this year! You can purchase a VIP pass for one
night at $60, or a full weekend pass for $150. To purchase these tickets, order online on our
website.
Industry Night – On Monday, September 22, Industry Night welcomes those who work in the wine
and food industry to the Park.
Dinner will be prepared by Erik Peacock of Wellington Court and
you will receive one glass of wine. Purchase your tickets online for $20 or at the door for $25.
Big Ticket Night - Daniel Lanois & Friends – Buy your tickets now to watch one of the greatest
Canadian musicians of our time perform on Thursday, September 25: singer, composer, producer
and multi-instrumentalist, Daniel Lanois. Opening for Daniel Lanois will be Martha Wainwright,
The Neverending White Lights, Oliver Black and Joe Lapinski. General Admission tickets are $30
each. For $75, you can enjoy a truly Canadian Dinner before the show (East Coast Surf and Turf).
For this event, Niagara College Discovery Pavilion VIP tickets are $120 and WestJet First-Class
Stage Seating is $50. All of the tickets for this day are available through the Brock University
Centre for the Arts.
Our online store is available at: niagarawinefestival.com
Visit A Local Winery
Visitors are encouraged to visit their favourite winery boutique to pick up a bottle of Ontario VQA wine to enjoy when they return home as they fondly recall their excursion to Niagara's wine country.
