Niagara Falls is known for many wonderful things and deservedly so. From the waterfalls that made the region famous to the world-class and award-winning wineries and vineyards that fill the countryside in and around it, any visit to Niagara Falls is bound to include unforgettable experiences. While it may seem improbable to the uninitiated in the ways of decadent fudge, Niagara’s fudge shops are just one more reason to love the place. Rich, creamy, and easy to find, here is a look at some of the best fudge in Niagara, just in time to help you get your fix this holiday season.
Swiss Fudge
A favorite since it opened in 1966, Swiss Fudge is located in the Fallsview Casino Resort and boasts swoon-worthy fudge, gifts, chocolate, and more. Known for using only the finest ingredients to make their world-famous fudge, everything they use, from the butter and cream to the chocolate and nuts is always premium. All their fudge is made according to the traditional method, too: heated on cast iron stoves in copper kettles before being spread out to cool on marble. Some of the most popular flavors include:
- Canadian Maple
- Irish Cream
- Chocolate Peanut Butter
- Oreo
- Double Chocolate
- And more!
Fudge Factory
Located on Clifton Hill, the Fudge Factory features over 20 different flavors of gourmet fudge, all of it made fresh, right there. They also have a Candy Bar that allows you to purchase over 50 different types of candy and chocolate in bulk and at bulk-rate prices, which means you won’t have to choose between satisfying your craving for delicious fudge and your craving for Sour Soothers. Perhaps the best thing about the Fudge Factory is the fact that it’s open every day of the year, and during the busy season from June to September, they don’t close down until 1 a.m.
Reg’s Candy Kitchen
Situated in the Rainbow Bridge Plaza, Reg’s Candy Kitchen has been wowing visitors to Niagara with delicious fudge since 1967. Homemade by Reg Wall, the fudge at Reg’s is always creamy, rich, and sweet — just like their famous peanut brittle — and all of it is made on-site at the Candy Kitchen through a traditional process that can be watched when you stop by to visit. 15 flavors are always available, including:
- Vanilla
- Chocolate Walnut
- Chocolate Mint
- Rocky Road
- Peanut Butter
- Chocolate Pecan
- And more!
Ye Olde Fudge Pot
Since 1976 the Smith family has been crafting and selling fudge at festivals, fairs, craft shows, and events all across the Niagara region and Canada. All-natural ingredients and traditional fudge-making practices make sure the fudge at Ye Olde Fudge Pot is some of the best you’ll ever taste. The next time you catch an event or fair in the Niagara region, be on the lookout for the Smith family’s fudge, since they’ll likely be in attendance.
So, come up to Niagara and fill up on fudge this holiday season — it’s just one more reason to love visiting no matter what time of year it is.
All across Canada, the United States, and throughout much of the world, families and friends will soon gather to celebrate and mark another holiday season. In between catching up with one another, opening presents, and taking long and treasured walks down memory lane, the activity that’s bound to receive the most preparation and attention is definitely holiday eating. While every get-together will have its own spin on the classics, whether you’re indulging in latkes or Christmas cookies, one solid standby that will appear on almost every holiday table is roast turkey. This year, let that bird shine, by pairing it with a perfectly chosen glass of Niagara Peninsula wine.
A little bit of sugar can be a great help with the saltiness that often accompanies a holiday meal, and a crisp and off-dry riesling is often seen as turkey’s best companion. Especially if you can find something that has a bit of fruit it in, a riesling can sit next to turkey as well as the finest of cranberry sauces. Some of the best rieslings in the Niagara Peninsula come from the following wineries:
For the average eater of cheese, cheddar is cheddar and a gouda is indistinguishable from provolone. To the cheese lover, however, there are worlds of difference to be experienced even within the same variety of cheese. No two gorgonzolas or comtes are alike given the fact that everything from where the cheese was made to how long it was aged can all heavily influence a cheese’s outcome.
Behind the excellent cheese and craftsmanship of the Upper Canada Cheese Company is the milk that’s used to make their cheeses. Only milk from Guernsey cows is used, and the ones that supply the Upper Canada Cheese Company come from the herd that resides at the Comfort Family Farm. Guernsey cows are rare — there are only six Guernsey herd in all of Canada — and they are known for producing a golden milk that’s higher in butterfat and, therefore, richer in flavor. They also enjoy a storied history that reaches back into the 10th century onto a small island in the English Channel called the Isle of Guernsey.
Whether you’re at work or going back to graduate school, autumn can be a very busy and hectic time, as the easy, breezy skin of summer’s lull is finally and fully stripped away. Add the holiday squeeze of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s to that, and the months of November and December can begin to feel downright overwhelming for some of us.
Unlike most parades, the Port Colborne Annual Lighted Santa Claus Parade takes place in the evening, which transforms the seemingly commonplace experience of attending a parade into a magical experience that’s perfect for the holiday season. Head to Port Colborne on December 5 by 5:30 p.m. to get a good spot, and bring along some hot cocoa or cider, as well as some non-perishable canned goods if you’d like — the Port Colborne Optimist Club will be collecting them along the parade route. The parade gets underway by 6:30 p.m., and after it’s over, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy Port Colborne’s charming downtown. Grab a bite of international and Asian-inspired fare at The Smokin’ Buddha after the parade, or, if you get to town early enough, grab a fresh fish lunch or afternoon snack at Minor Fisheries.
Whether you’re a serious student of yoga or just beginning what you hope will be a life-long practice, going on vacation can throw a wrench into the spokes of your well-meaning routine. After all, isn’t that why we go on vacation in the first place? To rest from our labors, reawaken our delight in the uncommon, and jolt ourselves out of our habitual endeavors? Unlike many of the habits of daily life, however, yoga isn’t something that clouds our vision or adds stress. Instead, it brings the practitioner more fully into the present, which actually makes it the perfect companion to a vacation.
A teacher who found her way to yoga first via the practice of Kundalini Yoga, Diane Manjeet Herring opened Shine On Yoga in Niagara Falls in 2011. A deep interest in yoga as therapy has driven and continues to drive her practice and instruction, and she is a tireless advocate of yoga for everyone, regardless of age, income, or ability. Especially if you’re new to the practice or have worried about past injuries or limitations, taking a class at Shine On while you’re vacationing is a great idea. The yoga studio is beautiful and welcoming, and a wide variety of different types of yoga classes are available. Shine On Yoga also offers a free yoga class for the community and visitors now and again at the Niagara Falls Museum.
For many people, the holidays are often more stressful than fun, prompting many to take to the roads and skies in search of destinations where fun can be had without any feelings of accompanying obligation. However, especially for Americans who have only a short four-day weekend with which to mark their gratitude at Thanksgiving every November, getting out of town is often more trouble than it’s worth. But if you don’t venture too far out of the way, Thanksgiving can be a great holiday to experience in a new location.
Eating in the Niagara region is one of the highlights of any knowledgeable foodie tourist. The farm to table movement is alive and well in the Niagara area, which means there is plenty of local, delicious produce available for area chefs to work with — even in November. Regardless of what you like to eat, you can find an entirely new Thanksgiving menu to enjoy when you spend your last Thursday of November in Niagara. Skip the cranberry sauce, the dressing, and the turkey, and choose one of the area’s award-winning, farm-centered restaurants instead — many of which are located at area wineries, including:
Summer is great for fruity frozen drinks; winter needs deep, warming cocktails; but autumn is indubitably the beer season. Fortunately, Niagara Falls is an excellent destination for a beer-cation, especially during September and October when the regional hops fields are being harvested and the local brewers are hard at work fermenting new ales and lagers. This year, you shouldn’t bother trying to scrounge up tickets to Belgium or Germany — Oktoberfest is 
If these two events don’t provide nearly enough ales and lagers, you can round out your Niagara beer-cation with a tour of the Niagara beer trail. Though the region is known better for its excellent wineries, Niagara is quickly becoming a craft brewer’s paradise due to the plethora of fresh ingredients for beer-making.
The entire Ontario region is known throughout Canada and North America as an area that excels in producing fruit and vegetables of a wide variety, but it’s the area’s tender fruit production that keeps Canada in everything from peaches and pears to cherries and plums during the summer and autumn months. And with orchards and farms scattered all over the countryside, Ontario’s bounty is almost always exceptional.
Driving around the Niagara Peninsula is one of the best ways to spend an afternoon, and it’s not just because the grape vineyards are so lovely. Interspersed throughout the region are the scores of farms and orchards that keep Canada in fruit, and the meticulous care the trees and bushes are given helps account for why the area is so postcard perfect and picturesque. Don’t just get a photo at the Falls when you visit Niagara, be sure to snap a few along the roadside in front of a field of cherry trees or pear trees, too.
For lovers of classic cars, trucks, and motorcycles, there are few experiences as satisfying as attending a classic car show, where the pleasure of seeing a rare, mint condition vehicle firsthand is a common occurrence. Thousands of vehicle models have come and gone over the more than 100 years that have passed since Henry Ford made the personal motor vehicle a reality, and while not every single one of those vehicle models has been heralded as a standard bearer over the years, each one nevertheless carries with it the weight of both cultural history and personal memory. When it comes to feeling the wistful nostalgia of times gone by and the deep admiration elicited by world-class functional design, the classic car show is truly in a class by itself.
4. Last Chance Car Show and Swap Meet