Niagara-on-the-Lake and The Shaw Festival – Ontario’s Great Escape for Families!

As a resident of Southern Ontario I have visited Niagara-on-the-Lake many times. It is an annual tradition to visit every year at Christmas and then head to Niagara Falls, which is a short drive down the parkway, to see the Winter Festival of Lights display. It’s a lovely day trip, but we have always returned home the same day. All that changed recently.

I have always known that Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL) has lovely old hotels, some interesting shops and restaurants and, of course, the renowned Shaw Festival, but we have never stayed over. The desire was there, but I just assumed it would not be very family friendly. I equated NOTL with being in an antiques store, and children and antiques do not mix well. 🙂 I was wrong.

When the opportunity came to spend the weekend in Niagara-on-the-Lake I did not hesitate to say yes. We were thrilled to be hosted at the beautiful Pillar and Post Hotel (it’s been on my hubby’s bucket list for years!). I was worried that my two kiddos would need to be secured in bubble wrap, to protect the hotel, but my fears were unfounded. Amidst a backdrop of sophisticated old world charm, Ontario’s only five star country inn was a surprise hit with my family.

With most of the Vintage Hotels in the NOTL area, families with children will find plenty to keep them entertained, all while staying in an almost unexpected luxury. The Pillar and Post has two gorgeous pools, one indoor and one out, but due to the rain we opted to use the indoor pool. The setting was cozy, yet inviting with the exposed brick walls, high glass ceiling and plump chairs to lounge on.  My family used both the pool and hot tub and we were warmly welcomed by a friendly Pillar and Post hostess who kept the thick towels piled high and the coffee and tea brewing. The added amenity of having a hostess on hand during your swim time was so cool! I felt completely spoiled. 🙂 Perfect way to unwind on a rainy afternoon.

Aside from the amazing family friendly accommodations that can be found all over the Niagara region, there is no shortage of things to do. We took in a small sampling of activities, due to the weather, but you could easily stay for a week and not see and do it all. The highlight of our stay in NOTL was our evening at The Shaw Festival. The Royal George is home to “Peter and the Starcatcher” until this fall and this child friendly play was nothing short of spectacular! I thoroughly loved it! The suggested age for this show starts at eight, but my six year William fared quite well for his first visit to the theatre.  I knew the story would be a fun one for the family to follow along to, (read a bit about it here) but I was worried that live theatre, with it’s minimal set decorations and fast pace might throw my children off. Just the opposite happened. As any theatre lover knows, when you are forced to use your imagination the possibilities are endless! William was completely taken with the idea of kids hanging out with pirates, on a ship no less and my daughter Emily immediately felt a connection with tomboy Molly. I loved all the pop culture references, the unexpected twists and the charming characters.  The kids are still talking about the play, reenacting a few scenes and my 12 year old daughter has made it clear she would love to see “Peter and the Starcatcher” again. 🙂

This season The Shaw Festival has an incredible line up of productions for all ages. True to their roots there are two Shaw productions, “Pygmalion” and “You Never Can Tell.”  Unlike many theatre companies, The Shaw has a large array of shows to see and several wonderful venues where they are hosted, all right in Niagara-on-the-Lake!  You could enjoy a family night out seeing “Peter” at the Royal George Theatre or have a date night at the Court House Theatre and see “Top Girls.” The possibilities are endless! Summer is about creating memories and trying new things.  A visit to The Shaw Festival will give your family an experience they will never forget.

One of the things that I like about a get-away to The Niagara Region in Ontario is that you can create a vacation package that best suits your family’s needs. Find the hotel you love, the shows you want to see, add in a tour of wine country and a visit into Niagara Falls and you will find yourself already planning your next stay.

I can’t forget about the food and shopping! There are so many options to choose from when it comes to dining in NOTL that you will find yourself wanting to extend your stay! The restaurants in this area of The Niagara Region cater to those with a refined palate and everyone else in between. 🙂 While we did not have a fancy meal, this time, we did enjoy some family friendly fare before we hit the theatre. And I can tell you this, the kids are already asking to visit the Little Red Rooster Restaurant again. Home cooked comfort food at it’s finest with a huge selection of pies to suit every taste. You can even purchase a whole pie to take home with you. That’s on my list for next time. 🙂

The main area of NOTL, on Queen Street is home to many wonderful stores, coffee shops and candy counters. We spent a few hours wondering around checking out the goods. When we visit NOTL we always head to my favourite store, Just Christmas for a beautiful new ornament or two. This visit was no exception. 🙂 My husband and son picked up matching checkered hats in Beau Chapeau Hat Shop because, in William’s words they are “bros.” Stopping for ice cream at Cows and Maple Leaf Fudge for, you guessed it, fudge, rounded out our day nicely.  Whatever you are in the market for, from lovely dress-wear or unique little treasures, to art work and delicious wines, you can find it all in Niagara-on-the-Lake (much to my hubby’s dismay.) 🙂

As if a stay NOTL and a visit to The Shaw Festival weren’t enough my family and I also spent an afternoon in Niagara Falls! Utilizing the Adventure Pass we were able to Journey Behind The Falls and literately see the backside of water. 🙂 It was incredible to realize that millions of pounds of pressure were crashing down above us as the mighty falls roared. It was amazing! We took in Niagara’s Fury, which tells the tale of how the Falls were created in a manner that appeals to all ages. Be careful, you just might get wet!  Both of these  attractions are housed in the Table Rock Centre, which overlooks the Horseshoe Falls. We had lunch at the upscale Elements on the Falls Restaurant and had the best view! The menu at Elements was a rare treat for this mac and cheese kind of family and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The staff were exceptional in their attention to detail and to each guest. It was a nice respite from the walking we did.

Table Rock Centre has some wonderful shops for picking up those all important souvenirs. And even though I live just down the highway from this natural wonder of the world, Niagara Falls never ceases to capture my attention and keep it there. This time my family did another first and took a ride on the Whirlpool Areo Car.  The breathtaking views from high above the Niagara River are incredible!

This year The Niagara Parks Commission celebrates 130 years of conserving natural wonders, preserving our rich heritage and inspiring visitors the world over. There are so many great places to visit in the Niagara Falls area and we barely touched the surface. It was such an incredible weekend and I am thrilled to have experienced it with my family. I think I will have to plan another road trip for later this summer…

How does your family like to escape? 

FT&PD

Suz