If you’re looking to inject a little sweetness into the bitter winter cold of January, the upcoming icewine village might be the place for you.

Niagara-on-the-Lake’s annual Icewine Festival will return for its 30th year, transforming Queen Street into a winter wonderland on Jan. 18 and 19 and then again on Jan. 25 and 26.

During a presentation to council in December, festival committee member Dorian Anderson said the 2025 festival aims to bring in 10,000 visitors to NOTL — 4,000 more than last year.

The cozy winter village will feature the usual wine and food vendors, coupled with bonfires and enclosed snow globes available for warming up. 

Entrance into the icewine village is free, so guests can try some of Niagara’s world-renowned icewine — made from frozen grapes harvested annually from NOTL’s many wineries during January — paired with signature dishes, warm up by fire pits and watch live ice carvings without purchasing a ticket.

For a more elevated experience, VIP passes are available online at the Icewine Festival website, along with VIP snow globe rentals. 

The VIP experience includes access to the exclusive lodge, seating in a snow globe, complimentary snacks and a premium icewine and cheese tasting. 

The festival itself will feature 37 wineries from across the region, with opportunities to sample icewines from them all, whether it be at the icewine village, through the discovery pass or the Cool As Ice Gala on Saturday, Jan. 18 at the Niagara Parks Power Station.

For more details on each event and for a detailed schedule, visit niagarawinefestival.com/icewine-series-events. 

juliasacco@niagaranow.com