Things to do in Niagara this weekend, July 10-12

There’s lots to do in the Niagara region this weekend, from a wine festival in Niagara Falls, a free Indigenous medicine workshop in St. Catharines and a self-guided garden tour in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Plus, where to swim and watch the World Cup.

Things to do in Niagara this weekend, July 10-12 Tour private gardens, learn to spot Indigenous medicines in the wild or visit a temporary Little Ukraine Summer is in full bloom in the Niagara region. Vines and trees are full of fruit, local venues are full with visitors and community calendars are full with concerts, festivals and other events. If you’ve got a free few hours in your weekend calendar, here are a few fun ways to fill it in the Niagara region.

Sample wine from B.C. and Ontario Oenophiles can get a taste of some of Canada’s current offerings at Wine Fest Niagara Falls this Saturday. The showcase of Niagara and Okanagan wines is being held at The Exchange in Niagara Falls from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $30 and includes a souvenir sampling glass and four-drink tickets.

Wineries handing out the two-ounce samples include local Peller Estates Winery, Thirty Bench Wine Makers and Trius Winery, and B.C.’s Sandhill Wines, Black Hills Estate Winery and Red Rooster Winery. Beyond the wine, there will also be food trucks, outdoor games, live mural painting and musical performances. Enjoy the beach — safely When the weather gets warm, the beach gets enticing, and Niagara has plenty of them.

Some towels and a picnic can make for a perfect afternoon at any of the region’s many beaches, including Crystal Beach in Fort Erie, Centennial Cedar Bay Beach in Port Colborne or Queen’s Royal Beach in Niagara-on-the-Lake. But take safety seriously no matter where you’re swimming. This includes packing proper sun protection and minding water and weather conditions.

Niagara Region’s beach water test results revealed several locations to be unsafe due to E. coli this week: Lakeside Beach and Sunset Beach in St. Catharines, Sherkston Elco in Port Colborne and Nelles Beach in Grimsby. Learn about traditional Indigenous medicines The Brown Homestead in St. Catharines will host a free Indigenous Medicines Workshop on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Guests will be guided on a walk through Short Hills Provincial Park to learn how to spot ingredients for traditional medicines, including a skin salve that they’ll make and take home with them.

Power your understanding at Nikola Tesla Fest Friday July 10 is Nikola Tesla’s 170th birthday, and there will be a number of events in Niagara Falls over the weekend to mark it. Nikola Tesla Fest’s Science and Innovation Day is scheduled to take place at the Niagara Parks Power Station Plaza on Saturday. Attendance to the outdoor portion of the event is free and runs from 5 to 10 p.m., promising a "technology showcase” and experiments as well as a chance to chat with inventors and engineers.

The big to-do at the Nikola Tesla Fest is a gala at the Niagara Convention Centre on Sunday night, which is $60 for a ticket and includes musical performances from violinist Stefan Milenkovich, the Sinfonia Toronto orchestra and more. The Nikola Tesla Fest’s mission is to “highlight and showcase Tesla’s ideas and visions [to] make his brilliance accessible, relatable and inspiring,” according to its website. Watch the World Cup with the world’s fans Just 7 teams remain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Two quarter final matches are scheduled to be screened at the Fan Zone by the Falls in Niagara Falls this Saturday. Guests can watch the action on the big screen, take part in free activities and catch live music between the matches. Norway will play England at 5 p.m on Saturday., followed by Argentina against Switzerland at 9 p.m. Visit the Niagara Ukrainian Family Festival Firemen’s Park in Niagara Falls will become a Little Ukraine for two days this weekend for the fourth annual Niagara Ukrainian Family Fest.

The celebration of Ukrainian culture features traditional and modern dance and musical performances, planned programming for children and youth, and Ukrainian eats. Snoop through Niagara-on-the-Lake gardens Visitors will get a rare opportunity to glimpse beyond the fences and bushes surrounding some of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s most considered gardens and properties this Saturday. The Niagara-on-the-Lake Horticultural Society Annual Garden Tour welcomes guests into some of its members’ private gardens, giving them a chance to chat with the homeowners.

This year, the self-guided tour includes a look at the work of the Niagara Bonsai Society and access to the Ronald Boaks Fine Arts Gallery where sculptures live amongst multiple flower gardens. The tour runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $28.25 and can be purchased online.