Frequently Asked Questions

COOL AS ICE GALA

DISCOVERY PASS

Volunteering

Partnerships and Sponsors

  • This year, we’re asking guests to dress in their best Wine Country Cocktail Formal. But this is no stuffy ballroom affair! The Power Station’s stony walls keep the space quite cool (likely in the 70° F / 21° C range), so the Cool As Ice Gala is your chance to show off your favourite wraps, scarves, and suit jackets.

    Guests who wish to participate in The Tunnel experience should be prepared with shoes that are suitable for walking, as it’s just under a 1 km walk each way. There will be a boot check on site, so you can make sure you have your most comfortable shoes and your dancing shoes ready to go all night long!

  • Your ticket price entitles you to an all-inclusive evening of fine wine, decadent culinary offerings, live performances, and so much more! Forget about arriving fashionably late, with interactive experiences like a dramatic 180-foot drop in a glass-lined elevator, a 2,200-foot-long tunnel to a one-of-a-kind Niagara Falls view, fireworks, an interactive sound and light show, and stunning photo backdrops, you’ll want to take full advantage of every second between 7 and 11 pm.

    Don’t forget that your Cool As Ice Gala ticket includes event parking, a $30 value, as well as a 50% discount on Ice Wine Discovery Passes - with access to the Power Station, you’re looking at over $75 in free perks!

  • Event parking is free and can be found right next to the Niagara Parks Power Station, at the Falls Parking Lot

  • The Niagara Parks Power Station is a fully accessible venue. There will be seating areas located throughout the Power Station, as well as a wheelchair available for use inside on a first-come-first-serve basis.

    Please exercise caution when attending if you have light sensitivities, as there will be light shows throughout the evening.

    Please contact gabby@niagarawinefestival.com for more details

  • While Niagara’s liquid gold will be the star of the show, our participating wineries will be serving a variety of premium VQA wines throughout the evening! Wineries have been encouraged to bring an Icewine, a sparkling wine, and one of their best table wines for tastings.

  • This event does not include a sit-down dinner, but culinary offerings will be served throughout the night. You can explore the menus above to get a better idea of what to expect!

  • While we can’t guarantee that we will be able to meet every guest’s dietary restrictions, there will be several vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options available. Please check the menus above and feel free to contact our team for more information prior to the event.

  • If you and your guests need transportation to and from the event, Coventry Transportation has an incredible fleet of vehicles available to choose from. Mention our Cool As Ice Gala when booking to receive a 15% off discount!

  • Each Discovery Pass entitles you to 6 seasonal wine and culinary pairings from participating wineries across the Niagara region. Once you’ve purchased your pass and made your desired reservations, simply travel to your chosen wineries during the dates and times listed on your ticket to enjoy your Discovery Pass experience!

    Please note that as of this year, Discovery Passes and Driver’s Passes can only be scanned ONCE per winery, up to a total of 6 times overall.

    If you have any additional questions, please feel free to reach out to our Guest Services team at gabby@niagarawinefestival.com.

  • Yes, we now have shuttle options available for the Discovery Pass.

    The shuttle will run on Saturdays and Sundays on a pre-determined schedule.

    1. You will have the option to visit pre-selected wineries in either; Niagara-on-the-lake (NOTL) OR Niagara Benchlands.

    • Niagara-on-the-lake: Queenston Mile Vineyards, Lakeview Cellars, Bella Terra Vineyards, Byland Estate Winery, Palatine Hills Estate Winery, Pillitteri Estates Winery.

    • Niagara Benchlands: King's Court Estate Winery, Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery, Vineland Estates, Magnotta Winery, Maliviore Wine Co., Harbour Estates.

    2. You can either choose to hop on the shuttle from Niagara Falls OR St. Catharines.

    • Niagara Falls Pickup Location: Old Stone Inn

    • St. Catharines Pickup Location: Holiday Inn (Ontario Street)

    Please head to our Icewine Ticket page to find more information and where to purchase tickets.

  • While some wineries prefer or require reservations, many are open to walk-in visits! Make sure to check the listings for more information.

    *Please note that wineries that require reservations withhold the right to refuse service to walk-in guests.

  • Our Flex Friday Passes are for guests who are looking for a little less hustle and bustle. For a special price, you can use your Discovery Pass any Friday during the program

  • While our Discovery Passes are for guests 19+, children are welcome to accompany family members to our participating wineries

  • Traveling with a designated driver and want them to join in on the fun? Our Driver’s Pass is the perfect option! Each pass entitles you to any six of the seasonal culinary options listed above plus a non-alcoholic beverage

  • If you’ve purchased Discovery or Driver’s Passes from us in the past, you may note that we’ve made some changes to our ticketing system. We’ve endeavoured to make this new system as easy to use as possible, but if you have any questions, please consult our how-to guide here!

  • If you’ve purchased tickets but have yet to receive your confirmation email, don’t fret! First, ensure that you’ve checked your spam or junk folder, and make sure you’re on the lookout for emails from SquadUP, our ticketing company. Their email address is squadup@t.squadup.com.

    If you still can’t find your confirmation email, please reach out to our Guest Services team at gabby@niagarawinefestival.com with your name and email address and we’ll be happy to help!

  • Guests who purchase Discovery or Driver’s Passes will receive a link to our reservation system via email. If you have not received this email, please reach out to our Guest Services team at gabby@niagarawinefestival.com, indicating which pass type you’ve purchased so our team can send the appropriate link.

  • Many of our participating wineries welcome reservations from groups of 8 or more! Explore the Discovery Pass page for more information.

  • Absolutely! Reservations are booked independently from your Discovery or Driver’s Pass purchase, so guests are more than welcome to book reservations as a group even if they’ve purchased all of their passes separately. Just make sure to include the names of all the guests in your party so that our participating wineries know to expect you!

  • Many of our wineries offer pairings for those with dietary restrictions, and those with vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free options will be noted above. For all other dietary inquiries, we recommend reaching out to wineries directly for more information.

  • The tasting location differs depending on the winery. Please refer to the Discovery Pass listings for more information!

  • Our events are rain and snow or shine, so in case of inclement weather, make sure to dress appropriately! Participating wineries may opt to change their tasting locations depending on the weather, but this is not guaranteed.

  • Pet policies differ between our participating wineries, so we recommend visiting our Partners page and check out wineries that have a “pet friendly” icon before arriving.

  • We’re accepting volunteer applications year-round! Head to our Better Impact page to sign up or reach out to our team directly at volunteer@niagarawinefestival.com for more information.

  • Yes of course! We offer pre-event training and on-site support, plus perks like free lunches/dinners, discounted tickets, volunteer appreciation events, and more.

  • Check out our sponsorship package or reach out to our Sponsorship Coordinator at partners@niagarawinefestival.com to learn more.