September saw the historic Niagara Grape and Wine Festival return, and this time, the event served as a celebration for the City of St. Catharines’ 150-year anniversary.
St. Catharines was officially incorporated as a city on May 1, 1876, making this year as the 150th anniversary of the city’s founding. St. Catharines has marked the milestone throughout 2026 under the theme “Our Common Ground,” highlighting the city’s history, neighbourhoods and residents.
The festival hosted events throughout the month of September, with its signature closing weekend, Montebello Park Wine and Culinary Village, running from Sept. 24 to 27.
The 2026 event marked another anniversary: 75 years of Grape and Wine, giving residents and travellers another reason to celebrate — if the wine and music didn’t convince them already.
Admission to the park was free from Friday through Sunday, and visitors could explore more than 100 Niagara VQA wines, local food vendors and more than 25 hours of live music over the weekend.
This year, decorations highlighted the people who travel to Niagara to celebrate, including a sign that read “Wine Pledge,” which people signed to waive their right to drink any non-Niagara VQA wine.
By signing, people could display the cities from which they travelled; you could see visitors from Buffalo, Windsor, Ottawa and more, with a surprising number of signatures coming from our American neighbours.
However, the tensions between Canada and the United States were not forgotten during the Friday festival lineup.
Jay Diem Band went on stage at 8 p.m. and before performing a cover of a Canadian classic, “It Hasn’t Hit Me Yet” by Blue Rodeo — which features a line mentioning Lake Ontario — stated that the lake will always go by that name, which was met with cheers from the audience.
The weekend featured a range of events designed to showcase Niagara’s wine and agricultural traditions. Friday’s programming included the Harvest Hoedown, while Saturday featured the Vines & Vinyl theme alongside the annual Grande Parade through downtown St. Catharines.
The Grande Parade travelled through downtown on Sept. 26, bringing floats, performers and community groups into the streets as part of one of the festival’s longest-running traditions. Brock University was a part of this parade, coming in with a float of its own, which featured students and athletics.
Sunday’s festivities continued with Stompin’ Sunday, including the Mayor’s Invitational Grape Stomp. Mayor Mat Siscoe joined Niagara first responders and Next Gen Grape Growers in a grape-stomping competition at Montebello Park, celebrating the region’s winemaking heritage through a more lighthearted tradition.
The festival also continued to offer family-oriented programming, including the Family Fun Zone, which ran Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Children and families were welcome to visit the park until 6 p.m. each day.
Beyond Montebello Park, the festival’s Discovery Pass program gave visitors a chance to explore Niagara wineries and food-and-wine pairings throughout the month.
The program featured participating wineries across the region and helped connect the downtown celebration with Niagara’s broader wine industry.
As St. Catharines celebrates 150 years as a city, the Grape and Wine Festival’s own 75-year history offers another way to look at the community’s past and present.
For generations, the festival has brought residents and visitors together to celebrate the region’s wine, agriculture, food and culture — making its 75th anniversary a fitting addition to a year centred on St. Catharines’ history and community.