Niagara's artists, makers and performers keep busy all year, and several of the region's arts events have been going for decades. Here's the calendar, so you can plan for next year.
May: Niagara Folk Arts Festival
Run by the Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre in St. Catharines, the Niagara Folk Arts Festival has been celebrating world cultures for more than 50 years and is billed as Canada's oldest continually running heritage festival. For the whole month of May it fills the calendar with music, dance, food, films and workshops, plus open houses at cultural clubs across the region, where you can taste and see traditions from around the world. Many events are free.
August: Art at the Pumphouse
On the first weekend of August, the Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre in Niagara-on-the-Lake holds Art at the Pumphouse, a juried show and sale of original work: painting, photography, woodwork, sculpture, glass, pottery, textiles and jewellery. This year Art at the Pumphouse ran on August 1st and 2nd, with artists demonstrating everything from pottery throwing to stained glass, an artisan marketplace and music by Niagara musicians. Admission was $5, and free for children.
September: Niagara Falls Night of Art
The City of Niagara Falls held the 15th Niagara Falls Night of Art on Thursday, September 17th: a free evening of live music, art and video installations, outdoor mural painting, performances and artisan vendors across the Niagara Falls Exchange and the Niagara Falls History Museum.
Late September: Ontario Culture Days
Each fall, Ontario Culture Days offers free arts, culture and heritage experiences across the province, with more than 1,500 of them this year. One of the stops on this year's tour of artist Micah Lexier's Dog Days project was the Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre, with carnival guessers trying to guess a dog's age or weight and local artists sketching portraits of visiting dogs.
October: Cicada Music & Arts Festival
The Cicada Music & Arts Festival on Henley Island in St. Catharines pairs Canadian music with a makers' market. It's in our guide to Niagara's festival year.
All year round
You don't have to wait for a festival. The Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre runs classes, workshops and exhibitions all year and teaches more than 1,200 students a year. When you find a local artist whose work you love, buy a piece, sign up for a class or tell a friend. That's how a local arts scene keeps going.