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Mommy Gearest

Real life. Real reviews.

The perfect family day out in Niagara-on-the-Lake

By 96 Comments

I’ve been coming to the Niagara region since I was a toddler. And while I can’t count the number of times I’ve watched the power of Niagara Falls come down across Table Rock and dump into the pool below, I’ve only visited Niagara-on-the-Lake once. Sans kids.

But with its quaint downtown strip, historic buildings, thriving food scene and bustling theatre festival, there’s something for every member of the family.

For those of us in the GTA, Niagara is a great day trip. Boutique hotels and B&Bs are abundant here, though, so it’s easy to visit longer. If you want to stay closer to the Falls and make a fun family weekend out of it, consider the 20-minute drive to Falls Avenue Resort (with four onsite hotels from which to choose) or Great Wolf Lodge.

Things for families to do in Niagara-on-the-Lake

Arrive early enough and you’ll be able to find free street parking for the day. This’ll save you about $15 and you won’t have to pay attention to the time. Don’t worry: everything is within easy walking distance!

The perfect family day out in Niagara-on-the-Lake this summer begins with a specialty tea, artisan coffee or hot chocolate from Victoria’s Teas & Coffees. There’s no seating but this eclectic café and retail shop offers the biggest tea selection I’ve seen outside of York in the UK (home of High Tea). We enjoyed the shop’s own version of the Americano and a chocolate raspberry espresso-based mocha — hold the whip.

treadwell bakery in niagara on the lake

Treadwell’s pretzels are a thing of true beauty.

Coffees-in-hand, saunter several doors down to the newly opened Treadwell Bakery. (So new that there isn’t even a website yet; but it’s located at 122 Queen St., right beside its sister restaurant, Treadwell.) Everything is baked fresh daily and we gobbled up a carrot cake to end all carrot cakes, a sea-salt and chocolate chip cookie, a savoury scone and a pretzel that will make you close your eyes while you eat it. Even my kids thanked staff profusely for the noteworthy nosh.

Ensure you’ve got matinee tickets for The Magician’s Nephew and pre-register your kids for the play’s interactive workshop held at 11 a.m. For only $5 per person, you’ll participate in a hands-on experience led by a professional Shaw Festival actor.

Magician's Nephew workshop at Shaw Festival Theatre

Big B and the kids embroiled in one of the workshop games. These blocks would make an appearance later as mainstays of the onstage props for The Magician’s Nephew.

Our kids learned more about the Dream Detectives they’d meet just before and during the performance, created a prop that they used during the show and got to take home, and learned a sound effect and song — both of which were part of the show as well. It’s an hour long and probably best suited to kids who are between four and 10 years old.

Duck into Pie’Za Pizzeria for lunch. This converted Victorian home with its brightly coloured interior and beautiful handmade plates and bowls has a robust wood-oven-fired pizza menu that delivers on taste. If the burrata starter is on special the day you eat here, it would be a crime not to order it. Get the warm olives, too, which come with focaccia smothered in gorgeous extra-virgin olive oil and roasted garlic.

Pieza Pizzeria downtown Niagara-on-the-Lake

The California Dreamin’ pizza — loaded with goodies like sundried tomatoes and artichokes.

We inhaled the Meat Lovers Dream and California Dreamin’ pizzas from the “red” side of the menu, and the Za’Laryssa from the “white” side. There was also a special white pizza that day with ricotta and mushrooms that was my favourite. Of course, our kids stuck with a plain ol’ margherita pizza!

Arrive 30 minutes early for The Magician’s Nephew and you’ll be treated to some pre-theatre improv — especially for those wearing Junior Dream Detective badges fashioned at the workshop earlier in the day. Miss Q and The K Man ended up chatting with one of the actors who was ultimately one of the main characters. Very cool!

The Magician's Nephew at the Shaw Festival Niagara

Actor Michael Therriault interacted with our kids as we came into the theatre, jotting down their favourite dreams…

Finally, top off your day with this year’s family-friendly show at the Shaw Festival: The Magician’s Nephew. It’s the story that comes before The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and helps illustrate how Narnia came to life. The performance is rich and layered — full of both lyrical and physical texture. Our workshop participation meant we, too, were part of the story and my kids loved every minute.

Take note of the props onstage — everything is made of cardboard! Paired with the theatre’s cutting-edge projection and director Tim Carroll’s child-like imagination, you won’t miss fancy backdrops.

The Magician's Nephew at Shaw Festival 2018

The costumes? Inspired by paper. The wings? Made of cardboard! The mask? A paper-based fabric called “chaos.” (Photo credit: Shaw Festival)

The story, music and actors captured my kids’ attention from beginning to end. Even The K Man (who is now at an age where so few things impress him) applauded wildly, saying that “it was amazing how the rings made Polly and Digory fly.” Miss Q was impressed by the “witch” (Jadis, who in reality is more evil queen than witch) and her beautiful costumes, along with the “magic” when one of her costumes turned into another. I knew The Magician’s Nephew got their brains churning because they were full of questions and ideas on the car ride home. Ahhh, the beauty of the arts.

Playing until October 13, 2018, The Magician’s Nephew is the ideal activity around which to plan a day to explore beautiful Niagara-on-the-Lake. Though I’ll be honest… now I want to go back sans kids again and see what else the 2018 Shaw Festival has in store.

Enjoy!

 

DISCLOSURE: The Shaw Festival provided my family with a getaway experience to see The Magician’s Nephew. All opinions remain my own.

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Comments

  3. My kids would love to see the show! My youngest would love the music and see all the amazing costumes. My oldest would love the pre show improv. Crossing fingers,would love to take my family!

    Reply

  4. My kids would love to see the show! My youngest would love the music and see all the amazing costumes. My oldest would love the pre show improv. Crossing fingers,would love to take my family!

    Reply

  5. My daughter would love to take her kids to see the show – especially the 2 with autism who would be so excited to see the performance (not sure the pre-show would be appropriate for them). They’ve never been to GWL either so that would be fabulous.Thanks for the chance.

    Reply

  6. My daughter would love to take her kids to see the show – especially the 2 with autism who would be so excited to see the performance (not sure the pre-show would be appropriate for them). They’ve never been to GWL either so that would be fabulous.Thanks for the chance.

    Reply

  11. My son would love this show! I think he would love the hands on experience and interactive qualities of the show. It definitely looks like it was designed with kids as the focus! My Dad just moved to NOTL and we have been planning a trip to visit, look like we need to add a few more things to our list! 🙂

    Reply

  12. My son would love this show! I think he would love the hands on experience and interactive qualities of the show. It definitely looks like it was designed with kids as the focus! My Dad just moved to NOTL and we have been planning a trip to visit, look like we need to add a few more things to our list! 🙂

    Reply

  17. My kids would love this show. The costumes look amazing and they love seeing live theatre every chance they get.

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  18. My kids would love this show. The costumes look amazing and they love seeing live theatre every chance they get.

    Reply

  21. It would be fun to take the kids to the show as they love productions and would be fascinated by the fact that it is cardboard.

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  22. It would be fun to take the kids to the show as they love productions and would be fascinated by the fact that it is cardboard.

    Reply

  25. My nephew loves improv and drama. I think he would love to participate in the play’s interactive workshop.

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  26. My nephew loves improv and drama. I think he would love to participate in the play’s interactive workshop.

    Reply

  27. I would love to have my kids experience live theatre. I think they would really enjoy the whole experience.

    Reply

  28. I would love to have my kids experience live theatre. I think they would really enjoy the whole experience.

    Reply

  31. We love Niagara-on-the-Lake and the Shaw Festival. We did the Wild Tales play with our daughter last year, with the children’s workshop beforehand and it was exceptional! I’m sure this is equally as fantastic. I am also a big Narnia fan – so this looks very exciting to me.

    Reply

  32. We love Niagara-on-the-Lake and the Shaw Festival. We did the Wild Tales play with our daughter last year, with the children’s workshop beforehand and it was exceptional! I’m sure this is equally as fantastic. I am also a big Narnia fan – so this looks very exciting to me.

    Reply

  35. I think my daughter would most enjoy the imagination come to life ! she is in love with the world of imaginary and this would be such a great experience for her .

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  36. I think my daughter would most enjoy the imagination come to life ! she is in love with the world of imaginary and this would be such a great experience for her .

    Reply

  43. My Mom was just asking if S would like to go to this! I was worried she might be too young but it sounds like she’d have a blast!

    Reply

  44. My Mom was just asking if S would like to go to this! I was worried she might be too young but it sounds like she’d have a blast!

    Reply

  49. My kids would love this! We are already Shaw Festival members and have enjoyed a lot of their performances over the years, but haven’t taken the kids to one yet. I would love to introduce them to the fun of attending a live performance that is going to pique their interest.

    Reply

  50. My kids would love this! We are already Shaw Festival members and have enjoyed a lot of their performances over the years, but haven’t taken the kids to one yet. I would love to introduce them to the fun of attending a live performance that is going to pique their interest.

    Reply

  51. Sounds like a lovely visit. My boys would love to see a show like this and I would love to expand their horizons and experiences. So amazing to see a contest for a family of 5. My youngest is still under 1 (so doesn’t count yet), but soon we will need a contest a contest for a family of 6!!

    Reply

  52. Sounds like a lovely visit. My boys would love to see a show like this and I would love to expand their horizons and experiences. So amazing to see a contest for a family of 5. My youngest is still under 1 (so doesn’t count yet), but soon we will need a contest a contest for a family of 6!!

    Reply

  53. My daughter’s and I just finished up (re)reading the Narnia books not too long ago. The Magician’s Nephew has always been my favourite of the bunch. I would LOVE to see this play (and I’m pretty sure my kids would enjoy it too. LOL). The pre-play interactive kids event sounds like so much fun. Thanks for the info.

    Reply

  54. My daughter’s and I just finished up (re)reading the Narnia books not too long ago. The Magician’s Nephew has always been my favourite of the bunch. I would LOVE to see this play (and I’m pretty sure my kids would enjoy it too. LOL). The pre-play interactive kids event sounds like so much fun. Thanks for the info.

    Reply

  55. I would love to take my grandson to the Shaw Festival to see The Magician’s Nephew. He really enjoyed the Narnia series, so seeing this show would be exciting for him.

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  56. I would love to take my grandson to the Shaw Festival to see The Magician’s Nephew. He really enjoyed the Narnia series, so seeing this show would be exciting for him.

    Reply

  59. What an amazing experience! It’s not too often that kids get to see the ‘behind the scenes’ type work that goes into a production. My son would love every interactive moment pre, during and post show. Some of our favorite moments as a family is theatre!

    Reply

  60. What an amazing experience! It’s not too often that kids get to see the ‘behind the scenes’ type work that goes into a production. My son would love every interactive moment pre, during and post show. Some of our favorite moments as a family is theatre!

    Reply

  65. Our daughter would love the lay and all
    The interactions involved around it and exploring a different coty

    Reply

  66. Our daughter would love the lay and all
    The interactions involved around it and exploring a different coty

    Reply

  67. We loved taking the kids to Shaw last year but couldn’t see magicians nephew on our trip this year! I think they’d love it because they love live theatre

    Reply

  68. We loved taking the kids to Shaw last year but couldn’t see magicians nephew on our trip this year! I think they’d love it because they love live theatre

    Reply

  69. Very cool that all the props are made of cardboard!! I think the interactive portion would be super fun for all 🙂

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  70. Very cool that all the props are made of cardboard!! I think the interactive portion would be super fun for all 🙂

    Reply

  73. I think my kids would enjoy the interactive workshop and then seeing the same things on the stage. It’s the connections they make which is so important in a little one’s mind!

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  74. I think my kids would enjoy the interactive workshop and then seeing the same things on the stage. It’s the connections they make which is so important in a little one’s mind!

    Reply

  75. Great post! My 3 boys LOVE all things magical- this wouldd be perfect for them! What a wonderful way to spend a weekend 🙂

    Reply

  76. Great post! My 3 boys LOVE all things magical- this wouldd be perfect for them! What a wonderful way to spend a weekend 🙂

    Reply

  81. I think my boys would LOVE the play’s interactive workshop! I haven’t been to NOTL in awhile but my husband and I love it there. We have done many wine tours and it’s so much fun.

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  82. I think my boys would LOVE the play’s interactive workshop! I haven’t been to NOTL in awhile but my husband and I love it there. We have done many wine tours and it’s so much fun.

    Reply

  83. My kids would love watching and experiencing the show. They are very imaginative and it seems like the story would really captivate them.

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  84. My kids would love watching and experiencing the show. They are very imaginative and it seems like the story would really captivate them.

    Reply

  85. The interactive workshop sounds amazing! I feel like my girls at 5 & 8 are ready for their first live performance.

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  86. The interactive workshop sounds amazing! I feel like my girls at 5 & 8 are ready for their first live performance.

    Reply

  87. My kids both love seeing live theatre. My daughter went with me to see a show at Shaw two years ago and we were both blown away. My kids will love the costumes, the magic and the whole experience. Looks fantastic. Shaw Festival really knows how to put on a show!

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  88. My kids both love seeing live theatre. My daughter went with me to see a show at Shaw two years ago and we were both blown away. My kids will love the costumes, the magic and the whole experience. Looks fantastic. Shaw Festival really knows how to put on a show!

    Reply

  89. This sounds absolutely amazing and so much fun! I think this is something both of my kiddos would enjoy and me and my husband! The show sounds wonderful!

    Reply

  90. This sounds absolutely amazing and so much fun! I think this is something both of my kiddos would enjoy and me and my husband! The show sounds wonderful!

    Reply

  93. Niagara-on-the-Lake is my favourite place! My grandparents lived there and my sister and I spent a lot of time visiting them. It brings up some of my best childhood memories. My grandmother was very involved in theatre (from costume design to dabbling in acting) and used to take my sister and I to the Shaw festival every year. I credit her for my love of theatre. It’s so great to hear that The Magician’s Nephew held your kids’ attention and captivated them. I’d love to take O to the Shaw for the first time this year and this sounds like the ideal production.

    Reply

  94. Niagara-on-the-Lake is my favourite place! My grandparents lived there and my sister and I spent a lot of time visiting them. It brings up some of my best childhood memories. My grandmother was very involved in theatre (from costume design to dabbling in acting) and used to take my sister and I to the Shaw festival every year. I credit her for my love of theatre. It’s so great to hear that The Magician’s Nephew held your kids’ attention and captivated them. I’d love to take O to the Shaw for the first time this year and this sounds like the ideal production.

    Reply

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