September in St. Catharines means one thing: the Niagara Grape & Wine Festival, Canada's largest wine festival, takes over the city. If you're heading downtown for it (or hosting friends who are), here's your guide to the 2026 edition, plus where to make your cannabis stop along the way.
Grape & Wine 2026: The Key Dates
- Discovery Pass weekends: September 4 to 6, 11 to 13, and 18 to 20. Tasting experiences at wineries across Niagara, the build-up to the main event.
- The flagship weekend: September 25 to 27 in downtown St. Catharines, anchored by the Montebello Park Wine and Culinary Village with Niagara VQA wineries, food, and live music all weekend.
- The Grande Parade: Saturday, September 26 at 11 a.m. through downtown, one of the region's biggest parade days of the year.
- Family parade: Sunday, September 27 at 4 p.m. at Montebello Park.
Check the festival's official site for tickets and the full schedule, since events run throughout the month.
Making a Weekend of It
Montebello Park is the heart of it, but the festival is a whole-region event: winery tastings from the Discovery Pass weekends stretch across Niagara wine country, and downtown St. Catharines fills up with visitors. If you're coming in from out of town, our guides to visiting Niagara wine country and Niagara-on-the-Lake cover the rest of the trip, and American visitors should read our US visitors' guide.
Your Cannabis Stop on Grape & Wine Weekend
PEPE Cannabis is at 532 Read Road, right off the QEW, an easy stop on the way into the city or back out to wine country. A few festival-weekend notes:
- Order ahead. Browse the St. Catharines menu online and pick up in-store; festival weekends get busy.
- Think low-dose. If you're pairing a festival day with cannabis, keep it light: a 2.5 to 5mg gummy or beverage. Our gummies guide and beverages guide have the full breakdowns.
- Know the rules. No cannabis consumption at Montebello Park or festival grounds, and no mixing with a drive between wineries. Ontario treats impaired driving the same whether it's wine or weed.
- Hosting instead? Pre-rolls and THC beverages for the backyard after the parade are the move.
FAQ
Is there a dispensary near Montebello Park?
PEPE Cannabis on Read Road is a short drive from downtown, right off the QEW. Order online for the fastest pickup.
Can you drink and consume cannabis at the festival?
Alcohol only, in licensed areas. Cannabis isn't permitted at the festival or in parks; save it for private spaces afterward.
When is the Grape & Wine parade in 2026?
The Grande Parade is Saturday, September 26 at 11 a.m. in downtown St. Catharines, with a family parade Sunday, September 27 at 4 p.m. at Montebello Park.
See You in September
Grape & Wine is the best weekend on the St. Catharines calendar; it's the fall sibling of Ribfest at Montebello Park. Have a glass for us, enjoy the parade, and if your weekend includes a cannabis stop, we're five minutes off the highway at 532 Read Road.
Must be 19+. Please consume responsibly and keep all cannabis products away from children and pets.
