Niagara Falls Nightly Summer Fireworks Shows Set to Begin May 17

Niagara Falls Nightly Summer Fireworks Shows Set to Begin May 17
Fireworks over illuminated Niagara Falls in a file photo. (Shutterstock/Stef Ko)
Chandra Philip
5/5/2024
Updated:
5/6/2024
0:00

The Niagara Falls Summer Fireworks series is set to begin on Friday, May 17, and run until Monday, Oct. 14, Canada’s Thanksgiving Day.

That’s a total of 151 days this year or over 750 minutes of nightly displays, which explains why the festival has become a tradition for visitors and residents alike.

The show starts at 10 o’clock nightly and lasts about five minutes, although longer displays will be held on Canada Day and the U.S. Fourth of July.

The fireworks will be launched from the Niagara Gorge, between the American and Canadian Horseshoe Falls. While spectators can view the beautiful pyrotechnics in a variety of locations in the area, organizers say the best view is from Queen Victoria Park on the Canadian side.
An added bonus is the illumination of the waterfalls every night of the year, which will create the backdrop for the summer fireworks show. All three waterfalls that make up Niagara Falls—the American Falls, the Bridal Veil Falls, and the largest, the Horseshoe Fallsare lit up in an array of flowing colours nightly beginning at dusk, the event website says.

The colourful water against the dark sky and a stunning fireworks display is an experience not to be missed.

Fireworks displays will take place rain or shine, although they could be affected by winds. Testing of wind speed and direction will be done throughout the day and any schedule changes will be announced as soon as possible.

Spectators can also hop on a cruise to take in the show for an up-close and personal view. The Falls Fireworks Cruise will leave from the Canadian side and take visitors on a 40-minute trip around falls.

During the cruise, visitors will see stunning views of the Niagara Gorge, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls and even get close enough to feel the mist from the waterfalls.

That’s not the only unique viewpoint for spectators looking to catch the fireworks.

To get a higher view of the show, visitors on the Canada side can get on the SkyWheel on Clifton Hill, one of the most famous streets in Niagara Falls. The large observation wheel towers 175 feet (53 metres) over the Niagara Falls horizon. From that vantage point, visitors can enjoy spectacular views of the the different falls, the Niagara River, and other landmarks in the area. With rides lasting from 8 to 12 minutes, it’s more than enough time to take in the pyrotechnics from the air.
If the SkyWheel is not high enough, spectators can head to the Skylon Tower, which is 520 feet (160 metres) tall from ground level and towers 775 feet (236 metres) over the falls, offering an incredible view of the falls.
After the fireworks, the Street of Fun, another name that Clifton Hill is known by, will remain open. The district offers a wide variety of attractions, such as a go-kart racetrack, a midway entertainment complex, an arcades facility, a playland, a wax museum, a haunted house, a Frankenstein house, and a local brewing company and a distillery.

The event is put on by Niagara Falls Tourism and sponsored partly by the Niagara Falls Canada Hotel Association and the Niagara Parks Commission.