Niagara Falls Region offers plenty of fun activities during Thanksgiving weekend, but if you want to combine fall colour hikes, waterfall trips, and a grand festival featuring family fun, a massive vendor market, and live entertainment, visit Ball’s Falls Conservation Area.
Ball’s Falls is hosting their annual Thanksgiving Festival from October 9th to 12th. This yearly Niagara tradition began in 1974 to raise money for conservation and environmental programs.
This year, join them for their 52nd year of celebrating Thanksgiving and discovering the beautiful Niagara escarpment in the fall.
Ball’s Falls Conservation Area meticulously preserves the ambiance of its early-to-mid 19th-century industrial hamlet, showcasing historic structures such as the Ball family home, an operational flour mill, a lime kiln, a church, a blacksmith shop, and more.
Established in 1809 as Glen Elgin by the Ball brothers, it thrived as a bustling industrial town by the 1840s. While most buildings have vanished, the gristmill, a lime kiln, and the Ball homestead endure. Additionally, historic structures from the vicinity, such as a pioneer log cabin and a wooden church, have been relocated to the park.
What to See & Do:
The festival is spread through the conservation area, so this feels more like a fall day out than an indoor craft show.
- Shop: More than 150 artisans are selling jewellery, ceramics, textiles, woodwork, candles, art, clothing and other handmade products. A separate farmers’ market features local produce.
- Watch and listen: Four performers are scheduled on the Main Stage each day. The 2026 lineup ranges from Swamperella and Shania Twin to Fiddlestix, Tin Roof and an East Coast Kitchen Party with Screeched Inn.
- Bring the kids: Birds-of-prey demonstrations, magic shows, face painting and antique-powered train rides and displays are among the family activities. Guided nature and geology hikes are also scheduled. Most activities are included with admission.
- Explore Ball’s Falls: The surrounding 80-hectare conservation area includes two waterfalls, forest trails, and a preserved historic settlement with the Ball family home, gristmill, church, blacksmith shop, and other buildings. The nature hikes take you along colourful trails. Enjoy the view of the majestic Twenty Mile Creek plummeting over cliffs, making two falls – the upper and lower falls backdropped by glorious hues of soft yellow and crimson.
Who Will Get the Most Out of It?
You’ll get the most built-in programming if you’re visiting with kids, but you certainly don’t need children in tow to enjoy the festival. You can browse handmade goods, sample local food and drinks, explore the historic village, catch live entertainment, or head out for a fall hike between festival stops.
Allow three to five hours if you want to browse the market, catch a scheduled show and walk part of the conservation area. Anyone interested mainly in shopping could spend considerably less time.
Food is additional, as are anything you buy from artisans or farmers. Vendors include concessions, gourmet-food producers and beer and wine gardens, with gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan choices available. Some vendors may be cash-only.
What Should You Know Before Going?
This is primarily an outdoor, rain-or-shine festival. Check the forecast and dress for grass, gravel and trails. Waterproof footwear is sensible after rain, particularly if hiking.
The biggest practical issue is parking. It is included with admission but limited, and the lot can temporarily close when full. Advance tickets shorten admission waits but do not guarantee parking. Arriving near the 10 a.m. opening is therefore the safer choice if you want to avoid the busiest arrival period.
Is It Worth Travelling For?
At $12 for general admission, the value is strongest if you use the festival as more than a shopping trip. The combination of entertainment, heritage programming, hiking and waterfalls makes Ball’s Falls notably different from a typical Thanksgiving market.
If you are making the drive to Ball’s Falls, it is easy to turn the festival into a fuller Niagara Benchlands day trip. Jordan Village is the most convenient addition, with its compact Main Street, shops, cafés and the Lincoln Museum and Cultural Centre. Nearby, Cave Spring Vineyard is closely tied to Jordan’s development as a wine destination, while Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery offers another local winery stop. Lincoln now has more than 50 wineries across the municipality.
For another nature stop, Cave Springs Conservation Area has escarpment forest, rock outcrops, ice caves and views toward Lake Ontario, while Louth Conservation Area has Bruce Trail access and two waterfalls.
If you want to finish by the lake, Charles Daley Park has a boardwalk, walking trails, picnic areas and Lake Ontario access. Paid visitor parking is $3.25 per hour or $20 per day in 2026.
Trip Planning — Ball’s Falls Thanksgiving Festival
What: The appeal of the Ball’s Falls Thanksgiving Festival is not simply that it is a large craft market. You can browse more than 150 artisan booths, watch a birds-of-prey demonstration, listen to live music, tour a 19th-century heritage village and then walk through Niagara Escarpment forest to see Ball’s Falls, all in the same outing.
When:
Friday, October 9 – Monday, October 12, 2026
Friday | 10:00 AM – 05:00 PM
Saturday | 10:00 AM – 05:00 PM
Sunday | 10:00 AM – 05:00 PM
Monday | 10:00 AM – 05:00 PM
How Much:
General Admission: $12.00
Seniors (65+): $9.00
Children (5 -11): $9.00
Tickets: Available in advance and at the gate. Advance tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Where: Ball’s Falls Conservation Area, 3292 Sixth Avenue, Lincoln, Ontario
L0R 1S0
Parking: Included with admission. Main festival parking is accessed from 7th Avenue. Parking is limited and not guaranteed. Carpooling is encouraged.
Accessibility: Accessible parking is available at the Centre for Conservation via Victoria Avenue. The festival grounds are primarily firm grass and gravel, with some slopes. Accessible switchback trails and accessible washrooms are available.
Weather: The festival runs rain or shine.
Pets: Pets are not permitted. Valid service animals are allowed.