☃️ Getting Ready for a NOTL Christmas

The holidays are creeping in, the lists are getting longer, and town is starting to feel extra cozy. This week we’re keeping it simple: a few local gift ideas and a couple of easy reasons to get out of the house.

Here’s what we’re covering:

Let’s dive in.

Keeping it local this year? Here are five easy stocking stuffers you can grab right here in town (or very close to it), no big-box run required.

1. Small-Batch Soap Bars

Where to buy: Niagara Homespun Botanicals

Handcrafted bars that feel a bit fancy but still get used every day. One or two in a stocking = instant upgrade to someone’s morning.

2. Lavender Pillow Sprays & Self-Care Minis

Where to buy: neob Niagara

Tiny bottles, big exhale. Pillow sprays, balms, and other lavender goodies people love but rarely buy for themselves.

3. Mini Jams & Marmalades

Where to buy: Greaves Jams & Marmalades

Niagara peach, wine jellies, marmalades — small jars that make Boxing Day toast way more exciting.

4. Chocolate & Sweets from Queen Street

Where to buy: Rocky Mtn Chocolate

Handmade chocolates, fudge, and bite-sized treats. Build a small mix and you’ve basically filled the stocking (and guaranteed crumbs).

5.  Local Coffee Shop Gifts ☕

Where to buy: Local spots like Balzac’s in Old Town or your go-to NOTL café

Think small bags of beans, hot chocolate tins, or a couple of house-made treats. Grab one “drink-at-home” item and one snack, and you’ve built a cozy little coffee break right inside the stocking.

One More Way to Give Back 💛

If you’re crossing gifts off the list and also thinking about impact, don’t forget the May Court Club of St. Catharines’ “Christmas Under the Rafters” Gala at Stonewall Estates – a beautiful night raising funds for women and children across Niagara. Catch the full story and ticket details in our gala feature.

Check out our previous article on this event for more info! 👉 🎄A Night To Remember

If you like the idea of getting your shopping done without leaving town, circle next weekend for the Niagara-on-the-Lake Christmas Market at the Community Centre on Anderson Lane. It’s a one-day indoor market with local makers, handmade gifts, treats, and all the cozy small-town chaos you’d expect.

It’s a good one to:

If you need a push from “I’m not ready for Christmas yet” to “okay, fine, I’m in,” A Christmas Carol at the Royal George Theatre will do it. Shaw’s production is running through December and this year is extra special — it’s the final holiday season in the current Royal George before it makes way for the new build.

It’s a solid pick if you’ve got family visiting, want a classic Christmas story with a local twist, or just need an excuse for dinner and a show on Queen Street.

For a very “only in NOTL” meal, The Olde Angel Inn is hard to beat. Low ceilings, creaky floors, and proper British-style comfort food — pies, fish and chips, and pints poured in a room that feels like it’s heard a few stories.

Out back, the Angel’s courtyard patio has become a bit of a summertime fixture. The owners have now gone to council with a proposal to make that temporary patio a permanent feature, which would officially lock in one of Old Town’s most popular warm-weather spots rather than renewing it year by year.

It’s an easy choice if you’re looking for a casual spot after a Shaw show, somewhere to warm up after a cold walk through Old Town, or a place to show out-of-towners a version of NOTL that isn’t all white tablecloths and tasting menus

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