Niagara-on-the-Lake Shopping

4 more images

A WELL DIVERSIFIED RETAIL SECTOR CAN BE FOUND up and down the main street (which is called Picton Street, and it becomes Queen Street in the western part of town.)

What to buy: just about anything

Here are five photos taken along Picton Street.

What to pay: its not too bad

This shop is great, though it's definitely weird when you first walk in with shorts on and sweating to find yourself surrounded by Christmas ornaments and jingles playing. I loved it! The store is full of various ornaments, lights, displays, music, and other Christmas decorations.

What to buy: Why not buy a lovely Christmas ornament as a souvenir of Niagara-on-the-Lake that will make you reminisce on your fun trip each year you decorate the tree?!

4 more images

they're all quaint and if you need a gift or momento
its' there for the buying
cash or plastic

What to buy: There is a TAsting room for Niagra WInes
a fine stopping point getting the taste buds
ready for on the spot winery tastings

the notable wineries of Canad are here
Ice Wine, et ala

30 antique dealers

What to pay: Usual, but i am a window shppers by nature

1 more image

Open year round JUST CHRISTMAS is just that. Everything you could possibly want or need for Christmas decor. Christmas tree ornaments and lights. Christmas candles, tablecloths and knapkins. Beautifully made Santas and Angels. Christmas cards and wrap. You name it.

Back in the 1920’s, Niagara Home Bakery would sell its wares door to door, from a horse drawn carriage. Those days are long gone, but they still use the same 85 year old brick oven for baking their vast assortment of breads and other treats. You’ll know you’re getting close to the right place, as you’ll be able to smell the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread from the street. With its homey, original look, complete with new and old portraits of British Royalty, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back to a different era.

When we visited in September, the shop was decorated in a Fall theme, which would be changing shortly to Christmas. Then in the Spring, they do it up for Easter, complete with coloured eggs, baskets and bunnies.

If you’re familiar with the artist Trisha Romance, you might know her piece of work called ‘The Home Bakery’. Take a good look, as it’s the Niagara Home Bakery! Trisha Romance has painted many local scenes since moving to Niagara-on-the-Lake many years ago.

What to buy: Along with the usual bakery fare of breads, cakes, and pastries, they also sell meat pies, pre-packaged shortbread cookies, and a great assortment of jams, jellies, relishes, flavoured mustards to name a few. We picked up some cinnamon buns, a jar of Wasabe-lime mustard, and a spicy meat pie (which never made it down the street – it was delicous!)

Maple Leaf Fudge has been a Niagara-on-the-Lake tradition since it opened in 1967. As soon as you walk in the door, you will be enveloped by the wonderful smell of chocolate, vanilla and other goodies. With it’s unique open concept, you can browse to your heart’s content at the front, and see the fudge, beer nuts and peanut brittle being hand-made at the back of the shop. It was very interesting to see the fudge being cooked in copper kettles, poured out onto marble slabs and hand sliced.

You may have also seen their delights at various Fall Fairs and other events such as the Calgary Stampede. So, in case you can’t make it to Niagara-on-the-Lake, be sure to check their website for details, dates and locations.

What to buy: They probably make at least 25 different flavours of fudge, all displayed row after row, making it really hard to decide which one you have to have. We ended up with pieces of Double Chocolate, and Maple Walnut. Since I seemed to be the only one voting for Pralines & Cream, I decided not to take the plunge, otherwise I would have eaten the entire chunk myself.

In addition to the fudge and other handmade treats, they also sell a large variety of pre-packaged candy, such as chocolate covered coffee beans, licorice, sweet-sticks, lolly pops and the like. You can also find your favourite 'Beanie Baby' there, as they stock a large selection of Ty products.

My favourite surprise came when I was browsing at the front of the shop, and came across ‘Gold Nugget Gum’. Some of you may remember this from your childhood – a little linen bag with a gold ribbon closure, filled with little yellow pieces of gum, shaped to look like Gold Nuggets!! Seeing that really brought a smile to my face!

What to pay: We found the prices to be very reasonable for the quality of the products.

Are you looking for that special Hummel, Wedgewood, Precious Moments or any other collectible, this is your spot. Any thing collectible this place seemed to have, so spot in for a peek and pick something up for home.

The streets are lined with all kinds of neat little stores to duck into and check out if you are looking for some gifts to take home to the family. Many of these store are set in very old building with great character. There are many types of shops for kids stuff to wonderful thing for the adults. So take a stroll down the main street and some of the side streets too you may be supprised at what you will find.