Things to Do in Welland

Welland is a canal town, and most of the good stuff is within a ten-minute walk of the water. This list sticks to things you can do in a morning or an afternoon without planning ahead. We keep it short on purpose and update it as places open, close and change.

Outdoors and on the water

1. Walk or ride the canal: the Merritt Island loop

   The easiest start on the Welland Canals Parkway Trail is the roughly 4 km paved loop around Merritt Island, between the recreational canal and the Welland River. Flat, shaded in stretches, and you're never far from a bench or a coffee downtown.

   Start behind Civic Square, 60 East Main St Free Spring to fall

2. Merritt Island Park

   Paved and natural trails, a kids' play area, picnic tables, washrooms and canal-history plaques, all steps from downtown. The default "let's just get outside" spot.

   Behind Civic Square, 60 East Main St Free All year

3. Rent a kayak, canoe or paddleboard at the Docks

   The City runs rentals out of Rotary Club of Welland Park on the recreational canal, which is calm, flat and closed to big boats. Swim docks, a splash pad and a skate park are in the same park.

   129 Lincoln St About $16 to $21 an hour Mid-June to mid-October, weekends only after Labour Day Hours and prices

4. Watch a regatta at the Flatwater Centre

   The Welland International Flatwater Centre hosted the 2015 Pan Am canoe and kayak events and still draws regattas and dragon boat races through the summer. Free to watch from the banks.

   Townline Tunnel Rd at Canal Bank St Free Summer Event schedule

5. Chippawa Park

   Welland's biggest park: rose gardens, a pond, a playground, a splash pad, beach volleyball and pavilions. In winter the pond becomes the city's largest outdoor rink.

   First Ave at Fitch St Free Summer for the splash pad, winter for the rink

6. Take the dog to the leash-free park

   Fenced areas for big and small dogs beside the recreational canal, with benches, a dog fountain and free parking. The canal trail is right there for the walk afterwards.

   Ontario Rd at Prince Charles Dr Free All year

Downtown

7. Welland Farmers' Market on a Saturday morning

   Year-round, every Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon in the heritage market building on Young Street. Produce, baking, meat, plants, and a café doing breakfast. Get there before 10 for the good stuff.

   Market Square, 70 Young St Free entry All year, Saturdays Market info

8. Walk the murals

   Welland has more than two dozen large murals from the late 1980s along King, East Main and Division streets. Do it self-guided, or join one of the Welland Museum's guided mural walks for a few dollars.

   Start at 140 King St Free self-guided, $5 guided Spring to fall Mural list

9. Welland Museum

   Canal and city history in a former library building downtown. Small, well done, and the starting point for the walking tours above.

   140 King St Free, $5 suggested donation Monday to Saturday, 10 to 4 wellandmuseum.ca

10. See Bridge 13 lit up at night

    The 1930 Main Street lift bridge is lit with LEDs after dark. Best views are from the parkette on the east bank just south of the bridge and from Merritt Park.

    East Main St at the canal Free All year

11. A pint and a pizza on the canal at Bridgewater Brewery

    Downtown craft brewery with a taproom, wood-fired pizza and a backyard patio on the water. Closed Tuesdays.

    60 Niagara St Paid Patio in summer, open all year bridgewaterbrewery.ca

12. Eat somewhere good

    We keep a running, ranked list of where locals actually eat, with a comparison table and the reasoning behind every pick.

    The Best Restaurants in Welland: A Local's Guide →

Families and rainy days

13. Splash pads

    Six of them, all free: Chippawa Park, Glenwood Park (130 Glenwood Pkwy), Jumpstart at Rotary Club of Welland Park (129 Lincoln St), Maple Park (563 Clare Ave), Memorial Park (405 Memorial Park Dr) and The Cove at Rob Fulbrook Park (540 Canal Bank St), which also has a playground, an amphitheatre and canal views.

    Free Summer Locations and season dates

14. Concerts on the Canal

    Free summer concerts at the 750-seat Merritt Park Amphitheatre, roughly every other Friday from June to late September. Bring a chair or sit on the grass.

    151 King St Free June to September 2026 dates

15. Movies and the mall

    The rainy-day option: the Cineplex at Seaway Mall has recliner seats, and the mall covers the rest. The parking lot also hosts Friday cruise nights and the odd food stand in summer.

    800 Niagara St Paid All year

Through the year

• June: the Welland Rose Festival, with Days in the Park at Merritt Park and the Grand Parade up King Street. wellandrosefestival.com
• July 1: Canada Day at Merritt Park, fireworks over the canal at 10 p.m.
• July and August: the Supper Market, Wednesday evenings at Market Square with food trucks and live music. Details
• Winter: skating on the Chippawa Park pond, and Hometown Christmas at Merritt Park and Market Square in December. Winter Lights
• Nearby: Short Hills Provincial Park in Pelham for a proper hike, and Port Colborne's Canal Days on the August long weekend.

For the full City calendar, see events.welland.ca.

This weekend

Everything above is year-round. For what's actually on from Friday to Sunday, checked every Thursday, go to Things to Do in Welland This Weekend →