Theatre, puppetry and hands-on arts set for Niagara Children’s Festival
The public is invited to join Carousel Players for a family-focused arts and culture festival featuring local and internationally acclaimed artists
Carousel Players brings the third annual Niagara Children’s Festival to Niagara from May 14-17, 2026. The public is invited to join Carousel Players for a family-focused arts and culture festival featuring local and internationally acclaimed artists.
The Niagara Children’s Festival is bursting with creativity, offering live theatre, performances, and arts-based activities for young audiences and their families. This multi-day festival extends Carousel Players’ commitment to inventive live performances and affordable access to professional theatre. Now running for the third year, this festival aims to increase the opportunity for families to participate in arts and culture activities together.
“I am so excited to bring these wonderful performances and artists to our audiences! We have chosen each piece with care, so that everyone can find something to make their heart soar and their imagination sparkle. Come dance to the music, watch a play with your little one, create a puppet, and help build a mythical creature. We can’t wait to see you there!”
– Monica Dufault, Artistic Director at Carousel Players and the Niagara Children’s Festival
The Niagara Children’s Festival responds to a growing need for shared cultural experiences that support community connection and well-being. Across Canada, arts and culture play a vital role in strengthening communities—75% of Canadians report that attending cultural events creates a stronger sense of belonging, while 95% believe the arts bring people together across cultures and backgrounds (Canada Council for the Arts). Festivals like this provide families with opportunities to connect, create, and participate in meaningful experiences that foster creativity, empathy, and a sense of place.
Research consistently shows that participation in the arts has a powerful impact on children’s development and overall well-being. Engagement in theatre, music, and creative activities supports social-emotional growth, helping children build empathy, communication skills, and confidence (National Endowment for the Arts). Studies also link arts participation to improved mental health and quality of life, with cultural engagement contributing to stronger communities and healthier individuals (Canada Council for the Arts). By providing accessible arts experiences for young audiences, the Niagara Children’s Festival helps nurture these essential skills while creating joyful, shared moments for families.
“TD Bank is proud to support Carousel Players through the Niagara Children’s Festival! TD is so lucky to get to work with such an incredible organization.”
-Carmela Del Duca I Manager, Community Engagement I TD Canada Trust
Opening night of the Festival is May 14, with school performances on May 15 and both free and ticketed programming in St. Catharines on May 15, 16 & 17. Families can look forward to puppetry, face painting, crafts and games, and performances by theatre companies from Quebec, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and the UK!
A free “Festival Pop Up” event will take place at the St. Catharines Public Library (Central Branch) on May 9 between 10am-1pm featuring readings by Ontario based authors Kari-Lynn Winters, Jan Dolby, and Joyce Grant, followed by activities and crafts.
First offered in 2025, the free Bike Parade & Community Market returns to St. Catharines on Friday, May 15 from 5-7pm. Families can bring their own bike, or pick up a refurbished bike donated by The Broken Spoke! Participants will decorate bikes, ride in a bike parade together, and meet back at Silver Spire for a dance party! There will be free snacks provided by Chef & Bub Gourmet Ice Pops and The Red Chip Wagon (for the first 150 guests), safety information and helmet fittings by CAA Niagara and Pedalheads, and OPIRG Brock’s Free Store where families can browse free toys, puzzles, clothes, books, and more! This is a community get-together you won’t soon forget.
The full Festival Schedule is below. For updates and tickets, please visit https://niagarachildrensfest.com.
We invite the media to attend the Niagara Children’s Festival. Please contact Lisa Donati at lisa@carouselplayers.com to reserve media tickets to specific events and performances.
The 2026 Niagara Children’s Festival is generously supported by the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canada Arts Presentation Fund, the Niagara Community Foundation, TD Bank, the Brock University Dramatic Arts Department and the Marilyn I Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, Ontario Power Generation, the City of St. Catharines, and CAA Niagara.
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Ticketed Festival Programming:
Burrow
From Théâtre du Gros Mécano (QC)
Deep in the forest, two little creatures bustle about, collecting their provisions. Acorns, pine nuts and mushrooms, pebbles, apples and branches: every item is counted and tucked away in the burrow’s belly. One inventories, rations and studies… The other writes, ponders, relishes… Their friendship, peppered with little quibbles, sews the flow of the seasons. Yet somehow, something has come between them. Can we live without others? What kind of effort does friendship take? How are we to reconcile our differences? Burrow brings the young audience member on the pathway of friendship and living together, in a playful, poetic and wordless theatre experience.
Ages 3+
Performances:
- May 14, 7:00pm
- May 16, 11:00am & 3:00pm
- May 17, 11:00am
Club Origami
From Ichi Ni San (UK)
Rip, fold and scrumple!
Shall we see what we can make with a single square of paper? As you scrunch the paper, see how your imagination begins to dance…
Dive into the magical world of Club Origami, an immersive and interactive dance show inviting family audiences to create, imagine and explore whole new ways of thinking, playing and moving. Dance, fashion and live music meet the magic of origami to sweep us up on a spirited and inspiring adventure in a land made purely of paper and play.
Ages 0-6
Performances:
- May 16 & 17, 10:30am & 1:00pm
While We Wait
From Gale Force Theatre (NS)
While We Wait follows a young girl named Leo and her discovery of a magical garden shed. As the seasons pass, she struggles against the changes in her own life. This show is a celebration of inter-species kinship, explores the challenge of facing change, and revels in the power of noticing. This wordless piece features live music, puppetry and is an enchanting introduction to live performance for young audiences.
Ages 3+
Performances:
- May 16 & 17, 10:00am & 2:00pm
Guardians of the Gods
From Theatre Direct (ON)
Sometimes adults seem like gods—powerful, protective, and kind. But they can also be unpredictable and dangerous. What adults often overlook is children’s unique power: their ability to see right through them. Guardians of the Gods is a play about what unites children across the globe: living in a world ruled by adults. Written by Erik Uddenberg and directed by Gustav Deinoff, the play has been developed based on interviews with children and adults from 11 different countries across five continents. Over the next year, the play will be performed in all 11countries in their respective languages.
The play is part of The Childhood Project – a major international collaboration between all participating theatres, from Bangladesh to Finland. The project aims to enhance culture for children and young people all over the world.
Ages 8+
Performances:
- May 16, 4:00pm
- May 17, 3:00pm
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Non-Ticketed Programming Includes:
Birdsong
From Carousel Players
A giant bird has landed at the Festival. It got lost on its migration and doesn’t know how to find its way. All the little birds of the Niagara Children’s Festival (the children and their bird puppets) come to help. They sing a song of encouragement and show the giant bird how to fly. Eventually, with everyone’s help, the giant bird is able to take flight and head off on its migration.
Children/families will each create a bird puppet that becomes a part of the performance, and will join in puppeting their birds, showing the big bird how to fly.
Ages 4-12
Why Don’t We Together
From Dear Bear Multi-Arts (St. Catharines)
Why Don’t We Together is an immersive, audio-visual experience that takes place in a custom-built structure called “The Hut.” When audiences enter The Hut, they are met with a choice between several curated audio stories, all written and recorded by a variety of handpicked Ontario artists. These stories are accompanied by rich sound design and dynamic lighting – the walls, seats, ceilings, and airwaves come alive as audiences get transported into the world of each story. Why Don’t We Together reimagines how stories get told. This installation invites audiences into an intimate and memorable installation piece, while also providing storytellers with a unique and electric platform for their work. WDWT is a chance for audiences to come together in a space outside of their comfort zones, while fostering connection and joy in a shared experience.
Ages 4-12
Other Free Drop-In Programming includes:
- Community Bike Parade & Market
- Hoop Dancing by Lisa Odjig
- Local Musicians & Performers including Revolution Steel Band and the Niagara on the Lake Ukesters
- Face Painting by Happy Ducky Facepainters
- Community Art project led by visual artist Lou Losier
- Live screenprinting by TJ Charlton
- Bubbles, Chalk, Crafts, & Lawn Games
By Niagara-on-the-Lake Local Staff
