Merritton Lions Labour Day Weekend: A St. Catharines Tradition

Four days of midway rides, live music and community spirit

📍 Get Directions Full Schedule

A St. Catharines Labour Day fixture for decades, the Merritton Lions carnival packs a beef-on-a-bun night, a car show, live bands, a fireworks finale and the neighbourhood’s own Labour Day Parade into one free weekend at Merritton Community Park.

🎡 Midway rides 🚗 Car show 🎆 Fireworks 🎉 Labour Day Parade

💡 General admission is free, but Friday’s Beef on a Bun night ($15) and the midway ride bracelets ($20/child) are separate purchases — bring cash or a card.

Why Go Schedule Essentials Parade Route Getting There Tips FAQ

✨ Why This Festival Is Worth the Trip

The Merritton Lions Club has been putting on this Labour Day carnival for generations, and it’s kept its neighbourhood-block-party feel even as it’s grown into a four-day affair. It’s the kind of event where the same families show up year after year for the parade, the fireworks, and the smell of beef on a bun drifting across the fairgrounds.

The weekend builds gradually: Friday night is beef on a bun and line dancing lessons, Saturday brings a car show and the first live sets in the beer garden, Sunday closes with a free kids’ show and a fireworks display over the ball diamonds, and Monday wraps everything up with the Labour Day Parade itself, ending right at the carnival grounds.

Admission to the grounds is free the whole weekend — you only pay for what you ride, eat or drink, which makes it an easy, low-commitment way to spend a Labour Day afternoon in Niagara.

🎪 Weekend Schedule

Midway rides, food, games and vendors run Saturday through Monday alongside the events below.

📋 Essentials

🎉 Labour Day Parade Route

The parade steps off at 11:00 AM Monday from the Pen Centre and winds through the neighbourhood before ending right at the carnival grounds.

Chestnut Street → Glengarry Road → Glendale Avenue → Merritt Street → Seymour Avenue → Park Avenue → finishing at the Merritton Lions carnival grounds.

🚗 Getting There & Parking

Merritton Community Park sits at 7 Park Avenue in St. Catharines, between the Merritton Arena and the Merritton Community Centre.

Parking & transit: Paid parking is available on site, and the fairgrounds are also accessible by public transit — a good option on peak days like Saturday and the Monday parade.

💡 A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go

🎫 Grounds admission is free. You only pay for rides, Friday’s Beef on a Bun night, and anything at the beer garden.

🎆 Grab a spot early for fireworks. Sunday’s show launches at dusk from the baseball diamonds — arrive during The Chimps’ set for a good view.

🚌 Consider transit on Monday. The Labour Day Parade draws crowds along the whole route — public transit or walking beats driving near the carnival grounds that morning.

🎟️ Buy midway bracelets at the fairgrounds. All-day ride bracelets ($20/child) are only sold on site Saturday through Monday, not in advance.

❓ Common Questions