YOUR NEWEST ONTARIO LOCKDOWN ACTIVITY

RESTAURANTS

May 16

Ontario! It’s time to wake-up from our winter hibernation!

Spring is here.

Roll off your bed of leaves and twigs, stretch those hind legs, walk out of your cave and give a deep, powerful roar as we see the sunlight for the first time in months.

Recently, there haven’t been many activities to enjoy, and I’m excited to say it’s time to finally change that.

If you’re from anywhere in the GTA- Niagara Region you will want to continue reading because I am about to make your lockdown experience 10x more enjoyable.

Introducing to you, an incredible, and memorable, STAY AT HOME, backyard experience created by Cineyards. Cineyards is a Canadian small business that brings the FULL movie theatre experience to YOUR BACKYARD.

There are a few different options you can chose from, but we went with the standard package that was $299 and it included:

120” Inflatable Screen
HD Smart night projection
500W Sound system
24/7 Support
And a hassle-free setup and teardown.

This package ended up being the perfect choice for us.

Since I booked Cineyards to surprise my mom for Mother’s Day, I wanted to enhance our experience by also renting a few of the add on features Cineyards offers. My mom has the biggest sweet tooth I know (other than me) so when I saw there was a Cotton Candy machine to rent I knew I had to do it.

We also decided to rent the concession stand which made my entire family feel as we were at the movie theatres (except we didn’t have to drive anywhere and we were able to enjoy wine. Which made this is much better than your average movie theatre experience). The concession stand includes a popcorn machine, 12 candies, 6 chocolates, 6 chips and 10 bags of cotton candy.

Cineyards also offers a patio heater to rent but since my family already had a ton of blankets, and a fire pit to keep us warm, we didn’t need end up needing one.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO WHEN CINEYARDS ARRIVES:

Cineyards will message you upon arrival
They will need a clear path to access your backyard to set up. We used our side gate so I met them at the front of the house and showed them the location.
You will want to show them where your outdoor outlet plug is- this is essential for their setup.
And the last thing, provide them your wifi credentials. To avoid wasting time, have this information ready in advance.

After the Cineyards team sets up, they will confirm a time with you when they will be back to clean up and tear down.

Since we were celebrating Mother’s Day, my mom had the honour of selecting which movie we were going to watch. Cineyards offers Netflix, Disney, Prime Video and Youtube, so we were able to pick anything within that wide selection.

My mom chose a classic, Dirty Dancing. It was my first time watching it and I absolutely loved it.

Niagara Food and Wine Recommendations:

If you’re having the ultimate at home movie night, you want to make sure you pair it with the best food and wine you can. This also makes the perfect opportunity to support a local business. Or four of them!

Here are my Niagara food and wine recommendations:

CHARCUTERIE: Chz Plz Niagara.
Chz Plz is located in Port Dalhousie and have a variety of sizes of charcuterie boxes and boards to choose from. We ordered the large box, and two mini boxes in case we needed extra. This is probably my tenth time ordering from Chz Plz, and similar to every other experience- I can’t wait to go back. If you love charcuterie as much as I do, here’s a discount code to redeem 10% off your next purchase until THE END OF MAY: CTODD10

PIZZA + APPETIZERS: Rollin Pizza
Rollin Pizza is a local pizza company located in St.Catharines. If you want to make your pizza dreams come true, you’ll definitely have to order one of the “Big Slices” like I did. I don’t know anywhere else in Niagara that offers this iconic style, so you’ll want to make sure you get a fun picture. Then once you’re done taking a couple photos, you can easily cut it up into pieces for the entire family to enjoy.

DESSERT: Niagara Cookie Co
If you’re looking for the ultimate dessert, you need to try Niagara Cookie’s STUFFED Cookies, and their new edible Cookie Dough. They offer many different flavours, and to place your order you can order online on from their website: https://niagaracookie.co .
They are extremely popular so make sure you order in advance!

WINE: Lakeview Winery
Lakeview Winery is my go to spot for wine. Not only do they have a fantastic wine club, they are they open 7 days a week for curb side pickup. If you don’t live close to their location (which is located in Niagara on the Lake), their wines are also available at the LCBO. If you’re looking for a wine club to join, use the code COURTNEY to get a discount on a 12 month membership.

I hope this article has helped with planning a fun, and unforgettable lockdown experience while supporting some incredible local companies along the way. To receive a discount on planning your next AT HOME BACKYARD MOVIE THEATRE experience use CTODD10 when booking.

Stay safe,