SCA’s 48th Annual Conference
June 18 to June 21, 2025
ONTARIO * NEW YORK
2025 brings the SCA’s first international conference in the SCA mecca of Niagara Falls.
The event will be headquartered on the Canadian side in the historic Crowne Plaza Hotel (soon to be rebranded as the Hilton General Brock Hotel) and the Sheraton Fallsview Hotel, right at the Canadian end of the Rainbow Bridge. We will tour both the American and Canadian roadside, explore core SCA attractions, eat in diners, enjoy a fascinating paper symposium, and have a barrel of fun.
You will need a passport to cross the border so check your travel documents for expiry dates right away.
Schedule of Events
Wednesday, June 18, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Opening Reception
Our opening reception will be held at the Queen Victoria Place Restaurant, a historic pavilion operated by the Ontario Niagara Parks Commission and located right at the edge of the Horseshoe (Canadian) Falls. The venue is a short 15 minute walk from the conference hotel, along the Niagara River and through beautiful parks. The mighty cataract will be illuminated with our own SCA colors while we meet old friends and make new ones. Your registration fee includes a free drink ticket and a wide selection of hors d’oeuvres, served en plein air on the deck of the establishment. As it will be mid-June, the weather will be perfect for this outdoor activity. The former Official Historian of Niagara Falls, Ontario will introduce us to the area and its legacy.
Thursday, June 19, 8:30 am – 5:45 pm
Canadian Roadside Bus Tour
Our day will start with an optional ride on “Maid of the Mist” (now known as the “Hornblower Niagara”), the legendary boat tour that takes you right up to the base of the massive waterfall. After the boat ride, conference goers will assemble in the Queen Victoria Park for a short walk along the Niagara River led by tour guides Kevin Patrick and Brian Gallaugher. After learning about this world class attraction, we will board buses to tour Niagara Falls, Ontario and experience its many roadside resources. After a stop at Table Rock, right at the brink of the Falls, lunch (included) will be at the famous Flying Saucer restaurant on Lundy’s Lane. Our tour continues through the original downtown of the city, then north along the Niagara River, stopping for an optional ride on the fabled Whirlpool Rapids (“Spanish”) Aero Car. There will also be a chance for some souvenir shopping here. We will continue to the Sir Adam Beck Generating Station, the Sir Issac Brock monument (commemorating a pivotal battle in the War of 1812) and end at the Floral Clock. Dinner (on your own) will be a chance for you to experience the many excellent dining choices in Niagara and the surrounding wine country.
Don’t forget to purchase tickets from us when registering for the conference if you want to experience the Hornblower boat and Whirlpool Aero Car attractions.
Thursday, June 19, 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Clifton Hill Walking Tour
After dinner, we will gather in the Oakes Garden Theatre beside the conference hotel for a commentary on the wild and wacky centre of the tourist area, Clifton Hill. After this introduction we will walk the strip, with color commentary by our guides. You will be amazed by the scale and variety of the attractions tempting tourists from the world over, from a Frankenstein themed Burger King to Beaver Tails, craft beer, snow cones and all the noise and excitement you can handle.
Friday, June 20, 8:30 am – 6:00 pm
Paper Symposium and Annual General Meeting
A highlight of any SCA conference is the paper presentation symposium, where members and new friends alike share serious and fun projects. Presentations will be on tourism in the Niagara region as well as other roadside topics. We also welcome “Five-Minute Stories,” an SCA tradition where members sign up that day to share short talks on their favorite interests. If you are interested in making a presentation please visit our website for more information and to submit.
Lunch is included and will be provided in the Crowne Plaza hotel. We will have a short Annual General Meeting in the dining room before returning to the afternoon paper sessions.
Friday, June 20, 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Ripley’s Attractions
Dinner will be on your own. But the evening will feature a special treat: free admission and behind-the-scenes tours at two of Ripley’s premier attractions on Clifton Hill – Ripley’s Believe It or Not and Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks. You will choose which you would like to experience prior to the beginning of the conference.
Saturday, June 21, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
American Roadside Bus Tour
Tour attendees will cross the border by walking across the Rainbow Bridge to the American side (approximately 10 minutes). There we will be greeted by the ubiquitous Kevin Patrick and Brian Gallaugher and board the buses for a tour of the Niagara and Buffalo areas. Included will be stops at the Herschell Carousel Museum and Buffalo Transportation Pierce Arrow Museum. Lunch, which is included, is at the Steer Restaurant in Buffalo, situated right beside the legendary Lake Effect diner. Since both establishments are in the same ownership we may be able to tour the diner in small groups. Highlights of the bus tours will include, among many other things, Prophet Isaiah’s Second Coming House, the old Niagara Falls downtown, US 62 Motel Strip, Parkside Candies, Buffalo’s Theater District/Greyhound Bus Terminal, and Larkin Square/Swan Street Diner. We will be treated to some special guests on the buses who will provide local insight.
Upon returning from the Buffalo area we will have a short walking tour of Niagara Falls State Park, Old Falls Street and the tourist district, including the significant changes (and losses) that took place in the 1960s as a result of urban renewal. After the tour we will walk back across the Rainbow Bridge.
Saturday, June 21, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Closing Banquet
To cap off the 48th Annual SCA Conference we will meet in the Rainbow Room of the Crowne Plaza (General Brock) hotel, which has a clear view of the Falls, in time for a sumptuous closing banquet, included in your registration.
Refund Policy
The SCA is unable to offer refunds of registration fees after May 20, 2025. To ensure space at Have a Barrel of Fun in Niagara, be sure to register by May 10, 2025.
Lodging
(This is complex so please read carefully.)
The SCA has not reserved any accommodations at the conference hotel, due to the variety of rooms and views available. Conference attendees are encouraged to make reservations as soon as possible, as June is high season in Niagara.
The conference hotel is the Crowne Plaza (soon to be renamed the General Brock) and the Sheraton Fallsview. These two hotels are joined by an enclosed walkway.
The Crowne Plaza/General Brock is a heritage building and as such the rooms may be smaller or not as up-to-date as you might be used to. The hotel is being renovated and will be part of the Hilton chain by the time of our conference. The Sheraton Fallsview (5875 Falls Avenue, Niagara Falls, Ontario) is more modern and offers up-to-date accommodations. Both hotels offer various configurations of rooms and views.
Make sure you are reserving in the right hotel as there are many variations on the “Fallsview” name and similar sounding hotels on both the Canadian and US side.
As the Crowne Plaza/Brock is undergoing renovation, the hotel is not accepting reservations at this time. Reservations will open in April. You will be notified when this hotel starts accepting reservations.
You may book right now at the Sheraton Fallsview through the Marriott website or through booking services such as Expedia. The Sheraton Fallsview allows “no fee” cancellations up to June 15. Expedia / Travelocity may be showing no availability. If so, use the Marriott website and rooms should be available.
We strongly recommend you book at the Sheraton Fallsview IMMEDIATELY if you intend to stay at the conference hotel. Reservations can be canceled with no fee later if necessary. For example, you may wish to switch later to the General Brock.
Remember that if you deal with the hotel directly prices will be quoted in Canadian dollars. Currently, $CDN1.00 is worth $US 0.70. So to convert Canadian prices to US dollars multiply by 0.7. Your dollar goes a lot further in Canada! Keep in mind too that all hotel prices are subject to an additional 7.9% local tax and 13% provincial and federal tax. Parking on site will also be extra (up to $CDN 50 per day). Expedia etc. will do the conversion automatically and may also include the tax.
There are lots of other accommodation choices catering to all budgets and tastes in Niagara Falls, including Air B&B locations. If you choose to stay in Niagara Falls, New York, be sure to leave plenty of time for crossing the border.
Travel
The nearest airports are Buffalo Niagara International Airport or Pearson (Toronto) International Airport. Driving time from Buffalo is about 45 minutes, Toronto about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Crossing the border in a car can take up to half an hour. Remember, if you drive parking will be expensive at the hotel. You will not need a car in Niagara as most attractions are within easy walking distance or accessible by fast, safe public transit.
There are a number of options for transportation from Buffalo Airport to Niagara, which you can check out here.
GO Transit, the regional commuter train system in Ontario, offers frequent and direct trains and buses from downtown Toronto to Niagara Falls.
For our north-eastern US members, Amtrak offers convenient daily service from NYC and Albany to Niagara Falls Ontario, and on to Toronto. Check the Amtrak website for schedules.
Climate
June is a beautiful month to visit Niagara. Average temp is 77° F during the day, dropping to 58 at night. But the weather is variable. Be prepared for very warm temperatures and also the possibility of rain.
Special Needs / Accessibility
If you have dietary, mobility, or other special needs, please let us know as soon as possible. We will make every effort to accommodate. Please note some event locations are not fully accessible.
Program Changes
SCA reserves the right to alter the program as necessary in the event of unforeseen circumstances. Tour and bus seating are limited and offered on a first come-first served basis.
Activity Level
This tour requires an average fitness level. We will be doing some walking but it will not be strenuous.
REGISTER TODAY
Buy today to guarantee your event t-shirt for the road trip!