In the News

February 8, 2010

WORLD JUNIORS COMING TO BUFFALO

The 2011 IIHF World Junior Championships are coming to Buffalo, December 26, 2010-January 5, 2011. Tens of thousands of hockey fans from around the globe will be descending on the City of Good Neighbors to watch the world's finest amateur players battle it out for on-ice supremacy. Click here for more information.

December 16, 2009

BURCHFIELD AMONG THE BEST

The New Yorker magazine has named “Heat Waves in a Swamp: the Paintings of Charles Burchfield” as one of the best art exhibitions of 2009. The exhibit, organized by artist Robert Gober, is coming to Buffalo’s Burchfield Penney Art Center from March 6th through May May 23rd after a much acclaimed run at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. This is the first major retrospective of Burchfield’s work to be mounted in twenty years. After its appearance in Buffalo, the exhibition travels to the Whitney Museum in New York City in the summer of 2010.

October 27th, 2009

Albright-Knox Art Gallery Extended Hours

Beginning November 3rd, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery will re-open to the public on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, making the gallery now open six days per week.  The Gallery has several upcoming exhibitions that are expected to be major draws for local and national tourists and is extending its hours to accommodate this anticipated demand.  The Gallery Shop and restaurant, muse, will also be open to the public during the new hours.  

October 9th, 2009

New Buffalo boutique hotel underway

Plans for the construction of a new boutique hotel in downtown Buffalo are currently underway.  Mark Croce, owner of several restaurants and bars in the city has stated that his new Franklin Street hotel will have 57 rooms and be marketed as an upscale destination.  The $19 million hotel project is set to be completed in late 2010.  

September 8, 2009

Buffalo Wing Festival Named a Top 100 Event by ABA

The American Bus Association (ABA) announced that the National Buffalo Wing Festival, held every Labor Day in downtown Buffalo, has been designated as one of the Top 100 Events in North America for 2010 by an elite tourism industry selection committee. The awards are based on the attractiveness and “don’t-miss” entertainment value of the National Wing Festival. The Top 100 Events are available online at www.buses.org

August 18, 2009

Esquire Magazine honors two Buffalo fast food joints

Two of Buffalo’s favorite fast food joints recently made it to Esquire magazine’s “Best Fast Food in America: Esquire’s Chef Survey.” The men’s magazine surveyed chefs from around the country about their favorite fast food eateries and Buffalo’s Mighty Taco and Ted’s Hot Dogs made the list of 20 restaurants. Ted’s Hot Dogs has seven Western New York locations and one in Arizona. Mighty Taco has 16 stores in the Buffalo region. To see more about America’s favorite fast food places, visit www.esquire.com

August 6, 2009

GUSHING ABOUT GARDEN WALK

After a weekend spent touring Buffalo’s GardenWalk and the streets of the beautiful Elmwood Village neighborhood, Stacey Hirvela, Senior Associate Garden Editor for Martha Stewart Living Magazine, told readers of the Martha Stewart Living Radio Blog that she was “completely in love with Buffalo.” Captivated by the more than 300 gardens on the walk, enchanted by the beautiful turn-of-the-century homes – including Frank Lloyd Wright’s Darwin Martin House – and dazzled by the restaurants she and her husband, Adam, visited, Stacey blogged about “one of the most wonderful experiences I’ve been involved with during my time with the magazine.” To read Stacey’s complete post, click here.

July 1, 2009

“CURTAIN UP!” CELEBRATION OF BUFFALO’S VIBRANT THEATRE SCENE

The 28th Annual CURTAIN UP!, a community-wide celebration of Buffalo’s theatre scene, will be held Friday, September 11, 2009. CURTAIN UP! is the official opening of Buffalo’s live theatre season and offers something for everyone with theatrical productions at 13 participating theatres, associated events, a Creative Black-Tie Gala Dinner on stage at Shea’s Performing Arts Center, and a free community post party featuring live entertainment on Main Street in Buffalo’s Theatre District. For more information, visit www.curtainupbuffalo.com

June 30, 2009

DOWNTOWN BUFFALO SET TO WELCOME NEWEST HOTEL

A new luxury hotel, Embassy Suites, will be making its debut on July 10 in downtown Buffalo. In the center of it all, the hotel is steps away from Buffalo's Theater District and Chippewa Entertainment District and more than 50 restaurants, pubs and nightclubs. The 150-room hotel is complete with an on-site convenience store, full service beauty salon, an indoor pool, a fitness room and a business center. To learn more about this new hotel, visit www.embassysuites.com

June 16, 2009

WHERE THE PAST COMES ALIVE...

In September 1901 the history of the world changed right here in Buffalo, NY with the assassination of U.S. President William McKinley and the subsequent inauguration of the nation’s 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt at the Wilcox Mansion on Delaware Avenue.

History buffs can experience this significant moment in US history by visiting the newly restored and enhanced Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site at the Wilcox Mansion in downtown Buffalo. Closed for over a year, on Saturday, June 20, 2009 the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site will celebrate the completion of a $2.2 million renovation and expansion. The project significant upgrades to the historic Wilcox Mansion, (including HVAC and electrical improvements, a new fire suppression system and roof, and exterior painting and repair) as well as construction of a new addition adjacent to the Mansion on the footprint of the original Wilcox carriage house. The highlight of the house is the exact room and artifacts that witnessed Roosevelt’s inauguration.

The house is open weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and noon to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for senior citizens and students, and $5 for ages 6 to 18 years old.

June 8, 2009

SUMMER’S ROCKIN’ IN DOWNTOWN BUFFALO

Downtown Buffalo will be rockin’ again this summer with the return of the Thursday at the Square concert series and a newly enhanced Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor series.

For the past 23 summers, tens of thousands of music fans flock to Western New York’s premier destination for free outdoor concerts. Held at Lafayette Square in the heart of downtown Buffalo, the Thursday at the Square series features the best in national music acts from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. every Thursday until July 30, 2009. Some of this years featured acts are: The Avett Brothers, Better Than Ezra, Neko Case, George Clinton, and Zappa Plays Zappa.

New on the scene last summer, Buffalo’s Erie Canal Harbor quickly has become the region’s gathering spot on downtown’s waterfront. The Buffalo Place Rocks The Harbor 2009 series will add to the excitement with four weekends full of concerts, including; The Robert Cray Band, The Black Crowes, Great Big Sea, Govt’ Mule, and Umphrey’s McGee. Tickets to Rocks The Harbor are $10 in advance, or $20 day of the event, and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com/

June 1, 2009

Crossing from Canada to the USA Requires New Documentation

June 1st, 2009 marked the start date of a new implementation by United States Customs and Border Protection that enhanced documentation will be required to enter or reenter the U.S. from Canada. As part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), a passport, a passport card, a trusted traveler card such as NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST, or an enhanced driver's license are the only documentation accepted at the border.

For further information on the initiative or U.S. Customs and Border Protection please visit http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/

May 28, 2009

Strange Brew: The 1960s, organized by Associate Curator Holly E. Hughes, opens on May 29 and will be on view through September 20, 2009. This exhibition focuses on works of art that sprang from 1960s counterculture and includes seldom-seen prints and other works on paper from the Permanent Collection along with cover art from rock music albums of the time on loan to the Gallery from local private collectors. The art that sprang from the 1960s counterculture, which fuses elements of Surrealism and Pop art with swirling patterns, neon colors, repeated motifs, and bizarre iconography, speaks to a wide range of social, political, and spiritual themes. This selection of works installed in the Clifton Hall Link features works by such artists as Les Levine, Werner Philips, Joe Tilson, Larry Slezak, and William Weege, and illuminates an era that produced some of the most culturally responsive imagery in American history. To learn more about the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, visit www.albrightknox.org

May 21, 2009

Summer’s rockin’ in downtown Buffalo

Downtown Buffalo will be rockin’ again this summer with the return of the Thursday at the Square concert series and a newly enhanced Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor series. For the past 23 summers, tens of thousands of music fans flock to Western New York’s premier destination for free outdoor concerts. Held at Lafayette Square in the heart of downtown Buffalo, the Thursday at the Square series features the best in national music acts from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. every Thursday until July 30, 2009.

New on the scene in 2008, Buffalo’s Erie Canal Harbor quickly has become the region’s gathering spot on downtown’s waterfront. The Buffalo Place Rocks The Harbor series will add to the excitement with four weekends full of concerts, including; The Robert Cray Band, The Black Crowes, Great Big Sea, Govt’ Mule, and Umphrey’s McGee.

To learn more about both concert series, visit www.buffaloplace.com

April 23, 2009

Set Sail on the Spirit of Buffalo

Spirit of Buffalo, a classic 73-foot coastal schooner will be setting sail from Erie Canal Harbor on the Buffalo waterfront in the spring of 2009.  Sail back in time aboard the 48-passenger schooner and rediscover old world sailing on this traditional ship, the same kind used to carry grain, coal and lumber across the Great Lakes during the hey day of the Erie Canal.  Public sails, private charters and educational programs are all available. 

March 31, 2009

Wright Here, Wright Now

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Darwin Martin House Complex truly came into its own as a tourist destination with the opening of architect Toshiko Mori’s brilliant Greatbatch Pavilion on March 18th. This 8,000 square foot interpretive center will provide visitors to Wright’s Prairie Style masterpiece with museum quality exhibits, interactive touch screens, and a state-of-the-art orientation film that artfully and eloquently tell the story of Buffalo businessman Darwin D. Martin and the young man from Chicago who would go on to become the greatest architect of the 20th Century.

February 11, 2009

Ready Teddy: The Roosevelt Historic Site is Restored and Expanded

On September 14, 1901, Buffalo stepped into the national spotlight as Theodore Roosevelt took the oath of office as the nation’s 26th president following the assassination of President William McKinley.  In a simple ceremony in the library of the Ansley Wilcox house, Roosevelt began a journey that would forever alter the course of the United States and the office of the presidency itself.  Seventy years later, on September 14, 1971, the Ansley Wilcox house was opened to the public as a historic house museum, the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site.

Extensive renovations to the historic home and the construction of a new addition on the site of the original Wilcox carriage house are nearing completion.  Beginning in spring 2009, the Site will introduce an all new guided tour experience, a multi-dimensional series of interactive approaches that will invite visitors to experience the site of Roosevelt’s inauguration as a dynamic tour through time.  Interactives, audio, lighting techniques, and a “storytelling” approach will transport visitors back to the drama of September, 1901.

January 13, 2009

The National Trust for Historic Preservation names Buffalo as one of its 2009 Dozen Distinctive Destinations

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has named Buffalo one of its 2009 Dozen Distinctive Destinations, citing the city’s “staggering range of cultural resources as well as some of the country’s most captivating architecture” as the rationale for Buffalo’s inclusion on this very prestigious list. Since 2000, the Trust has annually selected communities across the United States that offer cultural and recreational experiences different from the typical vacation destination. In the Trust’s estimation, Buffalo convincingly meets this standard.

January 11, 2009

Buffalo named one of 44 Places To Go in 2009 by The New York Times

The New York Times has picked its 44 Places To Go in 2009 and Buffalo’s on the list, along with the likes of Washington, D.C., Berlin, Vienna and Copenhagen. According to The Times, the 44 destinations feature “this year’s most compelling destinations…awash in sublime landscapes, cutting-edge art and architecture, gala music festivals and stylish new resorts.” We’re thrilled to be a part of this impressive company and suggest you visit nytimes.com to see what The Times has to say about our fair city.

October 6, 2008

New Burchfield Penney Art Center set to open

After almost ten years of planning, fundraising and construction, the New Burchfield Penney Art Center will open to the public on November 22, 2008.  Designed by Gwathmey, Siegel & Associates Architects, the 84,000 square foot building will be certified at the “silver” level by the U.S. Green Building Council.  The museum is dedicated to the art and vision of Charles E. Burchfield and distinguished artists of Buffalo Niagara and Western New York State.  It houses more than 7,500 works by artists who have lived or worked in Western New York and contains the largest public collection of works by one of America’s greatest watercolorists, Charles E. Burchfield. 

September 11, 2008

New Rainforest Falls Exhibit at the Buffalo Zoo

The new M&T Bank Rainforest Falls exhibit opened at the Buffalo Zoo on September 10th, 2008.  The $16 million fully-enclosed Rainforest Falls is designed to be an experience unlike any other in Western New York. Modeled after the tepui (or flat-topped mountain) region of Venezuela, the exhibit houses a variety of species native to South America.  Guests can enjoy an interactive visitor’s center before entering the exhibit where they will spot dozens of free-flighted birds, monkeys, piranha and even a giant anaconda before being awed by a cascading replica of Angel Falls in the center of it all that plunges 25 feet.

April 18, 2008

Millenium Airport Hotel Buffalo announces major renovations

The Millennium Airport Hotel Buffalo will start the first phase of an estimated $10 million renovation program early next year that will result in $6 million in upgrades and improvements to all 300 guest rooms.  The hotel is also planning on spending nearly $4 million on renovating its meeting rooms, indoor swimming pools and restaurants.  The Millennium Airport Hotel Buffalo is the area’s sixth largest hotel, and one of the region’s busiest with close proximity to the Walden Galleria, the region’s largest shopping center, and New York State Thruway.

February 1, 2008

Grand Lady Cruises of Grand Island, NY is pleased to announce the addition of an ECO Tour for the 2008 season beginning Memorial Day weekend.

Grand Lady Cruises will be offering ecological tours of the upper Niagara River in the vicinity of Pirate's Island and Strawberry Island. These islands in themselves are a unique part of the eco system of the upper Niagara River with large colonies of nesting birds (herons, egrets, cormorants). The two hour live narration cruise will feature the natural wonders and animals that live in the river area. Topics will include geological history, human impact to the river, native and invasive species, and much more.

Grand Lady has installed state of the art navigational equipment and an underwater camera making these tours a truly visual experience. The GPS chart plotting navigational system will be viewable from monitors located on both decks of the boat. A split screen format will show our position on the surface of the river as well as what lies below.

These first of their kind ECO Tours are ideal for all ages ranging from middle school, high school, college, seniors, and perfect for the boomers.

Cruises will be scheduled on a group basis costing approximately $22 per person.

For available dates and additional information contact:
Grand Lady Cruises, Inc.
100 Whitehaven Road, PO Box 1002
Grand Island, NY 14072
www.grandlady.com
888.824.5239

The Darwin Martin House Complex has recently opened the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Gardener’s Cottage for public tours. The two-story structure was built four years after the Martin House was completed as the sixth building on the property. The 1,700 square foot cottage, unlike the other houses that had deteriorated during the Great Depression, had been continuously occupied until last year when it was purchased for the Martin House Restoration Corporation. To learn more about the exciting restorative developments at the complex, visit www.darwinmartinhouse.org