Buffalo Spree magazine

09/01/2024

Any Jethro Tull fans out there?

You won't want to miss the next event in the with Jeff Miers series, on September 9th, at Sportsmens Tavern. This month's gig will showcase "Aqualung", and we have it on good authority that there will be a big surprise announced in the next couple of days.

Tickets are on sale at

Tickets for Classic Vinyl Live Jethro Tull Shuffling Madness in Buffalo from Sportsmens Tavern. Sportsmens presents Classic Vinyl Live Jethro Tull's "The Shuffling Madness" Monday, September 9, 2024 7pm $15 ($18.05 w/online fee)

08/31/2024

While you're mapping out your calendar for next month, don't forget that tickets for the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival TIFF went on sale this week. Once you read Chris Schobert's sneak peak at https://ow.ly/oybM50Tbknx you may want to grab your own.

Watch buffalospree.com for coverage of TIFF24 and see Schobert’s reviews at thefilmstage.com. An annual TIFF roundup will appear in November.

And three months of art follows

08/30/2024

Labor Day weekend means one thing--well, a few actually--but at the top of many lists is the annual National Buffalo Wing Festival.

Our man Nick Vitello, from the Buffalo Spree Design department, fell on his sword last year and agreed to be a judge for the 2023 event. Guess what? He'll be back at it again this weekend! Check back next week to hear about Nick's picks!

08/30/2024

Like so many others in our community, Buffalo Spree was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Elisabeth Samuels who was both an extraordinary woman and an integral and influential part of the Art scene here in WNY.

Twice-honored in our "Best of WNY" readers' polls for her curatorial prowess, her vision and passion were far-reaching, extending beyond traditional gallery spaces to create collaborative events and programs like Play/Ground (https://www.artplaygroundny.org/about) and PROXIMITY: In Search of Signs of Life & Art, which provided light and hope in the early days of the 2020 pandemic. Spree's Bruce Adams wrote about it here https://tinyurl.com/49e6y7bc .

Dear Facebook Community - I am writing to thank you for the deep outpouring of support for my mother, Elisabeth Samuels, who left this physical realm on Tuesday, August 27th. I thought to post from her personal account but opted to access what was our shared forum for online communication and connection from afar, the now ghost of Indigo Gallery's digital entity. Like so many of us, she was attuned to social media and used it to keep up with the events and lives of those in her community and the creative pursuits of artists all over the world. She loved being a part of the energy, but rarely posted her own personal stories. In her spirit, though I am excited and grateful to celebrate her memory and connect with others in grief and love, I will try to keep my post brief.

I am including a couple of links in the comments, one to a video of the Curator’s talk she presented at Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center in 2016, where she details her incredibly accomplished career in the arts. The second is to the letter she wrote in 2020 when shuttering Indigo Gallery during lockdown. It encapsulates the mantras that she lived by, and represents a wonderful reminder that even though something might seem like it has come to an end, it is only the start of a new beginning. In the past two years, her life and career continued to soar, engaging in major ventures that included opening Raft of Sanity a new gallery with her partner in Resource:Art, Jinxie Tucker. She was dedicated to her work into her final moments of life. She lived for the joy that art can bring to the world, and we must continue her mission. We will be joining together in celebration soon and will keep updated online with details, but until then, please think of her when a beautiful art object crosses your path, when you taste a particularly delicious apple, and when you water your gardens this evening.

-C

08/30/2024

We're so proud to again serve as a media partner for this year's Dining Out For Life - Western New York event!

Introducing Patrick Ryan, owner of Fat Bob's Smokehouse, and Co-Chair of Dining Out For Life WNY 2024! Join Patrick in supporting services for people living with HIV right here in our community by Dining Out For Life on Wednesday, October 9. Learn more at diningoutforlife.com/city/wny.

08/28/2024

Our friends at the North Park Theatre could use your help, if you are so inclined.

08/28/2024

We may be ready to turn the page on "Summer", but there's still so much of the season to take in as we head into the long weekend.

Thursday night, the first of the final two Music Matters Concert Series at Harbor Walk features the incomparable The Strictly Hip at 7pm- $10 tickets are available at the door.

Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/mvy8adj2

📷 John Raczynski Photography

08/24/2024

Pick-up or delivery?

You can't go wrong with the myriad of pizza offerings here in the Buffalo area. Or with this new issue of Buffalo Spree magazine.

Don't miss the next one.

Subscribe today with code SLICE716 and get a year of Spree delivered for only $7.16. https://tinyurl.com/49asubfv

08/21/2024

This is a great read! Is there anything she missed, to put on the list for next time?

A travel blogger shares her ultimate weekend travel guide to Buffalo, New York. Looking for the best things to do in the Queen City? You'll find them here!

08/20/2024

Did you capture some great snaps of the aurora??

08/20/2024

Pham's Kitchen has won the hearts (and dining dollars) of Buffalo's most hardcore foodies since it opened in late 2023.

Pham's is a larger expression of its owner's vision for top-notch Vietnamese fare, first seen at the Galleria Mall's BOBA STOP (another find that quickly became a hot ticket with foodies for its excellent drinks and killer banh mi upon opening in 2019.)

Husband and wife Vincent Pham and Ngoclan Nguyen make everything from scratch, including the baguettes and pâté that play a central part in Pham's banh mi. Read more from Spree food writer, Jeff Biesinger.

At Pham’s Kitchen & Boba Stop + more

08/20/2024

August 26 marks the start of 2024's Black Restaurant Week, which runs through September 1. We chatted with Greg Crenshaw of Crenshaws Chicken and Waffles about his third year as a participant.

This annual celebration is full of flavor

08/16/2024

Buying and eating local food is better for your health and for the health of our community, but it’s not always as easy as a quick run to your nearest grocery store.

Right now it’s easier than ever, as Western New York is at the height of our harvest season. Farmer’s markets abound with local food options, and it’s a great way to meet the farmers and producers and ask them how you can shop locally in the off-season.

Eat Local WNY offers a number of resources on their website to help you track down local food. It also offers a local food pledge, created to help encourage WNYers to increase their
consumption of local food by just 10% this year. To learn more about local food availability, access and benefits, to hear more stories from the local food community, or to take the Eat Local WNY Food Pledge, visit

It's up to all of us to grow Western New York - through supporting local businesses. Through buying and eating local foods and produce.

08/16/2024

The Carnegie Art Center will host a two-day juried arts festival against the backdrop of the historic Erie Canal.

The Carnegie Art Spree Festival (CAS) Festival will span the downtown areas of the City of North Tonawanda and the City of Tonawanda on Saturday, August 17 and Sunday, August 18, from 10am-4pm. on both sides of the Tonawandas: Webster Street, the Renaissance Bridge, and Canal Street with street closures allowing for booth setups.

This event is free and family friendly, with artist vendors on site, a chalk contest (free) on Saturday, live music both days, and dance performances and children's demo dance classes on Sunday. Sunday will also feature merchant specials as part of the World Wide Webster shopping experience.

Full details here:https://www.carnegieartspree.org/weekend-events

08/14/2024

Have you been? Have you voted?! Today's the day!

Today is the LAST DAY to vote for your favorite new food and sweets & treats! Head to www.ecfair.org/newfoodshowdown and make your choice count!

08/14/2024

Who's celebrating?! 🍎🍏🍎🍏

The popular cider mill announced its hours for the 2024 fall season.

08/11/2024

Nice shout out to Arrowhead Spring Vineyards, our 2024 Best of WNY award-winner for "Best Local Winery".

08/09/2024

Over at spree dot com, we take you on a tour of an incredible property that you just have to see to believe.

As the title suggests, it's a "Dreamland of Opportunity" just waiting for its next steward. Could that be you?

"It is ready to go as an organic farm, or an agri-tourism business, or indeed as a hospitality and event venue, with B&B accommodations and gathering spaces. Or else, simply have it as your idyllic private retreat in a unique and beautiful natural setting."

Explore the possibilities, here:

A place where natural abundance guides your imagination

08/08/2024

Torn Space Theater's site-specific performance "Commensality" takes place over the next two weekends in the shade of the Cottonwood tree at Silo City. The event explores the idea: How does sharing food create identity? It features a light menu designed to acknowledge early harvest and the importance of community.

"Commensality celebrates the relationships of communities in the sharing, exchange, and consumption of food," says farmer and participant Michael Parkot of Always Something Farm. "This also helps us consider our relationships with one another.”

Torn Space’s Commensality is a collaboration between Torn Space and Always Something Farm (Corfu).

08/06/2024

Discuss.

Buffalo is the most popular team on the planet.

08/06/2024

Andrew Galarneau joined us to pen this story about his favorite examples of what he calls Levantine cooking, including this incredible chicken schnitzel from Falafel Bar. Check out this and other Galarneau faves on BuffaloSpree.com.

Falafel Bar + more

08/05/2024

Two Buffalo icons. 💛

08/05/2024

Join Spree's Jeff Miers for a special Classic Vinyl Live featuring "Ghost in the Machine", by The Police, tonight at Sportsmens Tavern, 7pm

A live performance of the album will be performed by Nelson and Eric Starr, Dave Hill, Jeff Miers (aka The Tails) with Mark Marinaccio and Lucy Bell, and guests Eric Crittenden and Caryn Gunderson. Conversation and Q&A with host Jeff and guest will precede the live show. Vinyl/Merch Giveaways!

Tickets are $15 - visit Sportsmens Tavern page for more info.

Tickets for Classic Vinyl Live The Police Ghost In The Machine in Buffalo from Sportsmens Tavern. Sportsmens presents Classic Vinyl Live with Jeff Miers The Police "Ghost In The Machine" Monday, August 5, 2024 7pm $15 ($18.05 w/online fee)

08/04/2024

Did you know that this iconic TV show got it’s start right here in Buffalo?

Read Meagan Doxtad's piece about how Buffalo's PBS station used one medium to cultivate love for another and inspire lifelong connections between kids and books.

https://www.buffalospree.com/wny_life/bflo_days/the-story-at-the-end-of-the-rainbow/article_f7644016-1dd0-11ef-921c-330edef2b9a0.html

WNED PBS

08/04/2024

Congratulations to our friends at Buffalo Toronto Public Media 👏

High Five to the folks at Buffalo Toronto Public Media!👏🏽 BTPM has been selected by the Association of Fundraising Professional of WNY to receive the 2024 Outstanding Philanthropic Media Award on the National Day of Philanthropy!

08/03/2024

It's a great way to spend a Sunday morning: tune in to WBFO The Bridge at 10:00 and join Chelsea O of the Stress Dolls and enjoy an hour of music from our great regional talents--from WNY and beyond.

08/03/2024

08/02/2024

Grab your tickets now for something really special: a premier dance performance by Jon Lehrer Dance at Frank Lloyd Wright's Graycliff on Saturday, August 17th.

In a site-specific performance that takes inspiration from the architecture and natural surroundings, as well as the rich history of the site, this non-traditional performance will allow attendees to take an active role in exploring the site as they are led throughout the main house to experience different choreographed vignettes.

Each performance is an intimate experience in a small group and tickets are limited. The 6:30pm sunset performance includes a pre-show reception as well as a meet and greet with the dancers following the performance.

Tickets for the 1pm and 4pm performances are $45 (Graycliff Members save $10). The 6:30pm sunset performance is $85/person (Graycliff Members save $10) and is the only time slot that includes the wine reception.

Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/ycyjx4nu

📷 by AC DeMarco