BfloGirlWorld

Saturday, August 22, 2015

2015 Elmwood Ave. Festival of the Arts – August 29th and 30th

credit: freedigitalphotos.net/arztamui

The 16^th annual Elmwood Ave. Festival of the Arts will take place Saturday and Sunday, August 29^th and 30^th on Elmwood Ave. between W. Ferry and St. James Place.

This year’s festival will feature more than 170 juried artisans in multiple mediums, including ceramics, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal, photography and sculpture. There will be three stages for musical performances featuring a diverse line-up of acts as well as the Kidsfest Stage and tents. Environmental Row also returns, located at Elmwood and Lafayette, and Cultural Row will be located on Breckinridge near Elmwood.

No Buffalo festival is complete without food, and this one is no exception. The Festival Café returns to Elmwood and Lafayette and will feature popular area food merchants including Sweet Melody’s, the Lexington Co-Op and Mineo and Sapio Sausage. In addition, check out Lloyd Taco Truck, the Black Market Food Truck and Frank Gourmet Hot Dogs Food Truck in the area.

Hours for the juried festival are Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

BfloGirlSports: Race of Champions at Lancaster Speedway – August 15th, 2015

Matt Hirschman (left) and Team 49 Racing (three on right)
They're unofficial members of Dad's team when they're at Lancaster!

It was a much better showing and a much better race for the Race of Champions Asphalt Modified Tour at Lancaster Speedway on Saturday, August 15^th. The annual Tommy Druar /Tony Jankowiak Memorial 110 was won by Patrick Emerling, followed by Chuck Hossfeld, Andy Jankowiak, Matt Hirschman and Tony Hanbury.

Bobby Holmes

Patrick Emerling

Matt Hirschman

The Street Stocks and 4-Cylinders were also in action, and the crowd on hand was HUGE! It was great to see, since about a year ago the future of Lancaster was up in the air – Modified racing will bring folks from all around!

The Modifieds will be back as part of the US Open in September.

all photos: paulathompsonfreelance.com

Friday, August 21, 2015

A little update…

There will be some changes coming up here at BfloGirlWorld – like more blog entries! There was a recent parting of the ways with a site I freelanced at (no real explanation given…), so a lot of the stuff I really enjoyed publishing there about Buffalo will now be published here, with a few new category names like “BfloGirlSports,” BfloGirlGarden” and “BfloGirlTravel.”

I’m looking at this as an opportunity, not a parting of ways – I’ve got a few new ideas up my sleeve as well! ;)

BfloGirlSports: Buffalo Sabres set up for 2015-16 season

credit: Wikimedia Commons/Fry1989

The Buffalo Sabres are ready to start fresh for the 2015-16 National Hockey League season, kicking things off by introducing a new prospects tournament at First Niagara Center and HARBORCENTER.

The inaugural Prospects Challenge will be a round-robin tournament taking place Saturday through Monday, September 12-14, featuring the Sabres, New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins. Each team will play two games during the three-day event; tickets for each game are $10 each. Both Sabres games – September 12 against New Jersey (7 p.m.) and September 14 against Boston (7 p.m.) – will be played at the First Niagara Center, while the Boston/New Jersey game on September 13 will be played at HARBORCENTER.

Shortly after the Prospects Challenge is the All-American Prospect Game, taking place Thursday, September 24 at 7 p.m. at the FNC; tickets for that game go on sale Tuesday, September 1, and will cost $10 for 100 and 200 level seats and $7 for 300 level seats.

Pre-season tickets for the Sabres also go on sale September 1, ranging in price from $18-$40 at the box office. Sabres’ home pre-season games are Wednesday, September 23 against Ottawa (7 p.m.); Tuesday, September 29 against Toronto (7 p.m.); and Friday, October 2 against Columbus (7 p.m.).

Sabres’s single-game regular season tickets go on sale Saturday, September 19 at 9 a.m., as do tickets for the Rochester Amerks’ regular season appearance at the FNC. Get more information on the Sabres’ 2015-16 season and purchase tickets when they become available at the Sabres’ website.

BfloGirlSports: Buffalo Bisons end season with Fan Appreciation Night, announce 2016 schedule

credit: Wikimedia Commons/Jfvoll

The Buffalo Bisons’ 2015 Triple A International League season is almost complete, but not before the Herd says “Thank You” to fans with Fan Appreciation Night on Wednesday, September 2 at 6:05 p.m. The Bisons will end their home stand against Thruway rivals the Syracuse Chiefs, but it won’t be your final chance to visit Coca Cola Field, thanks to the Bisons WingFest Fan Appreciation Pack.

Fan Appreciation Night will feature giveaways every half-inning, t-shirt tosses and one last post-game fireworks show. The Bisons WingFest pack will bring you back to the ballpark the following weekend, Saturday and Sunday, September 5-6, for the 12^th annual National Buffalo Wing Festival.

The fan pack includes four reserved seats for Fan Appreciation Night with the Bisons and four general admission tickets to WingFest for just $49. Individual tickets are also available for the Bisons/Chiefs match-up, and admission to the National Buffalo Wing Festival is $5 each day.

If you’re the type of fan who likes to plan ahead, the Bisons also recently announced their 2016 International League schedule, which will be uncharacteristically summer-heavy, with 49 of their 72 home games being played from June through the end of the season. The Bisons’ season starts in Pawtucket on Thursday, April 7, with the first home game on Thursday, April 14 against Rochester; there are only seven home games in April.

There will be 11 fridaynightbash! games, including four in July, and the annual Independence Eve Celebration will be Sunday, July 3 against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

NY Yankees @ Cleveland Indians in pictures

It’s been an odd year – I only made it to one Yankees game (usually it’s two or three). Crazy summer schedules left me with just Cleveland’s Progressive Field for this year’s trip – my first game PD (Post Derek), but that’s fine – it’s an awesome stadium…with a really great food package (I probably shouldn’t have eaten anything for two days leading up to it!). Again, the best way to get there is on a bus trip (yes, I enjoy bus trips!). Here are some pictures from this year’s game (PD…).

I don't normally do food pictures, but this is just a sample of the eats in the suite!

They really look like they're up to no good...

all photos: paulathompsonfreelance.com

**note – Mom and I went with D&F Travel – all travel was paid for by me, and all opinions are my own.**

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Watkins Glen International in pictures

Toyota's cool ferris wheel

Matt Kenseth

I don’t care what some people say – road courses are freakin’ awesome! Especially when there’s one in your “backyard” (i.e. – a couple hours away). Watkins Glen International is that track for me, and the best way to get there – unless you’re staying there – is on a bus trip: dropped off right in front of the grandstand gate, with lots of time to go explore the midway area (but still never enough!). Here are a few pictures from this year’s event.