Five Things to do in September 2016

National Buffalo Wing Festival – Saturday and Sunday, September 3-4, at Coca Cola Field in downtown Buffalo. The annual celebration of Buffalo’s gift to the food world features live music, eating contests, a kids’ zone and, of course, lots of chicken wings. Admission is $5 each day, free for kids 8 and under – food tickets are $1 each. Hours are Saturday noon-9 p.m. and Sunday noon-7 p.m.

credit: freedigitalphotos.net/Vlado

Music is Art Festival – Saturday, September 10 from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. in Delaware Park behind the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. The 14^th annual festival will feature more than 100 bands on six stages along with artists, six live DJ stages, performance artists, dancers, a kids’ village, food and beverages, and more.

Curtain Up! 2016 –Friday, September 16 in the Theatre District of downtown Buffalo and many other area theatres. The curtain raises on the 2016-17 theatre season at 8 p.m. at 15 venues throughout the Buffalo-Niagara area, including Alleyway Theatre, Buffalo Laboratory Theatre, Lancaster Opera House, MusicalFare Theatre and O’Connell & Company at Shea’s Smith Theatre. After the final act, the wrap-up party kicks off with free outdoor entertainment in the Theatre District until 1 a.m.

Ballpark Brew Bash – Saturday, September 24 from 4-7 p.m. at Coca Cola Field. This 21-and-over event, presented by Consumer’s Beverages, will feature more than 50 breweries from the Western New York area and around the world and much more. General admission tickets for the Ballpark Brew Bash are $35 in advance, $45 at the door; VIP tickets are $75 (includes admission at 3 p.m., special brews and food), and designated driver tickets are $5 at the door. Tickets are available at all Consumer’s Beverages, the Buffalo Bisons ticket office on Swan St. or online at www.tickets.com.

Niagara Wine Trail Harvest Festival – Saturday and Sunday, September 24-25 at participating wineries on the trail. The festival features wine pairings with harvest-themed foods. Tickets are valid for both days and include three tastings and food samples at your choice of 10 wineries and a commemorative wine glass at the starting winery. Hours for the event are Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday noon-5 p.m.; tickets are $22 in advance (through Thursday, September 22) and $27 at the door. 

M&T First Friday: September 2, 2016

credit: Wikimedia Commons/Dave Pape

On the first Friday of each month, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, located at 1285 Elmwood Ave. in Buffalo, opens the doors to the 1962 Knox Building to the public free of charge from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., thanks to sponsorship from M&T Bank.

• Drop-in Art Activity – 10 a.m.-noon and 5-7 p.m. – free in the Education classrooms.
• Family Fun Tour – 11-11:45 a.m.
• Toddler Art Class – 12:30-1:30 p.m. for ages 3-4 – free for members, $10 for non-members.
• Studio Art Classes for Adults – 1-3 p.m. and 7:30-9:30 p.m. – free for members, $10 for non-members.
• Public Tour – 1:30-2:30 p.m. – a free tour of the 1962 Knox Building.
• Outdoor Sculpture Tour – 4-5 p.m. – free one-hour tour (in the event of rain, tour will take place in 1962 Building).
• Jazz and Happy Hour – 5:30-7:30 p.m. – live music by Doug Yeomans and Sue Kincaid in the AK Café.
• Live Drawing by artist Joan Linder – 6-8 p.m. – in the Clifford Hall Link.
• Squeaky Wheel’s 13^th Annual Animation Fest – 7:30-8:30 p.m. – free in the Auditorium.
• The Art of Food and Drink: Hard Cider Tasting – 8:30-9:30 p.m. in the AK Café and Sculpture Garden – $5 for members, $10 for non-members.

Registration is required for many classes and events – call 716-270-8292 to register and find more information at www.albrightknox.org.

Fall fun 2016: Becker Farms

credit: Wikimedia Commons/Lusitana

Becker Farms, located at 3760 Quaker Rd., is ready to kick off its fall schedule of fun beginning Saturday, September 10 and running through Thanksgiving Eve.

The Concord Stomp kicks things off on September 10 – get together a team of six people, make like Lucy and stomp some grapes! It’s also the first weekend of the annual Pumpkin Fiesta, which takes place Saturdays and Sundays from September 10 through October 30, plus Columbus Day Monday, October 10. The Fiesta features live music every weekend, goat races, hayrides, pony rides, big slides, farm animals and much more. Kids and adult ticket pricing information can be found here. Throughout the Pumpkin Fiesta weekends, there will also be wine, beer, hard cider and dessert wine tastings for $5.

The Harvest Festival takes place Saturday, September 25 from 10 a.m-5 p.m. and Sunday, September 26 from noon-5 p.m. – come celebrate the season at Becker Farms with wine and food pairings and autumn-themed activities. Find out more here.

The Haunted Hayrides take place Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, October 21-23 and October 28-30 from 7 to 9 p.m. (weather permitting). The Haunted Hayride leads you into the Phylotec Biogenetic Testing Station, where you can check out the terrifying man-eating monsters created during an experiment gone horribly wrong. Tickets are $9 – group rates are also available.

Becker Brewing Co. will be hosting a Thanksgiving Eve Party on Wednesday, November 23 from 7:30 p.m.-midnight – there will be live music from Dave Stockton and Pocket Change, plus locally brewed beers, estate wines and BBC Traditional Hard Cider.

Find out more about Becker Farms and its events, as well as Vizcarra Vineyards and Becker Brewing Company, at the farm's website or by calling 716-772-2211.

BfloGirlSports: September 2016 Buffalo Bills schedule

credit: freedigitalphotos.net/John Kasawa

Pre-season:

• Thursday, September 1 – at Detroit Lions – 7:30 p.m.

Regular season:

• Sunday, September 11 – at Baltimore Ravens – 1 p.m.
• Thursday, September 15 – v. New York Jets – 8:25 p.m.
• Sunday, September 25 – v. Arizona Cardinals – 1 p.m.

Get tickets and more information at www.buffalobills.com. 

BfloGirlSports: September 2016 Buffalo Bisons schedule

credit: Buffalo Bisons

• Tuesday through Thursday, August 30-September 1 – at home against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders (Tuesday and Wednesday – 7:05 p.m., Thursday – 6:05 p.m.)
• Friday and Saturday, September 2-3 – on the road against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders (both games 7:05 p.m.)
• Sunday and Monday, September 4-5 – on the road against the Pawtucket Red Sox (Sunday – 6:05 p.m., Monday – 1:05 p.m.)

Find out more about the Bisons, and find the complete promotional schedule for 2016, at the Bisons’ website.

Fall fun 2016: UB Tailgate Concerts

credit: freedigitalphotos.net/IceHawk33

The outdoor concert season doesn’t end in August – thanks to the UB Bulls Football program, it continues into fall! UB has six concerts scheduled as part of the 2016 Tailgate Concert Series, starting with the home opener on Friday, September 2 featuring country star Jerrod Niemann.

The free concerts begin three hours before kickoff in Stampede Square in the UB Stadium parking lot near Millersport Hwy. in Amherst.

The complete schedule:

• September 2 – Jerrod Niemann (game time – 7 p.m.)
• September 24 – David Nail (game time TBA)
• October 8 – Eddie Money (game time – 3:30 p.m.)
• October 15 – Brothers Osborne (game time TBA)
• October 27 – Chris Lane (game time 7:30 p.m.)
• November 12 – Nerds Gone Wild (game time TBA)

Find out more at www.ubbulls.com. 

2016 UB Bulls Football schedule

credit: freedigitalphotos.net/John Kawasa

• Friday, Sept. 2 – v. Albany – 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 17 – at Nevada – 9 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 24 – v. Army – TBA
• Saturday, Oct. 1 – at Boston College – TBA
• Saturday, Oct. 8 – v. Kent State – 3:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 15 – v. Ball State – TBA
• Saturday, Oct. 22 – at Northern Illinois – 3:30 p.m.
• Thursday, Oct. 27 – v. Akron – 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 3 – at Ohio – 6 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 12 – v. Miami (Ohio) – TBA
• Saturday, Nov. 19 – at Western Michigan – TBA
• Friday, Nov. 25 – at Bowling Green – TBA

Get tickets and more information at www.ubbulls.com.

Scottish Festival at Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village: August 19-21, 2016

credit: freedigitalphotos.net/IceHawk33

The Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village, located at 3755 Tonawanda Creek Rd. in Amherst, will host its 32^nd annual Scottish Festival, featuring the Masters World Championship Highland Games, Friday through Sunday, August 19-21.

On Friday, the Ceilidh pre-party takes place from 4-10 p.m., with retail and food vendors and live music. Admission is $5 – free for BNHV members. Saturday festivities run from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. – cost is $15 for adults, $10 for members and free for kids 12 and under. Sunday events take place from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at a cost of $12 for adults and $10 for members – kids 12 and under are free.

This year’s musical headliners are the American Rogues, who will be onstage for the Highland Dance Party Saturday night from 6-10 p.m. and again on Sunday from 1-5 p.m. Other artists on the schedule include Penny Whiskey, McCarthyizm, Tom Keefer and Celtic Cross, and Kindred.

Food vendors for the Festival include Banchetti’s by Rizzo, House of Munch, Johnny’s Fried Dough, The Scottish Cottage and Sweet Melody’s. Black Willow Winery and New York Beer Project will also be on hand with wine and beer.

Find out more about the Festival at bnhv.org/scottish. 

BfloGirlTravel: Watkins Glen International – 8/7/16

NASCAR track No. 2 in a 10-day span was my “home” track, Watkins Glen International in the Finger Lakes region. The Glen on Sunday is a madhouse – tons of people all over the place, vendors, sponsor booths, driver appearances – but making it even crazier was the announcement of a new team for 2017, as Erik Jones jumps into a second car at Furniture Row Racing with 5-Hour Energy as a sponsor. Here are a few of my photos from the weekend – more can be found at paulathompsonfreelance.com and its associated Facebook page.

Ferris wheel at Toyota display 

The new No. 77 for Erik Jones and Furniture Row Racing

Martin Truex Jr.

Michael McDowell

Joey Logano and Ryan Newman

The flyover

My sentiments exactly!

Aric Almirola

Smoke

BfloGirlTravel: Pocono Raceway – 7/29-30/16

It’s been a couple of big weeks of photography for me, having visited Pocono Raceway July 29-30 and Watkins Glen International on August 7, plus throwing in a race at Lancaster National Speedway for good measure. Pocono is a trip I look forward to because you can get up close with the cars and the stars behind the wheel. Here are a few of my photos from the weekend – more can be found at paulathompsonfreelance.com and its associated Facebook page.

Chase Elliott 

Danica Patrick

Tyler Reddick and Daniel Hmeric

Kyle Busch

Ryan Newman

Tommy Baldwin

Regan Smith

AJ Allmendinger

Tony Stewart

2016 Buffalo Bills schedule

credit: freedigitalphotos.net/John Kasawa

Pre-season:

• Saturday, August 13 – v. Indianapolis Colts – 7 p.m.
• Saturday, August 20 – v. NY Giants – 4 p.m.
• Friday, August 26 – at Washington Redskins – 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, September 1 – at Detroit Lions – 7:30 p.m.

Regular season:

• Sunday, September 11 – at Baltimore Ravens – 1 p.m.
• Thursday, September 15 – v. New York Jets – 8:25 p.m.
• Sunday, September 25 – v. Arizona Cardinals – 1 p.m.
• Sunday, October 2 – at New England Patriots – 1 p.m.
• Sunday, October 9 – at Los Angeles Rams – 4:25 p.m. ET
• Sunday, October 16 – v. San Francisco 49ers – 1 p.m.
• Sunday, October 23 – at Miami Dolphins – 1 p.m.
• Sunday, October 30 – v. New England Patriots – 1 p.m.
• Monday, November 7 – at Seattle Seahawks – 8:30 p.m.
• Sunday, November 13 – Bye Week
• Sunday, November 20 – at Cincinnati Bengals – 1 p.m.
• Sunday, November 27 – v. Jacksonville Jaguars – 1 p.m.
• Sunday, December 4 – at Oakland Raiders – 4:05 p.m.
• Sunday, December 11 – v. Pittsburgh Steelers – 1 p.m.
• Sunday, December 18 – v. Cleveland Browns – 1 p.m.
• Saturday, December 24 – v. Miami Dolphins – 1 p.m.
• Sunday, January 1 – at New York Jets – 1 p.m.

Get tickets and more information at www.buffalobills.com. 

M&T First Friday: August 5, 2016

credit: Wikimedia Commons/Dave Pape

On the first Friday of each month, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, located at 1285 Elmwood Ave. in Buffalo, opens the doors to the 1962 Knox Building to the public free of charge from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., thanks to sponsorship from M&T Bank.

• Drop-in Art Activity – 10 a.m.-noon and 5-7 p.m.
• Family Fun Tour – 11-11:45 a.m.
• Toddler Art Class – 12:30-1:30 p.m. for ages 3-4 – free for members, $10 for non-members.
• Studio Art Classes for Adults – 1-3 p.m. and 7:30-9:30 p.m. – free for members, $10 for non-members.
• Public Tour – 1:30-2:30 p.m. – a free tour of the 1962 Knox Building.
• Outdoor Sculpture Tour – 4-5 p.m. – free one-hour tour (in the event of rain, tour will take place in 1962 Building).
• Drop-in Art Activity – 5-7 p.m. – free in the Education Classrooms.
• Jazz and Happy Hour – 5:30-7:30 p.m. – live music by George Kane and Wayne Moose in the AK Café.
• Gallery Talk – Clyfford Still/Mark Bradford – 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. in the 1905 Building, South Galleries.
• Live Drawing by artist Joan Linder – 6-8 p.m. – in the Clifford Hall Link.
• Performance: Creek Bend Bluegrass Band – 8-9 p.m. – in the Sculpture Garden – free.
• The Art of Food and Drink: Downtown Distilleries – 8 p.m. in the AK Café and Sculpture Garden – $5 for members, $10 for non-members.

Registration is required for many classes and events – call 716-270-8292 to register and find more information at www.albrightknox.org.