Fall fun 2016: Fall Fest at Canalside

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Celebrate fall at Canalside on Saturday, October 8 during Fall Fest from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. This year’s event will feature activities for the whole family.

The pumpkin patch and art activities will be open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (while supplies last), as will the Wizard Obstacle Course, Slide Bounce Houses and Petting Zoo. Amusement rides will also be available during that time at a cost of $3 per ride or a $10 unlimited ride pass.

A variety of food trucks will be on hand, including (currently scheduled) Lloyds, La Nova, Gourmasian and Amy’s. The Dish and Beer Garden will be open from noon to 6 p.m., and an extended Beer Garden, featuring an inflatable pub, will also be open during that time – for $10 admission, get a Fall Fest beer mug, one full beer and tastings from multiple breweries.

Find out more about Fall Fest at Canalside here.

Fall fun 2016: Fright Night at Canalside

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District of the Dead has a brand new setting for 2016 – Canalside Buffalo, home of the new Fright Night at Canalside. Opening night for the haunt is Friday, October 7. The new setting will feature three haunted houses and a “lights on” option for families.

The new version of the attraction features three houses: The Mine, Hotel: No Vacancy, and Queen City Horror. All ages are welcomed to visit, but it is recommended that children under age 12 be accompanied by an adult, according to the website – find out more here.

Tickets are $20 for all three haunts and can be purchased on site at Canalside (cash, credit or debit card accepted). Fright Night at Canalside is open Fridays and Saturdays throughout October from 7-11 p.m., Sundays, October 23 and 30, from 7-10 p.m. and Halloween night, Monday, October 31, from 7-10 p.m. 

The Halloween Family Fun “Lights On” tour happens Saturday and Sunday afternoons from noon-4 p.m. from October 8-30. Flashlights are provided and lights will be on during the tour, which will feature child-friendly characters and no “scares.” Admission is $7, and popcorn, face-painting and games are included – you can also enter the houses unlimited times.

Find out more details at www.districtofthedeadbuffalo.com. 

Sabres hosting NHL Draft Fan Fest at Canalside: Friday, June 24

Canalside will be the site of the Sabres Fan Fest on Friday
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The Buffalo Sabres have announced plans for the 2016 NHL Draft Fan Fest at Canalside from 4 to 10 p.m. during Friday, June 24’s first round of the 2016 NHL Draft. The event is open to the public free of charge and will also include a viewing party when the draft begins at 7 p.m.

Fan Fest will feature giveaways, interactive games and appearances from select Sabres players and alumni. There will be live music, giveaways for fans, a Kids Zone and photo opportunities before the draft begins, and food and beverage options will also be available, including many local food trucks.

At 7 p.m., fans will be able to watch the NBCSN draft coverage on two large video screens. 

Throughout the event, fans will have a chance to win prizes and hear from special guests on stage. Coors Light Free Rides will be available on the NFTA Metro Rail on Friday from 5 a.m. til 11:59 p.m. For detailed route and schedule information, text "FREE RIDES" to 90464.

Find out more about Fan Fest at sabres.nhl.com. 

Canalside announces 2016 free Thursday concerts

Catch a concert at Canalside this summer
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Canalside will be hosting 12 free Thursday night concerts that run from June 9 to August 25. These concerts are free and open to the public, with a starting time of 6 p.m.

Here is a full list of the upcoming shows:

• June 9: Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaries
• June 16: Frank Turner with special guest July Talk
• June 23: Public Enemy
• June 30: Frankie Ballard
• July 7: Dweezil Zappa Plays Frank Zappa
• July 14: Shakey Graves and Preservation Hall Jazz Band & Wild Child
• July 21: The Arcs and Mariachi Flor De Toloache
• July 28: BPO “A Tribute to David Bowie”
• August 4: Tritonal
• August 11: Lowest of the Low and Serena Ryder
• August 18: Coolio
• August 25: Claypool Lennon Delirium

All concerts are free but Canalside will offer VIP tickets for $55 per concert. The VIP tickets include three glasses of beer/wine/pop/water with discounted drinks after the first three, light appetizers and finger foods from (716) Food and Sport, private bathrooms, front of the stage viewing area and a souvenir 2016 Free Thursday Canalside Concert cup.

Find out more about this summer at Canalside at www.canalsidebuffalo.com. 

Chillabration @ Canalside – January 15-18, 2016

credit: Wikimedia Commons/Jina Lee

Chill out during the long holiday weekend down at Canalside Buffalo, which is hosting the inaugural Chillabration, Friday through Monday, January 15-18. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday and Monday.

Chillabration will include children’s activities, a local vendors market, live music and food and beverage options. On Friday, saddle up for a Wild West Theme Skate on The Ice @ Canalside, and on Saturday, Catholic Health will host a Bonspiel from 1 to 6 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, Paint The Town will host a painting class in the Winter Pavilion from 2 to 4 p.m. both days. On Monday, the Buffalo Knit-Whits will hold beginner knitting lessons from 1:30 to 4 p.m., and Skate Great and BlueCross BlueShield of WNY will host kids’ ice activities from 1 to 3 p.m.

A full schedule when available can be found and tickets for events can be purchased at www.canalsidebuffalo.com. 

Canalside Buffalo in December 2015

The water has been replaced with ice
at Canalside
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Have you been to Canalside Buffalo yet? I need to get down there again soon – I was there in September and need to see the changes over the last couple of months! “Winter” (I’m using that term loosely right now!) brings new life to Canalside, with ice, hot chocolate and lots of fun! Here’s some of the fun coming up in December.

Daily (weather permitting) – ice skating and curling, plus “winter eats” at the Winter Pavilion – including Just Fries, Bubbles & Brews and Harborside Mercantile – and the Buffalove and Canalside merchandise.

Thursdays through Sundays (weather permitting) – ice bike rentals (not on December 24-25).

Special events –

• Fifth annual Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting – Friday, December 4 from 5 to 8 p.m.
• Saturday Artisan Market: Holiday Edition – Friday, December 11 (5 to 8 p.m.) and Saturday, December 12 (10 a.m. to 8 p.m.).
• Santa at Canalside – December 13 through 23 (Monday through Thursday – 4 to 7 p.m., Friday – 5 to 8 p.m., Saturday – 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

Always check www.canalsidebuffalo.com for weather updates before heading out!

Discover Buffalo 2015: Way to Go Tours’ Best of Buffalo trip

A couple of weeks ago, my mom and I went on a bus trip tour of Buffalo with Way to Go Tours – out first time traveling with this company, and likely not our last. Among our stops: HARBORCENTER, Canalside, RiverWorks and Chef’s.

Inside HARBORCENTER - the Sabres!

The tour started at HARBORCENTER, which is a beautiful facility – made even better because Sabres training camp was in session while we were there! Thank you Terry and Kim Pegula for your ideas and money!

The big screen at (716)

We had time to take a quick walk over to Canalside, where we met Tim Horton and Shark Girl!

Sabres great Tim Horton - he of coffee fame!

Canalside resident Shark Girl

Next up was RiverWorks, otherwise known as the site of the Labatt Blue six-pack on the silos. Again, a beautiful facility, and home to a number of events including the Labatt Blue Pond Hockey Tournament and the Buffalo Roller Girls roller derby teams.

Inside RiverWorks - roller derby rack

That's a tall brew!

I'm ALWAYS taking pictures of flowers!

A view of the Canal from RiverWorks

Following RiverWorks we had lunch at Chef’s. I’m willing to admit my sins as a Buffalonian: this was my first time at Chef’s. Wow.What.I.Was.Missing! Spaghetti Parm forever! After a driving tour through areas like Solar City and the new medical corridor, we checked out one of the new hotels downtown, the Hilton Garden Inn, and made one final stop at Parkside Candy (sponge candy!!!).

The tour guide was great, and really knew his stuff when it came to Buffalo and what’s going on. I’ll be looking for this tour again next year, as well as checking out a few more!

**note – all travel was paid for by me, and all opinions are my own.**

 all photos: paulathompsonfreelance.com

Five Things to do in May 2015

May…where did the first four months of the year go?!?! Not that I want to bring back that snow or anything!

If you’re looking for something to do in Buffalo in May, here are five ideas:

Support a local farm – most of the area’s farmer’s markets will be opening in May, so show them some Buffa-love. I’ll be putting together a list of farmer’s markets soon, but here’s a 2014 list from Buffalo Spree magazine – most have links to their websites or Facebook pages which should have updated info.

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Food Truck Tuesdays – Larkin Square is back at it for 2015, with the popular Food Truck Tuesdays program starting up on May 5^th and running through October 27^th. There are over 20 trucks from Buffalo and Rochester (and beyond) on the schedule for 2015, and there will also be live music and local vendors with art, produce, décor and more. Find out more here.

Change up your workout routine – I’m partial, but Shannon Connors is the best instructor I’ve ever had at a gym – which is why I’ve gone through three gyms with her! She’s finally doing something she should’ve (in my opinion) done three years or so ago – opening her own gym! Check her out on Transit Rd. in Depew – she will kick your a** in a good way! Congrats Shannon! :)

Get back to Canalside – Canalside in downtown Buffalo kicks off the unofficial summer season on Memorial Day weekend with the Boardwalk Carnival at Canalside, happening Saturday through Monday, May 23^rd through 25^th. Hammerl Amusements will be providing the rides and games, and there will be plenty of food, beverages and entertainment for all ages – get more information here.

paulathompsonfreelance.com

Cherry Blossoms in Buffalo – the Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival will take place Saturday, May 2^nd through Saturday, May 9^th at the Japanese Garden in Delaware Park, located behind the Buffalo History Museum. Events during the festival include a tea ceremony, a Japanese doll display at the Museum, an interactive Parade of Fashion and the Cherry Blossom Challenge Orienteering event. Get the complete schedule at the above-listed link.

Winter break staycation ideas: The Buffalo History Museum, Explore & More and Canalside

Buffalo History Museum
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Next week is winter break for many area schools, and if you’re staying in the Buffalo area and braving the cold, you can still have some family fun – check out these ideas.

Buffalo History Museum – on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the History Museum, located at One Museum Ct. in Buffalo, offers Break Out! – Presidents Past, where you’ll learn about Buffalo’s connections to US presidents, go on a scavenger hunt, make a craft and more. Hours are Wednesday 1 to 3 p.m., Thursday noon to 3 p.m. and Friday 1 to 3 p.m. Friday is also M&T Third Friday, with free admission from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find out more about the Museum at www.buffalohistory.org. 

Explore & More Children’s Museum – the East Aurora museum, located at 300 Gleed Ave.,  is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Monday, stop by from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and make a red, white and blue snack in honor of President’s Day; Tuesday through Friday, celebrate the Lunar New Year from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit www.exploreandmore.org for more information.

Canalside – for winter break, Canalside is open extended hours Monday through Friday, with open ice skating, ice bike rentals and curling daily from noon to 7 p.m. (ice bikes until 10 p.m. on Friday). You can also check out the Artisan Market in the Winter Village on Thursday and Friday from 2 to 8 p.m. Find a complete schedule of things to do at www.canalsidebuffalo.com.

Alpha-Buffalo: C is for Canalside

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Canalside is downtown Buffalo’s new hot spot for everything. In 2013, Canalside hosted more than 750 events on its 21 acres of waterfront property. Among the events: concerts, fitness classes, festivals and more.

In 2014, new facilities and events will be taking place at Canalside, including the anticipated fall opening of HARBORcenter, another gift from the Pegulas and the Buffalo Sabres. Set to include two rinks, retail space, a cool restaurant called (716) – that’s our area code – and eventually a huge hotel, HARBORcenter will be the center of Hockey Heaven.

Canalside can be accessed by street, by boat, with more than 1,000 feet of berthing space, or by MetroRail, which will drop you off at the “entrance” to the area. There’s plenty of places to catch a bite to eat nearby, as well as Clinton’s Dish take-out restaurant and the Liberty Hound full-service restaurant right on Canalside grounds.

The 2014 schedule is still in the planning stages – keep an eye out for it at www.canalsidebuffalo.com.