Holiday happenings in the Buffalo area: Ontario Winter Festival of Lights and the Botanical Gardens’ Poinsettia Show

Head north of the border for the Ontario Power Generation Winter Festival of Lights, taking place now through January 12^th at numerous attractions in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The festival features more than 120 light displays along Niagara Parkway, turning the Niagara Parks into a Winter Wonderland. There will be a number of spectacular fireworks shows during the course of the festival – click here for dates and times. For more information on the festival, visit www.wfol.com.

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The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, located at 2655 South Park Ave. in Buffalo, celebrates the holiday season with its annual Poinsettia Show, taking place now through January 4^th. The Gardens warns visitors to “expect the unexpected” with a new exhibit and plenty of color. Visitors can also check out the Garden Railway Exhibit, featuring a traditional set-up and a special Thomas the Train set-up for the kids. The display is brought to you by the Botanical Gardens and the WNY Garden Railway Society.

On Saturday, December 13^th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., visit Santa’s Workshop for crafts and fun – there is an additional charge for holiday themed activities and crafts and photos with Santa – or visit the Gardens affordably on Dollar Day, Sunday, December 28^th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – admission is just $1 all day; as always, kids under 3 and members are free.

Admission for the Poinsettia Show, Garden Railway Exhibit and Santa’s Workshop is $9 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, $5 for kids 3 to 12, and free for Garden members and kids under 3. For more information on these events and others at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, visit www.buffalogardens.com. 

Holiday happenings in the Buffalo area: Niagara Power Vista Festival of Trees and Fatima Shrine Festival of Lights

The Niagara Power Vista Festival of Trees is going on now through January 2^nd at the Niagara Power Plant Power Vista, 5777 Lewiston Rd. (Rt. 104) in Lewiston. Check out beautifully decorated trees  - decorated by area non-for-profits – and visit the nearby Niagara Discovery Center during the annual event. On December 6^th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Power Vista hosts its annual Deck the Halls event, featuring crafts and entertainment, photo opportunities with Santa, a non-perishable food drive and more. Find out more at the Power Vista website.

The Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, located at 1023 Swann Rd. in Youngstown, hosts its annual Festival of Lights now through January 4^th. The light displays will be lit nightly from 5 to 9 p.m., and the Shrine will be open daily with free admission from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Check out the festival from the top of the Basilica and see 75 displays and 15 acres of Christmas lights, and view the Avenue of Saints. The Fatima Shrine will also be hosting Christmas Eve and Christmas Day masses – Christmas Eve masses are scheduled for 4 p.m. and midnight, while Christmas Day masses are at 9 a.m. and noon. Find out more at www.fatimashrine.com. 

Five Things to Do in December 2014

Like it or not, the holidays are here – celebrate them outdoors or indoors, both of which are acceptable in Buffalo no matter what the season! Here are a few things to check out during the month of December in the Western New York area – Happy Holidays!

Go skating at Rotary Rink – Rotary Rink at Fountain Plaza offers free ice skating in downtown Buffalo. The rink is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (special hours for selected dates). Skate rental is $2 for children and $3 for adults. The official opening of the rink is December 6^th, coinciding with the annual tree lighting. Find out more here.

Visit Forest Lawn Cemetery – on weekends through December, visit Forest Lawn, 1411 Delaware Ave. in Buffalo, for “It WAS a Wonderful Life!” Narrator John Lay – the first person to take up permanent residence in Forest Lawn in 1850 – will introduce visitors to friends from the last 165 years through music, comedy and a look at Christmases past. Directed by Joe Demerly, tickets for the show are $30 per person – find exact times here.

Catch up with Clint Malarchuk – former Buffalo Sabres goalie Clint Malarchuk has had quite a life on the ice and off. Now he’s out promoting his new book, A Matter of Inches, and he’ll be visiting Buffalo for a few book signings. He’ll be at the Sabres-Flames game on Thursday, December 11^th beginning at 6 p.m., the Barnes & Noble at 1565 Niagara Falls Blvd. in Amherst at 6 p.m. on Friday, December 12^th and the Barnes & Noble at 4401 Transit Rd. in Clarence at 3 p.m. on Saturday, December 13^th.

2013 Poinsettia Show
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View unique poinsettias at the Botanical Gardens – “expect the unexpected” at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave. in Buffalo. The Botanical Gardens suffered some damage in the recent snow storm, but the poinsettia show is open – vibrant colors and patterns await visitors, and there’ll be a few guests too. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (see website for special holiday hours); admission is $9 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, $5 for kids 3 to 12, and free for members and kids under 3.

Celebrate a new year – your New Year’s Eve choices in Buffalo include the Buffalo Sabres v. Tampa Bay Lightning game at the First Niagara Center (6 p.m. face-off), First Night Buffalo at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center, the IceBall at Statler City, the Mighty Mighty Boss Tones at the Town Ballroom, the Willie Nile Band and Ron Hawkins & the Do Good Assassins at the Tralf, the Buffalo Ball Drop at the Electric Tower downtown and the Hard Rock Café Guitar Drop featuring Theory of a Deadman at the Hard Rock Café in Niagara Falls, NY.

Holiday happenings in the Buffalo area: Fairgrounds Festival of Lights and Victorian Christmas

A few more upcoming holiday-themed events – whether you like showy lights or a touch of Victorian elegance.

The Fairgrounds Festival of Lights takes place Friday, November 28^th through Sunday, December 28^th (selected dates) at the Hamburg Fairgrounds (enter from South Park Ave.) – assuming they ever get dug out of all the snow they’re getting! (Of course they will – what’s a few feet of snow in the Southtowns?!) The 10^th annual festival will feature light displays, the Snowzilla snow tubing adventure, the Holiday Marketplace and more. Gates will be open from 5 to 9 p.m., but the buildings and grounds are open until 10 p.m. Admission to the Fairgrounds Festival of Lights is $20 per carload, $25 for 15-passenger van or limo, and $50 per bus – pre-sale tickets are available for just $10 per carload at the Fairgrounds Event Center, the Fairgrounds Main Office or participating Tops Friendly Markets. For exact dates of operation click here, and for more information on the Festival, visit its website.

The Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site, located at 641 Delaware Ave. in Buffalo, offers up its annual Victorian Christmas, taking place Friday, December 5^th through Saturday, December 13^th. The holiday display is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The event will also feature fashion show luncheons, a traditional Irish Christmas dinner, wine and food pairings, musical performances and more.  Get more information on the events at www.trsite.org. 

Holiday happenings in the Buffalo area: Festival of Trees and Buffalo-Niagara Heritage Village

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No, it’s not even the middle of November, but if malls can make their stores open on Thanksgiving, we can talk about a couple of holiday events. One of these events, the Festival of Trees benefitting the new John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital, kicks off on November 22^nd!

The Festival of Trees is headquartered at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Buffalo, and runs from the 22^nd through December 3^rd. General admission to see all of the beautifully decorated trees, wreaths, mantles and window displays, as well as shop the Boutique, is free. There are also a number of events, including the Black Tie Gala and the Designer Showcase and Reception that are ticketed. Find the full schedule of events at www.festivaloftreesbuffalo.com.

Buffalo-Niagara Heritage Village, located at 3755 Tonawanda Creek Rd in Amherst (formerly the Amherst Museum), will host a holiday weekend full of events from Friday through Sunday, December 5^th through 7^th. On Friday night, the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony from 7 to 9 p.m. opens Home for the Holidays weekend at the Village. Get some gifts checked off your holiday list during the Christkindlmarkt on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days in the Steffen Building, and also check out the Countryside Christmas Tours, giving visitors a glimpse of 19^th century Christmases (tours are $20 and run from noon to 5 p.m. in one-hour intervals).

Another event at the Village that weekend is the 41^st annual Holiday Celebration on Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. ($75 per person – reservations needed by November 26^th). The Celebration features a cocktail reception, dinner, silent auctions, live entertainment and dancing. On Sunday morning, Santa visits the Village for breakfast, with seatings at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon. The museum fundraiser includes pancakes, sausage, coffee and refreshments and costs $7 per person (reservations are recommended, but tickets can be purchased at the door). Learn more about Home for the Holidays weekend and make reservations at bnhv.org.