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. 

Five Things to do in January 2016

credit: freedigitalphotos.net/IceHawk33

A new year means new things to do – here are five things to check out in January.

Visit the Buffalo History Museum, located at One Museum Ct. in Buffalo, and check out a few of their exhibits including: Quilts: Techniques & Styles explores notable quilts and their stories (closes in January); Our Buffalo: A Photographic Retrospective of Buffalo during the 40s and 50s (closes January 10); the John R. Oishei Native American Gallery traces Buffalo-Niagara’s history through its first inhabitants; and Inside Tim Russert’s Office: If it’s Sunday, it’s “Meet the Press.” Learn more about these and other exhibits at www.buffalohistory.org.

Head north of the border for a little icewine at the 2016 Niagara Icewine Festival, celebrating 20 years of “liquid gold” with a variety of events at a number of locations in the Niagara Region of Ontario. Dates are Fridays through Sundays, January 15-17, 22-24 and 29-31. Get a full schedule of events and other details at the Icewine Festival’s website.

If beer is your beverage of choice, check out Buffalo on Tap at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center, Franklin St. in downtown Buffalo. There are three sessions this year – 6-9 p.m. on Friday, January 15 and 1-4 and 5-9 p.m. on Saturday, January 16 – sample more than 100 beers from some of the country’s top craft breweries. A VIP ticket ($75) includes the VIP Hoppy Hour on Saturday beginning at noon (full session noon-4 p.m.), a meal from Santora’s, a Buffalo on Tap hoodie, exclusive samples and more; general admission tickets for each session are $35.

For some outdoor fun, check out the second annual Larkinville Ice Festival on Saturday, January 30 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. There will be festivities at Larkin Square, The Filling Station, Hydraulic Hearth, Flying Bison, the Larkin Center of Commerce and Army-Navy Outfitters, including live music, crafts, outdoor yoga (“Snowga”) and other weather-permitting activities. Find a schedule and more information here.

Warm up the next day, Sunday, January 31, at Buffalo Soup Fest at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center – sample soups from more than 30 restaurants. Tickets for the event will be $5 at the door, and kids 5 and under are free with an adult – purchase soups with $1 “Soup Bucks.” Find more information, including times when posted, at www.buffalosoupfest.com. 

2015 Holiday Happenings: Power Vista Festival of Trees and Ontario Winter Festival of Lights

credit: Wikimedia Commons/Sse1478

Head up to Niagara Falls to check out the Festival of trees on this side of the border, or grab your enhanced license and cross the border for another Festival of Lights.

Niagara Power Vista Festival of Trees – December 1 through January 1 at the Niagara Power Plant Power Vista, 5777 Lewiston Rd. (Rt. 104) in Lewiston. Check out beautifully decorated trees and visit the nearby Niagara Discovery Center during the annual event. On December 12 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, trolley rides and more. Find out more at the Power Vista website.

Ontario Power Generation Winter Festival of Lights – now through January 31 at numerous attractions in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The festival features more than five kilometers of light displays through the Niagara Parks, Dufferin Islands and other tourist areas. 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.