So I normally am just the editor here at BuffaloEats but in an effort to avoid some school work I have to get done today, I have decided to write a post on some upcoming things you can look forward to in the Buffalo area and on this website. While we mostly focus on food, we would really like to try to start branching out and promoting other cool things happening around Buffalo (festivals, stores, concerts, etc). As you have probably read, we live in the downtown (Allentown to be exact) area and are both in love with this city and want to be a part of it’s revitalization.
First off, during a morning walk with our puppy this morning through Allentown I noticed that Lagniappes seems to be finally getting ready to move locations. To those who don’t know, Lagniappes, the incredibly delicious New Orleans-style restaurant located on Allen St. right in the heart of Allentown (across from Mulligans Brick Bar/Allen St. Hardware Cafe) is moving on to a bigger and better location about half a block down the street from where they are now.
While it doesn’t seem far (it’s not) it looks like its going to be a great move. Right now they are located in a tiny spot with very limited space (maybe 4-5 tables tops). The new place is a block closer towards Elmwood in an old red building that I am assuming was once a restaurant/bar (though it seems to have been empty for a while now).
During the Allentown Art Fest we spoke to the owner or Lagniappes and he was confident they would be moved in “sometime in the next few weeks” pending their liquor license. It’s been more than a few weeks but I imagine trying to open a new business always takes longer than expected. Regardless, today I noticed they had put up a sign for The French Quarter Cafe and the door was cracked open and something was going on inside. All this leads me to beleive the move is getting close and soon we will have a new and improved (and bigger!) Lagniappes. It’s great to see an old empty building in Allentown getting a new tenant and its also great to see such a fantastic restaurant expanding.
Another thing I noticed on my walk was all the signs for the Buffalo Infringement Festival. To give you an overview of what that is, here is the description from the website…
Every summer, the streets of the Allentown neighborhood of Buffalo, NY come alive with scores of events by local and visiting theatre and dance companies, puppeteers, media artists, poets, comics, musicians, cabaret acts, digital designers, and miscellaneous insurrectionists. The annual Buffalo Infringement Festival provides artists and audiences of all backgrounds the chance to come together, take chances, push boundaries, and explore uncharted territory because exciting art can happen anywhere, anytime, without a blockbuster budget. (Or any budget at all, for that matter.)
So, basically, its a giant (yet almost hidden) art festival that will be happening for the next week and a half all over the city (though it seems mostly in the Allentown/Elmwood area). Artists of all means will be showcasing their work, holding workshops, playing music, performing, etc, etc, etc. I tried to take a look through the schedule but it’s almost overwhelming as there are literally almost 100 different things happening each day at various locations. Today, for instance, the festival kicks off with a percussion performance at Days Park at 6pm and 11+ bands performing at Nietzsche’s from 7pm-3am. On top of that many the art galleries in the area will be open with various showcases. Tomorrow the list grows…see the schedule here.
Another cool thing (at least I think so) is Garden Walk Buffalo.
Garden Walk Buffalo is a free, self-guided tour of more than 350 Buffalo gardens, the largest garden tour in America. Held annually on the last weekend of July, this year it will be Saturday and Sunday, July 24 and 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
I am not sure if its because I live in the city or because slowly I’m getting older and appreciate things like this more, but this seems pretty awesome. This weekend you can come down to Allentown/West Side/Elmwood and pick up a map and check out over 300 gardens within a three mile radius. I pass a bunch of these gardens on my walks with the puppy and some are pretty gorgeous. Not only is this a nice thing to do on a warm Buffalo weekend, but it really helps rejuvenate the area and let’s outsiders (including you suburbanites) know that the city of Buffalo isn’t as horrible as some make it out to be and actually can be a pretty fantastic place to spend a Saturday. Here is some more information.
Finally, Canal Fest continues through this weekend. I won’t go into details because a festival is a festival and you can expect the usual array or rides, games, good food, parades, crafts, fireworks, etc. The nice part about Canal Fest is, well, that its on the waterfront. As many of us learned in elementary school, the Erie Canal was a pretty big deal a long time ago and its always nice to spend a summer day/evening on the waterfront enjoying the summer weather.
So, bottom line, don’t complain that there is nothing to do this weekend, because there is plenty of stuff going on. There are plenty of Taste’s still coming up (with the Taste of Orchard Park happening this coming Wednesday) and the Eden Corn Fest is happening the first full weekend of August. Don’t worry, I will be back before then to remind you. Also keep a look out for some upcoming Food Porns from the Poppysead and Sakura Sushi as well as some new Buffalo Foodies featuring djDstar.
