By: Simon Husted
Don't let the pun-inspired name fool you. Citybration is more than a celebration of Buffalo. More accurately, it exists to highlight the new successes and showcase assets and opportunities that make the region unique and valuable.
Marti Gorman, the lead organizer of the fifth annual four-day celebration from Thursday to Sunday (pictured above), said people in Buffalo focus too much of their attention on the shortcomings of the region and overlook all of the positives within Buffalo like its short commutes, the fresh water provided by Lake Erie that is rare in other regions and the remarkable events Buffalo hosts like the annual Garden Walk, which continue to grow and earn more national attention.
"We need to change the way we think about Buffalo," Gorman said.
Actively changing the city's image for the better isn't entirely new though, nor is the idea and premise of Citybration. Even when Buffalo was the eighth largest city in the nation, it cared deeply about the image it portrayed. In 1907, community activists hosted the Buffalo Old Home Week, a celebration of the successes in Buffalo. The goal then was aimed more directly at countering the bad press Buffalo received from President William McKinley's assassination at the Pan-American Exposition. Nevertheless. Buffalo Old Home Week held essentially the same purpose then as Citybration does today.
Buffalo Old Home Week only lasted for one year, but in 2006 a committee of Buffalonians led by Gorman helped revive the celebration. Gorman credits Newell Nussbaumer (better known on BRO readers as queenseyes) for approaching her with the idea and information about the history of Buffalo Old Home Week. The revival of the event received quite a bit of attention from news organizations, including The New York Times. Now. after five years, Citybration, which found its permanent name last year after trying on a few, is going strong. Although it is difficult to accurately record the number of participants, Gorman said attendance to the events has nearly doubled every year since 2006, and as many as 10,000 people are expected to participate this year. Lucky for Gorman, there are more than 40 volunteers this year to help organize the celebration, along with partner organizations and sponsorships earned through grassroots efforts and without one dime of taxpayer dollars.
Citybration's premise has become increasingly aligned with the original 1907 Buffalo Old Home Week celebration. Showcasing the city's assets, opportunity and success has become the biggest focus of Citybration, Gorman said.
Bragging about our bright spots does more than improve the city's ego, though. It encourages Buffalonians to stay in Buffalo, and it brings new investment, outsiders and former Buffalonians back to Buffalo.
One example of Citybration's impact is the story of George Thomas Apfel, who attended Citybration events from 2006 to 2009. Apfel said the events engaged him in Buffalo and got him involved in a number of other organizations (including Buffalo ReUse) while still living in Las Vegas. Just this past May, Apfel finally moved back to the Queen City after 47 years.
"If people become engaged like George did, they may well end up coming home," Gorman said.
This year, Gorman and other Citybration organizers expect to engage the population in and outside of Buffalo with nine events scheduled Thursday through Sunday this week.
The first event, Explore Buffalo Niagara Investors & Entrepreneur Forum, is aimed specifically at investors and entrepreneurs across the nation and Canada. The event includes a keynote address by Catherine Mott, chairwoman of US Angel Capital Education Foundation and managing director of BlueTree Allied Angels in Pittsburgh; one minute presentations from two dozen companies specializing in energy, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and information technology; and a panel discussion led by executives from large companies headquartered from Ontario though New York.
The forum begins at 9:30 a.m at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and ends at 5:30 p.m. Space is limited and attendees are asked to register online before it is too late. The forum sold out last year with over 300 people in attendance. It costs $75 to attend.
In coordination with Citybration, Buffalo Spree Magazine will be hosting Buffalo Spree Best of Western New York Party, an award ceremony highlighting the best of Western New York. Wine tasting, food samples from area restaurants, music and a silent auction will be included during the ceremony from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Shea's Performing Art Center. Guests can reserve seats $30 per person with a free downloadable Citybration Passport or pay $40 at the door.
Friday is another day full of events. Those looking for a good job in or close to the Queen City should head down to the ECC City Campus Atrium between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. for the Citybration Career Fair. The growing list of employers expected to be at the fair include: Alliance Advisory Group, APA Solutions, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York, Buffalo Medical Group, Cameron Compression, Combined Insurance, Independent Health, ITT Technical Institute, Just Energy, Kaleida Health, Mass Mutual, Multisorb Technologies, New Era, Rich Products, Seneca Gaming Company, Superior Technical Resources and Travelers Insurance. Five workshops will also be available throughout the four hours to build job finding skills. No registration is needed to attend the free event.
The biggest event of the entire celebration is one everyone can participate in, whether you're in Buffalo or not this weekend. Friday's Spotlight on Buffalo Successes at the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, lasts from noon to 6 p.m., but the last two hours will stream live over the internet. Between those two hours, a public forum designed to "Connect, Communicate & Collaborate" will be held in the library's auditorium to address initiative fatigue, explore ways to achieve sustainable change and to identify and connect existing successes in the city in order to create the synergy needed to create more successes. Four successes will be showcased, but the 300 audience members will also have a chance to add their own input, as will those participating online at Citybration's website. Online viewers can contribute comments and advice on the topics discussed through Twitter posts which will be visible to the panel and audience on large monitors in the auditorium.
"It's critical to Buffalo that we start connecting the dots," Gorman said. "We need to start connecting one success to another to create greater success. We cannot continue to work in silos - we must connect, communicate and collaborate." All thought leaders and agents of change are urged to participate. "Change cannot be top-down," said Chris Smith of WNY Media, moderator of the forum. "It must come from the bottom up. In Buffalo, change will come from the grassroots."
During the hour prior to the forum, guests will be able to meet Lauren Belfer, the author of City of Light, which connects Buffalo's past to its future, and her new book A Fierce Radiance. Hands-on, interactive displays by area organizations such as WNY Book Arts Center, Buffalo Urban Outdoor Education, WAM (Writers/Artists/Musicians) and Hallwalls, will be scattered throughout the Main floor of the Library from noon to 4 p.m. All parts of this event are free and no registration is needed.
Later in the evening on Friday, magnificent views of the Queen City will be shared during the Sunset Reception from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at City Hall's Observation Deck. Visitors will be encouraged to toast with a glass of Flying Bison beer or Chateau Buffalo wine and some light fare. The Buffalo Academy of Visual & Performing Arts Choir will perform some resounding gospel music in Common Council Chambers. Admission will be $5 but only for those without a free, downloadable Citybration Passport.
Saturday continues the excitement with the Buffalo Indie Market, an entire outdoor market full of local goods made in Buffalo. Visitors can stop down at Elmwood Avenue and Bidwell Parkway across from the Farmers Market to see the skill of Buffalo artisans and buy some unique gifts.
All sorts of Discover Buffalo Tours, will be offered Saturday. You can learn more here about each tour that will be offered.
Finally Sunday brings the event to a close with two big events.
Honoring those who make a difference is second nature in the City of Good Neighbors and there's no better place to celebrate the individuals who push for change than at the Larkin Exchange Building, which was a tattered abandoned building until Howard Zemsky's company bought and renovated it in 2002. The building is now almost fully-occupied and it is the new headquarters of First Niagara. Larkin at Exchange's renovation has also sprung new investment and new life in the once forgotten Larkin District. (To learn more about the growth of the Larkin District watch The Buffalo News' Donn Esmonde's analysis.)
Six finalists will receive awards recognizing the impact they've had on the city during the award ceremony. Guests are encouraged to buy tickets ahead of time for $20 dollars with the Citybration Passport, otherwise it is $25 at the door. The Making a Difference Awards Luncheon from noon to 2 p.m. will include music from the Buffalo Philharmonic String Quartet in honor of BPO's 75th anniversary, and feature a Buffalo history trivia game presented by Quizmaster Dennis George.
The excitement doesn't end with the luncheon and awards ceremony, though. The weekend will culminate with Citybration's newest event--and the one I'm most excited for--Balloons Over Buffalo. Not one, but two hot air balloons will be lifting us (I definitely plan to be there!) over Delaware Park nearly one hundred feet for a unique and exciting view of the Queen City. Parking will be available across from the Buffalo Zoo parking lot.
The response and demand was so high for this event, Gorman said she had to order a second hot air balloon in the hopes that no one gets left out of the two-hour opportunity Sunday from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Children 10 and under can ride the hot air balloon for $10. Adults ride for $15. Bringing a Citybration Passport can save both age groups $5. All proceeds will be donated to the Olmsted Park Conservancy, which maintains and overlooks all of Frederick Law Olmsted's city park system: South, Front, Martin Luther King Jr., Delaware, Cazenovia and Riverside.
Visit Citybration's website to learn more about the 5th Annual Citybration and its events.
View image
Don't let the pun-inspired name fool you. Citybration is more than a celebration of Buffalo. More accurately, it exists to highlight the new successes and showcase assets and opportunities that make the region unique and valuable.
Marti Gorman, the lead organizer of the fifth annual four-day celebration from Thursday to Sunday (pictured above), said people in Buffalo focus too much of their attention on the shortcomings of the region and overlook all of the positives within Buffalo like its short commutes, the fresh water provided by Lake Erie that is rare in other regions and the remarkable events Buffalo hosts like the annual Garden Walk, which continue to grow and earn more national attention.
"We need to change the way we think about Buffalo," Gorman said.
Actively changing the city's image for the better isn't entirely new though, nor is the idea and premise of Citybration. Even when Buffalo was the eighth largest city in the nation, it cared deeply about the image it portrayed. In 1907, community activists hosted the Buffalo Old Home Week, a celebration of the successes in Buffalo. The goal then was aimed more directly at countering the bad press Buffalo received from President William McKinley's assassination at the Pan-American Exposition. Nevertheless. Buffalo Old Home Week held essentially the same purpose then as Citybration does today.
Buffalo Old Home Week only lasted for one year, but in 2006 a committee of Buffalonians led by Gorman helped revive the celebration. Gorman credits Newell Nussbaumer (better known on BRO readers as queenseyes) for approaching her with the idea and information about the history of Buffalo Old Home Week. The revival of the event received quite a bit of attention from news organizations, including The New York Times. Now. after five years, Citybration, which found its permanent name last year after trying on a few, is going strong. Although it is difficult to accurately record the number of participants, Gorman said attendance to the events has nearly doubled every year since 2006, and as many as 10,000 people are expected to participate this year. Lucky for Gorman, there are more than 40 volunteers this year to help organize the celebration, along with partner organizations and sponsorships earned through grassroots efforts and without one dime of taxpayer dollars.
Citybration's premise has become increasingly aligned with the original 1907 Buffalo Old Home Week celebration. Showcasing the city's assets, opportunity and success has become the biggest focus of Citybration, Gorman said.
Bragging about our bright spots does more than improve the city's ego, though. It encourages Buffalonians to stay in Buffalo, and it brings new investment, outsiders and former Buffalonians back to Buffalo.
One example of Citybration's impact is the story of George Thomas Apfel, who attended Citybration events from 2006 to 2009. Apfel said the events engaged him in Buffalo and got him involved in a number of other organizations (including Buffalo ReUse) while still living in Las Vegas. Just this past May, Apfel finally moved back to the Queen City after 47 years.
"If people become engaged like George did, they may well end up coming home," Gorman said.
This year, Gorman and other Citybration organizers expect to engage the population in and outside of Buffalo with nine events scheduled Thursday through Sunday this week.
The first event, Explore Buffalo Niagara Investors & Entrepreneur Forum, is aimed specifically at investors and entrepreneurs across the nation and Canada. The event includes a keynote address by Catherine Mott, chairwoman of US Angel Capital Education Foundation and managing director of BlueTree Allied Angels in Pittsburgh; one minute presentations from two dozen companies specializing in energy, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and information technology; and a panel discussion led by executives from large companies headquartered from Ontario though New York.
The forum begins at 9:30 a.m at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and ends at 5:30 p.m. Space is limited and attendees are asked to register online before it is too late. The forum sold out last year with over 300 people in attendance. It costs $75 to attend.
In coordination with Citybration, Buffalo Spree Magazine will be hosting Buffalo Spree Best of Western New York Party, an award ceremony highlighting the best of Western New York. Wine tasting, food samples from area restaurants, music and a silent auction will be included during the ceremony from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Shea's Performing Art Center. Guests can reserve seats $30 per person with a free downloadable Citybration Passport or pay $40 at the door.
Friday is another day full of events. Those looking for a good job in or close to the Queen City should head down to the ECC City Campus Atrium between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. for the Citybration Career Fair. The growing list of employers expected to be at the fair include: Alliance Advisory Group, APA Solutions, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York, Buffalo Medical Group, Cameron Compression, Combined Insurance, Independent Health, ITT Technical Institute, Just Energy, Kaleida Health, Mass Mutual, Multisorb Technologies, New Era, Rich Products, Seneca Gaming Company, Superior Technical Resources and Travelers Insurance. Five workshops will also be available throughout the four hours to build job finding skills. No registration is needed to attend the free event.
The biggest event of the entire celebration is one everyone can participate in, whether you're in Buffalo or not this weekend. Friday's Spotlight on Buffalo Successes at the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, lasts from noon to 6 p.m., but the last two hours will stream live over the internet. Between those two hours, a public forum designed to "Connect, Communicate & Collaborate" will be held in the library's auditorium to address initiative fatigue, explore ways to achieve sustainable change and to identify and connect existing successes in the city in order to create the synergy needed to create more successes. Four successes will be showcased, but the 300 audience members will also have a chance to add their own input, as will those participating online at Citybration's website. Online viewers can contribute comments and advice on the topics discussed through Twitter posts which will be visible to the panel and audience on large monitors in the auditorium.
"It's critical to Buffalo that we start connecting the dots," Gorman said. "We need to start connecting one success to another to create greater success. We cannot continue to work in silos - we must connect, communicate and collaborate." All thought leaders and agents of change are urged to participate. "Change cannot be top-down," said Chris Smith of WNY Media, moderator of the forum. "It must come from the bottom up. In Buffalo, change will come from the grassroots."
During the hour prior to the forum, guests will be able to meet Lauren Belfer, the author of City of Light, which connects Buffalo's past to its future, and her new book A Fierce Radiance. Hands-on, interactive displays by area organizations such as WNY Book Arts Center, Buffalo Urban Outdoor Education, WAM (Writers/Artists/Musicians) and Hallwalls, will be scattered throughout the Main floor of the Library from noon to 4 p.m. All parts of this event are free and no registration is needed.
Later in the evening on Friday, magnificent views of the Queen City will be shared during the Sunset Reception from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at City Hall's Observation Deck. Visitors will be encouraged to toast with a glass of Flying Bison beer or Chateau Buffalo wine and some light fare. The Buffalo Academy of Visual & Performing Arts Choir will perform some resounding gospel music in Common Council Chambers. Admission will be $5 but only for those without a free, downloadable Citybration Passport.
Saturday continues the excitement with the Buffalo Indie Market, an entire outdoor market full of local goods made in Buffalo. Visitors can stop down at Elmwood Avenue and Bidwell Parkway across from the Farmers Market to see the skill of Buffalo artisans and buy some unique gifts.
All sorts of Discover Buffalo Tours, will be offered Saturday. You can learn more here about each tour that will be offered.
Finally Sunday brings the event to a close with two big events.
Honoring those who make a difference is second nature in the City of Good Neighbors and there's no better place to celebrate the individuals who push for change than at the Larkin Exchange Building, which was a tattered abandoned building until Howard Zemsky's company bought and renovated it in 2002. The building is now almost fully-occupied and it is the new headquarters of First Niagara. Larkin at Exchange's renovation has also sprung new investment and new life in the once forgotten Larkin District. (To learn more about the growth of the Larkin District watch The Buffalo News' Donn Esmonde's analysis.)
Six finalists will receive awards recognizing the impact they've had on the city during the award ceremony. Guests are encouraged to buy tickets ahead of time for $20 dollars with the Citybration Passport, otherwise it is $25 at the door. The Making a Difference Awards Luncheon from noon to 2 p.m. will include music from the Buffalo Philharmonic String Quartet in honor of BPO's 75th anniversary, and feature a Buffalo history trivia game presented by Quizmaster Dennis George.
The excitement doesn't end with the luncheon and awards ceremony, though. The weekend will culminate with Citybration's newest event--and the one I'm most excited for--Balloons Over Buffalo. Not one, but two hot air balloons will be lifting us (I definitely plan to be there!) over Delaware Park nearly one hundred feet for a unique and exciting view of the Queen City. Parking will be available across from the Buffalo Zoo parking lot.
The response and demand was so high for this event, Gorman said she had to order a second hot air balloon in the hopes that no one gets left out of the two-hour opportunity Sunday from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Children 10 and under can ride the hot air balloon for $10. Adults ride for $15. Bringing a Citybration Passport can save both age groups $5. All proceeds will be donated to the Olmsted Park Conservancy, which maintains and overlooks all of Frederick Law Olmsted's city park system: South, Front, Martin Luther King Jr., Delaware, Cazenovia and Riverside.
Visit Citybration's website to learn more about the 5th Annual Citybration and its events.
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I actually moved HERE from somewhere else and no one can believe it! Why work three jobs to pay for apartment expenses in a more "hip" city?
It's fun playing tourist in Buffalo. There are many things to do and places to eat.
There is an airport nearby in case I want to get away and visit an oily beach or tornado ravaged town somewhere else.