Last night a few grain mill and elevator advocates got together to test out some lighting on the monolithic structures. The first structure to be lit was Marine A (lead photo). A $6000 LED lighting system (consisting of two units that looked light a suped-up Lite-Brite) was brought in close and aimed upwards onto the structure, emitting a concentrated wash that did a great job as far as light intensity. 
Next up was the American elevator (see below). This time the lighting system was set up from further away and successfully lit up the entire building. Different colorized

Here's your warning: Now is the time to register for the 2011 Turkey Trot. At some point before the start of this Buffalo tradition registration will likely be shut down, so it's a good idea to do it now.
As you may know, the Turkey Trot has gotten so popular that last year race organizers decided to limit participation to 12,500 registrants. The race had grown so large that, for the safety of all involved, it was decided to cap the number of runners. That same limit is in place this year as well.
The 116th annual YMCA Turkey Trot will

The last time that we paid a visit to this wall, youth from the Boys and Girls Club were in the process of giving it a fresh coat of primer (see post). Since then, a number of artists have been hard at work painting different Black Rock and Riverside scenes, all of which are quite vibrant, detailed and ultimately eye-catching. There are six murals total and the timeline reads from left to right. Each mural is 7'hx20'w. All of the artists were juried, and the project was funded thanks to a grant by the Buffalo

There should be more wine festivals in this city considering the number of wineries in our region (US and Canada). I know that a lot of events incorporate regional wines into the mix, but there are only a few events that really showcase the industry. It would be great to see a major outdoor wine festival at Canalside in coming years. Thankfully there are current events that pay tribute to our burgeoning wine scene. One such event is the October Wine Festival that is taking place on October 14 and 15 from 10am-5pm at the Broadway Market.
Wineries

Crowley Webb is getting into the mural game. The advertising agency has commissioned a giant mural to be painted on the side of the City Grill building (Main Street between Swan and Seneca) to mark the agency's 25th anniversary. The mural is reminiscent of iconic images found on retro pro-industry propaganda, with a modernized look of course. 
Thankfully the mural is more a work of art rather than an in-your-face ad campaign that is so common in this day and age. After being bombarded for years with obnoxious billboards that make people cringe at the blatant ugliness cast

Every year Buffalonians look forward to The BaZoinker Ball. This year the ball is being held at The Hamlin House, and some are saying that this the halloween party that you don't want to miss. After all, it is called The BaZoinker Ball (that should tell you something), and that party will be jam packed with all sorts of festive fall suds and sounds that you might not normally expect from your average halloween party. First of all, The Hamlin House (1865 Italianate mansion) can come off as a bit spooky due to its historic nature. Then you have Allentown - the side streets in Allentown

Not many people are aware that Buffalo was home to Edison Vitascope Theatre (The Vitascope Hall), "the first permanent, purpose-built movie theater in the world". The cinematic theater was built in the basement of the Ellicott Square Building, but over time the images, as well as the theater itself, have faded into obscurity only to be dug up 100 years later. On Saturday October 22 from 1-2pm, there will be a celebration held in the lobby of the Ellicott Square Building marking the 115th anniversary of the birth of the landmark. Click

As part of a joint plan to intensify the beautification of Buffalo in time for the National Trust for Historic Preservation's visit, the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy will be planting 1000 red mums in high profile gardens throughout the city. Following the National Trust visit (October 19-22), a board meeting for the National Association of Olmsted Parks is scheduled shortly thereafter. A joint press conference being conducted this morning is geared towards not only notifying the community of the initiative, it is also part of an appeal for volunteers to help with the massive planting.
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When I first arrived to Canalside yesterday to see what was going on with the Buffalo Harbor Oktoberfest, I was not sure if I had made the right decision, as there were not many people about. Thankfully my first impression was dramatically altered once I entered the giant beer garden tent. Inside there were throngs of people sitting, row after row, at long tables, drinking, eating, singing and cheering to the band. I had never seen Buffalo's Big German Band play before and I must say that the members were some of

These images show the corner entry of the Lafayette Hotel across from Lafayette Square.  The older image shows the entry as we have known it for probably the last 40 years - with a bland canopy, sign, and door surround not to mention the electric blue and white color scheme. (Though as I look at it there is a possibility that this change goes back to the 1930s art deco lobby renovation) The more recent image, sent to me by BRO's West Coast Perspective, shows the original entry now exposed to view. Restoration workers have recently removed these past "improvements" which had long covered

Featured as the fourth art installment in the Fluid Culture series is a work that I initially mistook for concrete obstruction bollards. It was upon noticing the little spy-holes built into each of the monuments that I took a closer look - literally. When I peered inside the first one I noticed that I was looking directly at one of the Canalside flags fluttering in front of one of the grain elevators. It was like watching a real time video, as if my brain was playing tricks on me. It turned out to be the camera obscura effect that made the image appear upside down. Alongside the eyehole was a QR

Travel and Leisure has ranked Niagara Falls as #5 when it comes to World's Most Visited Tourist Attractions. How far are we from Niagara Falls? Oh yeah, approximately 25 miles. It's not like this sort of rankling is something new - at least to Western New Yorkers, rather it is a periodic wake-up call... a Homer Simpson "D'oh!" moment that makes us try on our best marketing thinking caps (again). Up until now those thinking caps have looked more like dunce caps. Then again, as the Canadian

Organizers of the Buffalo Chili Fest are looking for regional chefs who think they have the best chili, to participate in the premiere (there are many) chili festival. The event is scheduled to take place on October 16 and The Statler from 1-5pm. Unlike some of the other chili contests, the Buffalo Chili Fest is looking for pros to submit their hottest, spiciest, craziest recipes to enter this year. Or if a chef has a smooth and smokey hometown favorite that he or she is known for (vegetarian or otherwise), that's cool too.
Once

If you think this photo looks like fun, then you ain't seen nothin' yet. Cross in the Park is one solid rush of adrenaline geared towards the gearheads, mountain bikers, street racers, fixies and any other cyclist who wants to take a two-wheeled, self-propelled ride to the edge. Last year's inaugural Cross in the Park was so much fun that organizers didn't know how to top it this year... let alone pull it off. Thanks to the determination and sportsmanship of Ethan Johnson, owner of Campus Wheelworks, Delaware Park is host track once again to what team rider Justin Plinz describes as, "... only

By Sarah Zawadzki:
Looking for a way to spend your Sundays that is both educational and entertaining? Forest Lawn's third annual Sunday in the Cemetery Concert & Lecture Series is all that and more! These events take place on the second Sunday of every month, beginning in October and running through April in Forest Lawn's historic 1882 chapel. They will highlight everything from Buffalo's architecture to its amusement parks, museums, libraries and more - and introduce you to the people who made them possible.
The Concert

By Bernice Radle:
Saturday, October 1, 2011 from 10am - 4pm
The Solar Homes and Green Buildings Tour is ALMOST HERE. On October 1, 2011 from 10am-4pm, you can go to any building on the list (see below) and learn about their green technologies. The tour is free and open to

What might be the last regular Sunday mass at Saint Adalbert Basilica was held September 11 at the 125-years-strong East Side parish.  Over 350 attended the 125th Anniversary celebration held afterwards.  A typical Sunday mass brings well-over 100 parishioners.  With these numbers, many out-of-town supporters and a well-kept religious campus that also provides some rental income, the Catholic Diocese's order to close the church makes little sense.

Painting for Preservation

The Botanical Gardens is launching a fascinating scientific and medical initiative with the help of D'Youville College School of Pharmacy and Mercy Hospital of Buffalo (part of Catholic Health). The task is to create indoor and outdoor medicinal gardens so that the public can learn about the different characteristics of medicinal plants that have been used for health purposes since the times of early mankind. To this day plants continue to be studied in hopes that the results might lead to new discoveries. At the same time, the following showcased

On August 30 I wrote a post about 'Reviving the mural movement' featuring photographer Max Collins and his goal to bring larger than life photographic murals to Buffalo. Two days later Max and I sat down with the owner of Jim's SteakOut and the owners of the Elmwood building (seen here) to discuss the possibility of installing a mural on a wall that had begun to deteriorate. The old Steve Brouse mural had seen better days and the wall needed to be sealed and primed. By the end of the meeting, a decision was made

We've got every other fest, so why not a Squeezefest? As long as there is a Polka Hall of Fame, we might as well take full advantage of it. Oh yeah... apparently there's a Polka Hall of Fame. Get ready to grind (can you grind when dancing to polka?) to traditional polka beats as they are played by some of the most notorious polka musicians in the nation. Infamous players have come together to form Full Circle, a band that specializes in recreating historic polka tunes from the 50s, 60s and 70s. The Buffalo Concertina Allstars will also be on hand as the inaugural Squeezefest kicks off on October