Buffalo Rising Online

Jun 25th 2006, 9:21am By queenseyes

This was the first year that I made it down to Buffalo River Fest, held at Father Conway Park. Unfortunately I did not make it down in time to see the river regatta, which I heard was a raging success. By the time I arrived the auto show was the event to see and people were scoping out the rides lined up on the park long. There was also a pretty intense softball game being played and the bleachers were filled with friends and family cheering on their favorite team. The activity was cool to see because most every time I am down this way it is to enjoy the serene river surroundings, not the animated activities of River Fest.

River Fest is a celebration of Buffalo's history, and many of the activities that take place during the two day festival hi-light the history of the neighborhood and the importance of the Buffalo River. It turns out that the winner of the river regatta was a replica of the Cotter Fireboat. The boat even had authentic looking water nozzles that prayed folks on the shore as it drifted by. (If anyone captured any photos, please send them to queenseyes@buffalorising.com).

Another big surprise that I found at River Fest was a carnival-esque party taking place at the far corner of the grounds. It was there that I found a Crystal Beach sucker stand, an incredible chicken bar-b-cue pit, works by local photographers, and a beer tent with live music. This was very interesting because it was so different than many of the other festivals that take place in Buffalo. The atmosphere was that of a country festival... yet you could see the city skyline popping up over the trees. As I was waiting in line to get a drink the guy in front of me asked, "Hey, you ever been to this festival before?" to which I answered inoi. "Me eitheri, he said. iI never even knew that this park existed!" And there you have it. Another urban explorer discovers a river-side park, which is a stone-skip from the Buffalo River. Plus, I discovered a festival that brought back a lot of memories from the Crystal Beach of my youth.

On the drive back home I passed a sign that marks the future site of Buffalo Riverfest Park. The park is to be located in the midst of the grain elevators along Buffalo River. This new park will allow folks to picnic along the water's edge while observing kayakers paddling the Buffalo River. Thanks to a bunch of people that envisioned a festival down along the river, the city will now have a new park where they can continue to celebrate the city's history as well as its future! Next year I will not miss the river regatta - an event that sounds like a whole lot of fun.