When Earl Ketry, owner of Buffalo Riverworks, gets an idea in his head, it’s only a matter of time before that idea comes to fruition. When Ketry first told me that he was looking to to purchase a Ferris wheel for his waterfront property, I knew that it was not a matter of “if,” but “when.” And in true Ketry style, it was not long after our initial conversation, that a Ferris wheel – called Buffal”O” – has been erected at the site.
Initially, the plan was to position the Ferris wheel along the water’s edge, but Ketry soon dreamed up a better plan, to position the ride atop “Stonehenge,” a demolished grain elevator that had previously been utilized as a beer garden. That additional boost in height ensured that the top of Buffal”O” would be 100′ – the same height as the Labatt Six Pack.
As for opening day? “[It’s] looking like mid September,” said Bill Casale, GM of Pearl Street properties. “We’re waiting on an ADA wheelchair lift, and the railings are on backorder for the upper deck.”
The Buffal”O” Ferris wheel is just one of the many amusements found at Buffalo Riverworks. Other attractions include Tiki boat Rides, silo climbing, kayak rentals, “Ales & Axes,” ziplining, a ropes course, a roller derby league, sports amenities (lacrosse, soccer, hockey), and plenty of “backyard games” such as KanJam, cornhole, giant Jenga, pickleball, and bocce. Not to mention providing brewery and boat tours, as well as playing host to concert series, Music is Art, Chalkfest, and events such as the upcoming Magic Rocks! starring illusionist Leon Etienne.
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