With a few strokes of a paint roller pushed by Mayor Byron Brown and other community leaders, the Blue Buffaloes that mark the Walk Buffalo tours are reappearing at 28 locations in downtown Buffalo.
At a press conference in front of the Market Arcade Building Tuesday afternoon, celebrating National Tourism Week, Mayor Brown, Rich Geiger, Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau; Grant Loomis, Office of the County Executive, and Michael Schmand, Buffalo Place, painted the first of many buffaloes that will once again be visible on the sidewalks as part of Walk Buffalo – a self-guided walking tour of downtown Buffalo.
Walk Buffalo is a free, 2.5 mile, self-guided walking tour that serves as a wonderful way to learn about the rich history and architecture that downtown Buffalo has to offer. The key to participating in Walk Buffalo is obtaining the free Walk Buffalo Tour Book at the Buffalo Visitors Center in the Market Arcade Building at 617 Main Street. The booklet includes a map, colorful photos and history of the 28 stops on the tour.
It has been over six years since the Blue Buffaloes made their appearance on city sidewalks, and as one might expect, the elements have caused those little creatures to fade or disappear. This week, employees from the City of Buffalo have been busy repainting the buffaloes to ensure they are ready for the summer tourism season. The paint for this project was donated by Millington Lockwood Business Interiors
The roots of Walk Buffalo stem from the mid-1990s when Nicholas Cushner created the original version of the tour. In 2002, the New Millennium Group enhanced the project by updating, rewriting and redesigning the guidebook, as well as repainting the buffaloes on the sidewalks. The Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau has been a partner in this project, helping print 100,000 copies of the tour book to date. The CVB also uses the Walk Buffalo book to market the wealth of architectural experiences visitors can have in Buffalo.
For more information about the Walk Buffalo tour, visit www.walkbuffalo.com or www.visitbuffaloniagara.com.
Doug Sitler
Doug Sitler has been part of Buffalo's public relations community since 1993. During the day, he serves at the Director of National Media Relations at University at Buffalo. In his spare time, he has been the creative force behind NIGHT LIGHTS, Rock the Barn Clarence, Griffis Sculpture Park Summer Festival and countless other events.