Continuing on with our celebration of fall, food and beer, Canalside is getting into the act this weekend as it hosts Buffalo Harbor Oktoberfest on October 1. So far that’s our third Oktoberfest option that we’ve posted, and there are one or two more yet to come. Organizers of the Buffalo Harbor event include the German American Musicians Association (GAM) and Edelweiss of Buffalo. That combo alone insures that there will be plenty of authentic food, music dancing and beer. “We are excited to bring Oktoberfest to Canalside,” said Melanie Hachten, spokeswoman for the GAM. “Combining talents, such as the German American Musicians with the Edelweiss dancers, will make for the most authentic Oktoberfest celebration in Western New York. I encourage anyone who is interested in having a good time and learning about German culture to attend.”
It’s time to get your German on with Bavarian dances from the Edelweiss Schulplattler Dancers, music by The German American Musicians (Buffalo’s “Big German Band”) and a visit to the Marketplazt where you will find all sorts of German gifts and foods. Authentic food will be served up by one of our hometown favorite restaurants – Scharf’s. The celebration kicks off at 3pm – with a celebratory keg tapping by Harry Neale and Rick Jeanneret at 4pm. The event is designed to draw Western New Yorkers to the waterfront at a time when the weather begins to get colder. “We have always envisioned Canalside as a four-season destination,” said ECHDC President Thomas P. Dee. “If you look at successful cities around the world, they embrace their winter through activities and events, and our goal is to do the same at Canalside. This summer was tremendously successful, and we intend to maintain the momentum with fall and winter programming that will continue to drive visitors to the site.” The event times are from 3pm to 10pm.