“The Lizzard Ball?” you ask.

Sometimes the history of an event speaks just as loud as the event itself. The event that I am referring to in this case is the Lizzard Ball. “The ‘what’ ball?” you may ask. The Lizzard Ball! Remember the Blizzard Ball? If you’ve been living in Buffalo for long enough, then you might. The Blizzard Ball was designed as a fancy dancy tux and gown wearing function around the time of the Blizzard of ’77. 

Although I never made it to the Blizzard Ball, I heard that it was quite the scene. While socialites were raising flutes of Champagne into the air, there were a bunch of common folk types who had decided that the event was too highfalutin, and it was time to start their own event (ala Infringement Festival style). They called it Lizzard Ball and believe it or not, the event is still being held to this day. “It was started shortly after the blizzard of ’77,” Janna Willoughby-Lohr of BloodThirsty Vegans fame told me. “When some of the richer folks in the city founded the Blizzard Ball which had $75/plate entry fee and all the Joe-Schmoes of Bflo said, “Screw that!! Let’s start our own party and call it the Lizzard Ball and make it cheap to get in.” And it has been going on since then.  I know that for awhile it was every other year but the past three years it has been yearly, always at the end of April.  It used to be affiliated with the Green Party but now is organized by the Peace Education Fund and is a fundraiser for them.  There will be a basket raffle–chinese auction style, probably some food stuffs and usually there’s an information table.  There are four bands this year, Quest for Friends, Whiskey Reverb, The Andrew J. Reimers Country-Punk Extravaganza and BloodThirsty Vegans.  It goes from 6pm-midnight this Saturday at the Tri-Main Building in the downstairs atruim area.”

From PeaceOnEarthMonth.com:

Now it is thirty years later. People still remember the Blizzard Ball, but it’s a distant and fading memory. The LIZZARD BALL, on the other hand, is still going strong and it is going to be one crazy groove with all kinds of really awesome music and information on how to get hooked up with all kinds of cool progressive causes and lots of party people in the place to be (dressed in comfortable clothes).

Join Alex Mead (Ed Ed-Tech) and friends and get ready to groove out for a good cause…

The 2012 Lizzard Ball – A benefit for the Peace Education Fund

Saturday, April 28, 2012

6:00pm until 11:30pm

Tri-Main Building (Center) 

2495 Main Street 

Buffalo, NY 14214

With live music by: 

Special guest host: John Washington II

$10 – all ages event (kids under 16yrs = set your own price) 

Complimentary snacks (while they last)

Additional food available for sale by Go Veggies! (facebook)

Community Jam – Bring your own drum or accoustic instrument!