The Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts has become a sensational showcase of talent from the community. Over the weekend, visitors could see just about every form of artistic entertainment under the sun, from yoga sessions to Swing Buffalo dances. The cross-section of live music performances alone was enough to get your feet a tappin’ and your hands a clappin’. Depending on the time of day, and your location on the Elmwood strip, the sounds of Cajun, African, salsa, and zydeco rang out… you name it and the sounds could be heard coming from tents and street corners in all directions.
Some of the features that I really dug this year were:
– Compost vendors: A few food vendors had signs broadcasting that “You can compost anything that you get from me.”
– There were Festival Beer Station where visitors could purchase a beer and actually walk around the festival. All of the beers were regional.
– As usual, there is a street performer vibe that creates a seamless flow of art throughout the festival.
– It looked like a lot of the local businesses were participating by putting out merchandise or hosting their own artists. I particularly enjoyed the stage that Spot Coffee set up with live music in the epicenter of the festival. The café should think about hosting live music throughout the summer.
– All of the artists that we talked to were from this region, the one furthest away was from Syracuse (not pictured). That particular artist told us that outside of his hometown (where he has his studio) he sells more artwork in Buffalo than anywhere else, including NYC. He said that between the Allentown Art Festival and the Elmwood Art Festival, Buffalo has become his number one festival destination hands down (and he travels all over the place).
Following are some photos through the eyes of photographer Joe Janiak, including the lead image: