The owner of Buffalo’s oldest tavern, Salvatore “Sal” Buscaglia, decided to host an Oktoberfest on Sunday that coincided with the Bills game. Due to the balmy weather, Sal opted to set up chairs and tables outdoors, without a tent. The result was a festive street party, complete with a beer truck and live music at halftime. I believe that in all of the years of watching Bills games, yesterday was the first time that I ever caught one in such a splendid manner.
It’s not often that a bar or restaurant owner closes down a street in Buffalo for a celebration, though we are starting to see it happen more and more. This past summer, Osteria 166 closed down West Mohawk Street and held a street party, which will now be an annual event. The street closures don’t disrupt car traffic (for the most part) because the bars are situated at spots that don’t see much car traffic – especially on the weekends.
It’s nice to see business owners mixing it up a bit, by taking advantage of resources such as street and parking lots. Similar to what we witnessed on PARK(ing) Day, these types of displays go a long way towards making neighborhoods friendlier and more fun. And it doesn’t hurt when Mother Nature decides to cooperate so nicely.