RiverWorks is doing exactly what the creators Earl Ketry and Doug Swift anticipated. They believed that “if they built it” they would come. And they are beginning to arrive by the boatload. RiverWorks is becoming the epicenter of the event and festival scene. More and more races, festivals and parties are looking to RiverWorks for the all-encompassing party environment, to host their gatherings.
Buffalo Irish Festival was one of the first to gravitate to RiverWorks. The festival was a monumental success, and for organizers, they didn’t have to worry about purchasing expensive tents. They also didn’t have to worry about all of the other food and drink issues that come along with throwing large festivals. RiverWorks works directly with the event organizers to handle much of the logistics. Plus, there are two stages, multiple bars, various food operations, plenty of indoor and outdoor space to utilize, parking, waterfront views, and myriad other amenities.
One of the latest organizations to sign up with RiverWorks is the Susan G. Komen Western New York Race for the Cure®. RiverWorks will house the pre-race festivities and an all-new weatherproof “After Party” on Saturday, June 11, 2016. That means that over 4000 participants will be attending the annual 5-Kilometer walk and run, which equates to a lot of additional exposure and business for RiverWorks.
“The Komen WNY Board of Directors saw a need to keep the Race for the Cure festivities and route fresh and exciting, and we believe the RiverWorks move does just that,” said Komen Board president J Kincaid. “With our changing city, and all of the excitement for downtown, we feel that to grow our race and, therefore, our mission of saving lives, we needed to make some changes.”
Similar to the protected boardwalk at Larkinville, RiverWorks knew that by creating a place that took “weather” out of the planning stages, event and festival organizers would flock to the site. And that is exactly what is happening. Despite being a bit off the main path, RiverWorks set out to become a destination by creating offerings that could not be passed up. It was a very smart move. And now that the community is starting to tap into the site, RiverWorks will quickly grow. Kelly Island, or “The Middle Harbor” is ripe for development. BRO posted just the other day about Ellicott Development’s interest in a site directly next to RiverWorks (see purchase). It won’t be long before this section of the harbor becomes an all-encompassing hotspot at the waterfront. The Komen WNY Board of Directors saw this, and have now acted upon it.
“We know the community will love the new venue and race route,” said Race for the Cure Chair Gina LaPlante. “The After Party is an exciting addition and will include all the entertainment offered at RiverWorks, and then some. We know that with these changes the community will support us and our mission more than ever.”
The race is being relocated from Delaware Park (and Elmwood Avenue), which should please many of the residents of the district. Last year the 5K raised $400,000 through the Race for the Cure (individual fundraising and corporate sponsorship). Race for The Cure celebrates breast cancer survivorship and honors those who have lost their battle with the disease.
Registration is now open at www.KomenWNY.org.