Yes, Buffalo. There is a Santa Claus, or rather, a Santa Cause. Brother’s Mark and Darrell Porter began a family tradition about 4 years ago when they found a way to make the holidays a bit more bright. It began with a visit to their sister’s students at Stanley Makowski Early Childhood Center in Buffalo. “Along with our guitar, we bought crayons and coloring books for the 18 young students,” Mark said. Over the years, the program has become more official, and is now called, “Santa Cause.” They have gone from helping 18 students four years ago to 126…
Author: Jessica Marinelli
Attending any of the holiday concerts produced by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is for many WNYers an annual tradition, and is sure to get you and your loved ones into the spirit of the season. As a child, I remember the anticipation of attending the BPO holiday concerts. Wearing a holiday dress purchased from Jenss Department Store, we’d pile into the family car and head to Kleinhans Music Hall. Each year, I looked forward to my favorite song, “Jingle Bells.” As the orchestra prepared to play, my eyes would scan the percussion section, waiting for those beautiful bells. The sound…
Bravo to Dan Shanahan, Co-Founder/Artistic Director of Torn Space Theater, for bringing this work to Buffalo, and to NYC-based artist Asia Gagnon for bravely writing, producing, and performing in “The Kind of Thing You Don’t Talk About” which “utilizes monologue and multimedia storytelling,” weaving together personal anecdotes, storytelling, current news, and even memes to “reshape the misconceptions surrounding rape culture and victimhood.” The solo performance, with video and sound design by Max Bernstein, will run from November 30 through December 2 at Torn Space Theater, 612 Fillmore Ave, Buffalo, NY. Tickets are $20 ($15 for students.) Curtain is at 7:30…
Join the Western New York Artists Group, on Saturday, November 18 from Noon – 2:00 p.m. for a curated exhibition of extraordinary works created by more than 20 local artists. Whether you are looking to give a meaningful gift that will be treasured for a life-time, or you would like to proudly display these masterpieces in your home or business, this show has something for everyone. The exhibit includes framed and unframed works, as well as pottery, ornaments, cards, jewelry, books, craft items, and more. Remaining works will be available through 12/29/17. Prices start at $2.50 with handmade note-cards and…
This article is not about political parties, politics, or candidates, but the fact that in 2013 and now in 2017 only 30% of all registered voters in Erie County showed up to cast their ballot. If you are like me, a moderately engaged citizen, that shows up at the very least every primary and general election, reads the news, and feels generally informed about the election process and its candidates, you might be feeling a little angry or disappointed this morning. As I’m scrolling through my social media feed, looking at all the “political” posts, I can’t help but think…
Local author, Michael Welch currently holds first place in the world-wide 2017 Inkshares Horror Contest. Inkshares, based in Oakland, California, is a “reader-driven publisher and producer.” Published books are selected not by a group of editors, but by readers worldwide. According to their website, past authors have received starred reviews and been featured on the front page of The New York Times, on the front tables of Barnes & Noble and hundreds of independents nationwide, and have authors’ whose works are currently being adapted by Oscar-winning screenwriters at the biggest studios and networks. The top three books are guaranteed to be published. Winning authors…
It’s that time of year, the time when retailers and businesses start thinking seriously about the holidays. Mayor Byron W. Brown and the Buffalo Urban Development Corporation (BUDC) are currently looking to attract local small businesses to participate in downtown Buffalo’s pop up retail initiative. Through the 2017 Holiday Edition of the Queen City Pop-up program retailers can apply for free storefront space. All proposals must be submitted no later than Monday, October 23, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. The Queen City Pop Up program says that, “as a result of participating in the Queen City Pop-Up, former participants have reported retail sales increases…
Mayor Byron W. Brown announced last week that the City has selected Socrata, a cloud-based solutions company that “allows government organizations to put their data online, make data-driven decisions, operate more efficiently, and share insights with citizens.” In a statement, Mayor Brown added, “the City’s new open data portal will offer a great deal of data that will help us as we continue building a city of opportunity for all. The proactive public release of our data will also increase transparency of how the City of Buffalo functions, while offering residents, government leaders, businesses and researchers easy access to information…
The Zandra TLC Foundation in collaboration with the Buffalo Museum of Science is hosting the 5th annual Day Of The Girl Buffalo on Saturday, October 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The annual event was created to inspire area girls to lead a healthy lifestyle and to offer access “to girls, regardless of income or background, to STEM & entrepreneurship education and a variety of careers opportunities.” Buffalo Rising is a proud media sponsor of this inspiring free event, “which now serves more than 300 local girls and families, is the biggest STEM, wellness, career, arts, networking and entrepreneurship summit…
In August, the Town of Tonawanda launched its “Solarize Tonawanda” campaign, an initiative designed to “help bring solar panels to local residents through affordable installations by designated solar installers and utilizing New York State financial incentives.” A recently released statement reads, “Solarize Tonawanda connects Town of Tonawanda and Village of Kenmore residents to local solar installers in order that the residents can receive a discounted price on solar panels for those persons interested in installing solar panels at their homes. The campaign brings together potential solar customers through outreach and education and helps customers choose a vetted solar installation company…