Taste of Buffalo
Niagara Square during Taste of Buffalo 2008
Date(s)10–11 July 2021
FrequencyAnnual
Location(s)Niagara Square
Years active39
Inaugurated1984 (1984)
Attendance450,000/yr
Websitewww.tasteofbuffalo.com

The Taste of Buffalo is the largest annual two-day food festival in the United States.[1] The festival is centered in the heart of Downtown Buffalo, New York, along Delaware Avenue from Niagara Square by City Hall to Chippewa Street, featuring numerous restaurants and food trucks from the Buffalo region and other cities in Western New York, in addition to some national sponsors. The mission of the Taste of Buffalo is "to provide an affordable and enjoyable weekend festival in a socially responsible manner for families of Western New York, and to enhance the quality of life in the Niagara Frontier and promote downtown Buffalo".[2]

History

The non-profit event began in 1984 and as of 2014 attracted almost 450,000 patrons annually, with more than 1,000 volunteers required to run it. The festival has raised more than $360,000 for charities, and awards five $1,000 scholarships each year to local high school students looking to pursue culinary or hospitality degrees.[3] The 30th Annual Taste of Buffalo presented by Tops Friendly Markets took place on July 13 and 14, 2013. In 2018, the festival celebrated its 35th anniversary.[4] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event went virtual in 2020.[5]

Events and food offerings

During the festival, two or three stages provide continuous musical entertainment and the Culinary Stage showcases cooking demonstrations.

In addition to over 50 local restaurants and wineries, local and national sponsors also provide samples for their products and interactive mobile displays. The majority of restaurants are from in and around the Buffalo area, but the festival also attracts the participation of a few restaurants from nearby cities such as Rochester and Batavia.[3]

Aside from Buffalo specialties such as beef on weck and buffalo wings, other dishes such as chicken and waffles, prime rib, hot dogs and vegetarian options are often served. International foods have also been featured in the past, such as sponge candy, chicken tikka masala, bisque, pierogies, shrimp nachos, watermelon gazpacho, Pad thai, Jamaican patties and rice pudding.[6] A special beer was brewed and served in honor of the Taste of Buffalo's 35th anniversary.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Christoforos, Angela (6 July 2018). "35th annual Taste of Buffalo kicks off Saturday". WIVB-TV. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  2. ↑ "About Us – The Taste of Buffalo".
  3. 1 2 Dudzik, Kelly (7 July 2017). "Taste of Buffalo by the numbers". WGRZ-TV. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  4. 1 2 Ogozalek, Sam (27 June 2018). "Taste of Buffalo set to expand past Chippewa Street to Johnson Park". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  5. ↑ "Taste of Buffalo goes virtual for 2020". wgrz.com. 2020-05-11. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  6. ↑ Tsujimoto, Ben (6 July 2018). "15 foods to try at the 2018 Taste of Buffalo". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
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