Community Calendar

Buffalo & the Erie Canal: An Enduring Legacy
On view now until January 15, 2026

Ring of Knowledge
Central Library in Downtown Buffalo
1 Lafayette Square
Buffalo, NY 14203
See https://www.buffalolib.org/locations-hours/central-downtown-buffalo for hours

Celebrate the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Erie Canal with Buffalo & the Erie Canal: An Enduring Legacy, a new exhibition exploring the rich history of our city's social and economic growth as the Western terminus of the Erie Canal. Discover the work, travel, trade, and development of our region's local waterways and in canalside neighborhoods dating back from the early 19th through the early 21st century.

Join us on June 5 from 6:00pm–7:15pm for the exhibition opening, featuring a live musical performance by Buffalo-based folk duo Sally Schaefer and Tyler Bagwell.

Join Buffalo's beginner Balinese Gamelan Angklung class! Nusantara Arts six week courses are designed to get new gamelan players off the ground running while having a great time playing music from the island of Bali.

In this course, students will gain a basic understanding of the techniques and stylistic characteristics of Balinese gamelan, while exploring and playing the various instruments that make up the gamelan angklung ensemble. No prior experience necessary! Open to all ages 10 and up. Join us this summer to learn about this unique musical art from Bali!

Grab your trivia squad and meet us on Niagara Street for Trivia Tuesdays! Call 716-650-5555 to book a table. 🍻

Buffalo & the Erie Canal: An Enduring Legacy
On view now until January 15, 2026

Ring of Knowledge
Central Library in Downtown Buffalo
1 Lafayette Square
Buffalo, NY 14203
See https://www.buffalolib.org/locations-hours/central-downtown-buffalo for hours

Celebrate the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Erie Canal with Buffalo & the Erie Canal: An Enduring Legacy, a new exhibition exploring the rich history of our city's social and economic growth as the Western terminus of the Erie Canal. Discover the work, travel, trade, and development of our region's local waterways and in canalside neighborhoods dating back from the early 19th through the early 21st century.

Join us on June 5 from 6:00pm–7:15pm for the exhibition opening, featuring a live musical performance by Buffalo-based folk duo Sally Schaefer and Tyler Bagwell.

Mateo Zhicay-Banegas, a Buffalo-based painter known for his illustrative oil paintings focused on emotional nuance will present Dangerous Aliens at Caffe at Amy’s, opening December 10th and running through December 23rdth. The exhibition will feature a total of seven works; four primitive oil paintings and three graphite drawings that explore the emotional nuance of Latino identities in contradiction to the current political view of immigrants and Latin culture.

Dangerous Aliens takes the current political stance on Latino bodies and responds to it by exhibiting themes of celebration, contemplation, and solitude all representing the value of quiet resistance. The collection continues Mateo Zhicay-Banegas’ ongoing exploration of emotional resonance in narrative-based oil paintings.

A public opening reception will be held on Wednesday, December 10th, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at Caffe at Amy’s, 3234 Main St, Buffalo, NY. The event is free and open to the public.

A FREE 10-week hybrid class to build healthier relationships. Wednesdays, 6-8PM, starting September 17, 2025, at 703 Washington st, Buffalo, N.Y. Food & incentives will be provided for.

Understanding Autism and Neurodiversity
for parents/caregivers & siblings

1st & 3rd Wednesdays of each month... FREE AND ALL ARE WELCOME!

MUST REGISTER BY: SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2025

Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc5Gd1K6rlcdexf_Xy16zAp1ENmmAGf2gqOvxEVeK5aLgSBjA/viewform?usp=dialog

OR CALL 716-272-2474 for more information

Curious about Javanese gamelan? Join our 6-week Intro to Javanese Gamelan class starting October 15, where you’ll learn theory, instrument techniques, and the cultural roots behind the music. A rare chance to dive into something new and transformative in a community oriented setting.

Class Fees are sliding scale to ensure people with any economic status may participate.

Poesy Shines is a Buffalo-based poetic music ensemble that combines sounds of the African diaspora with provocative poetry.

Poesy Shines is a nostalgic experience for adults seeking to skip the club scene for a melodious tour of the African diaspora. Blues / Jazz / Rock and Reggae are interlaced beautifully and then kissed with soul-stirring poetry.

Bandleader and percussionist Atria “Lil Momma” Shinette was first inspired to create a poetry-set-to-music production when she played classical piano amongst Zydeco and Southern Soul musicians in her home of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Her grandparents were friends with musical powerhouses like James Cleveland, Boozoo Chavis, and Janis Joplin. After relocating to western New York, she appreciated the diversity, but felt that people here had missed out on Creole traditions like jazz brunch, trail rides and Sunday teas.

Lil Momma had been a fan of Dr. Majadi Baruti’s writing since 2015, and the two began collaborating in 2022 when she edited his first published book of poetry entitled A Blues Man’s Blues: Poems of Love, Sex and Revolution. Dr. Baruti’s primary musical influence was his great-grandfather, Grammy-nominated Delta Blues star Johnny Shines. Dr. Baruti began writing after reading album covers and observing the emergence of hiphop culture on the south side of Chicago. As a teen, he joined a dance troupe and was introduced to jazz and poetry by his step-father.

Lil Momma and Dr. Baruti met Jacob Jurewicz when he was volunteering at PUSH Buffalo in 2023. Jacob is the now group’s lead guitarist and saxophonist. He is formally trained in jazz guitar and displays a musical wisdom decades beyond his years. What sets this group apart is that every performance is a one-time experience.

Unlike traditional songs, poems can take on a different character with every recitation. In keeping with the Delta Blues tradition, the members of Poesy Shines play multiple instruments and feature local artists in every performance.

Memphis Minnie was chosen for this special tribute because Johnny Shines named her as his greatest inspiration. She is an unsung trailblazer in country music who later revolutionized Delta Blues and helped to develop what would later be known as Rhythm and Blues.

Buffalo & the Erie Canal: An Enduring Legacy
On view now until January 15, 2026

Ring of Knowledge
Central Library in Downtown Buffalo
1 Lafayette Square
Buffalo, NY 14203
See https://www.buffalolib.org/locations-hours/central-downtown-buffalo for hours

Celebrate the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Erie Canal with Buffalo & the Erie Canal: An Enduring Legacy, a new exhibition exploring the rich history of our city's social and economic growth as the Western terminus of the Erie Canal. Discover the work, travel, trade, and development of our region's local waterways and in canalside neighborhoods dating back from the early 19th through the early 21st century.

Join us on June 5 from 6:00pm–7:15pm for the exhibition opening, featuring a live musical performance by Buffalo-based folk duo Sally Schaefer and Tyler Bagwell.