A public-private partnership is aiming to attract people to downtown Buffalo to support local businesses and bring holiday cheer. “Thursdays at the Plaza” starts at 4 p.m. and goes until 7 p.m. tonight at Fountain Plaza with live music, free ice skating and plenty of family-friendly holiday activities.
Brandye Merriweather who leads the not-for-profit Buffalo Urban Development Corporation said the downtown sector has struggled with low foot traffic post-pandemic.
“It really does add to the vibrancy," said Merriweather. "People being able to connect, people being able to come out and, you know, share in a great dining experience, or a live music performance, like what we're doing at Fountain Plaza, or to shop with our local small business community. A lot of these things are attributes that make downtown unique.”
Thursdays at the Plaza is a recurring event, running the first, second and third Thursdays in the month of December. Not only is it a goal to bring more people downtown, but also show that Buffalo offers year-round options.
"We are really trying to embrace the fact that we are a four season city. I know there's always a ton of events and activations that happen in the warmer months," she said. "But we also want to bring some things during the fall and winter season, to try to keep up that foot traffic, and keep that visitation happening in the heart of the city."
The December 11 edition of Thursdays at the Plaza switches from live jazz music, to a silent disco with an appearance from Santa. For December 18, the final day of the series, the event will feature Christmas carolers and choir performances. All will begin at 4 p.m. and end at 7 p.m.
You can learn more about the greater Queen City Pop Up initiative and what they're doing to boost local businesses in downtown Buffalo during the holiday season and beyond at their website.
