The Taste of Buffalo is returning this July to celebrate its 43rd annual event in downtown Buffalo.
A press conference Tuesday afternoon showed off the newest improvements, such as an expanded kids area, live music entertainment and the lineup of 42 restaurants and food trucks.
“The new Taste Marketplace builds on our long heritage of championing local establishments by creating more opportunities for festival guests,” Adam Roma, Chair of Taste of Buffalo, said. “This allows the guests to support local artisans, businesses, and take a piece of Buffalo home with them.”
Among these new improvements are an expanded Kids Village and Interactive Experience Zone, designed to keep children and families entertained all weekend long. Within this zone are the Music is Art Instrument Zoo, Dreamy Buffalo Slime Station and the Buffalo Bills Kids Zone.
Included in the 42 restaurants and food trucks are 13 new featured restaurants, including Pudgy Potatoes, Yankee BBQ Smokehouse and Tavern and Milk Tea’rapy to represent the varieties of cultures and foods that are around Buffalo.
There will be a variety of drink options, which include four New York wineries, Coca-Cola products and Genesee Brewing Company.
Along with the improvements, there is a sense of community and tradition in this festival. Deputy Mayor Thomas Baines shared how he hopes this event will encourage people to discover more of downtown Buffalo outside of this festival.
“It's more about just tasting what Buffalo has to offer, but it's about tradition,” Baines said. “It's about bringing people together. It's about that reunion. It's about a celebration of who we are as Buffalonians.”
Tops Friendly Market is a large supporter of this event and helps sponsor the Taste of Buffalo. Through its efforts in the past 23 years, Tops has helped give the Taste of Buffalo the ability to grow into the festival it is today.
“Each year, this beloved Western New York tradition brings together thousands of festivalgoers to celebrate the incredible flavors and culinary creativity our region has to offer,” Ron Ferri, president of Tops, said. “Tops is proud to once again sponsor the Taste of Buffalo and continue our longstanding partnership with one of the community’s most cherished summer traditions.”
The Taste of Buffalo uses its platform to give back to the Buffalo community. Every year, scholarships are awarded to high school seniors who are considering pursuing a career in the hospitality or culinary fields. They also support FeedMore Western New York.
The Taste of Buffalo takes place July, 11 and 12 along Chippewa Street and Delaware Avenue. Roma said he is excited to bring a brand new vibe to the whole event itself.
