Concerts & Events in Buffalo

A Golden Griffin emblem presides over Canisius College Athletics’ 17 sports teams, which traverse grass, water, and hard court in search of victory. As part of the NCAA Division I’s Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), Canisius’s athletes face off against other East Coast schools including Marist College, Niagara University, and Loyola University Maryland. From the stands, a sea of blue and gold cheers on the men’s basketball, hockey, and lacrosse teams, the women’s soccer, softball, and volleyball teams, and the adjunct professors’ annual soapbox derby.

Surrounded by roaring crowds of hoops fanatics, the Erie BayHawks shoot for glory during thrilling basketball matches as the official minor-league team of the New York Knicks in the NBA Development League. Head coach Gene Cross manages a roster of young and veteran talent that recently included overnight sensation Jeremy Lin. Buzzers announce the beginning of four quarters' worth of dazzling slam dunks, three-point shots, and Final Jeopardy lightning rounds as players hone their talents in preparation for upcoming games and potential rise to the NBA ranks.

Despite spending most of their 125-plus-year history as a minor-league organization, the Bisons began play as a major-league club from 1879–85. All told, nearly 3,000 players and managers have donned the Bisons uniform, including 20 who have been immortalized in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Currently, the Bisons compete every summer for an International League title, as well as the Thruway Cup—a regional- and bragging rights–based trophy chased by the Bisons, the Rochester Red Wings, and the Syracuse Chiefs. The Bisons have done half of their competing since 1988 at Coca-Cola Field, which boasts the largest video board in the minors and an infield kept moist by hoses that spray water and not soda as the field’s name would suggest.

A passionate project of the nonprofit American Friends of the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba, Havana Film Festival showcases respected and rising voices hailing from Cuban and other Latin-American communities. The festival's executive director, Carole Rosenberg, and film programmer Diana Vargas helm a dedicated staff, who draw cinematic works from countries such as Argentina, El Salvador, and Peru. Their collection of numerous features, shorts, documentaries, and classic Latin movies graces the screens of venues throughout the city, many for the very first time in the United States.

English subtitles assist non-native speakers in following the action, and panel discussions and postscreening Q&As afford audiences a behind-the-scenes glance at the global film industry. The panels also engage the filmmakers and explore new cinematic innovations, such as 5-D movies that rock audiences to sleep by their favorite stars. The festival annually pays tribute to influential actors and directors within the Latino film community.

The trained and certified driving instructors at Racing Box instill their passion for motorsports in people through patient, thorough driving instruction. They teach visitors to properly control the muscle of international supercars such as the Ferrari F430 F1, Lamborghini Gallardo, and Aston Martin, as well as Formula 1 racecars, at four driving circuits across the country. Driver and instructor swap seats and friendship bracelets during each session, mixing observational learning with hands-on driving time on racetracks measuring up to 2.5 miles in length.

Awash in the aromas of all manner of edible creations, the air in Cazenovia Park buzzes with the strums of guitars and cheerful chatter as Taste of South Buffalo’s festivities carry on into the night. Throughout the day, chefs from area restaurants such as Brick Oven Bistro & Deli and Blackthorn Restaurant & Pub can be found serving up hearty helpings of their signature dishes. In the background, live music from local artists Jane Jane Soundsystem, The Voice contestant Zack Joseph, and So Far So Good add a toe-tapping component to the proceedings and facilitate synchronized eating routines.

Taste of South Buffalo’s loaded schedule of events mingles food with entertainment, starting off with a USA Track & Field-sanctioned Mike Diggins Memorial 5K walk and run at 8 a.m. Afterward, the Buffalo Warriors take on the South Buffalo Catholic School's parents in a basketball game at 11 a.m. Other events include a split-club drawing and a taping of the game show Duck, Duck, Goose wherein elementary students answer questions culled from 36 categories in an attempt to scoop up various prizes.