The Taste of Buffalo is the largest annual two-day food festival in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. The festival is centered in the heart of Downtown

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...

along Delaware Avenue from

Niagara Square Niagara Square is a public square located at the intersections of Delaware Avenue, Court Street, Genesee Street, and Niagara Street in Buffalo, New York. It is the central hub of Joseph Ellicott's original radial street pattern that he designed ...

by City Hall to Chippewa Street, featuring numerous restaurants and food trucks from the Buffalo region and other cities in

Western New York Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all sources agree WNY i ...

, 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".

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. The 30th Annual Taste of Buffalo presented by

Tops Friendly Markets Tops Friendly Markets is an American supermarket chain based in Amherst, New York, that operates stores in Upstate New York, Vermont, and Northern Pennsylvania. The chain operates full-scale supermarkets. Tops is a subsidiary of Northeast Groc ...

took place on July 13th and 14th, 2013. In 2018, the festival celebrated its 35th anniversary. Due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, the event went virtual in 2020.

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 Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

and

Batavia Batavia may refer to: Historical places * Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands * Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...

. Aside from Buffalo specialties such as

beef on weck A beef on weck is a sandwich found primarily in Western New York State, particularly in the city of Buffalo. It is made with roast beef on a kummelweck roll, a roll that is topped with kosher salt and caraway seeds. The meat on the sandwich i ...

and buffalo wings, other dishes such as

chicken and waffles Chicken and waffles is an American dish combining chicken with waffles. It is part of a variety of culinary traditions, including Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine and soul food, and is served in certain specialty restaurants in the United States. De ...

prime rib A standing rib roast, also known as prime rib, is a cut of beef from the primal rib, one of the primal cuts of beef. While the entire rib section comprises ribs six through 12, a standing rib roast may contain anywhere from two to seven ribs. ...

, hot dogs and vegetarian options are often served. International foods have also been featured in the past, such as sponge candy,

chicken tikka masala Chicken tikka masala is a South Asian dish consisting of roasted marinated chicken chunks ( chicken tikka) in a spiced sauce. The sauce is usually creamy and orange-coloured. The dish was popularised by cooks from South Asia living in Great B ...

, bisque,

pierogies Pierogi are filled dumplings made by wrapping unleavened dough around a savory or sweet filling and cooking in boiling water. They are often pan-fried before serving. Pierogi or their varieties are associated with the cuisines of Central, Easter ...

, shrimp

nachos Nachos are a Mexican culinary dish consisting of fried tortilla chips or ''totopos'' covered with melted cheese or cheese sauce, as well as a variety of other toppings and garnishes, often including meats (such as ground beef or grilled chicken ...

, watermelon

gazpacho Gazpacho (; ) or Gaspacho (), also called Andalusian gazpacho, is a cold soup and drink made of raw, blended vegetables. It originated in the southern regions of the Iberian peninsula and spread into other areas. Gazpacho is widely eaten in Sp ...

Pad thai Pad thai, phat thai, or phad thai ( or ; th, , , ISO: ''p̄hạd thịy'', , 'Thai stir fry'), is a stir-fried rice noodle dish commonly served as a street food in Thailand as part of the country's cuisine. It is typically made with rice noo ...

, Jamaican patties and

rice pudding Rice pudding is a dish made from rice mixed with water or milk and other ingredients such as cinnamon, vanilla and raisins. Variants are used for either desserts or dinners. When used as a dessert, it is commonly combined with a sweetener such ...

. A special beer was brewed and served in honor of the Taste of Buffalo's 35th anniversary.

References

{{Culture of Buffalo, New York Festivals in Buffalo, New York Food and drink festivals in the United States Recurring events established in 1984

History

Events and food offerings

See also

References