Things to Do If You Are Visiting Buffalo, NY- December 4 to 8, 2024. Buffalo is a great place for a vacation. Activities for kids,  great parks, museums, and tourist stuff you won’t want to miss. Note on Mondays, some restaurants may be closed – call before you go. SO, if you are visiting, you can now say you experienced a snowy Buffalo winter.

Kids

  • FREE Family Movies at East Aurora Theater- Dec 7-The Grinch, Dec 8- A Christmas Story
  • Polar Express on Medina Railroad– Dec 7-8, 14-15 and 21-22
  • Winterfest at Losson Park- Dec 6
  • Explore and More Children’s Museum for young kids- carrousel at Canalside where the museum is location- 44 Prime St.- Open – Wednesday to Sunday
  • Aquarium of Niagara in Niagara Falls- Open daily
  • Herschell Carrousel Museum- open Wednesday to Sunday
  • Buffalo Museum of Science, 1020 Humboldt Parkway- open daily
  • Buffalo Zoo- Open daily

Nature

  • FREE Guided Walking Tours of Hoyt Lake at Delaware Park with Explore Buffalo-   December 28. FREE but register.Meets at the Lincoln Statue near the rose garden at 199 Lincoln Parkway (behind Albright Knox).
  • Niagara Falls State Park- bring a passport and you can do both sides (US and Canada)- Illumination at Night. Cave of the Winds,  Maid of the Mist ,Terrapin Point, Lots 2 and 1. NY Residents 65+ can get free parking during the week – slide driver’s license under scanner at parking area
  • Letchworth State Park- Grand Canyon of the East
  • Reinstein Woods is a great place for an easy walk as well- ponds, wildlife

Museums

  • Albright Knox Art Museum- new expansion opened last summer. Open Mondays and Thursday- Sunday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday). FREE admission/Pay What you Can- Dec. 6
  • Burchfield Penny Art Center (across the street from Albright)- FREE Admission on Dec 13 and live music at 5:30pm. Second floor has terrific glass exhibit.  Closed Monday and Tuesday- Open Wed-Sunday.
  • Pierce Arrow- Auto, Bike, Motorcycle Museum- Open from 11 am to 4pm- this is a really cool museum- check it out. Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday
  • Darwin Martin House (Frank Lloyd Wright)
  • Buffalo Naval Park at Canalside- Open Wednesday- Sunday- 10am to 5pm
  • Herschell Carrousel Museum- open Wednesday to Sunday
  • Buffalo Museum of Science, 1020 Humboldt Parkway- open daily

Tourist Stuff

  • Vidler’s 5 and Dime in East Aurora
  • Get Wings and Beef on Weck (weck is short for kimmelweck bun which is a bun sprinkled with coarse salt and caraway seeds instead of sesame). Do NOT go to Anchor Bar-while it may have invented the wings, they are not the best here. Bar Bills or Hamlin and Main in East Aurora are the best for wings and Beef on Weck.
  • FREE Tour of Buffalo City Hall (at  65 Niagara Square)- Monday- Friday starting at Noon but you must register for the tour – call 716-245-3032. There are other city tours- Explore Buffalo.
  • Our Lady of Victory Basilica- 767 Ridge Road, Lackawanna- rivals the churches of Europe, open, do not have to be Catholic to view the amazing architecture. And, it is down the street from the Buffalo Botanical Gardens. Wayside Family Restaurant- 2301 S. Park is inexpensive and good  food in causal environment–just down the street from the gardens.
  • Buffalo Naval Park (at Canalside- boardwalk, Explore and More there as well)
  • Frank Lloyd Wright Martin House- 125 Jewett Parkway- near the Buffalo Zoo.
  • Niagara Wine Trail
  • Buffalo Naval Park at Canalside- tours end in fall but still cool to see big ships
  • Lots of Places for live music- Sportsmen’s Tavern (almost daily music), Pausa, Duende at Silo City, Town Ballroom, Chandelier at Salvatore’s (it’s an experience in itself), The Cove in Depew
  •  Riverworks- restaurant, ferris while, silos, entertainment
  • Mall- Galleria
  • Roycroft- Inn – food and music on Friday nights, center for craft movement- shops
  • Gambling- Seneca Casino downtown and Hamburg Gaming, Plus at Niagara Falls Seneca

Events on December 4 to 8, 2024

  • Music at Duende- Dec 4- Tom Robert, Dec 5- Brazilian, Dec 6 – Barrel Rider, Dec 7- Holiday Mkt.
  • Music at Sportsmens- Dec 4- Baudo Jazz Quintet and Bill Kirchens Honky Tonk Holiday
  • THE CAZ-  Dec 5- Pickle Mania
  • Makers and Shakers Artisan Market at Powerhouse-  Dec 7 and 8
  • Winter Holiday Market at Richardson Complex – Dec 7 to Dec 22
  • SantaCon on  Chippewa- Dec 7
  • Shop South Buffalo- Dec 7
  • Cookie Baking with Aunt Marianna at Pellicano’s Winery- Dec 7
  • Totally Buffalo at Riverworks- Dec 7-8
  • Hertel Holidays – Dec 6 and 7
  • Tonawanda and Kenmore – Santa at Village Green- Dec 6
  • Orchard Park Symphony – Dec 6
  • Music at West Falls- Jerron Paxton and Dennis Lichtman- Dec 6
  • Music at Molly McGuires– Funk Nights- Dec 6
  • FREE Admission to Albright Knox Art Musem- Dec 6
  • FREE Family Movies at East Aurora Theater- Dec 7 and 8
  • Music at Electric Ciiy- Dec 7- Buffalo is Burning Fetish Ball
  • Poinsetta Show at Buffalo Botanical Gardens- Dec 3 to January 6, 2025
  • Music at Babeville-Dec 4- Mid Week Vibe
  • Music at Diamond Hawk Golf Course- Dec 4- Nashville North
  • Music at Rivera-Dec 6- Carpenter’s Christmas
  • Music at Town Ballroom- Tape B- Dec 5
  • Music at Lion and Eagle- Dec 5- Comedy Night with Chelse Mae
  • Music at Pausa- Dec 5- Christina Custode
  • Music at Albright Knox- Dec 5- Davey O
  • Music at the Cove-Dec 6-0 Invisible Touch 80’s
  • Advent Chorale- Handel’s Messiah- Dec 6- Orchard Park, Dec 7 – East Aurora
  • Buffalo Bills- Dec 8- 4:25pm
  • Amherst Symphony Orchestra Concert– December 8, 2024 at 3pm with pre-concert at 2:15pm with Willilamsville East High School String Quartet. Amherst Middle School, 55 Kings Highway, Snyder
  • Music at Jazzboline- Wednesdays 6-9pm and Sunday Jazz Brunch-Amherst
  • Pasta Night on Wednesdays and Pizza Night at Pellicano’s Winery on Fridays– 6736 Boston State Road in Hamburg. If you want beer, there is Hamburg Brewing sort of across the street at 6553 Boston State Road.
  • Southern Tier Brewery- 7 Scott Street- food and huge screens for watching sports- near Canalside