Things to Do If You Live or Are Visiting Buffalo, NY-August 1 to August 2, 2026- tourist stuff you won’t want to miss plus all the great events happening in Buffalo.
Events -August 1 to August 2, 2026
Buffalo Irish Festival at River Fest Park– August 1 and 2
Chalkfest at Riverworks – August 1 and 2
Pine Grill Jazz Reunion– August 2 and 9- MLK Park
America’s 250 Celebration at Naval Park- Aug 2- music, fireworks, re-enactments
Cheektowaga Jazz Festival- August 1
Music at Pausa- August 1- Griff Kaz Quartet with Lindsey Holland
Jack Craft Fair at Larkin Square- August 1
FREE Yoga Sundays at Buffalo Botanical Gardens- August 2 to August 30- Register
Thunder on the Niagara- August 1 and 2- North Tonawanda
Niagara River Cruises- August 2- 1:30pm- $30-Thunder on the Niagara Hydroplane Boat Races Cruise- North Tonawanda- Learn more
New- Sully’s Seafood Restaurant and Music August 1-The restaurant (where Willliam K was) is open and music. Lobster rolls, clams, fried seafood, homemade chowder plus beef on weck, wings, pizzas, steaks and chicken. Thur-Sun- Noon to 10pm.
Music at Jazzboline-August 1 and 2
Old Falls Street Friday Nights Concerts- Strictly Hip– July 31
Music at Buffalo Iron Works-August 1- Mental Health Fest and Bijou B2B- August 1
Music at Diamond Hawk-August 1- All Star Project
Music at Sully’s-August 2- Omega Men- free, August 6- Strictly HIp
Music at Riviera-August 1- Tommy James and the Shondells
Music at River Grill- August 1- Johnny James Band with Dave Miller and Hayden Fogel
Music at Charlies Boatyard- August 1- Queen City Light
Music at Sunset Bar and Grill- August 1- Out on the Tiles
FREE-Shakespeare in Delaware Park-Taming of the Shrew from August 1 to August 16, 2026 from Tuesdays thru Sundays at 7pm.
Hilltop Inn DABFEST- Dead Alliance with Daze Ago- August 1- Alden
Oddities and Curiosities Expo at Buffalo Convention Center- August 1 and 2
Music behind Albright Knox- Buffalo Jazz Collective- Tribute to Duke Ellington – August 2
Artpark Conceerts- Toni Amos- August 4 and Govt Mule- August 6
District Live Concert at Tappo- August 7- Strictly Hip
Kids
FREE- Buffalo Astronomical Assoc Night Viewing at Beaver Meadow Audubon- August 1- North Java
FREE- Walden Galleria Summer Kids Club-Tuesdays- August 4 to August 18, 2026-Learn more
FREE Family Tours with Explore Bufffalo- Canalside, Delaware Park, Hertel Murals, Downtown- Learn more and register
Regal Cinemas- $7 Tuesdays (all day)- you have to sign up for card, but easy, no hassle (everybody)
-Kiddieland at Herschell Carrousel Museum- $6- North Tonawanda
-FREE admission at Corning Museum of Glass for kids and teens– all the time
-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- new tiger and lion cubs
Nature- Outdoors
-Best Places to Hike- Knox Farm State Park, Reinstein, Franklin Gulf Park- Orange Trail, Niagara Falls, Iroquois National Wildlife
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
-Letchworth State Park- Grand Canyon of the East
-Reinstein Woods is a great place for an easy walk as well- ponds, wildlife
Museums
-Burchfield Penny Art Center (across the street from Albright)- FREE Admission on August 14, 2026 from 10am to 8pm and live music at 5:30pm. Not at Burchfield but at a gallery.
-Albright Knox Art Museum- Open Mondays and Thursday- Sunday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday). FREE admission/Pay What you Can-August 7, 2026
-Pierce Arrow- Auto, Bike, Motorcycle Museum- Open from 11 am to 4pm- this is a really cool museum- check it out. Open Friday and Saturday
-Darwin Martin House (Frank Lloyd Wright)
-Buffalo Naval Park at Canalside- Open Wednesday- Sunday- 10am to 5pm- closed for the winter but you can still see the ships from the walkway
-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
