Things to Do If You Live or Are Visiting Buffalo, NY- May 17 to 25, 2026- tourist stuff you won’t want to miss plus all the great events happening in Buffalo.
Events -May 17 to 25, 2026
Art of Jazz at Albright Knox Art Museum- May 17- Dave King Trio
Hospice Walk at Buffalo Outer Harbor- May 17
Music at Jack Rabbit- May 17- Brunch with Linus and Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
Parkside Tour of Homes- May 17- $25 adv./$30 day of
Music at the CAZ- May 17- Erin Hoyle and Steve Padin – Dinne
Music at Buffalo Iron Works- May 17- Eagle Rock Gospel Singers with PA Line and Part time Genius
Lancaster Village Wide Garage Sale- May 17
FREE Tours of Knox Mansion on Delaware- May 17
Music at Jazzboline- May 17 and 20
Music at Sunset Bar and Grill- Wilson- May 20- Blues Infusion, May 22- Nerds Gone Wild, May 23- Grosh, Mary 24- Seventh Sign, May 25- Ray Barry and Friends, May 27- Growlers Blues Band, May 31- Breakaway
Music at Pausa- May 22- Digba Ogunbiyi Quartet Album Release
Music at Mister’s- May 22- Dueling Pianos Comedy Show
Music at Diamond Hawk- May 20- Lul’as Gun
Sabres Watch Parties- May 18- Canalside
Music at Electric City-May 21- Death Angel
Music at Sportsmens- May 17 to May 30- Schedule
Music at Chandelier- at Salvatores- May 21- Chris Squire
Music at Babeville- May 19- Andrew Duhon
Linwood Gardens Peony Festival- May 16 to 31- weekends
Memorial Day Weekend at Old Falls Street- May 22- 25- music daily
Kids
June 6 – Register NOW- Kid’s Run in Delaware Park-Learn more
May 17- Free Movies at Shea’s- Minecraft
-Regal Cinemas- $7 Tuesdays (all day)- you have to sign up for card, but easy, no hassle
-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
May 17- Festival of Birds at Presque Island
May 28- Spring Migration Birding at Delaware Park Rumsey Woods- $15- Register
-Best Places to Hike- Knox Farm State Park, Reinstein, 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 June 12, 2026 from 10am to 8pm and live music at 5:30pm.
-Albright Knox Art Museum- Open Mondays and Thursday- Sunday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday). FREE admission/Pay What you Can- June 5, 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
