Festivals Galore, and The Olmsted Parks

Buffalo is a city that knows how to take advantage of summer! There are a dozen things to do on any given day. One could fill up their entire schedule with just festivals and still miss at least half of them! Here is a list of all the festivals happening around Buffalo this summer.


Festival Guide

I've already missed a few of my favorites, but I will definitely be hitting some of these over the next few months!



I spent some time over the past few days enjoying Delaware Park. As most Buffalonians know, it is part of a system of parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted - the same man who created Manhattan's Central Park. The park was built during the 1870s and is, I believe, one of the most beautiful parks in the country.

On Fathers' Day, my brother and I went for a walk with Dad around Hoyt Lake and the Western half of the park. We took some photos around the Japanese gardens, and the rose gardens.

 

On the edges of the lake are the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the Buffalo Historical Society, both of which I plan to revisit this summer. The buildings themselves are beautiful examples of Buffalo's architecture.

 

Yesterday I walked over to get some exercise around the other half of the park. The eastern side of the park used to be referred to as "Meadow Park." It's the home of yet another stop on my list for this summer: the Buffalo Zoo.

Interested in checking out Delaware Park or one of Buffalo's other beautiful Olmsted parks? Check out the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy Web site.

Goodbye co-workers, Purging myself of material possessions, and a side of Buffalo camaraderie

Yesterday was my last day at work. I can recall maybe a few times in my life when I felt so appreciated. They threw me a party (two, if you count the group at happy hour after work) and showered me with kind words, support, and well wishes. I was working with a really incredible group of people who made my days really fun, even when we were super stressed and busy. I liked my job and I think I was pretty good at it. I don't have anything lined up yet for when I get to Buffalo. I can only hope to find a job that I enjoy as much. I'd be lucky to work with people who are half as friendly or creative as those who I have had the pleasure of working with these past 7 months.


I had my moving sale today. I can't believe how much stuff I've accumulated in the year and a half since I got to California! Luckily today was pretty successful and I was able to unload a lot of it (including my bed, which is getting picked up on Monday. Guess I'll be sleeping on the couch for the week!) It does feel kind of liberating to sell off so many of my possessions. The fact that I didn't hesitate to part with any of it makes me wonder why I bought most of it in the first place.

One of my sale signs said "Moving Back to Buffalo." It was spotted by a guy who happened to also be from Buffalo who was driving by on his way to the beach. He yelled to me from the moving car, and had his friend turn around and come back just so we could talk about Buffalo. There's such a strong sense camaraderie between people from Buffalo; it's one of the things I've missed most about home. We're a community that sticks together and supports one-another. I'm looking forward to feeling like a part of that again.


I'm missing some of my favorite Buffalo events this weekend:
The Buffalo Gay Pride Parade, and The Buffalo Greek Festival (mmm, baklavah!)
I guess I should have made this spur-of-the-moment life decision a little bit earlier. Guess I'll have to wait and write about those events next year.