I recently attended an outstanding fundraiser at Assembly House 150, and it took my breath away…read more The space is hauntingly beautiful with its tall arched ceilings, that in places have given out and show the structures "bones" beneath the ornate decoration. They are running some truly inspiring programs there, and ALSO are renting out the facility as event space! I spoke to a women who got married there and she said it was incredible. If you are looking for an interesting program to get involved with, OR an unforgettable space for your next event, look no further!

From the owner: The Assembly House is an experimental work of art and architecture envisioned by artist/architect…read moreDennis Maher that transforms a historic former church in Buffalo, NY into a “Dreamworld for the Building Arts.” It is a site for the public imagination that instills joy and enthusiasm for the built environment. The project synthesizes many themes of Maher’s work by bringing together art, architecture, design, preservation, and construction while creating an otherworldly destination and center for hands-on learning. The transformation of the church is a slow, collective build over time that involves many stakeholders. Teams of apprentices and students work with tradespeople, designers, architects, and educators to reform the interior while learning skills of building arts. Since 2017, hundreds of adults and youth have gained skills at The Assembly House, contributing to an ever-evolving interactive museum and resource for design and construction education.

If you're looking for cool live music off the beaten path, this is the place. I came here for the…read moreVindy's show in June and had a nice time. There is mostly standing room for the venue, with some tables on the main level and a small balcony level for tables. I think everything was still walk-up service at the bar for that night. I didn't get any food and only had water to drink (stay hydrated!), but it looked like a pretty expansive menu for drinks. I was a little wary about the immediate surrounding area, since the streets immediately around the venue were cobblestone. This made it kind of hard to walk, when it wasn't super well lit. I was also confused by the parking arrangement in the area, since it seemed like the garage had some access restriction and the parking around the backside of the building also had confusing signage. This is not a criticism of the business whatsoever, just an important note for the other aspects of your visit.

Had a great night at Iron Works recently. Iron Works has a special place in my heart because that…read moreis where I saw my last show before the shutdown and my first show after the shutdown, and will always be associated with the importance of supporting live music and not taking live music for granted. Iron Works is an ideal venue in a lot fo way- not too big, not too small, and the perfect place for an intimate experience with a band you enjoy. Most recently we saw Caligula Blushed for their first visit to Buffalo. My other half has been a fan of The Smiths since forever, but we have stopped seeing Morrissey in concert. This was the next best thing to seeing Johnny Marr in concert. Great show, good crowd, not too crowded, and people were actually there to see the show unlike when we saw Nick Lowe at Iron Works and some people would not stop talking!! Post-pandemic, but also anytime, I have to say how incredibly wonderful it is to get fresh air during a show. The garage style door by the stage was open letting in some natural night and lots of fresh air on a cool night, which is really perfect for a show. I'm over crowded, stuffy, hot, and dark. The opening leads to an adorable patio with lots of tables, chairs, and string lights. There's a platform with seating and a little balcony with seating. There are lots places to set your drink whole dancing as the platform and pillars all have ledges. There are two selve-serve water coolers, which is also great to see. I tried a summer cocktail - a Loganberry Dirty Shirley, which was super sweet but that's what it's designed to be. A Coke was $3 and the cocktail specials were $10. Mocktails are $8 and there are other n/a offerings as well, along side beer, liquor, and what have you. They have a garden burger and fries on the menu, in addition to other meat and cheese foods. Tickets to this show were $12, which is so reasonable for a night out. This is more fun than going to the movies and should definitely be a go to if you want to get out of the house. Fresh air, water, seating...all this sets Iron Works apart. If you haven't been, go, and of it's been awhile, go back. My other half was reluctant to go out but was so glad he did.

This is the coolest event I've ever been to. Ever. I can't even describe the magnitude and feat of…read morethis. From 4pm to 4am, an otherwise usually-empty part of Buffalo is transformed into a huge art festival and free party of epic proportions. Grain elevators are decked out with huge art installations. I felt like I was in a video game of sorts walking around, with random adventures and surprises taking part on almost every corner. Going to this event made me feel like a gleeful tourist in my own city. From fire breathing to burlesque dancing to decked out psychedelic dance parties breaking out in random rooms of the silos and a huge main stage with projections, dancing and an awesome DJ. There's no use in having me write about every aspect of this event as there is just so much going on and it's bound to be different every year. All I can say is that if you missed it this year, be sure that you're there next year so you can be a part of something magical.

If I had to describe this event in one word it would be "WOW!"…read more Even though I had heard such positive things prior to attending, City of Night far exceeded my expectations. This past summer was my first time experiencing the magnitude of City of Night. Although in it's third year this was the first of which I could attend. City of Night is an art event that has so many unique features it is hard for me to even describe! Held at Silo City (92 Childs Street), the event cultivates a multi-disciplinary, sustainable, groundbreaking experience for all who attend. We parked in a lot near the First Niagara Center and waited for a shuttle bus to shuttle us over to 92 Childs Street. I guess I'm not the most patient person in the world because we actually ended up ditching the shuttle bus and walking. It was, however, much appreciated on the way back! The line to get into Silo City was long but moved quickly. I was pleased to see the bicycle check and donation based admission. Awesome. The event coordinators asked for attendees to share programs which is sustainable and appreciated. However, this was one of my first times at Silo City and it was difficult to determine which silos/buildings had installations, how to get into the buildings, etc. I really didn't want to miss anything. As the night went on, the people kept coming and the crowd was getting larger and larger. I hear the best part of City of Night is in fact the night time festivities, although I felt a little overwhelmed and left around 9pm. Don't get me wrong, I am happy so many Buffaloians came out to experience the art, music, and entertainment. The light installations were fascinating. I was puzzled at how these installations even came to be - from the creation process to the actual implementation. I hope to be in town and available year after year for this innovative, unique, creative, sustainable event. I plan to make it an all day event in the future. I can't even begin to imagine the amount of planning an event like this takes to pull off. Bravo to all those involved. Thank you for treating the people of Buffalo to City of Night!

Always way to crowded and lines are too long. So many better places to hold this and they pick the…read moresame place every year. It either needs a better layout or a new location.

What a perfect event to have on a dreary January day. This is more of a 3.5 star review but I'll…read morebump it to 4. My father in law bought my wife and tickets to Soupfest. They're $5. This entry fee simply gets you in the door. We pulled onto the road where Riverworks sits. There was a looong line of cars waiting to park but it went fairly quick. $5 to park. For the people who love math, that's $10 down without even tasting soup. We parked in a gravel lot a decent distance away from the entry. As we headed to the door a man walking away from the event was screaming, "Soupfest is a scam! It's a f****** rip off! You have to pay to get in and that doesn't get you any soup!" I think he was having a bad day... Anyway we walked in and folks were very helpful directing traffic and explaining which lines are for buying tickets, picking up tickets or the line to enter. Once we were finally in you then had to buy tickets for the soups. I believe tickets were $1 each. You could buy a full sheet. I ended up getting $20 worth of tickets. That's now $30 I've spent and haven't filled my tummy yet with warm broth. Soups ranged from two tickets ($2) to four tickets. It was really cramped at times but I never waited more than a minute for a soup. You get a cup sized portion. There were also dessert and snack options as well. I think people simply need to use more common sense when they're in line - don't cut folks, don't block the line to look at the menu, when you get your soup move away from the table so others can transact. Pro tip - they post the full menu on their website. Riverworks bars were still open which was nice. Best thing I tried was Joe's Deli's Chicken Bacon Jalapeno Popper soup. Great taste and had a perfect kick to it. Overall a fun event that I would attend again next year. Would I rather spend $30 elsewhere and have a full meal? Sure but you'll never have an opportunity to try so many great soups in a single spot.

Great live music venue in Buffalo, NY. They have on site…read moreparking but there were no spots available when we arrived. Street parking was free and easy to find. We parked right across from the venue. The venue is located in a refurbished church and the highlight for me was seeing all the fixtures including pews and glass stained windows still in tact. Getting in was easy they just checked our ids and scanned our tickets. Short walk from the entrance to the actual music area. There is a floor standing room area you can watch the music, as well as two elevated seating areas. The seats were pews and very roomy. It was nice to be able to sit and enjoy the show free from the crowds. The sound quality was mostly good but at times I found it was very loud and hard to hear what the musician was saying. Didn't get any drinks or use the bathroom, so I can't comment on this aspect. Overall, I thought this was a great venue.

This was the first time I have been here for a concert. My previous visits were for a fund raiser;…read morethere were no chairs set up, only vendors. I could not judge the space as a concert hall. My estimate is a capacity of 400-500 chairs, in rows of 14 the floor, plus the balcony. I was there to see Judy Collins, who still has a wonderful voice. (She is 87). A friend asked why she was not performing in the Mary Seton room at Kleinhans Music Hall. I think the acoustics are better here, as are the slightly padded chairs. It is certainly more intimate.

This is my favorite festival of the year. This year 2026, I have to say was one of the best. They…read moremade some changes that I think really paid off. There were "bleachers" through out the festival. I feel this was a great thing. It one gave more options for people to sit down, eat and relax. Which I think in turn cleared alot of space up. We walked through the festival for over three hours and not once felt crowded, and I really think that's because of all the new resting spots. I always get the family tickets from tops ahead of time, then collect the tickets from the tent. Always an easy process, shorter lines. Average good was going for 8 to 10 tickets, same as previous years so I did not see any increase there. And most had a 4 ticket sample item as well. Loved the variety..trying new restaurants. Entertainment is always spot on, that hasn't changed either. Just a good food festival..this year weather was perfect for it as well.

One of my favorite days of the year. Walking around downtown with my kids, eating way more than…read morenecessary, and teaching them how to review food. Pro tip: buy your tickets at TOPS before the festival. They're cheaper, and you get (non-alcoholic) drink coupons to use ar the fest. Our favorite this year was Nickel City Vice's "You're Nuts," a peanut butter cheesecake ice cream sandwich. The boys nearly died laughing when I went up to place our order and asked the guy, "Can I have You're Nuts?" We also happily demolished small FREE bags of Checkers & Rally's fries, some ethic eats, and Buffalo classics (Nick Charlap's custard, Just Pizza). The Taste of Buffalo is one of those events that reminds you how many great local restaurants and food businesses we have.

Every time I visit Canalside I am amazed at how much the area has changed since they first…read moreannounced the development. There is a bunch to see and do, and the area itself is just really nice. I love that they often host free events (both family friendly and adult oriented) and also things like fitness classes. There are places to take a seat and relax and there are some nice amenities and fun attractions like Shark Girl. There is ample surface lot parking plus there is the Harborfront garage. There is currently an indoor exhibit that is free (and air conditioned) about the history of the Erie Canal. There is also a canal boat, the carousel and the navel park. The one down side is that there seems to be perpetual construction. There are always fences, road blocks and other construction around. Great that development is happening, but it means that it might be a challenge to get around. A great place to enjoy the Buffalo waterfront and spend some time outdoors.

Canalside is a top destination in downtown Buffalo! The events they host throughout the year are…read morealways a great time, and it's even a nice space to just walk around even when there are not events going on. I always recommend it to visitors.

First time. Very interesting experience. We got a table pretty fast but it was VERY sticky. We…read moreordered our food and drinks and waite. And waited. And waited. After 20 mins we finally got the drinks and food. Mind you they were very simple food. It was quite good though. At the end we had to ask the bartender to get our waiter for the check and box. All in all food was great but probably not worth 4.7 stars

First off, ask for Tyrone. Great service by that young man!…read moreSecondly, order the crispy Brussel sprouts with candied bacon. Very yummy! Wife and I split the bbq chicken pizza which was plenty and we had leftovers.

LIKED: This historic…read morebuilding boasts ample parking, a wealth of historic artifacts, and convenient access due to its proximity to a major highway. WOULD HAVE LIKED: - The exhibits could be more appealing to adults instead of students. Many of the exhibits seem to be designed for elementary and middle school students rather than adults. - A more reasonable price. The current $23 fee appears excessive considering the value provided during a visit.

It is a great place for kids. They have interactive things and a variety of things to look atread more

Great shop, I have attended the Toast To Type Event here the last couple years and it's so much…read morefun.Its an evening of hands on printing demos, food and drink plus raffles on baskets, wine and wreaths.You get to handprint your own punny reusable tote bag and clink commemorative coasters.Its such a fun event. I also attended the posters for the irish classical theatre a Retrospective, which was cool to see all the posters of the past, especially the plays i have attended. The staff is friendly and you can purchase prints, posters, post cards and jewelry from local artists.

I have been going to the Toast to Type Event here the last few years and I must say it's a blast…read morefor a good cause.You can screen print a tote bag and coaster, which is so fascinating. You get food and drink included in your ticket price and they have raffles for baskets wine and wreaths. The shop is cool and the staff so nice, you can purchase posters, prints, stationary, jewelry and screenprints.I also had the chance to catch the posters for the Irish Classical theatre company Retrospective. So many exciting posters from past productions I have attended. This was so cool !!