Thomas on 'Penn & Teller,' Spring Lake Winery to host premiere of holiday movie 'Joy & Hope'

Western New York is once again making its mark in Hollywood.

Buffalo native and magician Garrett Thomas is on deck to perform for “Penn & Teller: Fool Us,” a show where the longtime entertainers try to figure out how their guests’ tricks are done.

The program was recorded before the pandemic and will air on The CW on Monday, Oct. 19 (9 p.m.).

Thomas, 43, has been performing magic since he was 16, including at the former magic venue The Forks Hotel in Cheektowaga. He has appeared regularly at many locations in Upstate New York, as well as special appearances throughout the U.S. including The Magic Castle in Los Angeles.

Celebrity icon Madonna once invited Garrett to perform for a family event in London. He has also been a writer/consultant for the David Blaine TV show since 2003.

Growing up, the family had an art studio where he “had access to everything.” He describes himself as an artist, with magic as his medium.

“I really feel it’s an art form that benefits society,” Thomas said. “It’s not just for entertainment, it’s used for education, critical thinking and logic and really helps people sort things out when they experience something like this.”

He is respected by peers and fans alike for both his sleight-of-hand and philosophy on life.

 “I know right now being an artist and an entertainer is a scary thing, but use this time to recharge, because artists and entertainers are needed more than ever,” he said.

Thomas also teaches magic.

“I’ve really just tried to experiment with all different parts of the magic industry, whether it’s creation, performance, education or theory,” he said. “I’m not just a performance magician. What I mainly do is invent, discover, create, and make magic tricks for magicians worldwide.”

Specializing in close up sleight-of-hand magic, Thomas is always ready to perform, to share his magic because “the gift of a magical moment is something that stays with you forever.”

Thomas is on Facebook and YouTube, where one commenter wrote “He is amazing! …And not just for the amazing magic he does but for his thoughts on magic and life.”

Spring Lake Winery to Host Film Premiere & Dinner

Gemelli Films’ Christmas Move “Joy & Hope” Premieres at Lockport Winery

Spring Lake Winery will host the premiere of the holiday movie “Joy & Hope” by Gemelli Films across two nights this October. The film stars Cody Calafiore (currently on “Big Brother 22: All Stars”), Vivica A. Fox (“Empire”), Chris Owen (“American Pie” franchise) and Abigail Hawk (“Blue Bloods”). The film also features wine from Spring Lake Winery in a poignant scene between Ethan (Andrew Rogers) and Joy (Alix Kermes).

“I am absolutely thrilled that the premiere for ‘Joy & Hope’ is going to be held at Spring Lake Winery,” writer/director Candy Cain said. “Tamre (Varallo, owner of Spring Lake) and I have worked together on several projects over the past year, so it is really nice to be able to premiere this film with her. What she has planned for the event is absolutely incredible!”

Cain will be in attendance at the premiere to meet & greet with fans. Members of the cast attending the premiere will be announced closer to the event.

“Joy & Hope” will be released on the streaming service Pure Flix on Nov. 1, and run all the way through the end of February. Inspired by Netflix, Pure Flix is a streaming service that focuses on faith-based and family-friendly content.

“I have always seen Spring Lake Winery as a location in a Christmas movie,” Varallo said. “Having our wine appear in these films is the first step toward making that vision a reality.”

Spring Lake partnered with chef Michael Zambito, the owner of Zambistro, in order to create a delectable farm-to-table dinner that highlights several Spring Lake wines.

The two-night premiere and dinner will be held at Spring Lake Winery beginning at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 14-15. Tickets are $98 per person, and include the four-course meal, film and meet & greet opportunities with cast and crew.