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2021 event photos courtesy of the Taste of Buffalo.
2021 event photos courtesy of the Taste of Buffalo.

Taste of Buffalo presented by Tops returns July 9 & 10

Submitted

Tue, Jun 21st 2022 12:00 pm

Highlights include 40 restaurants & food trucks; New York state wineries; plenty of food & fun for whole family

The nation’s largest two-day food festival, Taste of Buffalo presented by Tops, returns to downtown Buffalo Saturday, July 9 (11 a.m. to 9 p.m.), and Sunday, July 10 (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.). Patrons can enjoy culinary delights from 40 restaurants and food trucks, five New York state wineries, live music and more along Delaware Avenue, starting at Chippewa Street and continuing into Niagara Square.

“Celebrating its 39th year, the Taste of Buffalo has always been about bringing our community together to share food and good times, while celebrating the city we love,” said Luke Baecker, 2022 Taste of Buffalo chair. “This year’s Taste is an opportunity for all of us to join with our neighbors from across the city, the suburbs, and beyond to celebrate why we are known as the City of Good Neighbors and show our support for our community and our local restaurants.”

Eleven new restaurants and food trucks are participating in this year’s event, including Alchemy Wine and Beer, Big Ditch Brewing Co., Brodies, Caribbean Flava, Fat Lady’s Cakes & Pies, Hofbräuhaus BuffaloAnchor, KT Caribbean Cuisine, Mi IsLa, Mother Cluckers, Steaksters and Unbridled Café.

In partnership with the Independent Health Foundation, each participating restaurant will again offer a “Healthy Option” menu item that is lower in fat and sodium. To provide flexibility in menu planning and portioning, restaurants will also provide a smaller “taste portion” of one or more of their menu items.

Admission to the Taste of Buffalo is free. Food and beverage tickets can be purchased at the festival in $6 sheets. Cash, Visa and Mastercard are accepted.

Beginning Sunday, June 12, participating Tops Markets will sell presale Taste food ticket vouchers at the registers. Vouchers are available in $10 and $60 increments and are redeemable at the festival ticket tents. Each $60 voucher comes with four free, nonalcoholic beverages.

2021 event photos courtesy of the Taste of Buffalo.

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Get a Taste of Food and Fun

A press release noted, “The Taste is grateful to have the continued support of Tops Markets as its presenting sponsor for the 19th year.”

“In this time of solidarity, we’re proud to continue to bring our community together for food and fellowship for the 39th annual Taste of Buffalo,” said John Persons, president of Tops Friendly Markets. “We’ve been proud to support our community for the past 60 years, and as the sponsor of the Taste for the past 19 years, bringing you the very best that Tops has to offer – and we look forward to seeing everyone this year at Niagara Square.”

Stop by Tops Markets’ big, striped tent at the foot of Delaware Avenue and Niagara Square to try something from the menu. Grilled chicken sandwiches, grilled chicken salads paired with Newman’s Own dressing and Ocean Spray Craisins, Tops Italian sausage with peppers and onions, Sahlen’s hot dogs, Tops summer slaw, corn on the cob and Tops Chantilly cupcakes will all be available to purchase. Samples also will be available for Tops brand items at its other tent inside Niagara Square – and stop by the Tops Pharmacy tent, too. Tops pharmacy associates will be on hand both days (from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.), conducting onsite COVID-19 booster clinics and state DMV vision tests.

Several sponsors will also offer samples, demonstrations and interactive activities, along with plenty of entertainment and fun. Here’s a “taste” of some of the experiences to check out this year:

√ Make a $2 donation to Independent Health Foundation’s “Healthy Options at Home” program to help feed the underserved in the community, and receive a tray to carry all your Taste food and drinks. Visit Independent Health at the TOB for free giveaways (while supplies last), and to learn a variety of ways to stay active and have fun this summer – including bike demonstrations from partners at Reddy Bikeshare.

√ Buy any two Coke products at any Coke tent and get a free Coke drawstring backpack, while they last.

√ Labatt and other local craft beers will be available at five walk-up beer tents.

√ The Taste of Fun KidZone is back, presented by WellNow Urgent Care and hosted by Explore & More Children’s Museum. Kids  ages 10 and under can enjoy activities such as the WellNow teddy bear x-ray machine, Explore & More’s farm-to-fork play area, and free samples of Lay’s Stax, Cracker Jack, Keebler Cookies, and SweetTarts, while supplies last.

√ The Culinary Stage is live again all weekend long, starting at noon both days, in the New Era Cap parking lot sponsored by Artisan Kitchens and Baths and Buffalo Spree. Featuring Buffalo’s own chef Darian Bryan and other top Buffalo chefs, be sure to get a seat and enjoy free samples before the demonstrations – and a taste of the finished chef dishes. Don’t miss the Singing Cops, who will learn how to make a recipe with chef Darian – sure to get you laughing. Also, come cheer on the Taste of Buffalo scholarship recipients and watch them compete to make the Best burger in the student burger battle. And New York Pork Producers Cooperative and chef Eury Santana present a small-bite pork belly recipe inspired by the Dominican Republic.

√ Get a free 360-degree picture at the photo booth inside Niagara Square, compliments of Lab Entertainment, from 1-4 p.m. both days

√ The TUMS truck will be serving up samples from the brand for heartburn relief, plus branded swag, as well as serving up a #TUMSworthy menu item worth the burn. Plus, capture your love for food with the on-site TUMS Cam.

√ I Love NY Experience is a 900 square-foot, immersive experience where attendees can explore New York in augmented reality, transport themselves to a state attraction through a customized 360-degree GIF, and receive insider tips about the must-see places to go.

 √ The Bubble Bar, Buffalo’s first mobile wine trailer and powered by Alchemy Wine & Beer, will be serving up brunch cocktails throughout the day. Just follow the floating bubbles!

 √ Enjoy live music throughout the event from local bands, acoustic artists, and a live DJ.

√ Additional sponsors are located throughout the festival and offer guests an interactive experience or samples. They include Colgate, Erie County Department of Health, Equitable Advisors, IV360, KIND Frozen, LASIK Vision Institute, New Era, New York State Troopers, NFTA Metro, Urgent Care Dental, WellNow Urgent Care and Yakult.

2021 event photos courtesy of the Taste of Buffalo.

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Supporting Our Community

TOB stated, “As the Buffalo community continues to heal and honor the lives of those lost in the devasting act of violence that took place on May 14, the Taste has partnered with Tops Markets to support the Buffalo 5/14 Survivors Fund. You’ll see heart-shaped QR codes all throughout the festival. Scan the code with your phone to make a donation. One hundred percent of the donations go directly to the survivors. Let’s lift up our community with love!”

In addition, event organizers invite patrons to sit down and enjoy a meal with people in the community in the “Share a Meal with Your Neighbor” tent located inside Niagara Square. Strike up a conversation and to get to know one another.

“It’s great to have the Taste of Buffalo, one of our city’s great summer traditions, back this July,” Mayor Byron Brown said. “I thank Taste of Buffalo organizers and Taste sponsor, Tops Markets, for finding a way to honor the victims of the May 14 tragedy, and creating a quick and easy way for Taste-goers to make financial donations to the Buffalo 5/14 Survivors Fund using the QR codes. I also think our entire community will embrace the ‘Share a Meal with Your Neighbor’ tent and have conversations with open hearts and minds while enjoying great food.”

Visit tasteofbuffalo.com to view the digital festival guide featuring participating restaurants and their menu items, the festival site map, the culinary stage schedule, and more.

2021 event photos courtesy of the Taste of Buffalo.

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About Taste of Buffalo presented by Tops

The Taste of Buffalo presented by Tops is the nation's largest two-day food festival. The not-for-profit organization uses more than 1,000 volunteers to help stage the annual event.

Approximately $543,000 has been raised at the festival for local charities, including scholarships awarded annually to local high school seniors pursuing a culinary or hospitality-related degree. For more information, visit tasteofbuffalo.com, and find @tasteofbuffalo on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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