This year, organizers of Buffalo’s most delicious summer festival are thrilled to share some exciting news. Niagara Square will be taken over this July, not by the Taste of Buffalo, but a celebration of the Taste of Amherst.

“We wanted to take a specific focus,” shared Taste of Buffalo Board Member Peggy Chopsmith, “after the excitement surrounding last year’s Applebee’s stand, we realized there was a market to really grill down on.”

This year’s culinary celebration will take visitors on an adventure through some of Amherst’s most-loved restaurants, bars, and drive-through dealers of piquancy. To give festival-goers a more comfortable experience, the booths will be laid out in an easily-recognized pattern, with booths given an extra 100 feet of vertical clearance for signage.



“There’s no question that the most venerable taste experiences in Amherst are found along Niagara Falls Boulevard (NFB for short), so we’ll be laying out the festival in the same order they would be seen driving down the Boulevard. Cars will also be allowed in the circle again for the first time, with ropes and stanchions protecting the select few diners who still choose to experience the festival on foot,” Peggy explained. "We want to give as genuine an experience as possible.”

Most people aware of the festival changes were excited to hear the news, like Garth Fife, who rents-to-own in the Buffalo suburb. "Every year I went to the festival before this, I didn’t recognize any of these swanky restaurants and their booths. Must be they hadn’t opened franchises on the Boulevard yet, why I don’t know - it’s a gold mine out thee. I just really think the City of Buffalo has been really progressive allowing me to sip my wine slushie IN MY CAR this year. Anyway, I’ll just be glad to know exactly where in the square is safe to visit this year.“

"Our family is so excited for this reason to finally travel into the city,” said Tracy Smith, mother of 3 children, ages 8, 12, and 16, and owner of soygoodcandleco.com (a homemade candle sales website, featuring scents Tracy selected herself, such as “Red Hots Summer” and “Fresh-Poured Strip Mall Blacktop”). "We’ve warned the kids that it won’t be what they’re used to, but they’re hopeful we’ll let them off the safety leashes if McDonalds gets the approval to turn the monument into a PlayPlace Ball Pit.”

More than 50 vendors have been approved for this year’s festival, many of whom are eager to share their distinct creations, both edible and otherwise. Buffalo Wild Wings is reportedly developing a new recipe for their Parmesan Garlic Sauce, which they hope to sell as an SPF 50 sunscreen.



Taste of Amherst will run July 11th and 12th, and tickets (this year called “Coupins”) will be available at all gates and on-ramps.

