Friday, September 18 First Fridays in Buffalo mean art. Like, WAY too much art. Not to worry, the openings are staggered, and you can gallery-hop between small independent galleries (some in charming East Aurora), eclectic industrial spaces, and long-established cultural institutions. See photography reminiscent of “a shipwrecked novel,” a group show culled from recent, intense studio visits, or abstract art focused on “Color, Frequency & Flow.”
Saturday, September 19 Kidical Mass started in Eugene, Oregon in 2008: a family-friendly group bike ride to celebrate and bring awareness to cyclists of all ages, and promote multi-modal transit policies. This Saturday morning, Buffalo chapter members and the public can participate in the first-ever global group ride- “Kidical Massive,” starting and ending at the Niagara Branch Library on Porter Avenue. Bring your kids, and be young at heart for a day!
Sunday, September 20 To wrap up the annual celebration that is Curtain Up, the Buffalo Philharmonic and several local theater companies are collaborating on a performance at the historic Kleinhans Music Hall. The best part is, you can get a seat by donation ($20 and up suggested) AND support Give for Greatness, a program of Arts Services Initiative.
Monday, September 21 A new Monday night tradition is Slow Roll Buffalo, a huge group bike ride that was inspired by one in Detroit, and now has chapters across the Rust Belt. Founders there trained the local crew, who have taken the ride to epic proportions — or should we say the riders have? People of all stripes show up en masse to a new venue in Buffalo each week, eating and drinking locally before and after the 7-8 mile ride. While the size of the crowd can make the ride a little slow for experienced cyclists, the sense of community is unmatched.
Tuesday, September 22 Sometimes, you just have to let the event description speak for itself: “São Paulo Underground is an electronica-laced tropicalia funhouse, a secret passage between Chicago’s volatile avant garde jazz scene and Brazil’s teeming creative capital.” Led by cornet player Rob Mazurek, a veteran disrupter of genre conventions, the Underground plays tonight at Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center.
Wednesday, September 23 What’s that? Drinking in a church? In a CHURCH MUSEUM? You heard right. Buffalo’s Young Preservationists and the public are invited to a free tour of the Buffalo Religious Arts Center, a church-turned-museum of church artifacts in the historic old Black Rock neighborhood. Local pizza and beer will be available for sale at the conclusion of the tour.
Thursday, September 24 Building on a proud tradition of thought leaders and cutting-edge culture centered in Western New York, the Buffalo Humanities Festival kicks off Wednesday, with the theme “Gender Bender”. With events through the weekend, the annual event consists of lectures, group gatherings and thought-provoking authors and educators. Specifically, Jill Lepore and her Secret History of Wonder Woman, the topic of an book discussion group on Thursday at Sweetness7 Cafe.
Planning next weekend, too? Come to Cleveland for Belt’s Industry Tour on the 26th for an expert-led tour of Slavic Village followed by beer, bowling and (free Belt) books. https://beltmag.com/product/belt-industry-tour-tickets-september-26/
