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PrintHot 5: August 2012
Some of us are happy spending a few hours of a summer evening in a darkened movie theater. (Guilty.) Others enjoy being out on Lake Erie, or biking with the family. Some hit farmers’ markets, and still others just want to talk tats. (You’ll see what I mean shortly.) Remember, summer means never having to say you’re sorry, so whatever your favorite pastime, enjoy it proudly.
Buffalo Poker Run
Here’s a unique bit of summer fare: the Western New York Offshore Powerboat Association’s (WNYOPA) annual Buffalo Poker Run. It’s a chance to see more than eighty high performance boats in action, and that’s going to be one cool visual. It all starts on August 10, as festivities begin at Templeton Landing with a cocktail party and dinner; performance boats will be on display. On Saturday, August 11, Poker Run participants will start collecting their “cards” to create the best poker hand, and an awards reception and dinner at Templeton Landing will bring things to a close. A portion of the proceeds benefits Excalibur Leisure Skills, a private, nonprofit, all-volunteer charitable organization dedicated to providing cost-free adaptive boating and fishing opportunities for disabled and disadvantaged individuals
Dinner at 6 p.m. Friday, August 10, at Templeton Landing, boats launched at 8–9:45 a.m. on Saturday, August 11, at Erie Basin Marina; 716-510-9669 or buffalopokerrun.com.
Vegas flicks at the Riviera
Each summer, the Riviera Theatre hosts a summer movie series, with recent selections saluting the year 1939, the iconic Barbara Streisand, and Benjamin Braddock himself, Dustin Hoffman. For summer 2012, North Tonawanda becomes Vegas, baby. The series has already shown some Bond, Sinatra, and Mike Tyson (The Hangover), but in August, things really get good: Scorsese’s underrated Casino on August 2; Warren Beatty in Bugsy, on August 9; Elvis and Ann Margaret in Viva Las Vegas on August 16; the immortal Godfather on August 23; and the Ocean’s 11 remake on August 30. The chance to see The Godfather on the big screen is fabulous, but I’ll spare you an “offer you can’t refuse” line.
7 p.m. Thursdays in August at the Riviera Theatre, 67 Webster St., N. Tonawanda; 716-692-2413 or rivieratheatre.org.
Niagara Tattoo Expo
The Hot 5 does not need to only include events that are up my alley—I’m not Hot 5 dictator—and there is no better example of this than the inclusion of the Niagara Tattoo Expo from August 3 to 5. This is, no doubt, going to be huge. It’s the second year for an event that drew more than 2,500 people in 2011, and features famous folks from TLC’s LA Ink and Spike TV’s Inkmasters, and artists from Western New York and around the world. Events will include burlesque shows, suspension and art fusion, outdoor concerts, and “freak” shows, and funds will be raised for Opportunities Unlimited, the American Red Cross, and the Food Bank of WNY.
4–11 p.m. on Friday, August 3, and 11 a.m.–11 p.m. on Saturday, August 4, and Sunday, August 5, at the Niagara Falls Conference Center, 101 Old Falls St., Niagara Falls; 862-8282 or niagaratattooexpo.com.
2012 WNYMBA-IMBA Festival & Single Track Stampede III
As the Western New York Mountain Bicycling Association’s website puts it, “This Festival will be all about hanging out and riding bikes.” The three-day event—August 24, 25, and 26—offers a chance for WNYMBA members and their families to race, camp, and enjoy other activities. The website has a complete breakdown of the fun (kids race!).
Starts at 8:30 a.m. Friday, August 24, running through Sunday, August 26, at Sprague Brook Park; 716-858-8355 or wnymba.org.
UB South Campus summer events
The University at Buffalo South Campus is especially busy during the summer. UB on the Green was held in July, but two more events can be enjoyed this month: the University Community Farmers Market, on Saturdays through October 13, and the UB Outdoor Summer Movie Series, on Wednesdays through August 15. (The North Campus will also hold a free outdoor movie series, on Tuesdays and Fridays through August 17 at the Special Events Field.) Food and flicks. In other words, the best of summer.
University Community Farmers Market: from 8 a.m.–1 p.m. on Saturdays through Oct. 13 at the South Campus parking lot at Main St. and Kenmore Ave.; UB Outdoor Summer Movie Series: dusk on Wednesdays through Aug. 17 at Hayes Hall lawn on South Campus; www.ourheights.org/farmersmarket.html.
Associate editor Christopher Schobert believes Goodfellas and The Godfather Part II are neck-and-neck in the Best Movie Ever race, held in his mind, daily.
