THE HOT 5
An opinionated to-do list
By Christopher Schobert

It’s summertime in WNY, but the living is not that easy, not if you want to take advantage of everything on offer. There are multiple festivals on almost every weekend, not to mention garden walks, concerts, and architectural tours. Distilling the many events to a list of five was nearly impossible, so make sure to look closely at our calendars.


1. Delaware Avenue Neighborhood Tour of Homes
When it comes to architectural tours celebrating Buffalo’s most beautiful, historic sites, nobody does it better than Preservation Buffalo Niagara’s Buffalo Tours. The complete list—at www.preservationbuffaloniagara.org/page/buffalo-tours—is downright mind-blowing; there’s a tour a day, sometimes more. But perhaps the most interesting Buffalo Tour of the summer is scheduled for August 21, as BT teams up with the Theodore Roosevelt Site for the Delaware Neighborhood Tour of Homes. The self-guided tour will offer a rare glimpse inside the gorgeous properties located on Delaware Avenue and Oakland Place, including some private residences. Included in the cost is a lecture by architectural historian Martin Wachadlo at 7 p.m. on August 11 at the TR Site, 641 Delaware Avenue. Wachadlo will speak on the history and architecture of the Delaware neighborhood, and tickets for the tour will be sold that evening.
Tour sites open from 10 a.m.–3 p.m.; purchase tickets at the TR Site, the Market Arcade (617 Main St.), or 852-3300.

2. Wine and Culinary Festival at Artpark
Wine and Niagara County go together well, hence the surefire popularity of the second annual Wine and Culinary Festival at Artpark. Featuring wineries from across the Niagara Wine Trail, it offers a fine marriage of tasting and entertainment. Both days feature the Plein Air Painters from the Buffalo Society of Artists, live performances from Music is Art bands, and the BPO Beethoven Festival with conductor JoAnn Falletta. (At 8 p.m. on July 31 and 3 p.m. on August 1.) Plus, August 1 features live jazz in a Lewiston Jazz Festival preview, and July 31 is an Artpark “Free Family Saturday” with special performances and workshops.
Noon–8 p.m. on July 31 and noon–6 p.m. on August 1 at Artpark, 450 S. Fourth St., Lewiston; 754-4375 or www.artpark.net.

3. Art in the Woods in Jamestown
Art in the Woods photo by Terry Lorenc.

The summer is busy with art shows, and here’s a unique one: the Jamestown Audubon Society’s Art in the Woods, its third annual art show and sale, on July 17 and 18. It features works in natural media, clay, fiber, glass, jewelry, wood, as well as paintings and photography; it’s held outdoors, surrounded by the natural beauty of the Center’s gardens, birds, and butterflies. It’s a fundraiser, an art show, and a perfect weekend outside. For a list of participating artists, including bios, visit www.jamestownaudubon.org.
10 a.m.–6 p.m. on July 17 and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. on July 18 at the Jamestown Audubon Center & Sanctuary, 1600 Riverside Rd., Jamestown; 569-2345 or www.jamestownaudubon.org.

4. Kings of Leon at Darien Lake
Kings of Leon photo courtesy of Live Nation.

Darien Lake might not be the most comfortable or aesthetically pleasing of concert venues—in fact, it’s often intolerable—but dammit, they bring in the top acts. And in what has turned out to be a pretty stellar summer—Crowded House for ten bucks at the Erie Canal Harbor, Flaming Lips at Artpark, Public Enemy at Town, and the Swell Season at Babeville, not to mention June shows like the National and Rufus Wainwright for Rockin’ at the Knox and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart at the Tralf, and several others—but considering how strong Kings of Leon’s September show at Hamilton’s Copps Coliseum was, I’d call the Nashville band’s July 30 Darien Lake concert the pick of the season. The brothers Followill (and cousin) were growing in audience and praise with their first three albums, but then came Only By the Night—and it was huge. Singles like “Use Somebody” and “Notion” were true radio hits, and one gets the impression that the foursome are genuinely thrilled to be performing to large crowds. This, the band’s first local show, should be something special. And if the guy who danced wildly on the floor to “Sex on Fire” at the Hamilton show appears, we’ve got ourselves a party.
7:30 p.m. on July 30 at Darien Lake, Darien Center; 800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com.
Scottish Fest photo courtesy of the Amherst Museum.
5. Scottish Festival and Highland Games at the Amherst Museum
It is year twenty-six for the Amherst Museum’s Scottish Festival and Highland Games, and it’s got to be the only summer event that features haggis, pipe bands, “heavy event” championships, and clan-honoring. There are also weaving and cooking demonstrations, a silent auction, children’s games, and more. It’s one of many popular ethnic events in WNY—there are also Italian, Lebanese, Polish-American, Puerto Rican, and Irish fests—but surely one of the most unique.
9 a.m.–5 p.m. at the Amherst Museum, 3755 Tonawanda Creek Rd., Amherst; 689-1440 or www.amherstmuseum.org.

Associate editor Christopher Schobert’s favorite Scottish films are Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting and Powell and Pressburger’s I Know Where I’m Going.


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