BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Organizers announced tickets for all four sessions of the 38th annual Taste of Buffalo will go on sale June 11.
The Taste of Buffalo went "virtual" in 2020 due to COVID-19, it makes its in-person return on July 10 and 11 with COVID-19 health protocols in place.
“This year will be a little bit more of an intimate event," Amber Hartman, the 2021 Taste of Buffalo Chair said. "We will be here throughout Niagara Square as well as down Delaware. It will still feel and look like the Taste of Buffalo.”
Admission tickets will be $20 and will include food and beverage tickets. They must be purchased in advance and no admission tickets will be sold at the festival. Organizers say there are limited tickets available for each session and children 3 and younger are free.
Tickets for three of the four sessions: 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, and 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sunday will be sold online. The $20 ticket will admit one and includes $10 in food and beverage tickets. You can visit the Taste of Buffalo website here on June 11 to buy tickets.
You will have the option to purchase additional food tickets online, which you will receive when you redeem your admission at the gate, or you can purchase additional food tickets at the tent inside the festival.
“We had to consider space, and we had to consider the logistics of how big we can make this event and still be able to secure it," Hartman said.
Tops Friendly Markets will offer a special bonus ticket deal for the Tops Markets Session on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The tickets will only be available at the registers at Tops stores and will will be $20 and include $15 in food and beverage tickets, a $5 bonus.
Each ticket purchased will inform the attendee which of three gates they should enter: Gate A - Delaware Avenue at Huron, Gate B - Court Street and Franklin, and Gate C - Delaware Avenue and West Eagle. Gates will open 30 minutes prior to each session.
“All the entrances are equal. We have had a couple questions on which one I should pick. Pick any. A, B, or C," Hartman said.
Officials say the perimeter of the festival will be closed and monitored by security. Guests will be given wristbands that are specific to each session. You may purchase tickets to multiple sessions but must exit the festival at the end of each session.
According to organizers, the following COVID-19 protocols will also be in place:
- Guests who are fully vaccinated will not need to wear a face covering.
- Guests who are not vaccinated are asked to wear a mask except while they are eating or drinking.
- Proof of vaccination and a negative PCR test are no longer required, although guests must complete an online health questionnaire within 24 hours of arrival.
“Tickets will be limited and with the interest we’ve seen already they’re likely to go fast,” Taste of Buffalo 2021 Chairwoman Amber Hartman said. “I highly encourage everyone to get ready to purchase their admission either at Tops or online as soon as they’re on sale to make sure you don’t miss out on this year’s event.”
You can find a list of participating restaurants here.
