This year's Buffalo Winterfest and Powderkeg Festival has been put on ice.
Event organizers say they want to permanently move the festival to the downtown waterfront. But complications, including uncertainty involving the months-long NHL lockout for use of First Niagara Center, caused problems.
Festival officials say taking the year off will allow them to make the event bigger and better. They say downtown projects like HarborCenter and ice skating on reconstructed canals could work well with the winter celebration.
“The committee truly feels that going forward the Buffalo Waterfront provides a first class venue that can produce an event that our city can be proud of and deserves,” says Drew Cerza, festival organizer.
Last year's festival was held in Niagara Square. Locations and weather conditions have varied over the life of the event.
There will be a family-friendly winter celebration called Flurrious! in Delaware Park this Saturday with some of the same outdoor activities centered around the Parkside Lodge.