Officials have planned a long list of activities that they hope will draw thousands of people to Buffalo's Outer Harbor this summer. While previewing the events at Wilkeson Pointe on Monday, officials introduced the managing team, one which sprouts from a longtime Buffalo company.
Beginning Memorial Day Weekend, activities at the Outer Harbor include bike and water sports rentals, fitness classes, a beer festival, boat and hot rod show and an Independence Day celebration.
Outer Harbor will also be the host to a colorful inflatable maze on its opening weekend known as "Architects of Air." It will also host the UniverSoul Circus and later in the summer will be the location for the 35th Buffalo Irish Festival.
The group overseeing daily operations at the Outer Harbor is a recently-formed subsidiary of Rich Products, Outer Harbor Management Group, which sprouts from Rich's Be Our Guest, Ltd. The latter was awarded rights last fall by the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation to manage daily events at the Outer Harbor.
"We view ourselves as a complement to Canalside and the great work that's gone on there," said Outer Harbor Management Group general manager Matt LaSota. "We're the next part of the waterfront development here.
"Whether you get here by car or take the bike ferry, you can get to Wilkeson Pointe and all the events and daily programming that we have here."
The daily programming includes bike and water sports rentals. There will also be free exercise classes available. A full list of activites and schedule of events is available on Outer Harbor Buffalo's website.
Officials from the Erie Canal Habor Development Corporation were present for Monday's preview. So, too, were Buffalo Bisons baseball executives. The Bisons, like the newly-formed Outer Harbor Management Group, are a Rich Products subsidiary.
Among the elected officials present to speak were Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and Rep. Brian Higgins, the latter of whom said Wilkeson Pointe is being put to better use now than it was before.
"Ten years ago, this was the site where the ice boom was stored for the New York Power Authority," Higgins said. "Along with the 2005 settlement that brought almost $300 million to this community earmarked for waterfront development, they moved that ice boom off of this site. This is a higher and better use."
