Buy Local Week
Sunday, November 14, 2010 at 3:16PM 
Communities across the country kicked off the 8th Annual Buy Local Week on Friday, November 26, 2010. Events will continue through Sunday, December 5, 2010. Business and citizen networks celebrate Buy Local Week during the holiday season to educate people about the benefits of shopping locally and to encourage shopping at locally owned and independent stores before shopping at chain retailers.
Buffalo First, a local nonprofit organization that works to build a local, green and fair economy in Western New York will be highlighting Buffalo's eclectic and numerous neighborhoods, ranging from Hertel Avenue to Grant Street, University Heights to the Broadway Market. Buy Local Week is chock-full of special events, discounts, door prizes, including the newly published All Local Coupon Book - culminating with Buffalo First's Buy Buffalo Bash on December 4th - an event that will highlight local artists, vendors and sponsors from Buffalo and across the region. (A full listing of events and details are in the soon coming future.)
The campaign to Buy Local has the potential for local business owners to be prosperous and encourages the growth of economic sustainability and development. Economists forecast that U.S. consumers will spend approximately $445 billion during the 2010 holiday season. Studies have shown that dollars spent at local, independent businesses re-circulate in the local community up to three times more, making local holiday shopping an investment for Buffalo.
Rather than send profits to corporations that own big box stores and out-of-town chains, together, the goal is to make Buffalo prosper. However, there are many that do not think shopping local matters - education is key, especially when so many dollars are at stake.
The schedule for this week's events are: (list published by Buffalo First)
- Show your local spirit by using photos, music, stories, videos or any other creative methodology to let us know what you did to start a new tradition and support a new color (Post to our Facebook page or e-mail info@buffalofirst.org)
Top three participants will receive 2011 All Local Coupon Book
- Black Friday Funkout!
The inaugural Black Friday Funkout and Toy Drive -- $10 or $5 w/donation... of unopened. Supporting Buffalo City Mission + the Buffalo & Erie County Librarians (Mohawk Place, 47 E. Mohawk Place, 9pm)
SATURDAY: 11/27/10 MARKETS OVER MALLS
- The best of holiday shopping with local convenience:
Broadway Market (999 Broadway, 8am-5pm)
Buffalo Indie Market + Buffalo First Open House (Buffalo First
Offices, 910 Main St, 10am-1pm)
Citizens Waterfront Project (Pearl Street at Marine Drive, 2pm)
Clinton Bailey (1443-1517 Clinton, 6am-1pm)
Elmwood-Bidwell Farmer's Market (Bidwell Pkwy, 8am-1pm)
Lexington Co-Op (807 Elmwood, 8am-10pm)
Wintermarket (Lafayette Presbyterian Church, 10am-2pm)
SUNDAY: 11/28/10 TURKEY TOUCH FOOTBALL
- Sunday + Buffalo = Football
Two hand touch at Delaware Park (near baseball diamond at Meadow
Road (10am)
- Bills vs. Steelers at Cole's (1104 Elmwood Ave, 12:30pm)
Local brews and sports trivia on tap
MONDAY: 11/29/10 ELMWOOD VILLAGE
- Spend your evening in the Elmwood Village
- Blue Monk will host Campus Wheels, Splash Panic and Thin Ice for an evening of local retail, drink and conversation (7pm-10pm)
TUESDAY: 11/30/10 GRANT-AMHERST
- 464 Gallery (464 Amherst St) and the West Side Bazaar come together to highlight the eclectic character of the Grant-Amherst business district
Remarks on the revitalization of Black Rock and the role of the local
artisan community by Marcus Wise (5pm-7pm)
- Entertainment for the evening Presented by Joe's Service Center: Grant-Amherst Business Association's business of the year, Sportsmen's Tavern (326 Amherst St) with the Jony James Band ($3 Cover; 7pm-9pm)
WEDNESDAY: 12/01/10 SOUTH BUFFALO
- Historical and cultural heritage tour of South Buffalo
Free Admission and tours of the Buffalo + Erie County Botanical Gardens (2655 S Park Ave, 3pm-5pm)
Our Lady of Victory Shrine + Basilica (767 Ridge Rd, 5pm-7pm)
Celtic music at Caz Cafe (7pm-9pm)
Feat. Kate Panfil + Megan Callahan
THURSDAY: 12/02/10 DOWNTOWN
- Business Mixer at Blue Buffalo featuring Western New York Book Arts and friends (5pm-7pm)
- Buy Local Week portrait opening at the Vault
Feat. Erica Eichelkraut and Chuck Tingley (7pm-9pm)
- Merge (439 Delaware) hosts Buffalo First for an evening of good friends, drinks and music
Feat. Eric Crittenden ($3 Cover; 9pm-11pm)
FRIDAY: 12/03/10 ALLENTOWN
- Buffalo's Holiday Open Studios and Galleries: Allen St. Hardware to
Hero Designs to El Buen Amigo and everywhere in between (5pm-9pm)
- WAM's 2nd Annual 'Give Local' preview night at The Eights Bistro (7pm)
- The Jamie Moses Band at Allen St. Hardware (9pm)
SATURDAY: 12/04/10 HERTEL HOLIDAY WALK
- Enjoy a festive day strolling Hertel: bounce between Antiques, Korona
Jewelry, Second Reader Bookshop, Coo Coo U, Modern Nostalgia,
Chateau Buffalo, and more! (12pm-5pm)
12/04/10 BUY LOCAL BASH!
- The Eight's Bistro hosts all the Main Street-minded for the capstone event of Buy Local Week
Entrance: $7 without non-perishable item/$5 with (Donations to be
given to the Food Bank of WNY)
Local marketplace 7pm-8:30pm, Bash 8:30-?
Featured local artists include: Ethan Steigerwald, Jon Herr, Fudgy
Chewy, DJ Cutler and Bashar Deeb
All week we'll be giving away prizes from local businesses and raffling off one grand prize at the Buy Local Bash at the end of the week -- follow us all week long and the more you participate, the better your chances to win!
Prizes courtesy of (more to be announced soon):
Amy's Place, Battin Optician, Buffalo First, Half + Half Clothing, Hyatt's All Things Creative, merge, online thymes, sbp., Quinn Caya, LMT, RYT, Spoiled Rotten, Sweet Tooth, Thomas Holt, Ulrich's Tavern, Watson's
(Buffalo First Contributed to this article, visit their website at http://www.buffalofirst.org