From Canalside and the Outer Harbor to RiverWorks and Silo City, Buffalo’s waterfront offers enough attractions to fill multiple day trips. Canalside features a boardwalk that links the solar-powered Heritage Carousel to the Naval & Military Park, with the Explore & More – The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Children’s Museum and plenty of green spaces in between. Bring your bike for a car-free day of exploring. You may notice a cereal scent in the air—Buffalo is home to a General Mills plant that produces Lucky Charms and Cheerios, among other brands, filling the air with the sweet aroma of toasted oats.
You may also enjoy our guide to exploring the Queen City at Buffalo’s Delaware Park.
Plan Your Day Trip to Buffalo
Breakfast
Enjoy a meal at the Swan Street Diner, Lake Effect Diner, or Betty’s.
Morning
Enjoy a short ride across the Buffalo River on the Queen City Bike Ferry, which connects Canalside and the Outer Harbor. At the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, explore the museum and four decommissioned naval vessels. Alternatively, take a narrated Buffalo River History Tour, enjoy a Buffalo Harbor Cruise, or sail Lake Erie aboard the catamaran moondanceCat or the tall ship Spirit of Buffalo.
Fun fact: The Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park is the largest inland naval park in the United States.
Lunch
Enjoy Canalside’s seasonal dining options, such as Liberty Hound, or walk to Pearl Street Grill & Brewery, Southern Tier Brewing, or Panorama on Seven. Alternatively, head to Buffalo’s Outer Harbor for waterfront seating at Charlie’s Boat Yard.
Afternoon
Head to Buffalo’s Outer Harbor, beginning with a drive along Fuhrmann Boulevard to Buffalo Harbor State Park, Wilkeson Pointe, and Buffalo Lighthouse Park. Visit Tifft Nature Preserve and follow boardwalks along five miles of trails through the wetlands. Then rent a bike at the Outer Harbor or Canalside to explore miles of paved bike trails along the Lake Erie shoreline and the Buffalo River.
Dinner
Consider Bella Ciao, Chef’s Restaurant, Frankie Primo’s +39, or Mother’s Restaurant.
Evening
Consider planning your evening around a show at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre, a Buffalo Bisons baseball game at Sahlen Field, or a Buffalo Sabres hockey game or concert at KeyBank Center. You could also try your luck at Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino or enjoy the sunset over Lake Erie from Wilkeson Pointe or Canalside’s colorful sunset chairs.
Signature Events
Dyngus Day in April brings one of the nation’s largest Dyngus Day celebrations to Buffalo on the Monday after Easter. Buffalo’s Polish-American community celebrates the end of Lent and the arrival of spring with parades, polka music, pierogi, and playful pussy willows.
The Cherry Blossom Festival in late April celebrates spring at The Buffalo History Museum and the Japanese Garden in Delaware Park, where cherry trees bloom around Mirror Lake.
The Allentown Arts Festival in mid-June fills historic Allen Street with artists, live music, food, and artisan vendors.
Taste of Buffalo in early July brings more than 40 restaurants, food trucks, and wineries to downtown Buffalo for a free two-day festival. Food tastings are available for purchase.
Garden Walk Buffalo in late July opens more than 300 private and public gardens in Buffalo’s Elmwood Village and Parkside neighborhoods for self-guided tours.
The Erie County Fair in mid-August celebrates the region’s agricultural heritage with livestock competitions, concerts, demonstrations, exhibits, midway rides, and the World’s Largest Demolition Derby. Organized by the Erie County Agricultural Society since 1819, the Hamburg fair is also associated with the claimed origin of the hamburger in 1885.
The National Buffalo Wing Festival on the weekend before Labor Day celebrates Buffalo’s signature dish at Sahlen Field with wing vendors, live music, contests, demonstrations, and the United States Chicken Wing Eating Championship.
Contact Information
Bella Ciao 200 Delaware Ave., bellaciaobuffalo.com
Betty’s 370 Virginia St., (716) 362-0633, bettysbuffalo.com
Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park 1 Naval Park Cove, (716) 847-1773, buffalonavalpark.org
Buffalo Harbor Cruises 329 Erie St., (716) 856-6696, buffaloharborcruises.com
Buffalo River History Tours 44 Prime St., (716) 796-4556, buffaloriverhistorytours.com
Charlie’s Boat Yard 1111 Fuhrmann Blvd., (716) 828-1600, charliesboatyard.com
Chef’s Restaurant 291 Seneca St., (716) 856-9187, ilovechefs.com
Explore & More – The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Children’s Museum 130 Main St., (716) 655-5131, exploreandmore.org
Frankie Primo’s +39 51 W. Chippewa St., (716) 855-3739, frankieprimos39.com
KeyBank Center (Buffalo Sabres) 1 Seymour H. Knox III Plaza, (716) 855-4100, nhl.com/sabres
Lake Effect Diner 3165 Main St., (716) 833-1952, lakeeffectdiner.com
Liberty Hound 1 Naval Park Cove, (716) 845-9173, libertyhoundbuffalo.com
moondanceCat 329 Erie St., (716) 854-7245, moondancecat.com
Mother’s Restaurant 33 Virginia Place, (716) 882-2989, mothersrestaurantbuffalo.com
Outer Harbor 225 Fuhrmann Blvd., (716) 436-7100, buffalowaterfront.com
Panorama on Seven 95 Main St., (716) 852-0049, panoramaonseven.com
Pearl Street Grill & Brewery 76 Pearl St., (716) 856-2337, pearlstreetgrill.com
Queen City Bike Ferry 44 Prime St., queencityferry.com
Sahlen Field (Buffalo Bisons) 1 James D. Griffin Plaza, (716) 846-2000, milb.com/buffalo
Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino 1 Fulton St., (877) 873-6322, senecabuffalocreekcasino.com
Shea’s Buffalo Theatre 650 Main St., (716) 847-0850, sheas.org
Southern Tier Brewing 7 Scott St., (716) 436-7999, stbcbeer.com
Spirit of Buffalo 44 Prime St., (716) 796-7210, spiritofbuffalo.com
Swan Street Diner 700 Swan St., (716) 768-1823, swanstreetdiner.com
Tifft Nature Preserve 1200 Fuhrmann Blvd., (716) 825-6397, tifft.org
Explore More
Explore Buffalo’s Delaware Park
Delaware Park combines Buffalo's cultural and recreational offerings along a two-mile path that winds around lakes, gardens, and meadows.
Buffalo Naval & Military Park
Tour historic ships and a submarine at the Buffalo Naval & Military Park, with practical details for planning a waterfront day trip from Rochester.
Explore Niagara Falls, USA
Visitors travel far and wide to see Niagara Falls State Park, America’s first state park, and we are fortunate to drive there in 90 minutes.
Where are your favorite places to visit in Buffalo?
I’d love to hear from you—please reach out and share your thoughts and experiences.
Help Support My Work
If my work has helped you explore and appreciate the Rochester area, please consider subscribing to Substack as a paid member. You’ll receive an email whenever I publish new content and can connect with a growing community of local explorers.
See you out there!
Debi
Enjoy the Journey Together!
Thanks for the info