Taste of Buffalo

Taste of Buffalo, founded in 1967, has evolved from a small neighborhood gathering into North America’s largest free food festival, attracting nearly 500,000 food lovers, families, and wing fanatics to downtown Buffalo every July. The event captures the city’s proud, blue-collar spirit through authentic local food, friendly competition, and community celebration.

At its core, the festival is a tribute to Buffalo’s culinary heritage. Visitors can taste history at Anchor Bar’s original wing stand—home of the world’s first Buffalo wing, created in 1964—and Ted’s Hot Dogs, still grilling over charcoal after nearly a century. The festival’s National Wing Eating Championship, broadcast live on ESPN3, brings national attention as competitors devour five pounds of wings in under eight minutes.

Across the weekend, 60+ local restaurants and food trucks serve up $3 sample plates, with no chains allowed—just true Buffalo flavors and homegrown pride. The Waterfront Wine Garden adds a touch of refinement, featuring Niagara wineries and regional pours against the city’s iconic skyline.

Unlike major urban food festivals, Taste of Buffalo remains free to attend, keeping accessibility and community at its heart. It’s an event where 92% of vendors are local, and where food, family, and city pride come together in one unmistakably Buffalo experience.

For brands, it’s a high-visibility, high-authenticity platform—a chance to own the most photographed, flavor-filled, and proudly Buffalo food moment of the year, reaching audiences that are loyal, social, and deeply connected to the city’s identity.