Three generations of a family sit comfortably at a cozy wooden table outside the Elmwood Avenue M&T Bank. Basking in the sun, they munch on freshly popped kettle corn, enjoy some live soul music from the next lot over and talk at great length about Buffalo.
They also have huge smiles on their faces, as they enjoy the sights and sounds of the Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts.
"I grew up in this neighborhood," said Tonawanda resident Elizabeth Steele. "People love it here, they love to come out and enjoy the neighborhood." Elizabeth's 12-year-old niece Taylor nods in agreement.
"This area is in an upswing," Donna Modica, Steele's mother and a Ken-Ton resident, said about the businesses on the street.
The festival, held over the weekend, spanned five blocks of Elmwood Avenue, from West Ferry Street to Lafayette Avenue.
Art in every form possible was featured, including pottery, textiles, glass, paintings, photography, toys and sculptures.
In addition to the nearly 160 juried artists whose work was exhibited in tents, street performers showed off their juggling and musicianship while two stages highlighted the most eclectic of local bands and dance groups.
Now in its fourth year, the festival was created to acknowledge the culture of those who are from or work in Buffalo. While other summer festivals, like the Allentown Arts Festival in June and the Taste of Buffalo in July, feature many local artists and vendors, they also host those from across the country.
The criteria for the Elmwood festival specify an invested interest in maintaining the local base of artisans and companies.
"We give extra points to local artists," said festival chairman Joe DiPasquale. He added the festival aimed to foster the careers of local artists.
A jury of fellow artists chooses the participants in April, although no awards or prizes are handed out.
"It's the best little festival in the world," said Lynn Schwab, who, alongside husband Phil, coordinates the festival's volunteers. "It gives us the opportunity to meet wonderful people."
In addition to widening the exposure of Buffalo's cultural communities, the event also raises funds for area businesses that benefit from the high traffic of the event.
"We're generating a lot in sales tax revenue," said DiPasquale, noting about $100,000 is generated in sales tax alone. The stores behind the tent-lined street are open, too. All of this commerce - on and off the pavement - heightens the exposure of the artists, both with and without a booth.
For the artists, the business they've received outside of the event is booming as well. East Aurora photographer Renee Oubre, who has been exhibited in the Albright-Knox Art Gallery as well as the Allentown and Roycroft art festivals, said she has noticed an increase in traffic at her Southtowns studio.
"People say they like my work and that it's different," Oubre said. "And they're buying it."
Tom Rooney, owner of Pavlov's Togs, a T-shirt design and printing company, said that each year the festival gets better.
"It's the only festival we feel strongly about. It's the best," said Rooney. "It has an intimate neighborhood feel. It's a lot of fun to be here."
Preserving the charm and uniqueness of the Elmwood neighborhood is a goal of other organizations too, including Forever Elmwood and the Preservation Coalition of Erie County.
Interim Executive Director of the Preservation Coalition Charles Hendler said the Elmwood festival does more than provide a fun weekend of entertainment.
"People are connecting Elmwood with revival. Downtown is a vibrant place to work and live," he said.
Meg Knowles, director of technology at UB's Department of Media Study, suggested that the selection of artists made an impact on the quality of the event.
"I thought that it was really cool to see more than just ceramics," Knowles said. "It's a very culturally diverse festival and that's really great."
Tamara Bdour, a senior in communication design, stopped down to the fest to check out new jewelry and said there is another side of art that this festival reminds people of.
"A lot of people just think art is something stupid, (that) it's not really a job," Bdour said, sporting a recently purchased leather bracelet. "This actually shows people that people can actually make money off of art."
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
