The Student Association hosted UB’s first Fall Food Festival, featuring food from vendors across Buffalo on Friday.
The festival took place at the heart of North Campus on Lee Road from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. The festival costed SA roughly $57,000, according to treasurer Tanahiry Escamilla. The budget provided most of the necessary utilities to food vendors, a battle of the bands, which featured student talent, a screening of “Incredibles 2” at the end of the evening and pay for the security and police officers on site.
Venus, La Rosa, Kung Fu Tea, Anderson’s Frozen Custard, Bonefish Grill, Buffalo Roadhouse Grill, Burrito Bay and Mister Pizza all set up at the event.
From SA’s budget, $5,000 was set aside to give the first 1,000 student attendees five free $1 coupons, which could be used on any of the restaurants represented.
SA could not provide how many students attended the event. SA President Gunnar Haberl said all 5,000 vouchers were taken, so at least 1,000 students attended, but he said there was a much higher attendance.
Haberl said he aimed to create an event representing Buffalo food on campus, similar to Taste of Buffalo or the National Buffalo Chicken Wing Festival.
“We wanted to give students the opportunity to see what Buffalo food is about,” Haberl said. “A lot of our students who live on campus might not know where to go to eat outside of school. After a while we get sick of campus food. So I wanted to introduce students to some of the local restaurants, and hopefully [the festival] will grow as time goes on.”
At the festival, SA offered a beer tent for students above the legal drinking age, with a three-drink maximum. Students could purchase either cans or draft of Budweiser and Bud Light for $6 per beer.
Matthew Persaud, a senior communication major, said he would have preferred to see local craft beers on tap, but said it felt good to drink a beer on campus and in front of UPD.
“I like that students were able to drink and I think the three-drink limit was reasonable. [UB] doesn’t want people to get tanked,” Persaud said. “I mean we are still on campus, so it makes sense.”
SA has offered alcohol at Buffalo Untapped, but that is exclusively a wine and beer tasting event, as opposed to the Fall Food Festival where it offered a full beer to eligible students.
Other students said there aren’t enough campus life activities that bring the community together, so they liked the sense of community at the festival.
Maggie Smith, a sophomore biology major, and her friends came early to the event for the free tickets. They said they enjoyed the event and think SA should offer events like it more often.
“It gives people something to do on campus,” Smith said. “We live off campus, so when we come to campus we’re looking for something to do. If you have a long period between classes, [events like this are] a good way to pass time.”
Haberl said the festival was important for a number of reasons, outside of it being the first of its kind on campus.
“I think [the festival] is significant because part of the Buffalo culture is food, people around the country associate food with Buffalo, and we got the university to allow us to bring local restaurants on campus,” Haberl said. “I think it’s also significant because, not that the event is focused around beer and alcohol, but the fact that we’re able to offer that to our students that are over 21. Half of the students on campus are 21 or older, so they should have more opportunities to be able to buy a drink on campus if they so choose.”
A number of students identified alternatives that they would like invited to the Fall Food Festival next year, if it is repeated. Stack Burger, Lloyd Taco Factory and Hertel Avenue Poutine and Cream were a few suggestions offered by students.
Escamilla said she looks forward to hearing student feedback so SA knows what to continue and what to change.
“There is always room for improvement,” Escamilla said in an email, “especially if undergraduates express an interest for having this event again next fall.”
Nathan Gardner is a staff writer and can be reached at news@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
