Nightmare Wharf Brings Entertaining New Fundraiser to Naval Park

By: Ella Wittman

Buffalo Naval Park introduced a brand-new haunted attraction this Halloween, running from Oct. 2 to Nov. 1. President and CEO Brian Luallen explained how Nightmare Wharf got started and what makes it unique.

The attraction features movie-quality makeup, costumes and masks, with a team of artists working behind the scenes to bring its characters to life. Head of makeup and costumes Mike McCoy also shared what goes into preparing the actors and creating the looks guests see throughout the haunted houses.

Nightmare Wharf offers a new way to raise funds for the Naval Park, supporting its educational programs and the preservation of its historic ships.

While creating a scary experience for visitors, the team remains respectful of the ship’s history and the stories of the sailors and soldiers who served on it.

As Buffalo Naval Park introduces this new Halloween attraction, Luallen sees a future for it and hopes it will continue for many years to come.

Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium brings Halloween spirit to Buffalo State campus

By: Lucas Lyon

Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium director Kevin Williams speaks on “Fright Lights,” the planetarium's annual Halloween laser show inside the Science & Mathematics Complex at Buffalo State University. 

Through the use of familiar Halloween tunes and classic horror movie soundtracks, Williams says the  show captures the Halloween spirit in a variety of ways, also ensuring that it isn’t too scary for the young ones. “Come and enjoy it,” said Williams. 

The show runs every Saturday until Halloween.

 Spooky Porches of Allentown Returns for Second Year

By: Adrianna Miller

The Allentown Association is hosting its second annual Spooky Porches event for the 2026 Halloween season. 

Jodi Kavanaugh and Will Tanberg stand outside their historic Allentown home, which they bought in September, 2025. 

They are participating in the contest for the first time. Kavanaugh said the inspiration for their decorations came from her sister-in-law, who visited from Maryland and thought she heard noises in the attic. “That’s why we have a doll up there, because she named our ‘ghost’ Gladis,” Kavanaugh said. 

Residents could decorate their porches and register them on the Allentown Association website by Oct. 15 to enter the competition. Voting for the best porch runs from Oct. 17 through 29.

 Uncovering Family Roots at the Jewish Museum of Buffalo

By: Annemiek Kashindi

Rachel Nicolosi, director of genealogy and archives at the Jewish Museum of Buffalo

Learning about family history can help people understand where they come from. The Jewish Museum of Buffalo is giving the public a new place to start that journey with the opening of the Stuart and Caren Shapiro Jewish Genealogy Center on Oct. 18. The center will allow people to research their family history using online databases, historical records and help from trained genealogists.

Rachel Nicolosi, director of genealogy and archives, said the center has different resources that people can use to learn more about their family history. All the resources will include Ancestry, MyHeritage, Newspapers.com, FamilySearch and JewishGen. These websites will help people find information about their relatives and learn more about their family backgrounds.

Appointments help the center prepare for people to come and connect them to the correct resources available and research needs. By scheduling an appointment it will give the center time to prepare for each person’s visit. People may come in with different questions about their family history, and some may come in with no prior knowledge of where to begin. With the information provided from visitors the center can help them find useful research options and records that will make the process easier to follow especially for those who are getting into genealogy for the first time.

“I can set up a time for them to work with one of our trained genealogists,” Nicolosi said.

The center is also preparing volunteers to assist with genealogy research. With training during the summer, a genealogist came in and helped community volunteers. This group includes retired librarians, teachers, and people who have researched their own family history. Librarians and teachers are familiar with finding information in historical records, while people who have researched their own ancestry can share what they have learned on their own journey.

With additional training, volunteers can use these skills to help the public understand the genealogy center's resources. Though some volunteers already have more experience with historical research, the training helps them develop specific skills within genealogy. With their new found knowledge it will help visitors research records and databases as they search for information.

Now opening to the public, the center welcomes anyone who is interested in learning more about their family history. With access to different resources and trained volunteers, you can begin your journey to find out more about your family. 

For people interested in visiting and exploring their ancestry, the center provides a starting point for questions about genealogy and the research process which will involve tracing connections between relatives with the available databases that will help people in their search for information on their families.

For more information you can contact Nicolosi at rachel@jmbuffalo.org to ask about scheduling an appointment. More information about the center is available on the Jewish Museum of Buffalo’s website.

Additional clip: youtube.com/watch?feature=shared&v=MsKMTzmnbdQ

 Bundled up at Bidwell

By: Matthew Barton

Maggie (center) sits bundled up to read alongside her friends who draw and enjoy the sunshine in the 40-degree weather at the Elmwood Village Farmers Market in Bidwell Park on Saturday, Oct. 17.

The group attends the farmers market to  sit amongst the vendors, and the chilly October weather isn’t stopping anyone from showing up.

The three set up every week to read, relax, and people-watch. “Pull up a chair,” Maggie said.

Ralph Wilson Park in Phase Two 

By: Ella Wittman

Buffalo resident Kareem Lubin at the new Ralph Wilson Park

Construction equipment and unfinished paths are all around Ralph Wilson Park; however people are still gathering at the waterfront site as crews work to turn the old LaSalle Park into a 100-plus-acre waterfront greenspace.

The $200 million project will change the way people will use the waterfront. 

When the park is completed, it will have a whole new look with new recreational spaces, new trails, a natural shoreline and a whole new play garden. More information about the project can be found here.

Currently, the construction company is in phase 2 of building the park. Charles Torres, chair of the board of the Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy said this phase includes building the new play garden, new landscaping, a playground, new pathways and also new shoreline improvements. “Phase 2, which includes the creation of the play garden, as well as significant landscaping, playground installation, pathway and roadway construction, shoreline improvements and completion of the remaining waterfront enhancements, began in early June,” Torres said.

Major construction areas remain closed at this time, but there are still some parts of the park that are open to the public. You can use the KABOOM! playground, temporary dog park and the skate park.

The new Ralph Wilson Park will be a very big change from the old LaSalle Park. The old park was mostly flat and bordered by a concrete seawall. The new design will have a natural shoreline, new parking spaces and a pedestrian bridge that connects the local neighborhoods to the waterfront park. “The most noticeable transformation is how the park interacts with both the water and the neighborhood,” Torres said.

Buffalo resident Kareem Lubin spent time at LaSalle Park before the construction began. Lubin said he would come to the park with his family and dogs to take walks, get some fresh air and enjoy views of Lake Erie and the Buffalo skyline. “It was a much simpler park, but that was part of its charm,” Lubin said.

The community had a big part in shaping the design and ideas for this park. More than one thousand local stakeholders went to public meetings during the planning process. Torres said the public's feedback helped make the change from the initial 30 to 40-acre project to what is now a 100-plus-acre project. 

"Public feedback was so impactful that the project expanded from an initial concept of redeveloping 30–40 acres to transforming the entire 110+ acre footprint, including the seawall and the pedestrian bridge,” Torres said.

LaSalle Park hosted lots of community driven events like the Puerto Rican and Hispanic Day Parade, the Buffalo Funk Festival and even an Italian festival. Torres said he hopes the new park will continue to be a place where the community can celebrate, “I can't wait for people to experience our cultural celebrations, like the Puerto Rican Day Parade, utilizing features like the new Great Lawn, which was specifically designed to allow for all kinds of events, gatherings, festivals, and performances,” Torres said. More information about LaSalle Park's history can be found here.

Environmental improvements are another big impact of this project. They are replacing the 100-year-old seawall with a natural, armored slope and inlet, which improves the structural resiliency against the tough Buffalo weather. Torres said the new shoreline will help with protection from flooding and conserve wildlife habitats.

Construction will continue over the next year. The Conservancy is planning to open the splash pad and pool by summer, along with their Levitt VIBE concert series. Torres hopes the finished park will become a big part of the Buffalo community. “When the ribbon is cut, I hope Ralph Wilson Park is recognized as a 'forever park'—a welcoming home for all Buffalonians built by the community, for the community, that delivers pride, health, and joy for generations to come,” Torres said.

 Handmade crafts return to Falliday Market

By: Myles Samuel

Nicole Hara, owner of Nikki’s Knotts, displays her handmade products Sunday at the Falliday Market at Front Park in Buffalo. Hara, participating in the event for her third year said the atmosphere is what draws her back.

Her products include hand-burned wood pieces, wooden pens and bowls, hemp jewelry and knitted items. “It’s all handmade, so anything you can give me an image of, I can burn by hand, including people, pets, business signs, logos, your favorite superhero,” Hara said. 

Another benefit of returning to the market is the convenience of keeping her products at her booth throughout the entire event. “I can leave my stuff here. I don’t have to clean it up every night, Hara said.

The event organizers are another reason Hara continues to return. “The girls that run this place are really, really great,” Hara said. “They’re wonderful to work for, so I just kept coming back.”