Taste of Diversity Festival

We asked. You voted. After receiving an equal number of votes in favor of Grant Street and Lafayette Avenue, it was unanimously decided among those present Tuesday evening that this year’s festival will take place on Lafayette Avenue at Grant.

Thank you for sending in your opinions as well as your votes! We received some truly thought-provoking replies that we took into account. So, to return the favor, allow us to explain our decision.

Our main reason for choosing to remain on Lafayette this year was logistical. First: for a festival as planning-intensive as Taste of Diversity, January is very late in the game to move a June event. Second: the challenges a new location would present require a larger workforce of volunteers than currently sit on our planning committee. If you are interested in volunteering, we can always use you!  Third: Making the move while taking into account the needs of each Grant St. proprietor between Lafayette and Auburn would require a high level of cooperation that we have not yet secured. At this point in the year, we just had to make a decision.

But wait, Grant supporters! Though you didn’t carry the decision this week, this year’s festival planners will respond to your concerns in two ways: first, we will commission our outreach committee to strengthen the festival’s ties to Grant Street. This may involve decorated storefronts, a take-off on Christmastime’s “passport” activity to draw festival attendees into shops, a scavenger hunt, or planned raffles. In any case, it definitely involves communication with those who own and operate our Grant stores!

Second, we will appoint a committee to look into the logistics involved in moving to Grant St. for 2013. For this exploratory committee to be successful, we will need a group of local, committed individuals to step forward. Volunteers do not necessarily need to have a history with the festival but do need a strong work ethic and a commitment to the continued revival of the Grant St. business district. Moving the location of a festival is not an easy task, but if we come together to build the breadth and depth of our committee, it’s certainly possible for 2013!

If you have concerns, queries, or — most especially — a desire to volunteer with us, please contact us! We look forward to hearing from you.

With thanks for your support,
Laura

Taste of Diversity is now only five months away and our steering committee is growing in numbers and enthusiasm. Last Monday we welcomed four new Taste of Diversity volunteers to the table and discussed a wide range of issues. As we gear up for our restaurant recruitment and sponsorship campaigns, we face a significant and time-sensitive decision: Where should this year’s festival be held? Will we remain on Lafayette Avenue, our location since 2003, or make a move to Grant Street? 

We will discuss and vote on location tomorrow evening, Tuesday 1/17/12, at 6:00 at the St. Mary Center (245 Lafayette Avenue). We encourage everyone with a stake in Taste of Diversity, particularly our vendors, to attend. If you cannot, I invite you to e-mail me, Laura (laura@tasteofdiversity.org), with your preference and the reasons for it. Your message will be read aloud and your vote counted Tuesday evening.

You — vendors, neighbors, and community contributors — are the motivation behind this festival. Please weigh in on the crucial issue of location by speaking up, via e-mail or in person!

Welcome!

You’ve reached the home of the 2012 Taste of Diversity Festival. Mark your calendars for June 1, 2013 – you won’t want to miss the delicious fare and dazzling entertainment we bring to Grant Street!

Thank you to all of our generous supporters,  hard-working volunteers, talented performers and amazing vendors who helped make the 2011 Diversity Festival a reality.

Special thanks belongs to:

Buffalo Common Council Member
David Rivera

Houghton College

Key Bank

First Niagara Bank

The Service Collaborative of Western New York

Sisters of St. Mary
Our Lady of Hope Parish

Grant Street Neighborhood Center

Buffalo Public Schools
Multilingual Education Department

University of Buffalo

International Institute of Buffalo

Journey’s End Refugee Services, Inc

Buffalo State College

and

All of the members of the community
that come out to the festival!

The Grant-Ferry Association is once again proud to present the Taste of Diversity Festival. This annual event celebrating Buffalo’s rich ethnic and cultural heritage will take place on

Saturday, June 4th
on Lafayette Ave between Parkdale and Grant Street.

Set up starts at 8am .

Vendors open at 10am.

Entertainment at 11:am-3pm

See you There!

The festival, started in 2003, attracts thousands of people who come to enjoy the food, music, dance, art, and activities that highlight the diverse cultural heritage of the Westside.

The festival would not be possible without the generosity and support of our sponsors and supporters. For this reason we wish to give special thanks to:

Buffalo Council Member
David Rivera

Houghton College

Key Bank

First Niagara Bank

Sisters of St Mary
Our Lady of Hope Parish

Grant Street Neighborhood Center

Buffalo Public Schools
Multilingual Education Department

University of Buffalo

International Institute of Buffalo

Journey’s End Refugee Services, Inc

Buffalo State College

and

All of the members of the community
that come out to the festival!

We look forward to seeing you at The Taste of Diversity 2011!

The Taste of Diversity Festival

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