named programs · 1 · from sources
What they call their work
Taste of Buffalo Festival
Annual two-day food festival in downtown Buffalo featuring local restaurants, food trucks, live music, and family-friendly activities. The event showcases regional cuisine and draws tens of thousands of attendees each year.
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Culinary Workforce Training Programs 1 activity
- Administers scholarship program for Western New York studentsProvides annual scholarships to college-bound high school seniors in the eight counties of Western New York who are pursuing degrees in culinary arts, hospitality, baking & pastry arts, travel & tourism, hotel management, nutrition & wellness, food entrepreneurship, restaurant operations, or dietetics, including a dedicated scholarship in partnership with Tops Markets.
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Local High School Scholarship Programs 1 activity
- Funds scholarships and local charitiesHas donated over $606,000 to local charities and finances annual scholarships for students in Western New York pursuing education in culinary and hospitality-related fields.
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Community Festival & Event Production 1 activity
- Hosts ancillary festival events and contestsOrganizes an annual poster art contest and recognizes award-winning restaurants and wineries as part of the Taste of Buffalo festival programming.
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Event and Production Volunteer Coordination 1 activity
- Manages volunteer engagement for festival operationsEngages over 1,000 volunteers annually to support the planning and execution of the Taste of Buffalo festival.
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Wine Industry Promotion & Education 1 activity
- Produces digital festival guide and promotional materialsCreates and distributes a digital festival guide with information on participating restaurants, food trucks, wineries, menu items, and festival layout to assist attendee navigation.
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Uncategorized 2 activities
- Distributes food and beverage tickets through pre-sale vouchers and promotionsSells pre-sale food ticket vouchers in $12 increments (20 tickets) and offers a $60 Family Freebie package (100 tickets plus 4 free Coca-Cola beverages), available at Tops Markets and redeemable at festival ticket tents.
- Organizes and operates an annual two-day food festival in downtown BuffaloProduces one of the nation's largest food festivals each July on Delaware Avenue and Niagara Square, featuring local restaurants, food trucks, wineries, and entertainment from Western New York. The event includes free admission with food and beverages available for purchase using redeemable tickets.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.07M
Contributions & grants$00%
Program service revenue$1.06M100%
Investment income$4K0%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$1.08M
Program expenses0%
Admin / overhead0%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$8K
Largest expense lineOther
balance sheet
Total assets$119K
Cash$51K
Investments$68K
Liabilities$0
Net assets$119K
Liquid reserves1.3 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -9.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 22
- ADAM ROMA — BOARD MEMBER - 1ST VICE CHAIR
- AMANDA ZEIGLER — BOARD MEMBER
- BECKY CHAMBERS — BOARD MEMBER
- BRENDAN ORR — BOARD MEMBER
- CHERYL GOLDSTONE — BOARD MEMBER - SECRETARY
- DOUGLAS BOEHM — BOARD MEMBER
- GREG BECKWITH — BOARD MEMBER
- LORI RIZZO — BOARD MEMBER - TREASURER
- MARK REIMANN — BOARD MEMBER
- MARK ZAWODZINSKI — BOARD MEMBER
- MATT TESTA — BOARD MEMBER
- MATTHEW REIS — BOARD MEMBER - CHAIRPERSON
- PAUL AVERY — BOARD MEMBER
- PAULA BILSKI — BOARD MEMBER
- PETER SASS — BOARD MEMBER - 2ND VICE CHAIR
- RACHEL RAJAN — BOARD MEMBER
- ROB HUMMEL — BOARD MEMBER
- ROZANNA AYANBADEJO — BOARD MEMBER - ASST TREASURER
- THOMAS MAHONEY — BOARD MEMBER - PAST CHAIRPERSON
- TIMOTHY HERZOG — BOARD MEMBER
- VALERIE PILLO — BOARD MEMBER
- WILLIAM FAHS — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 47
Who they work with
- BFLO Cheerleaders Partner — In-kind sponsor contributing volunteer support to the Taste of Buffalo festival
- BSP Consultants Partner — In-kind sponsor providing CPA services for the Taste of Buffalo festival
- Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Partner — Hosts arts and crafts activities for children in the Kids Village on Saturday.
- Buffalo Place, Inc. Partner — Ex-officio board member organization involved in the festival's governance.
- Buffalo Spree Partner — Media sponsor of the Taste of Buffalo festival
- Buffalo-Niagara Honor Flight Partner — Beneficiary of proceeds from Tops prize wheel and food tent activities at the Taste of Buffalo.
- Chef's Restaurant Partner — Founding member and sponsor of the Taste of Buffalo festival
- Complemar Print Partner — Printing services partner for the Taste of Buffalo festival
- Erie County Department of Health Government — Ex-officio board member agency providing governmental oversight or support.
- FeedMore WNY Partner — Presents a “Kids in the Kitchen” pop-up experience focused on food education during the festival.
- Hartman's Distilling Company Partner — Sponsor and beverage provider for the Taste of Buffalo festival
- I LOVE NY Partner — State tourism promotion partner and sponsor of the Taste of Buffalo festival
- Merritt Vineyards Partner — Participating winery recognized with the Best Red Wine award at the 2025 Taste of Buffalo
- Music is Art Partner — Provides the Instrument Zoo experience in the Kids Village, allowing children to explore musical instruments.
- NFTA Partner — Organization represented on the board through multiple members; likely provides transportation or infrastructure support.
- NFTA Metro Government — Official transportation sponsor providing bus and rail service to the festival.
- New Era Partner — Partner of the Taste of Buffalo festival
- New York Animal Agriculture Coalition Partner — Sponsor of the Taste of Buffalo festival
- Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) Metro Partner — Transportation partner providing bus and rail services related to the Taste of Buffalo festival
- Pay2Park Partner — Official parking partner offering surface lots around the festival.
- Pretzalo Partner — Features Pretzalo as a sponsor offering pretzel-based food items at the festival.
- Restaurants, food trucks and wineries Partner — Participating vendors that join together to offer food and drink samples at the annual event.
- Resurgence Brewing Company Partner — Participating vendor recognized with the Best Overall Item award at the 2025 Taste of Buffalo
- Sinclair Broadcast Group Partner — Owner of WUTV and other local stations serving as media sponsors of the Taste of Buffalo festival
- Slyboots School of Music Partner — Curates local acts for the new Cultural Stage at the festival.
- Spectrum News Partner — Local news media sponsor of the Taste of Buffalo festival
- Sun Cruiser Partner — Beverage sponsor of the Taste of Buffalo festival
- TOPS Friendly Markets Partner — Corporate sponsor of the Taste of Buffalo festival
- The Coca-Cola Company Partner — Corporate sponsor and beverage provider for the Taste of Buffalo festival
- The Firefighter Arno Memorial Foundation Partner — Beneficiary of proceeds from Tops prize wheel and food tent activities at the Taste of Buffalo.
+ 17 more
strategies · 2
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Community Food Festival as Economic and Cultural Catalystmethodology: event-based economic promotionBy hosting a large-scale, multi-day food festival, we promote regional economic vitality and community engagement because showcasing local restaurants, wineries, and artisan businesses incentivizes public support of the local economy and strengthens regional culinary identity.
- Investment in Culinary and Hospitality Educationmethodology: workforce-development-through-educationBy awarding scholarships and supporting educational programs, we strengthen the long-term sustainability of the regional food and hospitality industry because developing local talent ensures a skilled workforce and fosters career pathways in the sector.