Coming off of a violent Fourth of July weekend in the city, Mayor Sean Ryan says people looking to come into downtown Buffalo this weekend for the Taste of Buffalo can expect to be safe.
Ryan said festival attendees can rest assured because there is a clear distinction between this past weekend and the festivals to come.
“What happened this weekend was because of an organized event attempting to sow chaos in our neighborhoods. ” What we have going on this weekend is the Taste of Buffalo, which is, as usual, an orderly, fantastic, family-friendly, community-focused event,” Ryan said.
Over the course of the holiday weekend, 11 people were shot in six separate shootings, with victims ranging in age from 13 to 51 years old.
The city is blaming the violence on a highly promoted block party on Stevens Avenue in Buffalo. All of those shootings broke out near the party, which featured thousands of people in attendance. The promoter of the gathering has caused problems for the city in the past, according to city officials.
The Taste of Buffalo is this Saturday, July 11, and Sunday, July 12. This year’s festival features 42 restaurants and food trucks, four New York state wineries and live local music. Admission is free.