Buffalo Rising

0:00For the next half hour, I'll be reading from Buffalo Rising on the Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service. Cycling from Freedom Park to Freedom Park, the K&M Freedom Ride returns October 10. George Johnson has a mission to help Black youth live better lives. He has to dedicate his life to that cause, selflessly giving his time, energy, and resources to create opportunities for young people and strengthen his community. In 2024, the Niagara River Greenway, led by great Stevens, recognized that building green infrastructure, waterfront green spaces, and connected trails, only matter. If Buffalo's underserved communities feel connected to and excited about using them.

1:02With support from Highmark, Stevens and the Greenway set out to help grassroots community organizations connect their residents to public parks, where they could pursue wellness and recreational activities of their choosing. For George, that opportunity helped bring a long time dream to life. Cleaning up Freedom Park in Buffalo and creating a bicycle ride across the Peace Bridge from Freedom Park Buffalo to Freedom Park in Fort Erie, celebrating the journey of Josiah Hanson, who crossed a freedom in 1830. The Greenway opened doors and provided resources and staff support to help make George's vision a reality. The K&M Freedom Ride was born in October 2024, with 84 riders taking part in the inaugural

2:08ride, with strong support from the Peace Bridge Authority and a warm Canadian reception. George led the group across the bridge, tears streaming down his face. What began as George's dream has become an annual celebration of freedom, community wellness, and the connection between two communities on either side of the Niagara River. The third annual K&M Freedom Ride will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, October 10, 2026 at Freedom Park in Buffalo, at the foot of West Ferry Street, before riders cross the Peace Bridge to Fort Erie. Go Bike is organized as organizing event registration and pre-registration is encouraged to help expedite the bridge crossing.

3:10Campus Wheel Works will tune up bicycles before the ride, with support from wheels for workers. The Peace Bridge Authority is again welcoming the ride and recently retired PBA Representative Chris Brown will co-chair this year's ride with George. The community is invited to kick off this year's ride with a happy hour from 4 to 5.30 PM Thursday, September 10 at Turning Bridge, Tavern, 1797 Niagara Street. Go Bike will be on hand to register riders and donations will be collected to support the ride. Come to the kick off, ride for freedom, help carry George's vision across the Niagara River. Toad, Red, Moll, and Badger.

4:12Charm their way through Shaw's enchanting Wind in the Willows. The basics. The Wind in the Willows based on the play Toad of Toad Hall by A.A. Milne, further adapted and directed by Fiona Souter, is at the Jackie Maxwell Studio Theater, but unfortunately closes on September 27th, with only seven more shows available. So hurry and visit www.ShawFest.com for tickets and details. There is a family pre-show workshop available prior to each performance of the Wind in the Willows and also one of the two Christmas offerings, a year with Frog and Toad, $10 with theater tickets, call 1-800-511-7429 to book.

5:15Thumbnail Sketch. We begin with young and pressionable Moll, as bored with house cleaning, he heads to the Riverbank and meets with resourceful raft, the grumpy Badger, and finally the irrepossible Mr. Toad. After Toad's passion for fast cars gets him in trouble with the law, including a trial by jury and a sentence in prison, Toad is aided in a jailbreak by a friendly washer woman. Meanwhile, his three friends must rid his home, Toad Hall of Weasels, Stoats and Ferrets. Based on the much-loved 1908 Children's novel, The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham, then adapted by A.A. Mill of Pooh and Christopher Raven fame into a play, now further

6:15adapted by the director, Fiona Sanders. This is about friendship, loyalty, and as the Shaw publicly states, the joy of getting into trouble. It's a rare play that works for all ages. Well, at least 6 plus, and this one does it. The players, the play, the production. Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, have so much worth doing is simply messing about in boats. So declares rat early on in the original Children's novel, The Wind in the Willows. This is slightly amended too. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, have so much worth doing is simply

7:15messing about by a river. And the A.A. Mill and a play adaptation, perhaps to save set designers some headaches. That change was slightly jarring only because the original expression was so famous. But I say that to emphasize, that's all that I remember from having the book read to me some 70 years ago. The whole experience of watching this play in 2026 was new and fresh to me, and I loved it. I was pretty sure that I would love it since in my experience shows in the Jackson Maxwell Studio Theater are the shows that we talk about years later. It's a magical place. A theater in the round where directors and set designers seem to do their best work. Shaw Fest Productions in general are as

8:20good as they come. With year round set and costume shops and a solid core of experienced repertoire actors, shop productions get up to speed early and at the highest level. Speaking of those shops, the clever set here was designed by Judas Bowden and the excellent costumes designed by Laura Del Char Yao. Every member of the cast has a primary role, but is also listed as a member of the ensemble adding to the swirl of activity feeling of this high energy show and talk about energy. The character Toad usually comes with the adjective irrepressible meaning impossible to restrain, control, or hold back full of energy and enthusiasm, perfect for Mr. Toad and perfect for Lawrence Libber who plays

9:23him and kudos to his castmates who do not fall into the trap of imitation but ply their roles with a professional consistency that holds the whole show together. It's not that mad cap or zany for that C. Gives and Wooster at Shaw's Courtaus Theater or one for the pot, also excellent fires at the festival theater. Counter intuitively actors will always tell you that comedy is much harder than drama and that performing in a play with children in the audience is much harder than playing only to adults. And this cast takes that seriously and does it so well. The venerable Sherry Flett plays the clever rat. Shun Wright brings a solidly gruff badger to light. Gabriella Sundar sing

10:27plays the innocent but willing mole so well and always light on his feet. Matt Elfano makes the chief weasel. I'm also a swashbuckling character. Probably the best praise I can think of is this. But I was in an elementary school. A traveling troop brought puss and boots, puss and boots to our auditorium and I was completely enchanted. I've never forgotten that feeling. This play, The Wind in the Willows, has come as close to that original enchantment as I've ever experienced. I'm sorry that I didn't get there sooner so that I could review it sooner. But there are seven more shows scheduled so take advantage. No one fans of WBFO's theater talk with Anthony Chase will be interested in anecdotes

11:37and stories from the theater hosted by Anthony Chase Friday September 25th 10 a.m. at the Shaw Artist Village Hall. It promises to be a morning of theatrical truth stories and tall tales hosted by theater critic and historian Anthony Chase of NPR's theater talk with special guests Sherry Flett currently in the Wind in the Willows and Funny Girl Patrick Galivan currently in Sleuth and one for the pot and Sanjay Taylor currently in one for the pot and Heartbreak House. Visit ShawFest.com and click through to September 25th. No too. The holiday season 2026 at the Shaw Festival opens in November including a year with Frog and Toad, a Tony nominated Broadway musical with music by Robert Reale, Book and

12:46Learix by Willie Reale, their brothers, and music direction by Ryan D'Souza at the Courthouse Theater. It opens November 13th and runs through December 23rd. You can see you are listening to a reading of articles and features from Buffalo Rising on the Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service. Buffalo's Brainius Night Out, your trivia night cheats seat. She. Look, we all like to think we're the smartest person in the room. Buffalo's trivia scene is one of the only places you can actually prove it. Whether you're a walking IMDB, a one person Saber's Omnick, or a Parapulture Guru, me, or just looking for wings in the bander, there's a trivia night out there with your team name. The punny

13:50or the better on it. I've rounded up a pub quiz lineup from now through Halloween. So you really have no excuse, but before you scroll straight to the schedule, hear me out on why this is worth actually doing. Worth a try. There's a reason trivia has quietly become one of the most reliable weeknight rituals in this city. It's not just something to do, it's one of the few remaining excuses to gather a group of actual humans around a table, phones face down, competing over something that generally doesn't matter, and matters enormously at the same time. As someone who was introduced to Quiz nights in England, where they take them very seriously, the stakes can be high, but the fun always comes out on top. It's the easiest yes in your social calendar. No worries. No worries. No worries.

14:57Reservations, no dress code, no real planning required. Round up a few friends or make new ones when you arrive. Show up a little before a start time to grab a table and you're in. Half the trivia nights don't even require a sign up so you can make it a game time decision. It's cheap entertainment that doesn't feel cheap. Most nights are free to play and the prizes, gift cards, bar tabs, bragging rights carved into a chalkboard are really just an excuse. You're playing for a couple rounds of drinks and getting two hours of genuine entertainment in return. Try finding that math anywhere else on a Tuesday. It's a built-in icebreaker, new to the neighborhood, new job, new relationship, visiting friends in town. Trivia night solves

16:00the what do we actually do together problem instantly. You don't have to make conversations. The questions and categories make it for you. By round three, you know who on your team is secretly great at 90s music and who should never be trusted with a sports question again. It flexes a different muscle than doom scrolling. There's something satisfying about racking your brain for the name of that one actor, that one lake, that one president nobody remembers instead of having to answer appear on your pocket. Trivia rewards the kind of scattered weird knowledge you've been accumulating your whole life for no reason until right now. Buffalo History night is a few times the year where you can test your knowledge of the

17:07city itself with beer and wine on hand and prizes for the winners. Check their site for the next fall at fall date. Why it's so fun especially in Buffalo? Trivia night isn't just a week night time killer here. It's basically a civic past time. Half the fun is the team name. Bonus points for anything pun based. Half is the rivalry with the table that always knows the sports questions. And the other half, yes, I know that's three halves. I've failed meth trivia is being out together in a Buffalo bar at a random weeknight. So pick a night pick a neighborhood and go be smug about knowing the capital of Burkina Faso for once. Your phone will still be there when you get home.

18:08New Santara Arts Announces Concert lineup and new season pass. New Santara Arts has announced that it is now selling tickets for its first full concert season 2627. These performances entail four concerts that feature Indonesian music, dance, cuisine and storytelling. Since establishing itself in Buffalo in 2016, New Santara Arts has become an indispensable cultural component that contributes vastly to the artistic landscape of Western New York from humble beginnings to beloved cultural institution, committed to preserving and celebrating the rich vibrant cultural heritage of Indonesia

19:16in the region. It has grown into a dynamic producer of public concerts, theatrical productions, and immersive cultural showcases featuring Indonesian concert music, dance and shadow puppetry. Indonesian arts in Buffalo are thriving. And now you can really get in on it by supporting our first ever full season of performances said Matt Dunning, executive director, New Santara Arts. We've created a schedule of performances with an incredible amount of variety, beauty and flavorful all of your county to enjoy. Our first concert of the season will be our first ever concert in the Easterroir area. Come get immersed in the unmatched arts of Java and Valley. Following is a full rundown of the upcoming season. Back to nature, September

20:2526th, a Japanese Gamelin music, clenin music performance, and dinner and a roar of featuring acclaimed musicians, Henry, Civittri and Mediano. Belly comes to Buffalo December 12th, our fourth consecutive year of Belly's music and dance at our cultural center in Buffalo featuring our incredible community of Belly's dancers. Moodenlight Gamelin Valentine, February 14th, 2027, features the soft, beautiful music of Java and an incredible culinary experience of Indonesian cuisine. Dreams of shadow, light and memory May 15th, 2027, a spectacular new production of Belly's shadow puppetry, Gamelin music

21:35and dance by I Gusty Common Darta. Get a season pass and enjoy three incredible concerts at a discounted rate plus first dibs on hard to get tickets for the Moodenlight Gamelin Valentine. Why Buffalo is built for the Anti-Amazon economy? Across the country, an economic counter movement has been gaining momentum. One built not unfast chipping and algorithm-fed impulse buys, but on sharing, reusing and buying local. I know I feel the squeeze right now. Grocery bills are climbing higher every week. Seems like I can't get out of a grocery store for less than $100 per bag and I'm a single person. It seems just easier to just order it online.

22:41But that's also increasingly costly, costly, both to your wallet and the environment. But we are resourceful and luckily Western New York is home to a dense web of flea markets, farmers markets, antique shops, consignment stores, neighborhood giving groups and tool-ending nonprofits that together form a genuine alternative economy. One where your dollar stretches further, your neighborhood gets stronger and less stuff ends up in a landfill. Let's start with the markets. There are literally dozens of community farmers markets including the Clinton Bailey Farmers Market, which has been a daily institution for decades. Open 8am to 5pm, centered on fresh local produce. The peddler in the corner of Elmwood and West

23:46ferry runs Sundays from 10 to 4pm, with vintage furniture, clothing, jewelry and handmade goods, and just announced a new farmers market is coming to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park. Check out the spotlight section below. This is the first time a farmers market will be set in the park. For sheer scale, antique world and flea market and clearance is a destination. Three indoor antique co-ops are open six days a week year round, while the outdoor flea market runs every Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 4pm, May through October. Hundreds of dealers offer everything from Victorian jewelry to old tools to fresh produce. The first Sunday of each month brings the great American garage sale. The third Sunday is Super Sunday with even

24:53more vendors. If you want proof the city takes garage sale seriously, look no further than the Gigantic Kenmore Garage sale, organized every year by the Kenmore Village Improvement Society. Last month, over 190 households simultaneously threw open their garage doors across the village. Beyond the market's Buffalo's consignment and second hand scene is thriving. Hurtle home consignment specializes in furniture and home decor, with a lot of solid well-made pieces. Second chic offers a steady rotation of clothing and accessories. For families, best dressed kids has been one of the largest children's consignment shops in Western New York for over 20 years. And Buffalo reuse keeps building materials, fixtures and architectural

26:01salvage out of the waste stream and into the hands of homeowners at a fraction of retail cost. Perhaps the most radical and most human part of this ecosystem costs nothing at all. The Buy Nothing project has taken hold across Buffalo neighborhoods through hyper local Facebook pages where neighbors give away items they no longer need to someone right down the street. The Elwood Village by Nothing Group launched in 2018 and has grown steadily since. Now with 3200 plus members, the Kenmore Tanawanda Group has more than 7,000 members and sees items like snowblowers, furniture, garden furniture and clothing change hands freely every week. There are dozens of these groups across Western New York, organized by neighborhoods

27:07so that what's given stays genuinely local. The premise is simple. Before you buy something new, ask if someone nearby has one to spare. Before you throw something away, offer it to a neighbor. If you're not in a group, consider joining. Homeowners in particular have a remarkable resource in the tool library, a nonprofit that has grown from a small storefront into a region wide institution. With over 5,000 tools available to barrel, membership opens access to everything from power drills to tile saws, tools most people only need once or twice without the cost of buying or the guilt of a garage full of equipment you rarely use. Membership is open to residents of all eight Western New

28:10York counties. The tool library also hosts dare to repair cafes where volunteers will try to fix your broken appliances, elect tronics and household items for free. Every dollar spent at a local market, every item pulled from a buy nothing group, every tool borrowed a buy is a small vote for a different kind of economy based on neighborhoods and communities. You've been listening to a reading of articles and features from Buffalo Rising. We read from Buffalo Rising on Fridays at 8.30 a.m. Your reader has been Janice. Thank you for listening. Your listening to the Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service with broadcast studios at 1199 Harlem Road in Cheek, DeWalca. Radio readings are broadcast 24 hours a day,

29:15every day to area people who are blind or for print disability. This year our agency marks almost 40 years on the air with more than 300,000 hours of radio readings to those without sight. A broadcast signal is provided at no charge for WNED. The Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service website is NFradioreading.org. For more information call 716-821-5555. Good morning, welcome to the... Hi, good morning, welcome to the broadcast day in the Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service. Please stay with us or in the Buffalo News as you're coming up in just a moment.