Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - It's that time of year once again, as car enthusiasts and other avid motorists in Western New York will be making their way to the Buffalo Convention Center this weekend to check out the 2025 Buffalo Auto Show.
Doors to the annual Auto Show officially open Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m. for one of the most highly anticipated events at the Buffalo Convention Center each year.
"This is the week we look forward to, and even our staff looks forward to it," said Jeff Calkins, general manager of the Buffalo Convention Center. "This year, the place is just packed wall-to-wall with cars, all models. It's a great week for us, and it's great to see the public come in. The weather's gonna be fine, and it really is a good week for us to really showcase the building with a great event that people look forward to year-after-year."
Calkins says the Auto Show attracts all kinds of people from all across Western New York. He also loves how events like this allow the chance for the Convention Center to be showcased to the community, and the work that has gone into improving the building over the years.
"It opens it up to offer anyone to use the building," Calkins said with WBEN. "We have consumer shows and trade shows, and this type of show, really, is our turn to showcase and show off what we can do for any event that comes into the building."
The Buffalo Auto Show is also a chance for the Convention Center to provide a nice economic boost for businesses around the facility in Downtown Buffalo for the weekend.
"A big part of our mission is to bring people downtown, and have people use the restaurants, the hotels, the inner city, if you will. And this is the type of event that showcases that," Calkins said. "The restaurants in our surrounding area, it's a great week for them, and we like that. That's part of our mission, and that's what we like to do and what we like to see. Our feedback from those restaurants from Chippewa to Franklin Street, Main Street is that confluence of people coming downtown and really enjoying the downtown area while they're here, and that's important for us. That's what we do, and the mission that we set out. We fully accomplish that by bringing in shows like this that attract 20,000-to-30,000 people over a weekend."
Among the many car companies making their presence known at the Buffalo Auto Show this year is Ford, with more than 25 vehicles here on display for people to check out.
"This is, arguably, the best lineup we've ever had, and it's all here today, and can be sold and taken home tomorrow from our great dealers here in Western New York," said Dan Balestrieri, Regional Manager for Ford. "It's really showing our power of choice, the customer's power of choice of how they want to drive for their lifestyle. We have gas, electric and hybrid, we have small, large SUVs, we have small and large pickup trucks, and we have our Mustang enthusiast sports car here. Literally something for everybody."
Balestrieri says Ford is incredibly proud to have a presence in Western New York, and have a number of vehicles on display this weekend that Buffalo had a hand in making.
"Buffalo had something to do with the stamping, the DNA of Ford Motor Company is deep in the roots in Buffalo," Balestrieri said in an interview with WBEN. "This is my fifth time coming to this show, second in this role, I love it. I love the city, I love that Ford Motor Company comes here and shows up big, which is obvious from our display, because we just love Buffalo, and we value the relationship with the people in Western New York."
For any Western New Yorkers who inquire about a Ford vehicle at the Buffalo Auto Show this year, they may be eligible for a special incentive.
"We're also excited to offer a Western New York exclusive offer to all attendees who come in here and sign up for a test drive at the Ford booth. They will receive an additional $500 incentive off the purchase or lease of their next vehicle with their Ford dealer here in Western New York," Balestrieri noted.
Among the many helping get each vehicle showroom ready for the Auto Show this year includes the crew at Buffalo Car Care Solutions.
"We're on site again, operating the wash bay for all the cars coming in and out. And then we got contracted to clean various makes and models inside once they're inside the showroom to make sure the show ready," said Brandon McCabe, one of the co-owners of Buffalo Car Care Solutions.
McCabe says this year's Auto Show is a sign of how strong the automotive industry is right now, and adds it's an honor to be chosen, once again, to be the detailer of choice for the show.
"It's definitely the biggest [event] at this time of year, being the winter time and everything like that," McCabe said with WBEN. "A lot of times, most car shows, as you see, are usually outdoors and in the sunshine. So being in the winter, it's definitely our biggest event in the winter."
Over the last three days, McCabe estimates his crew has of around 30 staff members, about nine-hour days, have touched probably 70-to-80 cars per-day.
"But with the winters and the salt and elements, it takes a little bit longer to get all these grills and everything looking as showroom ready. When you can't fully wash a vehicle inside, you've gotta be a little savvy, so it takes quite a bit," McCabe noted.
Once again this year, Buffalo Car Care Solutions will have a booth downstairs, where they have a couple of special vehicles on display for people to check out.
"We actually have our shop Corvette, and then we have a customer's Ferrari SF90 here in our booth. And then anyone can explain all the products that we offer, all the services we offer - paint protection, films, ceramic coatings, tinting, detailing as well," McCabe detailed. "And then also, first time this year, Buffalo Cars and Coffee is here, and we're a proud sponsor of them. They have a booth as well, and they have two cars downstairs as well that everyone can come check out."
This upcoming weekend is the most exciting weekend of the year for Paul Stasiak, chair of the Buffalo Auto Show.
"It's a coming out party for Buffalo, coming out party for our industry," said Stasiak in an interview with WBEN. "People get a little energized because spring's around the corner when they see us, unlike the Fair when they know winter is coming. I think we're the reverse. People know spring's coming."
For those familiar with the Buffalo Auto Show, the layout of the different auto companies is going to look a bit different this year to ensure the opportunity for people to get a look at as many vehicles as possible.
"We try to do that every year," Stasiak noted. "This year, the big three - Toyota, Ford and Chevy - rotated clockwise, so they'll be in traditional spots that they normally weren't at. We try to freshen up everything from downstairs to the break rooms to the lobby to 104, 108. That's a big thing for us. We have a lot of people come back year-after-year. It's date night, it's couples nights, four of my buddies all come out Thursday night because they just like to hang out. Saturday, it'll be Mulligan's night. I want them to get a fresh feel, not just the cars."
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While this year's Buffalo Auto Show is set to feature around 200 vehicles, Stasiak admits it has become more difficult to fit more and more vehicles into the Buffalo Convention Center.
"The thing with us now is vehicles are getting bigger. If you look at the trucks, the SUVs, you look at everything going on, we've got a few less cars, because the cars we have are little bit [bigger]," he said. "The Volkswagen Bug, before they had a small Beetle, now this thing's pretty big."
One of the growing and emerging trends of the Auto Show in recent years has been the presence of electric vehicles.
"You look in every display, it used to be we had four electric vehicles, then eight electric vehicles, then 12. Now we have a dedicated room for education, but more importantly, each of the manufacturers also want them in their primary display," Stasiak noted. "When I say electric, it's not about just the car. The people need to know about the technology, the ability to charge, the range. So we'll have people in here to say, 'You can go 400 miles on a charge. If it gets cold, you'll lose a little charge, but no more than air in a tire, so to say.' So what am I excited about? I want the public to understand we've got options from electrification to hybrids, which is a terrific option, to our normal gas combustible. They don't have to worry about this evolution, everything's EV. Not everybody's ready, so don't worry about it. Come find a gas vehicle that you like."
Another difference with this year's Auto Show compared to last year's is the presence of more eye candy vehicles.
"You got a Corvette out here, it's not even in the showrooms yet. You've got a Maserati that's a couple hundred-thousand dollars. You've got a '67 Camaro that's a $300,000 Camaro. People don't realize it, because it's custom refit," Stasiak said. "You've got upfitted Porsches, you've got Spooling Up Performance."
There's also going to be some fun interactive stations for people of all ages to enjoy at this year's Auto Show.
"We're gonna have an area in the AAA zone, it's a combination kids zone and simulator. People can race any track around the country. We didn't even know it existed two weeks ago. The gentleman came in, Jesse, people will be able to race against their brother, their father, their sister, their mother, and choose a track: F1, NASCAR," Stasiak explained.
Subaru will also be hosting its "Subaru Loves Pets" initiative at the Buffalo Auto Show this year, working with the local animal shelters like the White Whiskers Senior Dog Sanctuary. Toyota will also have an interactive area for people to enjoy this year.
The 2025 Buffalo Auto Show opens Thursday and continues through Sunday afternoon. Tickets for the Auto Show are available for purchase at BuffaloAutoShow.com, and also at any participating Tops Friendly Market, Dash's Market, Consumer's Beverage and Crosby's.
"$10 ticket in advance. You buy four [tickets], you only pay $35. It's a heck of a deal. I think we're the best deal in town. When you look at it, everything went up in price, we haven't," Stasiak said.
