Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - It was the last major event held at the Buffalo Convention Center before the COVID-19 pandemic, and it will be the first major show to make its return in 2022.
Thursday marks the official return of the Buffalo Auto Show in Downtown Buffalo. This year's event will run from Thursday through Sunday, and is a fully vaccinated event. When you show proof of vaccination at the door, you will be allowed entry without having to wear a mask.
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The return of the Buffalo Auto Show has been a long time coming for many, but for show promoter Paul Stasiak, the wait has been worth it.
"It's like Groundhog Day, but we're not gonna see a shadow and go away," Stasiak said to go along with the theme of Wednesday. "We're here. We're amped up, we're excited, we're all powered up, and missing a year made us more hungry."
The Buffalo Convention Center has been loaded up with a number vehicles from most of the major manufacturers. In all, it's likely there will be a little more than 200 vehicles on both floors for people to check out and admire through the weekend.
With that many vehicles, one might think it's pretty difficult for the Convention Center to not only fit all the vehicles in each show room, but also get in and out of the building.
"It's not as bad as you think," Stasiak said of the process. "I mean, we build ramps, use elevators, freight elevator. We've got it down to a little bit of a science, we hope."
The 2022 show will feature an extensive lineup of newer vehicles, including a number of E-vehicles that the dealers will be selling for customers. Manufacturers like BMW, Mercedes, Kia and Ford all have electronic vehicles on-hand, while also showing off their other models.
What other cars does this year's Buffalo Auto Show have to offer for its patrons?
"You've got a Ferrari, you've got the Humvee, you've got a Bentley, a Rolls[-Royce], you've got some Lotus. I mean, you've got a Panameras, you've got cars that you're really not going to see on the road," Stasiak said. "So it's not the person just buying a car, this is a person thinking about something down the road or just wanting to get out of house."
Some people may be looking to head out to the Auto Show this weekend, looking to get a potential idea of a future vehicle to purchase and have in their driveways. However, as Stasiak reminds folks, people are not able to buy any vehicles that are on the show room floor.
"You should [be able to] talk to product specialists, get an idea what you want, how to order what you want, get educated on there and you can order vehicle, go back to the dealerships and then consummate the deal there, we hope," he said.
While you may not be able to purchase a vehicle at the 2022 Buffalo Auto Show, there is the chance for guests to come away with a vehicle every day of the event this weekend. That's just one of the promotions that this year's Auto Show has to offer.
"First of all, discount tickets [are available] at Tops, Dash's and Consumer's Beverage. Buy three, get one free. So that's a heck of a deal," Stasiak said. "You've got a chance to win a car every day. You just come in here, fill your name. It's in partnership with the [Buffalo] Bisons. So if your last four match the VINs the car and they draw your name, you drive out here with a car. That's a good deal. We've got a lot of other incentives by the manufacturers, not at liberty to talk about that on-air, but people that come to the show might get a couple extra hundred dollars on a car, test drive off, and then go back to their dealerships."
Doors open on Thursday at 1 p.m. EST to the public. Tickets and times for all four days of the Buffalo Auto Show are available at BuffaloAutoShow.com.
