Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - This weekend marks the return of the Allentown Art Festival in Buffalo, one of the longest and most respected art shows not just locally but across the nation.
Each year, hundreds of artists take shop along the streets of the Allentown neighborhood, not only displaying and selling their artwork to festivalgoers, but also getting the chance to interact with the community and meet fellow artists from around the region.
For some artists, the Allentown Art Festival is one of their favorite festivals to take part in every year.
"We have a few favorites, but this one really stands out because of the people who organize it. They do a great job making sure the artists actually fit the mold, so to say, because of the quality of the work," said Nell Reboh in an interview with WBEN. "We are always happy to not only share our art, but also to be surrounded by artists that really are creative and so talented."
"I've been doing festivals for a couple decades now, on and off, and there's something about Allentown. I can't put my finger on it, besides saying it's the people," added Brian Pfeiffer with WBEN. "Don't get me wrong, the artists are great, the quality of art there is unbelievable, but just the people, the neighborhood - the weather is always a challenge, but it's more and often than not beautiful weather. Just the people. The great conversations, the excitement. I tell folks it's great to sell there, I do really good there. But even if I don't, I have a great weekend, because it's Buffalo."
The chance to interact with the people and fellow artists from the community and beyond is what most excites artists making their return to the Allentown Art Festival.
"It's all about the people that we get to meet, the people that become our regular clients. The crowd that shows up to the show is just mind-blowing. It's one of the greatest," said Nell's husband Joe Reboh. "And, of course, going out in town and everything else, the restaurants, the sites, everything. Buffalo is a special place for us."
Pfeiffer admits while he has done shows in Rochester and Canadaigua in the past, there's something about Buffalo that puts the city a different category than others.
"It's such a laid back festival, and I think part of that is because of the promoters," he said. "Allentown Art Festival is great to work with, they jury people in - the artists - and they have high standards. The quality you're seeing down there is good, there's a nice variety of stuff. So you put good promoters, good neighbors, good neighborhood, and a handful customers, and it makes for a good weekend."
And the artists know without the support of the local community, there likely isn't an Allentown Art Festival each year.
"I've been going to Buffalo since the mid-70s, maybe even earlier than that, and back then it was a pretty great place to go. Then I saw it kind of slide down a little bit, and fortunately for us, when we got back there in 2012, it was on the upswing already. And we've noticed great things about Buffalo and about the Allentown festival," Joe Reboh said. "The Allentown festival drove some of the best crowds of people. They're educated, they know what they're looking at, they know what they're buying, and they like to support the craftsmens in arts and craft shows like the one in Allentown, Buffalo. We're grateful to the show, to the promoters, but the crowd, the people of Buffalo really make us want to come back every year."
While many familiar artists like the Rebohs and Pfeiffer will make their return to the Allentown Art Festival this year, the artists do enjoy when some of the new artists make their way to town.
"I'm on Virginia Street, and what's nice about Virginia Street is that's where they put a lot of newer people. Even though I've been there for a long time, Rita [Lippman] keeps wanting to kick me out to Delaware. I'll stay on Virginia," Pfeiffer said with a chuckle. "You don't get all that hustle-and-bustle out there, it's cooler - not as hot as on Delaware - and good customer flow out there. It really is. It's a good show."
This year's festival runs Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14 from 11 a.m.-to-6 p.m. both days. More details on this year's event, including a list of artists, is available on the festival's website:
"We love Buffalo, and we thank Buffalo for loving us too"
"We love Buffalo, and we thank Buffalo for loving us too"
