BUFFALO, N.Y. — WalletHub ranks Buffalo second for the best place in America to celebrate Easter this year.
Buffalo received high marks because the city has the second-highest number of churches per capita and the fifth-highest percentage of the population being Christian.
One of the biggest Easter holiday traditions in Buffalo is going to the Broadway Market. The Market's manager, Kathleen Peterson, says the high ranking doesn't surprise her.
"We have a wonderful tradition here at the Broadway Market every year for Easter. A two-week festival where people come every year to get their favorite foods for their Easter dinner as well as Easter crafts and gifts for their Easter Basket, lots of great chocolate. It's really a tradition for so many Western New York families to come here year to year" says Peterson.
Pittsburgh ranked number one on the list. El Paso, New Orleans, and Birmingham rounded out the top 5.
The WalletHub study also looks at the cost of Easter for this year.
Americans are expected to spend $24 billion on the holiday. The biggest expense is for food, buying items for those Easter brunches and dinners. About $4 billion will be spent on clothing and more than $3 billion on candy.
Broadway Market vendors hope in the days leading up to the holiday more Western New Yorkers will stop by.
"Especially in Easter, they come in and we have music every day, great vendors, all of their favorite Easter foods and so this the tradition. That's why people make it a point of coming. More and more families are coming that have never been here, and they're hearing about the market, so it's a Western New York tradition" says Kathleen Peterson.
The Broadway Market has extended hours leading up to the Easter holiday:
- Wednesday, April 5: 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
- Holy Thursday, April 6: 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
- Good Friday, April 7: 6:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
- Holy Saturday, April 8: 6:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Broadway Market is closed on Easter Sunday but will reopen for Dyngus Day on Monday, April 10.