BUFFALO, N.Y. — For this year's Buffalo Italian Heritage Festival, it's out with the new and in with the old.
That's not the expression you're used to hearing, but it works when the theme of the event is "going to back to its roots."
"A lot of the customers wanted us back into the streets, felt that that's where we belong, and we started looking at where to go and found out that 'back to our roots' was really right there at Niagara Square," said Chris Delprince, the event planner.
While many of us remember the festival on Hertel Avenue and Buffalo's West Side, it actually started at St. Anthony's Roman Catholic Church on Court Street, behind City Hall.
In 2017, the festival was moved to the Outer Harbor, but that decision was met with resistance.
Organizers said, so far, the feedback has been positive since this latest change.
"Our vendors have been calling us. Vendors that haven't even been with us for years and years are coming back," Delprince said.
The festival will be held on July 20 and 21.
The event planner couldn't give us an estimate of how many people they expect to attend, but he has high hopes.
"I tell ya, we're gonna be just like Hertel again. No doubt about it," said Delprince.
The event planner told 2 on Your side there is a museum within St. Anthony's Church and they'll be giving tours there throughout the festival.
Despite new vendors and entertainment coming to the event, this time around there will be no entrance fee.
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