Buffalo Rising Online

Garden Walk Buffalo is a free, self-guided tour of more than 300 Buffalo gardens, one of the largest garden tours in America. Held annually on the last weekend of July, Garden Walk has become one of Western New York’s most anticipated summer happenings. Tens of thousands of visitors join us each year, as we show off our city’s beautiful homes and gardens. You will leave refreshed, entertained, and inspired!

The 2008 Garden Walk Buffalo takes place on July 26th and 27th from 10AM to 4PM. For more information, please visit the official site at www.gardenwalkbuffalo.com.

The Buffalo Museum of Science holds its fourth annual Bubblefest on today. Bubblefest is the all-day indoor-outdoor family event celebrating the science and fun of bubbles of all types: man-made, in nature, even in outer space.

Casey Carle, bubble master performer, BubbleOlogy author and Cirque du Soleil consultant, will be featured with his amazing one-man show, BubbleMania: Science, Art and Comedy. Also on the agenda: The Bubble Man from Allen Street, Bubble Tents, Best Bubble Contraption contest, Nature’s Bubbles, Susan Rozler and Dave Ruch.

All Bubblefest activities are included in a special day admission price: $8 adults, $7 senior citizens, $6 students and kids over age 3, which includes an all-access bubble bracelet. Science Museum members receive admission free but are charged $1 per person for the bubble bracelet.

The third annual Queen City Jazz Festival is slated to be the best yet. Enjoy an array of live jazz, blues, R&B and swing outside in the summer sunshine. Featured bands are: Jazzline, JWN Band, Carol Mclaughlin Quartet, Charles Reedy and Friends, Joyce Carolyn, Will Holton and Round Midnight.

The Community Music School of Buffalo hosts its 1st Annual Open House/BBQ in cooperation with the Elmwood Kiwanis. As part of the Open House, CMS will present a neighborhood concert at 12:30 and feature the Carol McLaughlin Trio.

While the group takes a break, Chris Boyd will present Music, My Grownup and Me activities for children from the age of 6 months and a grownup. Later in the afternoon Mike Yanoski will lead a West African Drum Circle. Participants may bring their own instruments or "borrow" from CMS for the circle.

Swing Buffalo's Buffalo Hop summer dance series features Lindy Hop, Balboa, Charleston, and Jitterbug. Each dance is preceded by a one hour lesson.

Tonight's Buffalo Hop features special Guest DJ Beth Midavaine of Groove Juice Swing in Rochester! Don't miss her excellent DJ'ing skills! This dance is going to be big.

Tonight marks the opening of The Hallwalls 2008 Members Exhibition, Karma Cab Boa, which is an anagram for “Barack Obama.” View art themed around Barack Obama. Is it karma, a generational shift, the beginning of a new direction for the pendulum? Is he a snake, spewing snake oil, a new boss the same as the old boss? And what of the cab? Is our meter running? Are we stuck in traffic? Or does the driver know the shortcuts?

Hart2Heart Music and Think Twice Radio present The Ray Mingus Big Band immediately following the Queen City Jazz Festival. The Ray Mingus Band delivers a sensational mix of gospel, reggae and tribal with classical rock, African and Latin styles.

The time has come for a new era of soul music, and the voice leading the way is that of Nikki Hicks. Simply stated, many an industry insider has described Nikki as “The Voice." Utilizing a rare blend of pure tone and sheer power in combination with a strikingly strong stage presence, Nikki becomes one with her audience. Famous in her days with local Buffalo band Animal Planet for knocking down the walls with her power, Nikki now shows her true self in the realm of soul music. It is music from the heart, created in conjunction with her band The Soul Music Souljahs. Blending the sound of classic soul with a throw-down of gospel, funk, and new soul, Nikki Hicks And The Soul Music Souljahs have arrived!