Ranking Lewiston Festivals

Deciding which Lewiston Festival I love best is like deciding which child is my favorite or which hike in the Niagara River Gorge I prefer. They are all special. Nevertheless, the ranking.

1. Better Off Read. Books are like friends or chocolate. It’s hard to have too many. This annual event is a little better every year and there is nothing else like it in Western New York. Vendors travel from far away to be among kindred folk in the Emerald Grove at Artpark. The venue, on the banks of the mighty Niagara is only a small part of what makes this event magical;
2. Lewiston Art Festival. You can go to Allentown, East Aurora or Orchard Park. The annual Lewiston Council on the Arts Festival is the highlight of the summer on Center Street. It evolves a bit from year to year, perhaps with a new vendor or two and some different food, but the bones of the thing are consistent. And you can never go wrong with arancini from Casa Antica.
3. Lewiston Jazz Festival. Multiple stages. Good music. More food and drink focused than any other.
4. Strawberry Moon Festival. Annual event celebrating indigenous culture in the Emerald Forest. A Tuscarora led us on a nature hike and explained medicinal uses of plants and trees.
5. Lewiston Gardenfest. A great way to start the season with some fun vendors specializing in native plants.
6. Harvest and Hops. Fun event with lots of food and drink but the souvenir glasses were only 14 ounces.
7. Kiwanis Peach Festival. Hey, it’s a great cause but amusement rides and traveling midways are not our thing and it is not dog friendly.