Summer Clicks In

As natives of Western New York have long and happily known, summertime in our region means more than many days of delightful weather. The area also offers a rich variety of attractive and popular events and festivals over the warmer months. Now that UB's academic year is winding down, this might be an opportune moment to begin planning if you are staying in the area. Here are some Web links to help you mark your calendar.

The 42nd annual Allentown Arts Festival http://www.allentown.buffnet.nettakes place in the second week in June. Featuring more than 450 artists, the festival draws around 400,000 visitors each year. Visit the Web site for a description of the festival and the neighborhood it represents, along with photos of art works, artists and some of the more colorful attendees.

Buffalo's Shakespeare in Delaware Park ranks second only to that in New York City as the nation's most successful outdoor Shakespeare festival. Its Web site http://www.thebard.org/ not only lists this summer's fare (Henry IV, Part 2 and Measure for Measure), but offers historical background, merchandise and even an online Shakespeare coloring book.

A rich variety of festivals celebrates the city's diversity. A handy calendar of festivals and summertime events is provided by The Greater Buffalo Convention and Visitors Bureau http://buffalocvb.org/Events_0.html. Here are listings with contact information and some direct links for the Greek Hellenic Festival, the Juneteenth Festival, A Taste of Buffalo, the Friendship Festival, the Italian Heritage and Food Festival, and numerous others. For a wider scope of destinations, the Western New York Travel Guide offers an online list http://www.westernny.com/things.html. Among the attractions listed are parks, museums, trails, historic sites, and theaters. The alphabetical list can be browsed or can be narrowed to specific county or region.

Two long-standing cultural institutions north and south of the city are well worth visiting. Artpark http://www.artpark.net gears up for another summer of concerts, musical theater and daytime art workshops for children and adults. If your browser includes Netshow as a plugin, you can view a narrated slide show about the park and its offerings.

The Chatauqua Institution http://www.chautauqua-inst.org/: celebrates its 125th anniversary this year. This renowned center for the arts, religion and education offers a hefty program of lectures and performances for residents and visitors. The Web site contains listings of Chautauqua events, an online bookstore and historical information on this unique community.

So before it gets too nice to remain indoors, use the Web to help plan your summer schedule of regional activities.

For assistance in connecting to the World Wide Web, contact the CIT Help Desk at 645-3542.