Chad Michael Murray
Chad Michael Murray, the One Tree Hill star, was born in Buffalo, New York and i
north-america
Buffalo
NY, USA · 9 events
Buffalo Fan Travel Guide
Western New York's fiercely loyal sports city where Bills Mafia tailgates are legendary and Sabres hockey runs deep. Chicken wings were invented here, and the waterfront revival adds year-round energy.
Buffalo Fan Travel Blueprint
FanTravel tracks 9 events and 12 fan-favorite local spots in Buffalo — here's how to turn them into a fan trip:
- What fans can already use: 9 fan weekend ideas that could turn into huge weekends and 12 fan-favorite hotels, restaurants, bars, and things to do.
- Main event anchor: Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills on September 17, 2026.
- Stay + eat core: Curtiss Hotel with Anchor Bar (Original) can frame your pre-event window.
- Night + recovery: 716 Food and Sport plus Bills Mafia Tailgate at Highmark Stadium can round out day two.
Sample 48-Hour Fan Route
- Day 1 Arrival: Check in at Curtiss Hotel, settle near the event zone, and open your first local meal block.
- Day 1 Peak: Center the night around Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills and then push into post-event fan energy at 716 Food and Sport.
- Day 2 Closeout: Use daytime space for Bills Mafia Tailgate at Highmark Stadium, then finish with Anchor Bar (Original) before departure.
Celebrity Sightings in Buffalo
Wolf Blitzer
Wolf Blitzer, the veteran CNN anchor, grew up in Buffalo, New York and has atten
Christine Baranski
Christine Baranski, the Emmy-winning actress from The Good Fight and Mamma Mia!,
Abby Wambach
Abby Wambach, the US Women's Soccer legend from Rochester, NY, is a vocal member
William Fichtner
William Fichtner, the character actor from Cheektowaga, NY, narrated ESPN's 'Fou
Rob Gronkowski
Retired NFL tight end and Buffalo-area native Rob Gronkowski was a featured cele
Josh Allen
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen took part in the Sabres' pregame ceremonial
Chad Michael Murray
One Tree Hill actor and Buffalo native Chad Michael Murray attended Sabres-Bruin
Event Calendars by Year
All Years →Event Calendars by Month
City Month
Buffalo · December 2026
1 events · 1 venues · Buffalo, NY
Next: December 19, 2026
City Month
Buffalo · November 2026
2 events · 1 venues · Buffalo, NY
Next: November 22, 2026
City Month
Buffalo · October 2026
2 events · 1 venues · Buffalo, NY
Next: October 4, 2026
City Month
Buffalo · September 2026
2 events · 1 venues · Buffalo, NY
Next: September 17, 2026
City Month
Buffalo · June 2026
1 events · 1 venues · Buffalo, NY
Next: June 26, 2026
City Month
Buffalo · January 2026
1 events · 1 venues · Buffalo, NY
Next: January 10, 2027
Potential Massive Fan Weekends
City Weekend Hub →
Fan Weekend
2026 NHL Draft
0 celebs · 1 local events
June 25, 2026 → June 27, 2026
Fan Weekend
Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills
0 celebs · 1 local events
September 16, 2026 → September 18, 2026
Fan Weekend
Los Angeles Chargers at Buffalo Bills
0 celebs · 1 local events
September 26, 2026 → September 28, 2026
Fan Weekend
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills
0 celebs · 1 local events
October 3, 2026 → October 5, 2026
Fan Weekend
Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills
0 celebs · 1 local events
October 31, 2026 → November 2, 2026
Fan Weekend
Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills
0 celebs · 1 local events
November 21, 2026 → November 23, 2026
Fan Weekend
Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills
0 celebs · 1 local events
November 25, 2026 → November 27, 2026
Fan Weekend
Chicago Bears at Buffalo Bills
0 celebs · 1 local events
December 18, 2026 → December 20, 2026
Fan Weekend
New York Jets at Buffalo Bills
0 celebs · 1 local events
January 9, 2027 → January 11, 2027
Celebrity Hotspots in Buffalo
All City Hotspots →
Restaurants
Buffalo Proper
2 source links · 8 celeb-linked mentions
9 event pairings
Attractions
Canalside Buffalo
2 source links · 8 celeb-linked mentions
9 event pairings
Hotels
The Westin Buffalo
2 source links · 8 celeb-linked mentions
9 event pairings
Hotels
Aloft Buffalo Downtown
1 source link · 8 celeb-linked mentions
9 event pairings
Bars
Buffalo Iron Works
1 source link · 8 celeb-linked mentions
9 event pairings
Hotels
Embassy Suites by Hilton Buffalo
1 source link · 8 celeb-linked mentions
9 event pairings
Hotels
Hampton Inn Buffalo South/I-90
1 source link · 8 celeb-linked mentions
9 event pairings
Hotels
Hyatt Regency Buffalo
1 source link · 8 celeb-linked mentions
9 event pairings
Attractions
Bills Mafia Tailgate at Highmark Stadium
2 source links · 6 celeb-linked mentions
9 event pairings
Attractions
Bills Mafia Tailgate Scene
2 source links · 6 celeb-linked mentions
9 event pairings
Attractions
Highmark Stadium Bills Fan Experience
2 source links · 6 celeb-linked mentions
9 event pairings
Attractions
KeyBank Center
2 source links · 6 celeb-linked mentions
9 event pairings
Series Hubs in Buffalo
All Series-City Hubs →Series × Venue in Buffalo
All Venue Hubs →Venues in Buffalo
Where to Stay in Buffalo
Fan Stay
Curtiss Hotel
Sleek, modern boutique hotel in downtown Buffalo with a striking angular design, rooftop bar, and contemporary art throughout. A short drive from Highmark Stadium and walking distance to KeyBank Center, the Curtiss is where visiting celebrities and media personalities stay during Bills games.
Fan Stay
Hotel Henry
Boutique hotel inside the historic Richardson Olmsted Campus, a stunning National Historic Landmark designed by H.H. Richardson. A unique stay for fans visiting Buffalo, combining architectural grandeur with modern hospitality near the downtown sports district.
Fan Stay
Marriott HarborCenter
Attached directly to KeyBank Center via a skywalk, the Marriott HarborCenter is the ultimate stay for visiting hockey fans. Guests can walk to Sabres games without setting foot outside and enjoy rooms with views of Lake Erie. The on-site bar and restaurant buzz with game-night energy throughout the season.
Fan Stay
The Richardson Hotel
Stunning Richardsonian Romanesque mansion converted into a boutique luxury hotel in Buffalo's Midway neighborhood. Visiting fans experience Buffalo's architectural grandeur with ornate woodwork, craft cocktails at the lobby bar, and proximity to downtown gameday action.
Fan Stay
The Westin Buffalo
Modern downtown hotel steps from KeyBank Center with views of Lake Erie and the Buffalo waterfront. The most convenient base for Sabres fans and a popular stay for Bills Mafia visiting from out of town.
Fan Stay
Aloft Buffalo Downtown
Marriott boutique brand on Pearl Street; modern style, near Chippewa entertainment district. ~10-min walk from KeyBank Center.
Fan Stay
Curtiss Hotel (Ascend Collection)
5-star boutique in renovated 1912 Harlow C. Curtiss Building; 68 luxury rooms with marble bathrooms. ~13-min walk from KeyBank Center.
Fan Stay
Embassy Suites by Hilton Buffalo
All-suite downtown near Theatre District and Canalside. ~15-min walk from KeyBank Center.
Fan Stay
Hampton Inn Buffalo South/I-90
A family-friendly hotel on the I-90 corridor between downtown Buffalo and Orchard Park, about 10 minutes from Highmark — a straight-shot drive to the stadium.
Fan Stay
Hampton Inn Buffalo-Hamburg
A reliable mid-range hotel off I-90, the closest cluster of branded lodging to Highmark Stadium, about a 10-minute drive — the practical game-weekend base.
Fan Stay
Hotel at the Lafayette (Trademark by Wyndham)
Landmark 1904 French Renaissance hotel designed by Louise Blanchard Bethune (first professional female American architect). ~11-min walk from KeyBank Center.
Fan Stay
Hyatt Regency Buffalo
On Main Street near Buffalo Convention Center; on the Metro Rail free-fare zone (Fountain Plaza station, 3 stops from Special Events/KeyBank Center). ~12-min walk from KeyBank Center.
Fan Stay
The Mansion on Delaware Avenue
AAA Four-Diamond, Second-Empire 1869 boutique with 28 rooms; 24-hour butler service, complimentary Range Rover downtown shuttle, evening cocktails. ~22-min walk from KeyBank Center.
Where to Eat in Buffalo
Fan Eats
Anchor Bar (Original)
The birthplace of the Buffalo wing since 1964 — no Bills tailgate pilgrimage is complete without eating wings at the place that invented them.
Fan Eats
Buffalo Proper
A creative New American small plates restaurant in downtown Buffalo with an inventive cocktail program. Bills Mafia fans and Sabres supporters enjoy Buffalo's culinary evolution beyond wings with dishes that showcase Western New York's farm bounty.
Fan Eats
Charlie the Butcher
Buffalo institution serving the city's signature beef on weck sandwich — thinly sliced roast beef piled high on a kummelweck roll with horseradish. A pilgrimage spot for Bills Mafia fans, Charlie the Butcher has been slicing beef since 1914 and embodies Buffalo's proud food culture.
Fan Eats
Duff's Famous Wings
Legendary Buffalo wing institution known for its fiery medium sauce and no-frills atmosphere. Duff's has been fueling Bills Mafia tailgate energy since 1946 and is consistently rated among the best wing spots in the city.
Fan Eats
La Nova Pizzeria
Buffalo has its own distinctive pizza style — thick, doughy, and topped generously — and La Nova on West Ferry Street is its undisputed capital since 1957. Bills Mafia members swear by it as the post-game carb therapy after a hard-fought AFC East battle, and the restaurant's proximity to downtown makes it a natural stop on the way back from Highmark Stadium. The chicken wing pizza — combining both of Buffalo's great food inventions — is the mandatory order for first-time visitors.
Fan Eats
Ted's Hot Dogs
Buffalo institution since 1927 serving charcoal-grilled hot dogs with Sahlen's franks and all the fixings. A Bills Mafia essential alongside chicken wings — no gameday weekend is complete without a Ted's footlong.
Fan Eats
Danny’s South
A family-owned Buffalo-cuisine restaurant directly across the street from the stadium and the original home of Buffalo Chicken Wing Soup — a roughly 5-minute walk to the gates.
Fan Eats
Ilio DiPaolo’s Restaurant
A landmark Italian-American restaurant since 1965, a short drive north of the stadium — it markets game-day family packages aimed squarely at the Bills crowd.
Fan Eats
Mangia Ristorante
An Italian restaurant with a rooftop patio in Orchard Park village, minutes from Highmark — a slightly more upscale, casual pre-game dining option.
Best Bars in Buffalo
716 Food and Sport
Buffalo's premier downtown sports bar, 716 Food and Sport is named for the city's area code and operates as the de facto fan headquarters for Bills and Sabres supporters who aren't at the games in person. The combination of local Buffalo craft beers, excellent wings, and the passionate Western New York sports culture of the crowd makes it one of the most authentically local sports bar experiences in the NFL. During playoff runs the energy here rivals anything inside Highmark Stadium.
Bar-Bill Tavern
Beloved East Aurora tavern often ranked as having the best wings in Buffalo, a fierce rival to the Anchor Bar. A Bills Mafia favorite with a loyal local following, it is the insider pick for wing connoisseurs visiting for game weekends.
Gene McCarthy's Old First Ward Brewing
This neighborhood brewery in Buffalo's historic First Ward pours locally crafted beers to a crowd of loyal Bills and Sabres fans. The cozy taproom has the feel of a true local sports bar with plenty of Buffalo pride on display. Game-day specials and Buffalo-made brews make it a fan favorite year-round.
Resurgence Brewing Company
Industrial-chic brewery in Buffalo's Niagara Street corridor with a sprawling beer garden and rotating food trucks. Bills Mafia members gather here for pre-game tailgate energy before heading to Highmark Stadium, making it a Buffalo sports culture essential.
Thin Man Brewery
Hip Elmwood Village craft brewery with an excellent kitchen and a rotating selection of creative ales and IPAs. A favorite pregame hangout for Bills and Sabres fans in Buffalo's trendiest neighborhood.
(716) Food & Sport
Massive game-day sports bar opened by the Pegula family (Sabres/Bills owners) in 2014; 38-foot main screen plus 70+ TVs. Operations transferred to Southern Tier Brewing 2021. ~1-min walk from KeyBank Center.
Big Ditch Brewing Company
Downtown craft brewery (founded 2014); 20-barrel brewhouse with full kitchen. ~10-min walk from KeyBank Center.
Big Tree Inn
A legendary Bills-Mafia institution at Abbott Road, walking distance from the stadium and a Bills bar since 1980 — its Hall of Fame Wall displays Super Bowl-era jerseys.
Buffalo Iron Works
500-capacity live-music venue and bar in a 1915 industrial building in the Cobblestone District. ~5-min walk from KeyBank Center.
Cobblestone Bar & Grill
Iconic Sabres game-night bar in the Cobblestone District since 1999, known for wings, beef on weck, and wood-fired pizza. ~3-min walk from KeyBank Center.
Kettle’s
A classic Buffalo dive bar on Abbott Road, walking distance from Highmark, with cheap cold draft beer — packed on game day for an unpretentious, rowdy local atmosphere.
Lockhouse Distillery & Bar
First distillery to open in Buffalo since Prohibition; cocktail bar producing vodka, gin, coffee liqueur. ~5-min walk from KeyBank Center.
O’Neill’s Stadium Inn
A neighborhood pub on Abbott Road with a large patio within walking distance of the stadium gates — a prime pre- and post-game spot in the tailgate scene.
Pearl Street Grill & Brewery
Four-story brewpub; classic Sabres pre-game; offers large beer-tube format. Operating since 1997. ~5-min walk from KeyBank Center.
SATO Brewpub
Japanese-style brewpub; izakaya small plates pair with house-brewed beer. ~6-min walk from KeyBank Center.
Ulrich's 1868 Tavern
Buffalo's oldest continuously operating tavern (1868); reopened 2022 after brief closure; American-German menu. ~15-min walk from KeyBank Center.
Fan Attractions in Buffalo
Things to Do
Bills Mafia Tailgate at Highmark Stadium
The Bills Mafia tailgate at Highmark Stadium is rightfully considered the greatest fan experience in the NFL — an extraordinary pre-game festival of folding tables, buffalo wings, craft beer, and feats of commitment that have made the Buffalo fanbase globally famous. Arriving four hours before kickoff puts you in the middle of a community that demonstrates what football fandom means at its most passionate and joyful. The camaraderie between strangers in the parking lots of Highmark is genuinely unlike anything else in American sports.
Things to Do
Bills Mafia Tailgate Scene
Arriving six or more hours before kickoff to the Highmark Stadium lots is essential for experiencing the Bills Mafia tailgate, widely regarded as the wildest and most entertaining in the entire NFL. Fans jump through folding tables, share food with strangers, and create memories that visiting fans talk about for years.
Things to Do
Canalside
Buffalo's vibrant waterfront revival district at Canalside offers outdoor concerts, seasonal skating on the largest reflecting pool in North America, kayaking, and food vendors just minutes from KeyBank Center. Sports fans use it as the perfect warm-up spot before Sabres and Bandits games with waterfront views of Lake Erie.
Things to Do
Canalside Buffalo
Buffalo's revitalized Erie Canal terminus hosts free outdoor concerts, hockey watch parties projected onto a giant outdoor screen, and a summer festival calendar that draws fans from across Western New York and Southern Ontario. The weekly 'Sabres on the waterfront' events during the playoffs have become a Buffalo tradition, with thousands gathering lakeside in the snow to cheer alongside their NHL team.
Attraction
Highmark Stadium
The legendary home of the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park is one of the NFL's most atmospheric venues, where the Bills Mafia turns tailgate culture into a full-day spectacle of table smashing, team spirit, and passionate fandom. Cold-weather games at Highmark Stadium are considered bucket-list experiences for any NFL fan who wants to feel raw football energy.
Attraction
Highmark Stadium Bills Fan Experience
Join the legendary Bills Mafia tailgate scene at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, one of the wildest pregame experiences in all of professional sports. The lots open hours before kickoff with folding tables, wings, and passion that has made Buffalo's tailgate culture a viral sensation and bucket-list destination for NFL fans.
Things to Do
Highmark Stadium Tailgate Lots
Highmark Stadium's tailgate lots are legendary in NFL culture, drawing Bills Mafia faithful who set up elaborate spreads hours before kickoff. Tables get smashed, fireworks go off, and strangers share food and drinks in the ultimate communal pregame ritual. Arrive three hours early to fully experience the spectacle.
Things to Do
Highmark Stadium Tailgate Walk
Experience the legendary Bills Mafia tailgate scene in the Highmark Stadium parking lots — folding tables, hot wings, and the most passionate fan base in the NFL.
Attraction
Highmark Stadium Tour
Highmark Stadium is home to the Buffalo Bills and the legendary Bills Mafia — the most passionate, creative, and generous fan community in the NFL, known for tailgate table crashes and organized charity drives. No NFL fan experience is more authentically community-driven than a Bills home game in Orchard Park, where the blue-collar Western New York pride bleeds into every parking lot. Stadium tours showcase the venue slated for a new-build replacement, making the current structure a document of Bills history.
Attraction
KeyBank Center
Home of the Buffalo Sabres, KeyBank Center sits on the waterfront downtown and delivers an intimate, hockey-first atmosphere that Sabres fans have filled with decades of passion. The arena is the anchor of Buffalo's sports district and easy to combine with a visit to nearby Canal Side for pregame waterfront dining.
Attraction
KeyBank Center (Sabres Fan Experience)
Home of the Buffalo Sabres, KeyBank Center's fan experience includes access to the ice level, the team dressing room, and the arena's full history of hosting Memorial Cup, NHL Winter Classic outdoor games, and legendary playoff runs. Buffalo's all-in hockey culture — where fans endure brutal winters in the same spirit they endure decades of near-misses — makes every home game here feel like a community gathering.
Frequently Asked Questions About Buffalo
Popular celebrity dining spots in Buffalo include Anchor Bar (Original), Buffalo Proper, Charlie the Butcher. See our full guide for more recommendations.
Visit our Buffalo city guide for a complete list of sports teams, venues, and upcoming events.
Top-rated fan bars in Buffalo include 716 Food and Sport, Bar-Bill Tavern, Gene McCarthy's Old First Ward Brewing.
Recommended fan stays in Buffalo: Curtiss Hotel, Hotel Henry, Marriott HarborCenter. All within easy reach of major venues.
Use our Buffalo fan weekend ideas to connect top events with local hotels, bars, restaurants, and attractions.