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Everything North Tonawanda Festival

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Niagara Reporter-  ·  December 4, 2018
Everything North Tonawanda Festival
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By: Brendan McDonough

Reporter for North Tonawanda

It was a night to celebrate everything that North Tonawanda has to offer. Inside the Wurlitzer building organizers held the 1st Annual Everything North Tonawanda Celebration where there were crafts, games, food and lots of family fun.

Kimberly LaRussa, who is the founder of Sweet Buffalo, helped organize the event and said there is something for everyone to enjoy.

“We gathered local businesses from North Tonawanda and across Western New York to come together and join us for a night of celebrating NT,” said LaRussa.

For a $20 admission ticket people got a chance to enjoy the open bar, cheese trays, mini pastries, and coffee. Basket raffles were also help and money raised will help support programs at the local boys and girls clubs.

“We have over thirty vendors and they are all local,” said John Gatas, Event Organizer. “So, it is just a great way to support, these causes. We are supporting Sweet Buffalo and also the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Northtowns, so we are just really excited about tonight.”

Gatas has also created a Facebook page to celebrate everything that the community has to offer.

“We have a video series on Facebook where we interview local owners and post them on Facebook. John has been doing that for a few months now,” said LaRussa.

 

 

The project was started back in May and has evolved into something they could not have dreamed of.

“So, what started out as something fun has really evolved into something that I could not have even dreamed of,” said Gatas. “We really excited and are going to put together a really good group and it is going to be an ever-evolving group on Facebook.”

The videos, as well as the event, has helped show people everything there is to offer in North Tonawnada.

“We just want to let people know that you do not always have to go to Buffalo to have a good time,” said LaRussa. “We are right here and you cannot get any better than North Tonawanda.”

Common Council President Eric Zadzilka agrees.

“Over by Platters, and that whole area, there are 37,000 cars that drive by each day,” said Zadzilka, “so it’s going to be wonderful when Woodcock Brothers comes in there and adds to that and we will be filling up that building to capacity at some point.”

Organizers says they plan to hold the Everything NT celebration again next year.

 

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