Oh, springtime in Buffalo!

By: Madelynn Lockwood, Features Editor

If you have spent any sort of time in Buffalo throughout the months March and April, then you know how unpredictable they can be. So, how the heck are we supposed to enjoy these months without knowing when to pack our parkas or parasols? 

If you’re willing to be a chronic optimist, then you can view these irregular weather patterns as opportunities to enjoy both seasons simultaneously. Winter is hard in general, but in Buffalo we face harsher wind, snow in greater amounts and often we have weeks without sunshine. This impacts both your mental and physical health. Reemerging to see the sun is finally doable and can have some crazy, amazing benefits even if you sun yourself for ten minutes. Wearing whatever is appropriate for the weather that day (or hour more likely) is going to help you be able to enjoy a walk outside, get to your car without freezing to death and finally begin to get some more people time in. 

Spring is very symbolic as a time of fresh starts and new beginnings. Leaning into that can help you welcome a couple more chilly days to do some inside chores to prep for long sunny days. Decluttering and sanitizing your space will help you kick those germs and feel a little less claustrophobic. Taking an internal inventory can also be a good use of your time. See if you have any tasks looming over you, check on your friends, look for that one shirt you couldn’t find when you cleaned out your closet. Time to toss your old toothbrush and see if any of your products are about to run out (and put them on the shopping list).

Hopefully doing all of these things has given you a hit of dopamine and gotten you in the mood to hit the town. Despite the unreliable weather, Buffalonians reenter the outdoor sphere as soon as possible. Hitting up local parks for a free activity like hikes, open tennis courts, drop-in pickleball games (my personal fav) and a TON of local farmers’ markets. 

And, it wouldn’t be spring in Buffalo without the celebration of some of our biggest holidays including St. Patrick’s Day, known for its horrific weather and liquid diet, Easter, a largely celebrated Christian holiday and Dyngus Day, which has become incredibly popular throughout the WNY region. There is a saying that “everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day” and the same rings true that “everyone is Polish on Dyngus Day.” Buffalo’s Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood “has the most partying per square block” than any other place in the country on Dyngus Day. The Broadway Market, located right on the East side in that same neighborhood, is a large market that is open year-round but is particularly bumping the weeks leading to Easter and Dyngus Day.

While spring in Buffalo can be quite rough in the beginning, it is well worth the full four seasons that we are able to experience. Go get some fresh air…now!