Gardens Buffalo Niagara Timeline

Garden Walk Buffalo includes 140+ gardens.

“Garden Walk Buffalo: A Celebration of Urban Gardens” (City of Light Publishing) is released, written by Elizabeth Licata and photographed by Don Zintek, along with an accompanying DVD.

Garden Walk Buffalo Inc. receives 501c3 status from the IRS and expands merchandise options for sale during the walk.

Garden Walk Buffalo includes 300 gardens; expands to three headquarters.

Garden Walk Buffalo introduces the use of trolleys to help ease parking and traffic congestion in the area of Richmond Ave./Little Summer.

National Garden Festival is created by Ed Healy of Visit Buffalo Niagara, along with Sally Cunningham and Jim Charlier, as a springboard from Garden Walk Buffalo to encourage garden tourism in WNY. 

Nearly 100 garden bloggers from around the U.S. and Canada visit Buffalo before Garden Walk. Word quickly spreads about GWB throughout the country.

GWB receives the American Institute of Architect’s WNY “Friends of Architecture” award for “performing outstanding volunteer service on behalf of or relating to the built environment.”

National Garden Festival presents the first Tours of Open Gardens event on Thursdays and Fridays in July throughout the Buffalo Niagara region.

First Buffalo Style Garden Art Sale held on Sunday, June 24, 2012 at the Parkside Lodge in Delaware Park with 21 vendors, a plant society row, and a Hosta Society show tent. 

GWB wins the Beacon award for “Tourism Initiative of the Year” from Visit Buffalo Niagara.

Garden Walk Beautification Grants are renamed the Lunenfeld Beautification Grants in honor of Garden Walk founder Marvin Lunenfeld (1934 - 2012).

The National Garden Festival awarded the Promotion of the Year Award at the International Garden Tourism Conference in Toronto. 

Talks begin between the National Garden Festival and Garden Walk Buffalo  for the National Garden Festival activities and events to be absorbed into GWB.

The 20th Anniversary Celebration of Garden Walk Buffalo is held in July with 400 gardens and a Wine and Roses event.

National Garden Festival activities and events are absorbed into Garden Walk Buffalo Inc. 

Garden Walk Buffalo Inc. renames itself as GWBN Inc DBA Gardens Buffalo Niagara (GBN) and establishes a new board structure. It is the first year, GBN produces Tours of Open Gardens and other National Garden Festival events in addition to the Garden Walk Buffalo event.

Buffalo Style Garden Art Sale moves to the Botanical Gardens, expanding from one to two days with 33 vendors and a plant society row.

GBN hires its first executive consultant.

East Side Garden Walk launches with 40 gardens, founded by Mary Van Vorst.

Garden Walk Buffalo expands to the Parkside neighborhood of Buffalo.

25th Anniversary celebration is held with a Silver Anniversary Soiree Tour.

One block of Norwood Avenue, the original Garden Walk neighborhood, is named “Garden Walk Buffalo Way” by the City of Buffalo.

Lunenfeld Beautification Grants are expanded to include the whole City of Buffalo.

Tours of Open Gardens celebrates its 10th anniversary.

GBN, including Garden Walk Buffalo and East Side Garden Walk, pivots online during the pandemic, producing Garden Views: Sharing in July.

The first annual Urban Farm Day event is held on August 28, 2021 with 16 participating farms, founded by Mary Van Vorst.

The first annual Children’s Garden Festival was held as part of the East Side Garden Walk with designated funding from the Erie County Children’s Foundation, the M&T Charitable Foundation, and individual donors.

GBN presented Conservation Day with a butterfly release at the Farmers Market

The East Side Garden Walk hosted a "Green Thumb" Master Gardener learning workshop with Sally Cunningham and Phyllis Lobbins, which drew 50 participants

Tour of Open Gardens kept growing, now a collection of over 100 curated gardens

GBN was awarded $5,000 from Arts Services Initiative for 2023 SCR Community Arts/Arts Education Grant to launch a new program called Artist in the Gardens. The program brought 14 artists for live performances and demonstrations throughout the season. 

Atlanta-based horticulturist and historian, Abra Lee, visited Buffalo through a collaboration with the Martin House and the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor. Lee made a presentation in July in Buffalo and visited some East Side Garden Walk gardens.

Board member Jay Jinge Hu filmed about 100 gardens to share on digital platforms. 

Urban Farm Day had its best turn out to date, featuring 11 talks and workshops at various farms. The talk “Forest Gardening” at Bolyard Garden attracted over 50 participants.