Enjoy fall foliage at Griffis Sculpture Park

 

EAST OTTO -- Western New York has four beautiful seasons, each capable of creating dazzling displays of photo-worthy color and texture -- but the vibrant reds and oranges of the changing leaves in the fall might be best of all.

While much of Western New York has yet to hit peak season for fall foliage, Cattaraugus County is at its peak right now, according to the ILoveNY.com fall foliage report. And let me tell you, having spent the weekend down there, it's a must-see.

From the serenity at Griffis Sculpture Park in Ashford Hollow to the bustling streets of Ellicottville, it's a good time to get out of the city and enjoy what's available just a bit south of the Buffalo metro center.

For those unfamiliar with the Griffis Sculpture Park, it's 450 acres of rolling parkland with some very ... unique ... sculptures, many of which were created by the park's namesake, Larry Griffis Jr.

I had the privilege of going there once or twice in my youth while the family camped at what was then Rainbow Lake (now Allegany Mountain Resort at Rainbow Lake). I've popped down every few years since then and finally made it this past weekend (after two failed attempts this year).

It seems bigger than I remember. I'm told there's good reason for that. A representative for the sculpture park told me that it has grown "exponentially" and that many sculptures have been added within the last 10-15 years. Additionally, the park has taken to offering different events, hosting SlyFest in 2012 and 2015, as well as other festivals and "Night Lights" the past few years.

Of the 250 sculptures located throughout the park, approximately 100 of them were created by Griffis Jr., who opened the park in 1966 as the first park of its kind in the U.S. The rest were created by as many as 100 other sculptors including several that were added by an international sculpture symposium.

The Griffis Sculpture Park is open from dawn to dusk from May 1 to Oct. 31.

RELATED: Photo gallery of Griffis Sculpture Park and East Otto

+Scott Leffler is editor of All WNY News and an avid lover of the arts. Follow him on Twitter @scottleffler. 

This column was originally published on All WNY News.

Sabres game felt like a win to me

BUFFALO -- I know the final score said 4-3, Boston. But Monday night's Prospects Challenge game felt like a win to me.

This is the second year that the Buffalo Sabres hosted a pre-pre-season tournament-style event featuring prospects from the Sabres, Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils at Harborcenter. And judging by how it went, I can only imagine it won't be the last.

Harborcenter is a great facility. I've had the opportunity to catch a few events there, but I was usually in and out quickly; Grab a couple photos, maybe a quote and out the door to the next thing. Monday was the first chance I actually got to take it all in.

Apart from the limited seating and fewer concession stands, you would barely know you weren't at an NHL rink. But the seating itself if professional standard. And the concessions themselves are quite ample.

The action on the ice Monday night was a little grittier than I expected. Play was very physical given the pre-pre-season nature of it, which surprised me. But it shouldn't have. The prospects playing on the ice are trying to prove their worth, so, of course they were going to go all out.

Can I just say it was nice to watch hockey? And it was really nice to watch hockey players wearing Sabres uniforms ... even if they weren't exactly the Sabres.

For me, though, the nicest thing about Monday night was seeing all the kids watching hockey -- or not watching hockey as many were off doing their own things, or staring off into space as their parents watched the game. There were a lot of kids at the sixth-floor hockey rink, likely due to the $10 tickets.

The Sabres also had a pretty nice sale on hats, t-shirts and baubles. ONE BUFFALO hats went for just $5. Velcro hats were $10 and flex-fit hats were $12. There was a considerable selection of Evander Kane t-shirts for $5 ... for some reason.

Sabretooth was there wandering around the rink for pretty much the whole game. He stopped and sat with just about anyone that would let him. He posed for photos, signed autographs and even played some bubble hockey for a bit.

In my dealings with them (through three different ownerships), the Buffalo Sabres organization has always been a class act. That showed through again on Monday. I look forward to more hockey.

+Scott Leffler is editor of All WNY News and a fan of hockey. Follow him on Twitter @scottleffler.

RELATED: Photo album from Monday night's game.

This column was originally published on All WNY News.