By Audrey Clark
It’s that time of year: Hundreds of gardeners are busy rushing against the clock, using the extra daylight hours to stay out until 9pm, only coming inside when the sun goes down and the mosquitoes get fierce.
Western New York gardeners are a dedicated bunch, and with the Gardens Buffalo Niagara’s (GBN) season officially underway, every day counts.
Throughout July and August, close to 500 gardens will open throughout the region to participate in GBN events, welcoming tens of thousands of visitors from near and far. Last year, visitors traveled from as far away as Oregon and Arizona, as well as from Gothenburg, Sweden, and Cazin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, to soak up WNY’s unique garden culture. We are ready to welcome them back!
The GBN season began earlier this spring with the presentation of the Lunenfeld Beautification Grants at a celebration held at the Buffalo Zoo. By now, those community gardening projects are taking root across neighborhoods. You can check them out during the East Side Garden Walk and Garden Walk Buffalo.
One such project is the Pelion Outdoor Classroom, which has been installing healing plants across the East Side. It welcomes visitors on July 18 and 19 as part of the East Side Garden Walk, along with 100 other participating gardens.
East Side Garden Walk empowers residents to transform their blocks into vibrant community spaces filled with plants, art, and cultural traditions and share them with visitors. More than a garden tour, the event celebrates the East Side’s creativity, resilience, and community pride. You’ll find handmade quilt umbrellas on Watson Street, gardens inspired by African American history, music, visual art on Mercer Avenue, and friendly neighbors around every corner.
Across town, Garden Walk Buffalo returns on July 25 and 26 as the largest free garden tour in the United States. Nearly 300 gardens showcase Buffalo’s neighborhoods as living galleries of horticulture, art, and design. Some gardens feature sculptures, murals, and found-object artwork, while others focus on native plants, pollinator habitats, vegetable production, or landscapes that complement Buffalo’s historic architecture. There are even gardens that host artists creating live works throughout the events through Artists in Gardens!
With hundreds of gardens to choose from, I recommend you explore one neighborhood at a time and visit gardens in clusters. First-timers often start with the beloved Cottage Gardens on Little Summer Street before branching out.
Experienced Garden Walkers might consider visiting a neighborhood a little further away. The gardens in Parkside are vastly different from the ones in the Elmwood Village and definitely worth the trip. For the adventurous hoping to see as many gardens as possible, taking the shuttle buses is by far the best way. The shuttles run on a continuous loop throughout the weekend, so you can park once and enjoy all the gardens across the city.
For those looking for a slower pace, the 2026 Tour of Open Gardens offers a different experience, featuring carefully selected private landscapes that invite visitors to meet the gardeners and spend time in each garden. The tour takes place every Thursday and Friday in July with participating gardens as far south as Eden to as far north as Lewiston. Get your print guide and get started!
Looking to elevate your experience? Have us take you on a curated tour through Open Gardens during the Night Lights Bus Tour. You’ll enjoy a guided experience through several choice gardens, accompanied by snacks, drinks, a stop at a all-native plant garden nursery, and more!
The season continues with the debut of Open Gardens Night Lights on July 31, offering visitors the opportunity to visit select gardens illuminated after dark. In August, GBN hosts the annual Urban Farm Day, a self-guided educational tour where you can learn about growing food in your own backyard.
Combined with new events like Blooms & Brews (GBN’s inaugural fundraiser), the Night Lights Open Gardens Bus Tour, and the debut of Open Gardens Night Lights on July 31, 2026 promises to be one of the most exciting seasons in our 32-year history.
Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a longtime garden enthusiast, you’ll find that behind every bloom is a Buffalo gardener ready to share not only their plants, but their neighborhood, creativity, and passion.
Audrey Clark is the executive director of Gardens Buffalo Niagara.
Gardens Buffalo Niagara’s 2026 Season
Visit gardensbuffaloniagara.com for more information about upcoming July and August events.
Young gardeners develop green thumbs at the Pelion Outdoor Classroom, a year-round educational garden of City Honors School and part of East Side Garden Walk this year. Photo by Sam White.
- Artists in Gardens – Throughout July, visit ArtistsinGardens.com for locations
- Garden Art Sale – Saturday, June 27 (10am-4pm) & Sunday, June 28 (10am-3pm)
- Conservation Day – Saturday, July 11 from 8am-1pm
- East Side Garden Walk – Saturday & Sunday, July 18 & 19 from 10am – 4pm
- Blooms & Brews (Tickets required) – Wednesday, July 22
- Garden Walk Buffalo – Saturday & Sunday, July 25 & 26 from 10am-4pm
- Open Gardens
- Standard Tour – Thursdays & Fridays, July 9 & 10, 16 & 17, 23 & 24, and 30 & 31.
- Night Lights Tour – Friday, July 31, 7:00-11:00pm
- Night Lights Open Gardens Bus Tour (Tickets required) – Friday, July 31, 5–10:00pm
- Urban Farm Day – Saturday, August 15 from 10am-4pm
“Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a longtime garden enthusiast, you’ll find that behind every bloom is a Buffalo gardener ready to share not only their plants, but their neighborhood, creativity, and passion.”
—Audrey Clark
