106 Things You Can (Still) Do This Summer in WNY

We know summer is a fleeting season in Buffalo, and with our efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, a lot of our usual ways to spend time are off the table for this year.

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But even while socially distanced, we can still make the most of summer 2020. So here's a list of 106 things you can (still) do to make the most of the next two months.

1. Visit and take selfies in front of one of Buffalo’s murals
2. Watch the sunset at Sunset Bay
3. Go to a virtual meat raffle!
4. Go stargazing in one of the less light-polluted places in WNY, like Eden, Springville or Java.
5. Get some take-out and have a picnic at UB Baird Point
6. Do a booze cruise night with your friends on the Moondance (yes, you still can! Reservations required and you must wear a mask)
7. Go to the Transit Drive In for a movie night
8. Get a hot dog from a street vendor
9. Go to Artpark for a drive-in movie
10. Happy Hour on the patio at Charlie’s Boat Yard
11. Play in the giant sandbox at Canalside
12. Visit the gorilla family at the Buffalo Zoo (when WNY gets to Phase 4 reopening, you'll be able to!)
13. Go to the Transit Drive In for a concert
14. Catch lightning bugs in Como Park
15. Drink from your backyard hose
16. Go on the Ride of Steel at Darien Lake, but make a reservation first
17. Have lunch on a restaurant's temporary parking lot patio
18. Burn your mouth on a freshly-roasted marshmallow
19. Go fishing on a boat in Chautauqua Lake
20. Attend a wedding at the Transit Drive In
21. Take a ride on the Maid of the Mist
22. Set off bottle rockets in your backyard
23. “Light paint” photos with sparklers
24. Make sidewalk chalk drawings
25. Park your boat at Riverworks for a drink
26. Try geocaching on one of the county park trails.
27. Visit the sunflower fields in Sanborn
28. Have a backyard picnic
29. Get a funnel cake from the Fair Food Drive Through at the Great Pumpkin Farm
30. Hike the orienteering trail at Chestnut Ridge
31. Skip dinner and go on an ice cream trail tour
32. See the “bubble guy” on Allen and Elmwood
33. Be your own bartender and perfect a signature cocktail
34. Cruise garage sales on a Saturday morning
35. Find a friend with a pool and be their bestest friend ever this summer
36. Make s’mores with Peanut Butter Cups instead of Hershey bars
37. Get a group together for the floating tiki bar
38. Buy fresh flowers and fruits and veggies at the farmers market
39. Go strawberry picking
40. Head to Oliver's Candies for a "Crazy Cone" (it's an ice cream cone filled with syrup/toppings and then dipped and hands down the best thing to come out of Batavia. You're welcome)
41. Have wings on the patio at BarBill
42. Get your socially distanced glamping on at Becker Farms for a weekend
43. See a drive in movie at the Buffalo Waterfront
44. Rent a waterbike or kayak
45. Go to a cruise night
46. Camp out at Letchworth State Park
47. Have an orange chocolate ice cream cone at Sweet Jenny's
48. Go to a Little League baseball game
49. Hike to the eternal flame at Chestnut Ridge
50. Have a bonfire
51. Take a walk by the ships at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval Military Park
52. Play ping-pong on the boardwalk at the waterfront
53. See the animals at Hidden Valley Animal Adventure
54. See the falls: (take your pick) Niagara, Glen, Akron
55. See Garth Brooks at the Transit Drive In
56. Visit Griffis Sculpture Park
57. Have a backyard movie night
58. Get ice cream at Charlap’s
59. Take a selfie with Shark Girl
60. Walk around the Williamsville Farmers Market
61. Skip dinner and visit the food trucks at the Outer Harbor pop-up events
62. Take a free online fitness class
63. Take pics of the lily pads in Reinstein Woods
64. Rent a bike and ride from Canalside to the Outer Harbor
65. Run a fun 5K race
66. Try your hand at DIY face paint, if you're extra adventurous, let your kids do it.
67. Take your dog to dog park at Knox Farm
68. Have a water balloon war
69. Good old fashioned cuddle time
70. Play horseshoes with your friends
71. Get a hot dog at Mississippi Mudds
72. Rent a bike and go for a ride at Lakeside Bike Park
73. Get a milkshake from Taffy’s
74. Bust out a game of Kan-Jam
75. Watch the sun rise from the Templeton Landing parking lot
76. Whirlpool Boat tour to Devil’s Hole (opens July 1)
77. Hiking at Zoar Valley
78. Sit on the beach at Woodlawn
79. Go rollerskating
80. Find out your future at Lilydale (opening day is June 26, call individual mediums in advance to make appointments)
81. Run through a sprinkler
82. Chase down the ice cream truck
83. Go to a splash pad
84. Play a round of cornhole in the backyard
85. Go shopping on Elmwood Avenue
86. Play a game of kickball
87. Have lunch on the roof at Mangia
88. Play foursquare
89. Tour Forest Lawn Cemetery and spot the albino deer
90. Attend a graduation or birthday parade
91. Go horseback riding
92. Visit the drive-thru version of Kelkenberg Farm
93. Make a boondoggle
94. Make Campfiire Cones
95. Do a cruise on the Spirit of Buffalo
96. Keep getting cocktails to-go while you can, simply because you can
97. Visit the Panama Rock Park
98. Dig up some fossils at Penn Dixie
99. Take a sunset walk at Wilkeson Pointe
100. Try flyboarding
101. Sunset Boat Burning Party at Cabana Sam’s (fingers crossed we can still say goodbye to summer with this event!)
102. Getting a fresh catch for lunch at River Grille
103. Sample as much as you can at the virtual Taste of Buffalo
104. Learn to make a no-sew mask from LuLaRoe leggings
105. Take the plunge and get an RV this year and hit the road
106. Listen to WYRK at full volume with the windows down