With all the hoopla surrounding the State Park’s improvements at Niagara Falls, we wanted to see for ourselves, so the NiagaraHub was in attendance for the ribbon cutting along with a tour of the park upgrades.

Check out the video below for a taste of the action that day.

Mayor Dyster announced the 2013 casino revenue budget plan. Watch the video of his announcement below.

The Niagara Beautification Commission (NBC) is tackling two high-profile improvement projects with help from the Sheraton at the Falls Hotel and the Conference Center Niagara Falls.

[From www.WNYPapers.com]

The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra celebrates the region’s rich heritage and the tradition of classical music with a concert at Old Fort Niagara in Youngstown at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 29.

BPO Associate Conductor Matthew Kraemer will lead a concert packed with symphonic favorites by Copland, Rossini and Beethoven, culminating in Tchaikovsky’s bombastic “1812 Overture.”

Tickets to the concert are $20 for adults and $10 for students. Family four-packs are available for $49. All ticket prices include admission to Old Fort Niagara, which is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the day of the concert.

The fort dates from 1679. Held at various times by the British, French and U.S., it played a key role in the War of 1812, when the British recaptured it briefly. The British ceded the fort to the U.S. at the end of the war, and it has been held by the U.S. ever since. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark by the Department of the Interior for its critical role in the colonial era and the early decades of American history.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve performed at Old Fort Niagara, and we’re pleased to be back,” said BPO executive director Daniel Hart. “We hope that a lot of people will take this opportunity not only to enjoy the music of the BPO, but to explore one of the greatest historical in the region. We selected a program of classical music’s greatest hits for this concert to make it a great summer experience for the whole audience.”

To purchase tickets, visit

This tour starts off at the Discovery Center and follows the path of the Great Gorge Railroad to Whirlpool Park.

As you pass the site of the old Pleasure Grounds — where you learn the history of the Great Gorge Railroad — you will start your descent into the Niagara Gorge, gradually winding your way down to the site where the first Maid of the Mist was built and docked. There you will learn the History of the Maid, the trail that let to it and of the 70 foot paddle wheel steamer