Downtown Buffalo’s most dynamic event venue, the Powerhouse by Rich Entertainment Group (REG), has seen its share of diverse events this season. Highlights included the CollaBEERation festival, Buffalo’s only Chocolate, Wine and Whiskey Festival, a spook-tacular Witching Hour Market, and the city’s first ever large scale Trading Card Con event, which will be back and bigger than ever to kick-start the new year.
The second edition of Buffalo Trading Card Con will feature a bonus Family Night on Friday, January 2, 2026, with loads of family-friendly entertainment including inflatables, prizes, games and more. Over the course of the weekend, vendors and exhibitors will feature an array of trading cards, toys, collectibles, crafts and more. Vendor information and admission tickets ($10 for Friday, $5 each for Saturday & Sunday) will be available soon, visit BuffaloTCGcon.com for regular updates.
The Powerhouse has also become the regular home of Buffalo’s famed Makers + Shakers market. This boozy artisan market features a curated shopping experience, complete with food trucks and signature cocktails. The Fall Makers + Shakers market returned to Powerhouse for back-to-back weekend entertainment beginning November 21-23, and continued throughout Thanksgiving weekend, November 28-30.
“The Powerhouse is an expansive indoor venue unlike any other space available in Buffalo and beyond,” said Kevin Parkinson, Vice President, Operations and Finance, Rich Entertainment Group. “There’s just so much flexibility within a unique, character-filled environment. It’s my favorite place to work and host events.”
The Powerhouse can accommodate up to 3,000 visitors and hundreds of vendors inside the stunning, historical building with soaring ceilings and massive glass windows. This is not your run of the mill conference space. Revitalized in 2008 to include modern amenities, this downtown destination is as rich in character as it is in history. The building’s origins date back to 1917 when the Schoellkopf Powerhouse was home to the Aniline Chemical Company, a dye and colorant manufacturer for the textile industry.
With the flexibility to accommodate food and beverage services of any design, and all the necessary tables, chairs and other equipment needed for a wide range of events, the Powerhouse can host everything from intimate weddings and gatherings to large scale festivals, markets and conferences. The Powerhouse was even converted into a rehearsal space for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra when inclement weather threatened the groups’ preparations for their annual July 3 concert. The rare opportunity to hear the legendary sounds of the BPO amplified throughout the Powerhouse has the REG team dreaming of future opportunities to feature classical music events. Stay tuned!
The creative event management and marketing teams at Rich Entertainment Group continue to imagine what’s possible and deliver innovative new concepts in affordable, family-friendly entertainment in Buffalo, across a multitude of versatile REG venues including the Powerhouse, Canalside, and Outer Harbor.