BUFFALO, N.Y., July 30, 2021—M&T Bank announced the Plaza Event Series will return this August. Since it was founded over 50 years ago, the outdoor concert series has been a lunchtime staple in downtown Buffalo, bringing downtown residents and office workers together at One M&T Plaza daily at 12 noon. The concert series, the longest running of its kind in the nation, is free and open to the public.  

“The Plaza Event Series’ return is an exciting moment for our employees and downtown Buffalo,” said Rich Gold, M&T Bank president and chief operating officer. “Over the years, thousands of Western New Yorkers have attended the Plaza Event Series, which has served as a catalyst for community-building on Main Street. We’re looking forward to welcoming our neighbors to One M&T Plaza to celebrate music and our vibrant community.” 

The Plaza Event Series will return with four weekly concerts every Wednesday in August:

Launched in 1969, the Plaza Event Series enters its 51st season in 2021 following last year’s pause. The concert series remains the nation’s longest-running free daytime concert series organized and operated by a private-sector business. The Buffalo Music Hall of Fame will serve as co-host for this season’s return. The series – which is held in an outdoor setting at One M&T Plaza – will be operated in accordance with all local, state and federal government requirements, including compliance with rules related to masking for unvaccinated individuals. 

“We didn’t want to let another summer go by without restarting the music, so our team worked quickly in a compressed timeframe to organize this shortened season,” said Lynn Waclawek, M&T Bank employee experience program manager. “We’re looking forward to bringing the full Plaza Event Series and its daily concerts back next summer.” 

Recognizing the financial hardships still facing many of the region’s artists and arts organizations, M&T also announced $30,000 in grant funding to Arts Services Inc. (ASI) to provide direct relief to artists and support the organization’s digital transformation efforts. ASI provides resources and critical infrastructure for Western New York’s creative communities. 

A portion of the $30,000 grant will be directed to ASI’s development of digital resources to assist artists and arts organizations in connecting with and growing audiences in virtual or hybrid settings, and the rest of the funds will go to the WNY Arts Emergency Relief Fund, which run by ASI provides emergency grant assistance to individual artists and nonprofit arts and cultural groups.  

“Since the start of the pandemic, M&T Bank has recognized the challenges facing local artists and arts organizations – and they have stepped up to provide funding and support to help us see it through,” said Arts Services Inc. Executive Director Jennifer Swan-Kilpatrick. “While it has been a difficult time for artists and the creative community, hope is rising and we are slowly reopening together. This grant funding and the added technology support will help many people and organizations recover and connect with new audiences.”

M&T previously awarded $25,000 to the WNY Arts Emergency Relief Fund in April 2020, and the bank provided a total of $1.8 million to close to 60 arts organizations across the region in 2020, regardless of whether they were able to provide programing and services during the pandemic. 

M&T Bank Corporation (NYSE:MTB)(“M&T”) is a financial holding company headquartered in Buffalo, New York.  M&T’s principal banking subsidiary, M&T Bank, operates banking offices in New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.  Trust-related services are provided by M&T’s Wilmington Trust-affiliated companies and by M&T Bank.

Julia Berchou, (716) 842-5385, jberchou@mtb.com 

Performers interested in next year’s Plaza Event Series should contact Lynn Waclawek at lwaclawek@mtb.com. 

© 2021 M&T Bank. Member FDIC.