Thursday at the Square was a free weekly concert series held annually from May through August at Lafayette Square in Buffalo, New York.

History

The first year of the series was held in downtown Buffalo at the corner of Main and Chippewa. Beginning in 1986 the series was held in Buffalo's Lafayette Square. It was originally called Thursday in the Park until a name change in 1994. It grew from a casual showcase of local talent to a professional display of both local and national music acts. Buffalo Place sponsored the concert series that ran every summer from May until September. Every Thursday Lafayette Square was transformed, bringing citizens from nearby suburbs into the city. Several nearby business and bars capitalized on Thursday at the Square, taking advantage of the increased foot traffic. Since its inception all concerts were free to the public. Coolers and drinks were not allowed to be brought onto the premises, as the concessions are what kept the concerts free. Buffalo Place also annually promoted two other free weekend concerts. "Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor" featured Saturday and Sunday concerts during one weekend each year starting in 1998 and was held in Buffalo's Erie Basin Marina. "Buffalo Bike Blast" featured Saturday and Sunday concerts during one weekend each year from 2003 to 2005, and was held at Buffalo's Niagara Square. That concert series was put on temporary hiatus in 2006. In 2020, there were no concerts due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but they resumed the next year.

Performers

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

NOTE: Cancelled due to severe weather NOTE: David Wilcox performance was moved to 7/31 from originally scheduled date of 7/27. Flogging Molly was to have been the headliner, but their performance was moved to a nearby indoor venue (and a $5 fee charged) to accommodate the switch of the [David Wilcox]concert.

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

June 30 - August 4: Erie Canal Harbor Central Wharf