Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

NIAGARA FALLS, SALAMANCA and BUFFALO, N.Y. – Two great offerings – Seneca Casinos and fantasy sports – are now one for the 2013 football season. Every day from September 2 through December 29, guests can head to each of the three Seneca Casino locations in Western New York to play fantasy football for free and win a share of cash and prizes in the $175,000 All-Star Fantasy Football Challenge. Playing is simple, quick and fun. At all three Seneca Casinos, interactive kiosks will be available in the lobbies and other select areas on property. Using a free Seneca Player’s Club card, guests can play every day at each property starting on Mondays at noon through Sundays at 11 a.m. for the Sunday and Monday football games the following week. At the end of each week at each property, those among the top five scores will receive cash and Free Slot Play credits ranging from $200 to $1,500. The top three scores for the entire season (consolidated by property) will win $15,000, $7,500 an...

The Seneca Nation may be branching out toward Rochester. Seneca officials announced today that they have reached a deal with a company to build a casino in Henrietta, about 10 miles south of Rochester. David Flaum of Rochester-based Flaum Management Company says they are inspired by the commitment and vision the Seneca Nation and its leadership has demonstrated to create business partnerships throughout Western New York. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

SALAMANCA, N.Y. – Cheryl Burke and Val Chmerkovskiy, two of the most dynamic professional dancers on the ABC hit TV show “Dancing with the Stars,” waltz into southwestern New York this August to meet adoring fans and sign autographs. The fun takes place at Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 10. The autograph session takes place in the Pre-Function Area outside Seneca Allegany Events Center, located on the east end of the casino property near Thunder Mountain Buffet and the Bus Lobby. The event is free, but fans are encouraged to arrive early to gain a closer spot in line. “Dancing with the Stars” first premiered in the United States in 2005 and has since become one of ABC’s most popular shows. Each season, a cast of celebrities from a variety of careers – acting, singing, sports and more – are paired with professional dancers and perform choreographed dance routines. A panel of judges critique and score the performances, and TV viewers ...

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was in Salamanca today present a check for $34.5 million as part of the agreement that resolved a multi-year dispute between the state and the Seneca Nation of Indians over casinos. Seneca President Barry Snyder Sr. said the nation appreciates that Cuomo understands the importance of Seneca Gaming to the region, and continued to work on a compromise. As part of the agreement reached in June, the state recognized and reconfirmed the compact that gives the Seneca Nation exclusive rights to operate casinos in Western New York, while the nation agreed to resume payments, and make up for payments, that they stopped when then-Governor David Paterson allowed non-Indian gaming in the region. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

NIAGARA FALLS and SALAMANCA, NY – Seneca Casinos will make it an October to remember will an all-star lineup of entertainment. Coming to Seneca Niagara Events Center on Oct. 5 is GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award–winner Tony Bennett, followed by legendary female country singer Martina McBride on Oct. 6 at Seneca Allegany Events Center. Canadian icon Gino Vannelli will perform on three consecutive days at Seneca Niagara Casino’s Bear’s Den Showroom from Oct. 5 through 7, with 1980s rock band Asia coming the following weekend on Oct. 13. Timeless, sophisticated and smooth: these are words that describe the masterful Tony Bennett, one of the all-time best singers of jazz and standards. He has earned 17 GRAMMY® Awards – including the Lifetime Achievement Award, two Emmy Awards, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and countless other accolades throughout his storied career. Bennett will perform his signature hits such as “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” and “Rags to Riches,” as wel...

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. – June 13, 2012 – Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel is home this week to Nik Wallenda, who will make worldwide history on Friday evening when he crosses directly over the breathtaking Niagara Falls on a two-inch high-wire. Wallenda and his family previously stayed at the AAA Four Diamond Award–winning casino and hotel in May, as he trained for 11 straight days in the casino’s parking lot in front of thousands. The May 12 to 22 practice sessions were covered by dozens of news outlets from around the world. In a message to readers of the Wallenda Walks blog ( http://wallendawalks.wordpress.com ), managed by Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel, Wallenda said: “The room and the hospitality [at Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel] is amazing. To top that off, the restaurants are incredible. The Western Door [Steakhouse] is probably my favorite. [Seneca Niagara’s] staff is courteous, and we even played some of the slots.” Wallenda’s favorite entrée at the Western Door Ste...

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. – Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel will soon brighten the Niagara Falls skyline and greet visitors in a big way. This morning, Seneca Gaming Corporation officials unveiled details about the construction of a 108-foot wide, 20-foot tall high-definition LED video sign that will be affixed to the top of the hotel tower, facing downtown Niagara Falls USA and Canada. Construction workers with Las Vegas–based YESCO and local contractors are currently framing 64,500 pounds of steel atop the 357-foot, 26-story hotel tower and will soon attach 140 giant LED panels that will, in essence, operate like one giant HD television. The entire project will be complete later this month at a total cost of $1.9 million. “Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel welcomes more than six million visitors each year and is an iconic building in Niagara Falls,” said Robert Mele, chairman of the board of directors, Seneca Gaming Corporation. “As a world-class, [AAA] Four Diamond Award–winning ca...

Seneca Casinos will deliver an unprecedented level of excitement this summer to the Western New York, Southern Ontario, and Northern Pennsylvania and Ohio regions with “Summer Rush” – a package of world-class entertainment, promotions and special events during June through early September. Summer Rush takes place at Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel in Niagara Falls, Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel in Salamanca, Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in Buffalo and Seneca Hickory Stick Golf Course in Lewiston. Just some of the many offerings include blockbuster entertainment performances by Stevie Nicks, Larry the Cable Guy, Joe Walsh and more; the return of ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” to Niagara Falls, and; hundreds of thousands of dollars in prizes with the most exciting casino promotions in the Northeast. “Two words – ‘Summer Rush’ – really say it best for the experience at Seneca Casinos during the warm months,” said Jim Wise, senior vice president of marketing, Seneca Gaming Corporati...

NIAGARA FALLS, NY – Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel is about to get “Fabulicious!” this May. Teresa Giudice, star of television shows “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” and “Celebrity Apprentice,” will provide an up-close, interactive, Italian-cooking demonstration at Seneca Niagara Events Center on Saturday, May 12, at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now at all Seneca Casino box offices, Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations and by phone at 800-745-3000. Large video screens on either side of the stage will provide excellent viewing for all attendees. Giudice, a New York Times best-selling author, will cook using recipes from her latest cookbook, Fabulicious!: Teresa’s Italian Family Cookbook. Giudice, a 39 year-old wife and mother of four daughters, owns an online clothing and accessories boutique – TG Fabulicious LLC – and wrote another New York Times best-selling cookbook, Skinny Italian. She gained fame in 2009 as part of the inaugural cast of “The Real Ho...

The Seneca Nation is OK with Governor Andrew Cuomo’s plan to increase gaming in the state – as long as it’s not in Western New York. Indian tribes currently have exclusive rights to operate casinos in New York, but in his State of the State address Wednesday Cuomo proposed an expansion of gaming, saying it could generate more than $1 billion dollars. Seneca President Robert Odawi Porter said if the exclusivity is violated, it would cause significant harm to existing businesses. In 2002, the tribe signed a 21-year compact with the Pataki administration, allowing it to retain exclusivity in Western New York. Porter said the Senecas are “very sensitive to broken promises.” Read more at: http://news.sni.org/Press.aspx The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

LEWISTON, NY – In only its second season in existence, Seneca Hickory Stick Golf Course has received another impressive honor: Golfweek magazine named it one of the “Best Casino Courses” in the U.S. The news is featured in the magazine’s just-released January 2012 issue. Seneca Hickory Stick is one of the newest courses listed among Golfweek’s top 50 casino courses and is one of four recognized from New York State. The $25 million course, designed by world-renowned golf course architect Robert Trent Jones II and owned by Seneca Gaming Corporation, celebrated its first full season of golf this past year after initially opening on July 2, 2010. Seneca Hickory Stick Golf Course is located in Lewiston, NY, just minutes away from Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel. “Seneca Hickory Stick Golf Course is an essential part of the entertainment mix from Seneca Gaming Corporation,” said Cathy Walker, president and CEO of Seneca Gaming Corporation. “It has quickly become a premier golf destination ...

NIAGARA FALLS and SALAMANCA, NY – Just a few weeks after announcing a blockbuster lineup of entertainment for the spring, Seneca Casinos now delivers even more excitement for the coming months. Additional performers for February through June include Bobby Vinton, Rita Coolidge, Jim Messina, Grand Funk Railroad, Tommy Roe, Colin Hay and Sylvia Browne. Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel welcomes back romantic crooner Bobby Vinton less than a year after a full-house performance at Seneca Niagara Events Center in March 2011. Dubbed “the all-time most successful love singer of the Rock Era” by Billboard magazine, Vinton is most famous for his hits “Roses are Red,” “Blue Velvet,” “Sealed with a Kiss” and “Mr. Lonely.” He makes his return on February 4 at 8 p.m., and tickets starting at $30 go on sale December 21 at noon. Seneca Allegany Events Center welcomes two-time GRAMMY® award-winning singer Rita Coolidge for a 7 p.m. show on February 11. Known particularly for 1970s chart-topping ...

NIAGARA FALLS, NY – Seneca Casinos in Western New York have unveiled a new branding campaign to match its award-winning resort properties. The theme of “Excitement Worth Sharing” is part of widespread marketing throughout New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Southern Ontario, and runs across multiple mediums such as billboards, radio, newsprint, magazines, online, social media and television – including new 30-second commercials for the Seneca Niagara and Seneca Allegany casino resorts. “There’s great Excitement here; we see Worth or Value throughout our properties, and; the experience is one which guests will want to Share with others,” said Jim Wise, senior vice president of marketing, Seneca Gaming Corporation. “From the excitement of our new slot machines and thrilling table games, to the delicious tastes of our many restaurants, to the luxury of our AAA Four Diamond Award-winning hotels, and the energy of our fabulous entertainment – a trip to a Seneca Casino is truly Excitement Worth...

NIAGARA FALLS, NY – A trip to Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel just got a little bit sweeter. Casino officials today officially welcomed Watson’s Chocolates Boutique as the latest addition to the property’s growing retail corridor along the 4th Street side. The store will be open seven days a week and adds a full-time and part-time job for the company. For Tonawanda-based Watson’s Chocolates, the boutique marks the company’s ninth location in Western New York since its beginnings in 1946 and first addition in nearly a decade – as it has recently focused its efforts on web-based, catalog and mail order business. Watson’s is especially known for its sponge candy, Buffalo Bites, and chocolate-covered pretzels and popcorn. “We are thrilled to be opening this beautiful new boutique at Seneca Niagara Casino,” said Whitney Watson Beecher, president and owner of Watson’s Chocolates. “While we are very well-known locally, this is a unique opportunity for us to increase our exposure to the huge...

A new snowmobile trail will connect Allegany State Park with the Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel. Seneca Gaming and the Seneca Nation today announced that they are underwriting the cost of building and maintaining the one-and-a-half mile long trail. The Senecas have allocated nearly $67,000 in an agreement with Snow Bounders, a Salamanca-based snowmobile association. Snowbounders will develop and maintain the trail. Seneca Nation President Robert Odawi Porter says the idea of underwriting the project came from a continuing initiative by the nation to build strong community relationships.