Lisa was the winner for artists in the 18+ year-old age group. Lisa’s artwork will be used in the creation of the official festival poster. In addition, Lisa will receive a $1,000 prize. Violetta Gargano, a resident of Eden, N.Y. was the winner in the 13–17-year-old age group and will be presented with $500. The prizes are courtesy of Tops Friendly Markets and The Taste of Buffalo. What makes this year’s winners even more unique is that they are teacher and student, respectively, from Eden Middle & High School. Lisa encouraged her students to take part in the contest and told her students “if you do it, I’ll do it too!” Neither Lisa nor Violetta had any idea either had won until after the results were revealed.

"Buffalo is fortunate to not only be home to a nationally renowned food scene, it also is home to countless talented artists, which makes our Poster Art Contest an initiative that we look forward to every year," said Chair of the 2025 Taste of Buffalo, Matthew Reis. "Once again, our winners have captured the essence of the Taste in a way that showcases what makes our event and region special through their artistic expression. The Taste congratulates Lisa and Violetta on their incredible winning pieces and extends our thanks to everyone who submitted!"

This year’s festival is taking place July 12-13, in Niagara Square and on a portion of Delaware Avenue. Presale food ticket vouchers will also be available for purchase at Tops Markets locations beginning in June.

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About Tops Friendly Markets Headquartered in Williamsville, NY, Tops Markets operates a robust network of 152 grocery stores spanning New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont, including one franchise location. As one of Western New York’s largest employers, and with over 14,000 associates across its entire footprint, Tops is committed to delivering sustainably sourced, premium-quality products. Beyond retail, Tops is committed to the communities it serves through initiatives focused on hunger relief, health improvement, youth education, and environmental sustainability. Discover more at www.topsmarkets.com.

About Taste of Buffalo presented by Tops The Taste of Buffalo presented by Tops is the nation’s largest two-day food festival. The 42nd annual Taste of Buffalo will take place on July 12 and 13, 2025 along Delaware Avenue in downtown Buffalo. Named winner of USA Today’s 2023 10BEST Reader’s Choice Travel Award Contest for “Best City Food Festival,” the Taste is a not-for-profit organization with more than 1,000 volunteers helping to put on the annual event. More than $606,000 has been raised at the festival for local charities in addition to scholarships awarded annually to local high school seniors pursuing a culinary or hospitality-related degree. For more information visit tasteofbuffalo.com and find us on Facebook and Instagram.

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