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| Hello Fisher-Price fans! If you are heading to East Aurora for the annual
convention, then keep on reading this page! We get asked - why does the club hold the convention in East Aurora every year?
Why, it's the home of Fisher-Price, of course! The Fisher-Price toy company first started making toys here in the early 1930's and the
factory campus is still there to this day (currently used for corporate offices and research). Check out any older Fisher-Price toy and you
will see "Made in East Aurora NY" printed on it!
Here we have some suggestions for places to stay and things to do while
visiting beautiful East Aurora NY!
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| Where East Aurora is located:
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East Aurora NY is located on the western side of New York State, not far from Buffalo.
East Aurora is approximately 15 miles southeast from the Buffalo area.
Most club members either fly into
Buffalo Airport, or drive if they are within a few state's distance. To get to East Aurora from the Buffalo
area, you can either take Route 90 south to route 400 east. Another way is to take Transit Road to Route 400.
It takes about 35 minutes (give or take depending on traffic) to drive from the Buffalo area to the center of East Aurora.
Unfortunately most Buffalo area hotels aren't cheap in the summer, since there are many tourists visiting the area.
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| Places to Stay:
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| Club members coming to the convention handle their own lodging; there is no one official
place that we all stay (though we have discussed researching hotels and maybe getting a group discount code for members, but not as of this
writing in 2024). Many people stay at hotels near the Buffalo Airport where there are plenty to choose from.
There is only one hotel in East Aurora itself, the Hampton Inn in East Aurora. It is the top choice of some long-time club members, but it
runs insanely expensive in July
since there are other events in town filling up the rooms. There are definitely some Bed and Breakfasts and Airbnbs
in the area, but we are not very familiar with them (you're on your own there!). Well, here are some hotels that club members have booked in the past
and enjoyed their stay.
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| Hampton Inn East Aurora NY |
| 49 Olean Street, East Aurora, NY 14052 |
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Many members of the Fisher Price Collector's Club have stayed here over the years, as it was our "go-to" hotel.
It is right in East Aurora and close to all the activities and super convenient.
But due the East Aurora Hampton being the only hotel in the immediate area on a popular summer weekend,
the hotel sells out WAY in advance now and is insanely expensive (you may have to sell half of your Fisher-Price toy collection just
to afford it). As a result,
club members have been gravitating to other hotels in recent years. But for those who plan super early and the price is worth it,
this hotel is definitely the closest to the convention.
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| Country Inn and Suites, West Seneca NY
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| 164B Slade Avenue, West Seneca NY 14224 |
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This hotel is located west of East Aurora, making it a nice location for anyone coming from Ohio or Western Pennsylvania.
The hotel is about 20 minutes from East Aurora, which is an easy drive taking Route 400. Some club members have stayed
here for many conventions and enjoyed the hotel. The cheaper price and ease of travel to East Aurora makes this
a good choice for those looking to be close to the action, but not paying through the roof!
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| The Buffalo Marriott Niagara
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| 1340 Millersport Highway, Amherst NY 14221 |
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For those wanting a full-service hotel, this is it!
It has an heated indoor pool that connects to an outdoor pool;
an on-site restaurant (As of 2022, called the Bluefire Grill); and room service, too!
About a 35 minute drive to Niagara Falls, if you are interested in visiting there.
The hotel is located about 20 miles north of East Aurora. One club member reported that
this hotel can be full if not booked early, since there is some annual sports tournament taking
many of the rooms.
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| TownPlace Suites Buffalo Airport
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| 4265 Genesee Street Cheektowaga, New York 14225 |
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TownPlace Suites is located directly across the street from Buffalo Niagara Airport. This hotel
allows pets (as of this writing in 2024), which is why some club members have chosen it in the past.
The club members who stayed here in the past enjoyed the hotel and would stay there again.
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| SpringHill Suites Buffalo Airport
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| 6647 Transit Road Buffalo, New York 14221
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This is a somewhat newer hotel in the Buffalo area, located right off the New York Thruway on Transit Street.
The rooms are standard for the SpringHill Suite brand - small rooms, but with a kitchenette and a partial divider
in the room separating the bed from the sofa sleeper. One of our club members stayed there in July 2023 and
reports it was just fine and enjoyed their stay.
There are many businesses, restaurants, stores and other hotels in the immediate area.
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| Things to Do in the East Aurora Area During the Convention:
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| While visiting East Aurora during the club's convention, there are some places and events in town
that are definitely worth seeing! Many club members stay for a few days in the area, so doing some sightseeing is a must!
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| The Fisher-Price Factory Campus |
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| No visit to the East Aurora area is complete without stopping here!
Located on Girard Avenue, the Fisher-Price factory is the place that produced most of the classic and vintage
toys that collectors love (modern Fisher-Price toys are made overseas nowadays). If you have an older Fisher-Price toy,
chances are it says "Made in East Aurora NY" on it! Nowadays, the campus is mainly administrative, but there is one
place open to the public, the Fisher-Price Store located right along the road. To get there, you turn left right before
the guard gate and there is plenty of parking. The store has mainly new Fisher-Price toys, but occasionally you can
find Fisher-Price brand memorabilia or clothing, or collectibles like Christmas ornaments. There are no older toys
sold here (as far as I know), but still certainly worth a visit by any Fisher-Price collector!
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| East Aurora Chamber of Commerce's Annual Street and Sidewalk Sale (End of July) |
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If you are coming to East Aurora during the Fisher-Price Collectors
Club's convention, our sale is part of a larger event, the annual East Aurora Chamber of Commerce's Street and Sidewalk Sale.
This event, like our sale, takes place on the Saturday of the last full weekend in July.
The Sidewalk Sale closes Main Street from Pine to Riley Street, and local businesses set up booths all along the route.
There are many booths to buy food, plus lots of entertainment and activities (music bands, sidewalk chalk painting, etc). The club's sale is
at 645 Main Street at the Blazing Star Masonic Lodge during the Sidewalk Sale, so we are right in the middle of the action!
So visit our club's sale and enjoy the events on Main Street as well!
For more information about the Street and Sidewalk Sale,
Click here to visit their website.
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| Niagara Falls (and Casinos) |
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Well, no one needs much introduction to Niagara Falls! Niagara Falls is located about an hour
north of East Aurora. Just seeing the falls is an amazing sight to see. There are many activities for visitors on
the American and Canadian side of the Falls. If you are American and want to visit the Canadian side, make you
have the proper paperwork! On the American side, there is a trolly ride, cave walk, plus the famous
"Maid of the Mist" boat ride right under the falls. And yes, there are also casinos in the area. (Many club members
have tried their luck, hoping to win some money so they can buy more toys at our sale. Did it work? They didn't say!).
If you never been to Niagara Falls,
it's definitely worth a visit if you are coming to East Aurora!
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| Lockport NY (The Erie Canal) |
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If you are in the Buffalo area, seeing the Erie Canal in action is something not to be missed!
The best place to experience the canal is Lockport NY, located about 45 miles north of East Aurora, and about
25 miles east of Niagara Falls. During the summer, Lockport offers daily boat rides on the Erie Canal, passing through
various locks on the way. If you never been through a lock on a boat (a lock is an enclosed chamber with gates, and using
nothing but water, boats can be raised or lowered from one water level to another), you got to experience this at least once!
The boat ride is very relaxing and passes through some very scenic areas of the canal.
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| Club members, hope to see you in beautiful East Aurora NY! |
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