Buffalo to make April debut on HGTV

BUFFALO — Buffalo will make its HGTV debut later this month as the episode of “Home Town Kickstart” featuring Buffalo — and kicking off the series — airs April 24.
“Home Town Kickstart” features the revitalization of six small towns, consisting of the renovation of a public space, a business and the home of a “local hero.” It is a spinoff of other HGTV “Home Town” shows that feature hosts Ben and Erin Napier.
HGTV hosts Ty Pennington and Jasmine Roth, known for such shows as “Rock the Block” and “Help! I Wrecked My House,” were chosen to spearhead Buffalo's rejuvenation. 
Film crews spent more than a month at the end of 2021 working on different projects in Buffalo. The three revitalization projects included the mural on the side of city hall, the makeover of the Buffalo Theater and the remodel of a "local hero's" home.
While the renovation projects will make their television debut at the end of April, Buffalo residents have been enjoying the new assets for months.
The city hall mural was unveiled in December as city staff and curious onlookers watched. 
City-Clerk Treasurer Julie Silbernagel got her first look at the mural on camera, as Pennington and Roth led her down the sidewalk in front of city hall. 
While the concept of the mural was created by HGTV and approved by the city, the artistry was done by Jason Jespersen, a local artist. The project was completed at no cost to the city.
Buffalo residents have taken advantage of the new and improved movie theater since January, when the theater opened after a two-year hiatus. When it opened, it had new flooring, a fresh coat of paint and a handful of more modern design touches.
HGTV has not yet identified the local hero selected for the show.
The “Home Town” series of shows began in 2016 with the debut of “Home Town,” a show about the Napiers' renovations of homes in their hometown of Laurel, Mississippi. Subsequently, they added “Home Town Takeover” to the lineup and then “Home Town Kickstart.”
Other small towns featured in “Home Town Kickstart” will be Cornwall, New York; Winslow, Arizona; LaGrange, Kentucky; Thomaston, Georgia; and Minden, Louisiana. Buffalo is the smallest of those cities, and Cornwall is the largest with a population of 12,646.
Episodes will air weekly at 6 p.m. on HGTV, beginning Sunday, April 24.
 
This story was published on April 21, 2022