Bills fans bring hope and rowdy vibes in annual boat parade to begin a new season

Buffalo is not one of the first cities thought of when it comes to boating season.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo is not one of the first cities thought of when it comes to boating season. However, that didn’t stop the founders of the Bills Mafia Boat Parade from forming an annual water celebration to welcome in a new NFL season.

“We have currently 220 registered and over 450 people on these boats,” says Ashleigh Dopp-MacDonald, founder of the Bills Mafia Boat Parade.

Bills fans gather for their fourth annual boat parade.Will UjekThey know the temperature will drop and the snow will start to blow soon, so for the past few years, the self-proclaimed Bills Mafia have decided to take to the water while they can for a rowdy, fun-filled party.

“Honestly, we retire the boats when it becomes fall and it’s really sad,” Dopp-MacDonald said. “So, if we ever won the Lombardi, we can’t really have a parade, kind of like Florida does, so with that said, I want to kick off the season and get the boaters out here and get the fans super hyped.”

The Bills Mafia Boat Parade.Will UjekIt’s the fourth year for the Bills Mafia Boat Parade, where hundreds of boats hit the canal on Saturday and hundreds of dollars are raised for a local charity. Dopp-MacDonald says that’s what the Bills Mafia stands for.