The Buffalo Niagara Guitar Festival premiered as a four-day event in June 2001, showcasing the talents of local, national and internationally-known guitarists at venues in downtown Buffalo and across the Western New York region.

The first years' featured artists included Jeff Healey, Charlie Hunter, Coco Montoya, Sharon Isbin, Rik Emmett and George Benson. These performances coincided with a number of other activities, including club shows, educational events, a guitar-themed film series, and the North American Rock Guitar Competition.

The marquee event of the Festival was the Great Guitar Gig, as more than 18,000 packed Erie Basin Marina to see Slash's Snakepit (featuring Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash) and local favorites Talas reunited with Billy Sheehan.

Doug Yeomans of Orchard Park, NY, took home first place in the inaugural edition of the North American Rock Guitar Competition, held at the University at Buffalo's Center for the Arts. Judges for the event were Paul Cullen of Bad Company, Sid McGinnis from the "Late Show with David Letterman," and Jim Henke, chief curator at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.