Charlie Cruz, Amarfis, & Fulanito to Perform Saturday, September 24 at the Hispanic Heritage Celebration

New York State Office of General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy today announced that the Eli Young Band will headline this year’s New York State Food Festival on Wednesday, August 17, and musical acts Charlie Cruz, Amarfis, and Fulanito will perform live at the Hispanic Heritage Celebration on Saturday, September 24. Both 2022 Summer at the Plaza events are free to attend at the Empire State Plaza in Albany.

In April, OGS announced it would be returning to a full lineup of festivals and concerts for the 2022 Summer at the Plaza season, which will kick off on Independence Day with New York State’s Fourth of July Celebration Presented by Price Chopper/Market 32. OGS will continue to announce the lineup of events and performances for the 2022 Summer at the Plaza season in the coming weeks.

New York State Food Festival, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesday, August 17

The annual food festival pairs a wide variety of delicious food and beverages with an exciting lineup of free entertainment, including this year’s featured country music performance by the Eli Young Band. Be sure to catch lunch, dinner, or both at one of several food vendors who will sell a wide variety of delicious international and domestic fare.

The Eli Young Band has always been unique in modern country music as a genuine band of brothers who cling fast to their Texas roots. The band has maintained an impressive trajectory, with singles earning ?Billboard’s #1 ?Country Song of the Year? and ACM Awards ?Song of the Year?. They have previously earned multiple nominations from Grammy, CMA, CMT, ACA, and Teen Choice Awards with chart-toppers such as “Love Ain’t,” “Even if it Breaks Your Heart,” and “Crazy Girl.”

Hispanic Heritage Celebration, 5 to 9 p.m., Saturday, September 24

The state’s annual cultural celebration will feature contemporary, high-energy, live music and dancing inside the Empire State Plaza Convention Center, as well as delicious foods. There will be free performances by Charlie Cruz, Amarfis, Fulanito, and a deejay to keep the music and dancing going.

Charlie Cruz was born in Puerto Rico and spent much of his childhood in New Jersey, where he first listened to who would become his music idols: Héctor Lavoe & Frankie Ruiz, visualizing himself at a very young age as the Salsa superstar he is today. Coming from a musical background, his father Fonzy Cruz gave Charlie his first opportunity to work as a backup singer. Charile’s songs, including “Bombón De Azúcar,” “Amarte Es Un Problema,” “Quiero SaberDe Tti,” “Dejame Cambiarte La Vida,” “Amor De Verdad,” “Grita Conmigo,” reached the top of the Billboard Tropical Charts. His album “Tentaciones Vol 1,” was nominated for a Best Salsa Album Latin Grammy in 2020. 

Amarfis Aquino, a vocalist and leader of La Banda de Atakke, was born in Sabana Grande de Boya in the Dominican Republic. From a young age, Amarfis could be found playing pots, pans, and bottles in his uncle’s kitchen. Leaving his native island behind, Amarfis relocated to New York, where he would find his musical home. He built up a strong radio presence with a number of songs making it to Billboard’s Latin Tropical Airplay charts.

Previously Announced 2022 Summer at the Plaza Events

• Starship Featuring Mickey Thomas to headline New York State’s Fourth Of July Celebration Presented By Price Chopper/Market 32
• moe. to headline the first performance of the 2022 Summer at the Plaza’s Capital Concert Series Presented by Miller Lite and DeCrescente Distributing Company, beginning at 5:30 on Wednesday, July 6.
• Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo will headline the July 13 performance of the 2022 Summer at the Plaza’s Capital Concert Series, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
• SWV to headline the Black Arts and Cultural Festival Presented by UpState New York Black Chamber of Commerce, which is being held from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, August 6.
• Inner Circle and The King Yellowman Show Featuring K’reema & The Sagittarius Band to perform at the 2022 Summer at the Plaza’s Capital Concert Series, beginning at 5:30 on Wednesday, July 20.
• Melle Mel & Scorpio of Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five and the Sugarhill Gang at the 2022 Summer at the Plaza’s Capital Concert Series, beginning at 5:30 on Wednesday, July 27

For event updates, go here or visit @EmpireStatePlaza on Facebook, and @plazaevents on Twitter, or call (518) 474-4759. For additional information about Summer at the Plaza events, including directions and ground rules, visit www.empirestateplaza.ny.gov.