RoAnn Destito, Commissioner, New York State Office of General Services (OGS) today announced a festival commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Empire State Plaza and featuring a full day of live entertainment, food, and fireworks will round out this year’s Summer at the Plaza series of free events. The event will be held from noon to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, September 16.

“We have planned this festival to honor all those who designed and built the Plaza and to celebrate the center of government and culture it has become,” Commissioner Destito said. “From the thousands of people who come here to celebrate the Fourth of July, to the couples that get engaged on the ice rink on Valentine’s Day, the Plaza has become a special place in the community over the past 50 years and we have our neighbors, the state workforce here, and all the generous sponsors of our events to thank for that.”

Headlining the festival, Shadows of the Sixties will pay tribute to the tremendous legacy of The Four Tops, Temptations, and Supremes. In this tribute show, Shadows of the Sixties performs the hits that span several decades, taking great care to reproduce the music, note for note and in the original keys and arrangements. Leading up to the Shadow of the Sixties’ performance will be a full day of live entertainment that will include The Electric City Chorus and Schenectady’s own Grand Central Station. Due to construction, the stage has been relocated to the north end of the plaza, and seating will not be available on the museum staircase. People are encouraged to bring their own chairs.

The festival will begin with the Plaza farmers market, which runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and will also feature special Plaza tours at 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. starting at the visitors center, vendors selling food, cold beverages, and New York State products, New York wine tasting, a live painting demonstration inspired by the Empire State Plaza Art Collection by artists from the Albany Center Gallery, Plaza at 50 cake and cupcakes prepared by Hannaford Supermarkets, and a fireworks display presented by CDTA.

The festival will be held in conjunction with the first in a series of three speaking events commemorating the 50th anniversary that will feature local and nationally recognized experts in New York politics, architecture and design, and modern art. This free, general admission Wednesday evening series at The Egg Center for the Performing Arts gets under way at 6 p.m. with “Power, Politics and the Plaza: A Look at Rockefeller and Corning.” The speaker event will end in time for people to see the fireworks at the conclusion of the festival.

The second of the three speaker events, “An International Capital: The Architecture and Construction of the Empire State Plaza,” will be held on September 23, and the third event, “A Vision for Public Art: The Empire State Plaza Art Collection,” will be on September 30.

Those going to the festival or one of the speaker series are also encouraged to visit a special exhibit at the New York State Museum. Running through January 17, 2016, the exhibit tells the story of the Plaza’s construction and evolution. Located in the main lobby and west corridor of the museum, it includes art, photographs, digital displays, original sketches by architects, and examples of the architectural elements that make up the Plaza and where they came from.

Schedule of Events

Free parking for the festival and speaker series will be available after 5 p.m. in the East Garage on the corners of Madison Avenue, Eagle Street, and Philip Street. Paid parking is also available at the visitor or V lot underneath the plaza.

Visit The Empire State Plaza at 50 webpage or follow us on Twitter @ESPat50, EmpireStatePlaza50 on Facebook, and empirestateplaza50 on Instagram for event updates. For event updates on Plaza events, follow @plazaevents on Twitter or Empire State Plaza Events on Facebook, or call (518) 474-0549. For additional information, including ground rules, visit our website at www.ogs.ny.gov.

Sponsors of the festival include CDTA, Blue Shield of Northeastern NY, I Love NY, Hannaford Supermarkets, and 98.3 WTRY.