Enjoy an Array of Traditional and Modern Hispanic Foods

Free Event Will Take Place Inside the Empire State Plaza Convention Center

New York State Office of General Services (OGS) Commissioner Jeanette Moy today announced that Alex Bueno will headline the 2024 Hispanic Heritage Celebration at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center from 5 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, September 14.

“As we near the end of our 2024 Summer at the Plaza event series, I invite people from across the Capital Region to join us for New York State’s annual celebration of Latino and Hispanic cultures at the Empire State Plaza,” Commissioner Moy said. “Join us as we kick off Hispanic Heritage Month and recognize the valuable contributions of New York’s Hispanic and Latino communities to our state.”

The state’s annual celebration of Hispanic and Latino cultures will feature high-energy, contemporary live music from headliner Alex Bueno, Rey De La Paz, Betty Dee, and DJ Boy Boy.

During this free annual event, food vendors will sell traditional and modern Hispanic cuisine, including empanadas, arepas, chicken and rice, and sweet plantains. Community outreach groups, including Centro Civico, Capital District Latinos, and Dominicanos Activos, will also be on hand. 

Alex Bueno is a singer and guitarist from the Dominican Republic, specializing in merengue and bachata music but also having ties in salsa, bolero, merengue típico, ballad, and more. In 1978, Alex had his first big break in his career when he won the Dominican Republic’s “Festival De La Voz” and got the attention of Gerardo Veras, who invited Alex to join his orchestra, the Santo Domingo’s All-Stars.

In 1982, Alex formed Orquesta Liberación with the help of André de Jesus. The group released four albums, “Alex y Orquesta Liberación,” “Alex,” “Negrita Ingrata,” and “La Orquesta Tuca Musical Vol. 2.” Orquesta Liberación stayed together for many years, but in 1984 Bueno decided to become a solo artist, shedding the rest of the group. In 1998, he released the album “Bachata A Su Tiempo,” the largest bachata album in the U.S. at a time when the genre was not widely popular. His second bachata album, “Corazón Duro,” outsold the previous album and won the Premios Lo Nuestro 2000 for Best Traditional Album. His 2004 album, “20 Años Después,” was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award for Best Merengue Album.

Tentative Performance Schedule

5:00 p.m.        DJ Boy Boy
6:00 p.m.        Betty Dee 
6:45 p.m.        Rey De La Paz 
7:35 p.m.        DJ Boy Boy
7:45 p.m.        Alex Bueno
9:00 p.m.        End

The following bag policy is in effect for indoor events: 

• Clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bags no larger than 12" x 6" x 12" will be allowed. 
• Small clutch bags no larger than 6" x 9" will be allowed and do not need to be clear. 
• For patrons with young children in attendance, diaper bags are allowed and are subject to search. 
• Larger and other types of bags will not be allowed. There is no storage or check-in for prohibited bags.

Sponsors of the Hispanic Heritage Celebration include Price Chopper/Market 32, MVP Health Care, CDTA, Renaissance Albany Hotel, Miller Lite, Corona Extra, and the YMCA.

Free parking will be available in the Madison Lots on Madison Avenue and the East Garage on the corners of Madison Avenue, Eagle Street, and Philip Street. Paid parking is available in the visitor lot underneath the Empire State Plaza.

For event updates, visit empirestateplaza.ny.gov, @EmpireStatePlaza on Facebook, and @plazaevents on Instagram or call (518) 474-4759.