New York State Office of General Services (OGS) Commissioner Jeanette Moy today announced that New York State’s inaugural Diwali Festival of Light at the Empire State Plaza will take place from 3 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, October 19.

“OGS is proud to add Diwali to our annual cultural events lineup and share with all New Yorkers this important celebration for our state’s Indian and South Asian communities,” Commissioner Moy said. “We invite everyone to join us at the Empire State Plaza in honor of this special holiday, which symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.”

The first-ever New York State Diwali Festival of Light will start indoors at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center and feature traditional entertainment and displays, including free henna art and entertainment by community groups from the Capital Region, including Bollywood performances; Bharatanatyam, Odissi, and Kannada Kuta dances; and Dhol Dasha drumming.

There will also be rangoli, which are geometric, floral patterns drawn on the floor using colorful flower petals. Participating vendors will sell Indian and other types of food, crafts, and other goods.

In the evening, event attendees can go outside on the Plaza to join and enjoy a puja, a water lantern ceremony, and a fireworks display.

Sponsors of the New York State Diwali Festival of Light include Price Chopper/Market 32, Levrx, B95.5, NYSTEC, and Maharaja Restaurant and Catering.

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.
• Larger and other types of bags will not be allowed in. There is no storage or check-in for prohibited bags.

Free parking is available in the East Garage, Madison Avenue, and Grand Street parking lots. Paid parking is available in the visitor lot underneath the Empire State Plaza.

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

OGS is implementing a new emergency text alert system, which the public can use to receive emergency notifications specific to the event they are attending. For the New York State Diwali Festival of Light, the public can text ESPDFL to 888777 to opt in and receive emergency messages.