Albany kicks off busy October with festivals, concerts, and more

ALBANY —There’s nothing to do in Albany?

That’s not true.

Officials from the City of Albany, Discover Albany, and local partners gathered on Wednesday, Oct. 2, to highlight the city’s packed schedule of events for October, which is expected to draw thousands of visitors and provide a significant economic boost to the region.

During the press conference at the MVP Arena, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, Discover Albany President Jill Delaney, and other leaders outlined a range of events, from Halloween festivities to major concerts and cultural festivals, that will take place throughout the month.

A key feature of the October schedule was the return of Discover Albany’s All-Hallow E’en Festival, which kicked off on Monday, Oct. 1. Now in its second year since its revival in 2023, the festival is a month-long celebration of Halloween, featuring public art, community events, historical exhibitions, dramatic tours, and the Halloween House Ball. The festival is supported by the City of Albany’s “Albany for All” funding program and the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

In addition to Halloween-themed activities, Albany will host several prominent entertainers. Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco performed at the MVP Arena on Thursday, Oct. 3, with rapper Lil Wayne scheduled to take the stage on Friday, Oct. 11. The Albany Symphony, alongside the Empire State Youth Orchestra, will present the Symphony Side by Side Concert on Monday, Oct. 14. Phish is set to perform a three-night run at the MVP Arena from Friday, Oct. 25, to Sunday, Oct. 27.

The Palace Theatre will also offer several major events, including its annual performance of The Rocky Horror Picture Show on Monday, Oct. 21. Late night host Jon Stewart will perform at the Palace Theatre on Friday, Oct. 25, further adding to the month’s diverse entertainment lineup.

Additionally, the Dead Man’s Hand Tattoo Expo will take place at the Albany Capital Center from Friday, Oct. 25, to Sunday, Oct. 27, featuring top tattoo artists and awards for standout work. Cultural diversity will be showcased with the inaugural Diwali Festival of Light at the Empire State Plaza on Saturday, Oct. 19, and the 53rd annual Festival of Nations on Sunday, Oct. 27.

Officials did not drop mention of Rebecca Lobo’s disparaging remarks about Albany’s nightlife during her on-air commentary on ESPN in April. Nonetheless, last week’s press conference seemed to answer back: there’s plenty to do in October and year-round.

Georgette Steffens, Executive Director of the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District, stressed the strong return of downtown activity, noting that the city has regained pre-pandemic levels of visitation.

“We had 1.3 million unique visitors to downtown Albany, and that matches pre-pandemic levels,” Steffens said. She highlighted the misconception that there is “nothing to do” in Albany, countering it with statistics on the area’s vibrancy: “We host 140 events per month in downtown Albany, and we had 730 live entertainment events or conferences over 293 days this year.”

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