Nearly two years after being evicted from the city of Albany, this year’s Capital Holiday Lights display is officially off.
In December 2021, city hall declared Albany's Washington Park "overrun" by Lights in the Park. It branded the event "a huge burden," too disruptive to continue after a 25-year run.
Mayor Kathy Sheehan argued the Lights benefits one not-for-profit, the Albany Police Athletic League, and was taking over the park for three months.
"It's time to find a different location," Sheehan said.
Residents in the nearby 6th ward had complained with the Lights came traffic, noise and pollution. Then-Common Councilor Richard Conti sided with the mayor:
"Policy here in the city of Albany has decidedly emphasized environmental sustainability, care of our urban green spaces, pedestrian accessibility, and efforts to reduce traffic and traffic congestion," Conti said. "Just as this event has outgrown its current venue, is focused on bringing auto traffic into an urban green space in a densely populated urban area, just clashes with those policy directions.”
Conti's successor, Gabriella Romero, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Police Athletic League, which sponsors the event, scrambled to find a new location for 2022, but ended up offering a recording of the display that could be viewed online, after PAL's Executive Director Lenny Ricchiuti announced an informal agreement had been reached to present Lights at the Altamont Fairgrounds.
"Conceptually we're all there, I think," Ricchiuti said. "And it's just a matter of dotting the I's and crossing the T's."
Common Councilor Owusu Anane's 10th ward, where PAL is headquarterd, is a short walk from the park.
The Lights funded PAL's programs that benefitted city youth. Anane wishes City Hall would have come up with an alternative location as opposed to forcing the Lights out.
"I plan on reaching out to the mayor's office to maybe revisit it again," said Anane. "But right now, I think that administration has made it very clear that they do not want the Police Athletic League Lights in the Park, in Washington Park, I think that we should come up with a solution for them in the city of Albany where it was intended and where it belongs. Because so many of our kids, particularly when you look at the Capital Region, our kids need an outlet. And this is an organization that helps our kids to do that type of stuff that they are not at school."
Ricchiuti says PAL will press on in efforts to hold the event at the Altamont Fairgrounds in 2024. A Fairgrounds official had "no comment" when reached by WAMC. Noting that the Fairgrounds operates independently from the village, Altamont Mayor Kerry Dineen responded to a request for comment via email, saying in part: "I was disappointed to learn about the postponement of the Capital Holiday Lights especially for our Village businesses who no doubt were looking forward to the increased business over the holidays. With that said, I think it is imperative that all the planning and infrastructure be in place so an event of this size can be successful. Because that takes more time, we will look forward to the 2024 opening and the benefits to both the Fairgrounds and the Village."
