It’s a rare feat to have the biggest heads in the room and still manage to be most popular, but Mr. and Mrs. Met managed to make it work earlier this month in Albany.
In a lounge near the state Capitol, well-dressed lawmakers, lobbyists and other members of the political class lined up for photos with the Queens couple as they noshed on finger foods. Restaurants from Jamaica to College Point lined the walls, handing out arepas, cheesesteaks and all kinds of desserts.
Welcome to Queens Day in Albany, an annual chance for local business leaders to surround the state’s political class with some of the borough’s best food, drinks and attractions.
It’s one of dozens of free receptions each year in the capital city that’s designed to attract the state’s power brokers, and where various constituents can promote their causes. But the events held by the outer boroughs’ chambers of commerce — there’s also Brooklyn Night and Bronx Day — are always among the best attended, drawing all sorts of legislators, commissioners and staff members looking for a drink and a bite to eat at the end of their workday.
“It’s a day to celebrate our borough,” said state Sen. Nathalia Fernandez, a Democrat from the Bronx who helped resurrect Bronx Day this year after a five-year hiatus. “Queens does it, Brooklyn does it, and we know the Bronx is just as good, if not better. There's a lot of people that come to Albany and we want them to see the greatness of the Bronx.”
These types of receptions have been a staple in Albany for decades. Blair Horner, senior policy analyst for the New York Public Interest Research Group, recalled one long-since-gone annual event where a Long Island lawmaker would dole out free clams to a room full of revelers.
Most are sponsored by organizations that are registered to lobby in Albany.
Among the sponsors of Queens Day was Hard Rock at Metropolitan Park, the major casino project backed by Mets owner Steve Cohen, who spent millions of dollars in his successful effort to obtain a state casino license. The New York Yankees, Montefiore Einstein and JPMorgan Chase were the top sponsors of Bronx Day.
“It's the kind of thing that unless you're involved in Albany, unless you're plugged into some association that has the money to pull this off, you're left out of the mix,” Horner said.
This year, Bronx Day and Brooklyn Night were in March. Each had their own vibe.
A man dressed in all black served up old-fashioned egg creams while a small jazz band played borough-themed music at Brooklyn Night, including a jazzified version of Notorious B.I.G.’s “Big Poppa.”
Bronx Day was at a convention center, where a DJ played under lights that spelled out “THE BRONX” over the ceiling while lawmakers cut loose on a makeshift dancefloor.
The Bronx Night in Albany.
It’s easy to understand why they all drew a big crowd.
Brooklyn Night, Queens Day and Bronx Day all had dozens of businesses and cultural institutions participate, with attendees from all across the state getting exposed to what each borough has to offer.
For lobbyists, it's a chance to get face time with some of the state's power brokers, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, who attended Bronx Day. That’s a big deal as the state’s leaders continue to negotiate a budget with hundreds of billions of dollars on the line.
And, of course, there are copious amounts of free booze and food.
State law bans most gifts to public officials if the value exceeds $15. But there's an exception for food and drink at “widely attended events.”
The state ethics board says that means a public official can attend if it relates to their official duties and at least 25 people outside their office are invited.
Signs at the entrance to Brooklyn Night assured attendees that it “met the definition of a widely attended event” — meaning lawmakers and other public officials could attend and chow down. The Legislative Ethics Commission even maintains a calendar of “widely attended events” it has reviewed and approved, such as a Laborers union reception and a barbecue hosted by a power-plant trade group this month.
“The whole idea, of course, is to rub elbows with lawmakers and to ingratiate yourself with someone because somewhere down the road, maybe this session, maybe next session, you're going to be asking for a favor,” Horner said.
But organizers said their actual goal is far more innocent.
Lisa Soren, president of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce, said Bronx Day is all about promoting the borough’s small businesses and attractions — the restaurants on Arthur Avenue, the Bronx Children’s Museum, the Bronx Beer Hall and everybody else who set up booths to hand out their wares.
”They’re going to see a small taste of the amazing borough that we have,” Soren said. “How do we make others understand that we rock? That we have the businesses? We offer everything. There's no need to leave the borough.”
The state’s legislative session in Albany is scheduled to last through early June. After that, lawmakers will return to their home districts for the rest of the year.
