In June 2024, Troy’s sixth annual Nighthawks Block Party was abruptly canceled. The event, which had become a yearly staple of music and charity, cited growing disagreements with the city’s mayor Carmella Mantello. This begs the question of what exactly happened to the event?
For six years, Troy-based restaurant Nighthawks has hosted an annual block party fundraiser. This event plays into the restaurant’s mission to “feed our friends and community with the best quality ingredients and love.” On top of food and drinks, the block parties featured special performances from local bands and artists. Most importantly, however, was Nighthawks’ dedication to serving the community.
Each year’s block party raised funds for a different local charity, tackling different issues facing Troy. In 2021, Nighthawks partnered with Unity House to fight growing gun violence throughout the Capital Region. The event featured performances from Coal Palace Kings, Brule County Bad Boys, the Wand-ers, and DJ Mercy, and anti-gun violence speakers.
With the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, Nighthawks turned its focus towards reproductive rights. They partnered with Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood to raise awareness of their services. On top of informational sessions and refreshments, the event featured performances from the Brule County Bad Boys and The Men Who Loved Music.
2024 was supposed to mark Nighthawks’ sixth year serving the Troy community. For the block party, Nighthawks had partnered with Joseph’s House. The Joseph’s House nonprofit seeks to provide non-judgmental services to unhoused people across the Capital Region, with outreach, shelter, and emergency support services. The event also planned to feature performances from Brule County Bad Boys and The Men Who Loved Music, with guests, Barbie Barker, Slik Nik, and Big Unity Band.
However, just before the event was supposed to be held on June 22nd, Nighthawks’ owners announced its cancellation. Nighthawks’ co-owner Josh Coletto cited policy from the mayor’s office as the sole reason for the event’s cancellation. At the center of the dispute is Troy’s newly-elected Republican mayor Carmella Mantello. Coletto cites greatly increased fees from the mayor’s office as the prime cause for the event’s closure.
Whereas for past block parties total permit fees amounted to $45, the new administration charged the restaurant nearly $1,500 for 2024. Alongside the increased fees, the mayor’s office also required an additional police presence for the event, amounting to an additional $750. This had not been an issue in the past, with community volunteers helping to control crowds each year. The city has defended its decision to charge what they deem reasonable for events like this.
These new costs come alongside increased rhetoric against live music events from Mayor Mantello’s office.
During her 2023 campaign, Mantello ran on quality of life issues for Troy. However, these issues have included an assault against the city’s live music venues. During the mayoral debates, Mantello cited outdoor music at Slidin’ Dirty’s as problematic for the city’s residents, insinuating noise complaints from live music were driving residents from the area. As mayor, she has implemented increased restrictions on live music.
For instance, the mayor’s office has altered zoning ordinances, changing the endtime for live music from 11 to 9pm. This stark change not only starves Troy’s residents of local arts, but also threatens small businesses that depend on earnings from live music events. Locals have begun to speak out against this new policy, with a July 22nd Downtown Troy Neighborhood Group meeting discussing the issue. The discussion came to the conclusion that the current policy is deeply flawed, with a more equitable process needed to ensure both neighborly respect and economic growth. No representatives from Mantello’s office attended the meeting.
In reference to the Nighthawk’s block party, Mayor Mantello has cited this ordinance as the reason for the dispute. She said “What we have said is it’s 9:00pm. It’s a good time to start wrapping it up. And the permit is obviously at the discretion of the city.” This issue of noise ordinances seems to be what the mayor’s office is sticking to, ignoring concerns of increased permit fees. Mantello said, “We can’t pull Nighthawks out and say ‘We will waive these fees. We’ll not have our police officers at the event’ because it is across-the-board.”
Referring to this cancellation, Mantello stated to News10, “We are trying to create a thriving energetic city of Troy.”
This begs the question: how does canceling one of the most anticipated music and charity events help energize the city?
Troy residents have taken to online forums to express their anger with this decision. On the r/Troy subreddit, user Dadvito3hunna wrote “I’m legitimately bummed about this one. My girlfriend and I love going to this event and supporting its cause.” User kettleofhawks added “This is absolutely absurd – this event is what makes Troy special, brings everyone together and supports a good cause. Adding a $750 fee for police protection that no one wants or needs is extortion, especially for a charity event.”
The 2024 Nighthawks block party expected crowds of over 500. However, as a charity fundraising event, they cannot shoulder the new permit fees.
Now, with the party’s cancellation, Joseph’s House will not receive any of the expected donations from the fundraising event. Despite this, Nighthawks is still looking into other future fundraising options alongside Joseph’s House. This event’s cancellation raises concerns for the future of live music events in Troy, and whether they will be able to shoulder the burden of Mantello’s new restrictions.
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