With the opening of the highly anticipated Rivers Casino, the addition of Uber & Lyft to the Capital Region, along with new bars, restaurants and breweries in the area it should come as no shock that more people are finding their way to Schenectady these days.

The growth however, was seen greatly with the 10th annual SummerNight 2017 which drew 20,000 people this past Friday evening!

With a live performance from 90s sensation, Blues Traveler and a spectacular fireworks display, Schenectady Country Disctrict 3 Legislature, Cathy Gatta told the Daily Gazette that the event grew this year in attendance as the "city is cresting a wave of economic progress."

She believes the headliner contributed to the turn out, as well as three local breweries teaming up and creating a "SummerNight Ale" for the event, the idea of the county's special events director Jason Lecuyer and who Gatta boasts "is really good at getting people to work together."

Some would say that Schenectady has a stigma about it: crime, drugs and violence. You may even expect that simply because of the size of the event, but here's a fact for you: there were no major incidents according to Mayor Gary McCarthy who also stated that the crowd was "exceptionally well-behaved."

I think it's safe to say, Schenectady is growing to be rather delightful and only a fraction of its former self.

Below is a little taste of the event:

 

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