NCAA March Madness tournament in Albany brings three days of block parties and excitement to downtown Albany

Food trucks, games, and more outside of MVP Arena all weekend long hosted by Sports Foundation of the Capital Region

ALBANY, N.Y. (March 16, 2023) — The Sports Foundation of the Capital Region will host block parties during this weekend’s NCAA March Madness Tournament first and second rounds outside of the MVP Arena.

The block parties will feature food trucks and vendors stationed outside of the MVP Arena along South Pearl Street. Games will be displayed on the two large video boards affixed to the exterior of the arena.

“At long last, March Madness is here in Albany and we’re ready for it,” said Jay Cloutier, Albany County sports commissioner. “The investments made by Albany County, ASM Global, and many throughout our county and region have all culminated this weekend, which will highlight our region on the national stage as a destination to host events of this caliber.”

This is the first time Albany has hosted the NCAA men’s basketball tournament since 2003. Albany County has invested $30 million over the past five years in renovations and upgrades to the county-owned civic center, which first opened in 1990, to prepare for the tournament. Albany originally was scheduled to host first-round games in 2020 until those games were ultimately cancelled due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The schedule of events are:

• Friday, March 17, 2023, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Saturday, March 18, 2023, 12 noon to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, March 19, 2023, two hours prior to tipoff (to be determined)

These events are free and open to the public. For ticket and day-of information for each game, visit MVPArena.com.

To learn more about the Sports Foundation of the Greater Capital Region and Discover Albany, visit Albany.org.

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