How To Watch the 81st Annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner

The 81st annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner took place Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, at the Waldorf Astoria New York in Manhattan. Archbishop of New York Ronald Hicks hosted the event, which raises funds for charities supporting vulnerable women and children within the Archdiocese of New York.

Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan, Archbishop Emeritus of New York, served as the keynote speaker. The foundation also presented the Happy Warrior Award to New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

The foundation holds this dinner annually on the third Thursday of October. The event serves as a fundraiser for local charities and has historically functioned as a non-partisan gathering for political figures. In 2025, the dinner raised more than $7.4 million.