All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

OK, it's the last weekend in July, and we don't know about you, but we're starting to feel a little cheated out of our hot summer days. But hey, when life give you lemons, make lemonade. Then drink it on your cold wet porch while you watch the never ending soul crushing rain (ummm, maybe we're a little more bitter than we thought.)

OK, attitude adjustment time. There's plenty of good stuff going on this weekend-- and hey, there's even a little sunshine on tap. So buck up, pick a few things to try, and enjoy.

Oh, and as always, if we missed something good, let us know.

Burlesque
The folks from the Bing Bamboo Room are bringing a little Vaudeville to Revolution Hall tonight. The BBR and Pop Rock Circus present "An Evening of Music and Mayhem" tonight at 9. $18

Rooftop Jazz
Weather permitting there should be a great show for jazz lovers on the roof at the Skidmore's Tang Museum. Jill Hughes is the featured performer at tonight's Upbeat on the Roof show. Hughes and her band have been performing in NYC and the Capital Region for years. If it rains she'll perform in the Payne Room at the Tang. Jill's awesome and the show is free.

SAWfest
Take a drive up to Washington County on Saturday for Salem's SAWfest and you can catch Railbird, Sgt. Dunbar and the Hobo Banned, the Mathematicians and Beware! The Other Head of Science all in one place. All that for a suggested donation of $15. 2PM-11PM

Caffeinated bike ride
OK, everybody meet up at the Daily Grind on Lark Street, caffeinate up and ride your bike to The Daily Grind in Troy and back. The folks from the Albany BIcycle Coaltion will meet up at the Lark Street Daily Grind on Saturday morning at 10 for the great Coffee Shop Bike Ride. Bring your bike, your helmet and your stamina.

Play with kittens
Thinking of adopting a kitten? The Mohawk & Hudson River Humane Society has lots of them. So many they're reducing the adoption price and holding a little feline festival to bring folks out to see the kittens. They'll have crafts for kids, a rummage sale, food, face painting and a bounce house. Today through Sunday

Make Stuff Up
Improvisational comedians, "The Mop & Bucket Company" will be making up all kinds of fun stuff (with the help of their audience) on Saturday night at Bread and Jam Café in Cohoes. The show gets going at 8, it's fun and it's free

See a play
There's seasonal theater all over the Capital Region right now. Here are a few shows you might want to try:

The Bakerloo Theater Project is in it's tenth season locally. This year the experimental company is performing an adaptation of Hamlet -- told exclusively in scenes that the main character is part of or witnesses. It's called Hamlet: What Dreams May Come. Saturday at 2PM

If Hamlet feels a little heavy, Bakerloo is also performing "Much Ado About Nothing" tonight through Sunday at 7PM. $16. Academy Hall (on 15th Street) at RPI.

Shear Madness is at Capital Rep for a few more weekends. It's a mystery/comedy where the audience decides "who done it." You can see it tonight at 8, Sat at 3 PM and 7:30 and Sun at 2:30 $36-46.

Strange films for curious people
The "It Came From Schenectady" folks are at it again. This time they've put together a festival of more "adult" cult classics. The "Strange Films for Curious People" series opens Saturday night with with an evening of "John Waters inspired entertainment" including a screening of Pink Flamingos, shorts, house band TEN30, an audience drag race, entertainment from The Hellions of Troy, and a "know your filth" contest.

Afghan Idol
The Madison Theater is screening Afghan Star this weekend. The documentary follows four singers competing in the enormously popular Afghan Star competition. Today at 2:15, 4:15, 7:15 and 9:15.
Saturday and Sunday at 12:15.

Polo
You can check out the polo matches at Saratoga Polo on Friday and Sunday night ( also every Wednesday.) Matches start at 5:30. Clubhouse admission is $25 per person, but general admission is $25 a carload. Hmmm how many people can we get into the AOA Mini Cooper? If you want to go but you're not sure how to dress, check here.

Baseball
The Valley Cats are at "The Joe" tonight at 7
The Saratoga Phillies play the Albany Dutchmen at the East Side Rec in Saratoga tonight at 7. Free.
The Dutchmen are at home at Bleeker Stadium Saturday night at 7:30. $4.50, $3 for kids.

See the birds
Check out the Berkshire Bird Paradise. Bring your camera, but we think the coolest thing about this place is sound. Birds are cooing and clucking and cawing and talking all over the place. It's really cool. $8 adults, $5 kids.

Watch the stars come out
RPI's Hirsch Observatory is open to the public on Saturday night from 8 to 10 for star gazing. Looks like Saturday night should be clear enough to see some stars. Free.

And they're (almost) off
Wednesday is opening day at the Saratoga Thoroughbred Racecourse. That means that Sunday is open house day at the track. You can't bet, but there will be a few exhibition races, music, food, tours, kids activities and all kinds of other fun stuff.

Take a hike
There are tons of places to go hiking in the Capital Region. The Indian Ladder trail has some great views, and it's not too taxing. Here's one that's fun and not too taxing.

Tip-toe through the wildflowers
If you'd rather just take a walk through the wild flowers than go on an all out hike, you can meet up at the UAlbany Campus Circle Bus Stop (Collins Circle) and catch a bus to the Pine Bush. The bus leaves at 10AM on Saturday. Free.

Ice Cream
No, you don't need a reason. Here are some of our favorite places to get some. Try one, or pick your own.

Photo: flickr user pizzodisevo