All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

Hey, it's the weekend again. That happened fast.

Got a plan yet? No worries.

Here's our weekly tasting menu of stuff to do in the CR this weekend. There's a lot to choose from this week, so pick your favorites and enjoy.

As always, if we missed something good, let us know. It's more fun if you share.

TNO
It's the last Troy Night Out of the summer. Here's hoping the rain holds off long enough to wander the Collar City shops and galleries. Drop by The Troy Bike Rescue at 51 3rd Street at 8 and you can catch Sgt. Dunbar and Sleeping in the Aviary.

The 8 Bit Breakdown
Here's another stop for your Troy Night Out tour. Drop by Casperland for their 8 Bit Breakdown performance using 8 bit video game consoles and hand built electronics. We don't know what this is going to look like, but it sounds cool. And bring your favorite nintendo Games along to play in their modified nintendo console.

Get your 80's on
Mousse up, grab your leg warmers and head over to TNO official unofficial after party tonight at Revolution Hall. The party starts around 8:30 with mcgillicuddy. Then at 10 it gets all 80's with Rubix Kube. From 12-2 it's Jenkins & back from japan.

Critical Mass bike ride
The Albany Bicycle Coalition is holding another Critical Mass ride tonight. Meet up at 5:15 at the Civil War Veterans' Monument in Albany's Washington Park. They ride gets going at 5:30.

Shipwreck and amoebae art
If you're up for a trip to Lake George, there's a really cool and kind of bizarre art exhibit at
The Lake George Arts Project's Courthouse Gallery. It combines sunken ships, amoebae, technology and photography. The opening reception is Friday night and the exhibit is up through September 10th.

10 bands and a BBQ for $10
Cohoes' Bread and Jam Cafe has been around for a year already. And they're celebrating with an anniversary party on Saturday from 2-10. $10 gets you a barbecue and ten bands. Included in the lineup are Matthew Loiacono, Matt Durfee and Restys.

Irish Regatta
Teams from around the country will be down at the Corning Preserve on Saturday for the Irish rowing team's annual Regatta. They race in currach, which are Irish fishing boats. Yes, this is a thing. Racing starts at 11 and there's a party and awards ceremony at The Albany Yacht Club at 7.

Taking Woodstock
Last summer a whole bunch of people we know headed to Columbia County to be extras in Ang Lee's "Taking Woodstock." Tonight you can try to pick out the ones you know when "Taking Woodstock" premiers at The Spectrum. Drop in to the premiere party next door at The New World Bar and Bistro for some "Herbie Brownies" and an "Electric Cool-Aide."

Nocturnal noise
The Landis Arboretum is hosting a "sounds of the summer" night walk on Saturday at 9PM. Stroll to the sounds of all kinds of summer critters --katydids, crickets, frogs, owls, and maybe even coyotes.

Daytime Nature Hike
Albany's Pine Bush Discovery Center has a one mile guided nature hike of the Pine Bush. It's short, so it's a good choice if you're hiking with kids. $2 per person, $5 per family, kids under 5 are free.

Cruise the Hudson
Dutch Apple and The New York State Museum are hosting a Hudson Heritage Cruise. It's a two hour narrated Hudson River Cruise in honor of the 400th anniversary of Hudson's trip down the river. Our favorite part is the price -- $16.09. The cruise boards at 10:30 and leaves at 11AM from the Steamboat square dock in downtown Albany. If you can't make it this week there are nine more scheduled between now and late October.

Fräulein Maria
Deconstructing The Sound of Music -- in dance. Fräulein Maria is an affectionate spoof on the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. Dough Elkins and Friends use B-Boy and hip-hop movies and the soundtrack from The Sound of Music to have a little fun with Maria and the Von Trapp kids at Jacob's Pillow. Tonight and Saturday at 8:15. Also Saturday afternoon at 2:15 and Sunday at 5. $33.

Baseball
The Tri-City Valley Cats have home games tonight and Saturday at 7 and Sunday at 5. Stick around for fireworks after tonight's game.

LatinFest
Saturday is LatinFest in Albany's Washington Park. Latin food, music, art and crafts from noon to 6.

Travers Fest
If you suffer from enochlophobia, Saratoga may not be where you want to go this weekend. If not, looks like the whole town is going to be one big party. Saturday is the 140th running of the Travers Stakes at The Saratoga Racecourse. And lets just say a post-race party in town won't be too hard to find.

The Washington County Fair
If animals, fried dough and midway rides are more your speed, you're in luck. You can find all that at Washington County Fair this weekend. Here's the schedule and price info.

Day tripping
Spend 12 hours in Bennington Vermont or Schoharie County.

Wander Hudson
There's all sorts of fun galleries and great restaurants in Hudson. If you go this weekend you may want to check out Carrie Haddad Gallery. Artists Robert Flynt, David Lebe and Gary Schneider will be talking about their work in CH's current exhibition, "Afterglow: Four Photographers and the Hand-Held Light." They use long camera exposures in dark spaces to carve out images with light. Check out the opera house while you're there and find someplace cool for dinner like Swoon or Mexican Radio.

The Bard
Shakespeare and Company has performances of Hamlet, Othello, Twelfth Night and Measure for Measure running now through next weekend. Here's the schedule and pricing info.

Ice Cream
The clock is running out on those seasonal ice cream places. Get to your favorite one while it's still open. Here are some of our favorite places -- seasonal and year round.

Eat outside
The weather looks a little sketchy this weekend, but so far Sunday looks like a good day for brunch al fresco. If you're looking for a place to eat outdoors, check the map.

photo: Focus Features