All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

Brrr. Right? Seriously.

And the snow and rain predicted this weekend has us seriously considering hibernation. But wait -- there are Santas, you say? In Speedos?

Maybe the weekend is looking up after all.

Here's this weekend's list of stuff to do that looked promising to us.

Got other plans? By all means, share them in the comments.

And whatever you do, have a great weekend!

Santas in Speedos
Tomorrow is the annual Santa Speedo Sprint. Scantily clad Santas will run the length of Lark Street and back tomorrow at 2PM to raise money for the Damien Center. The "warming up" and registration start at 11 at Oh Bar and Lionheart, and the reveling continues on Lark Street long after the race.

Winter Wonderlark
While you're at the Speedo Sprint, you can check out the Winter Wonderlark Celebration. Lark Street shops will be open for holiday shopping, there's a craft fair, a Gingerbread funshop at Upstate Artists Guild, ornament making at The Albany Art Room, and a performance ice sculptor.

Tour some historic Albany Houses
Saturday is ''Ring Around the Park, '' the Historic Albany Foundations holiday house tour. From noon to 4PM check out six historic homes in the Center Square & Washington Park neighborhoods. Tickets are available at The Albany Institute of History & Art $23 for members, $28 for others.

The Figgs
The Figgs return home to Saratoga on Saturday night. They'll be at Putnam Den on Saturday at 8. Their annual holiday show at Valentine's in Albany is tonight at 9. Charlie Watts Riots will be there too.

More Music
+BEWARE! The Other Head of Science is at 8 at Savannah's tonight with Skeletons in the Piano, Severe Severe and Ghoul Poon. $7.

+The Best Friday, December 10th, 2010 Ever starts tonight at 8 upstairs at Valentine's with performances by The Ameros, Charlie Philips, The REalside and Sugar Proof $7. $8 under 21.

+The Joey Thomas Big Band plays a holiday tribute to Sinatra on Saturday afternoon at The Egg.

Legally Blonde
Elle and her little dog take on Harvard Law at the Palace Theatre in Legally Blonde: The Musical. Saturday night at 7:30. $28-$52.

Bumpusesssss!!!!
A Christmas Story continues this weekend at Capital Rep.

"I said good day sir.."
The Classic Theater Guild presents A Christmas Carol at Proctor's tonight and Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday at 2. $13.50-$16.50

Fabulous
Mop and Bucket makes up another Spontaneous Broadway show tonight at 8, Upstairs at 440 at Proctor's. $14, $6.

Model Trains
The model trains are back at the The Schenectady Museum for the holidays starting Saturday. You can check them out on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 3. Can't make it this weekend? They'll be around until January 17th.

iear graduate show
3D role playing games, interactive kinetic sculpture and other multi-media installations will all be part of RPI's iear electronic arts graduate student exhbit. Sunday at West Hall at RPI. Galleries open at 4 and performances start at 6. Free.

Arctic Air
Saturday afternoon the NYS Museum is screening Arctic Air, a new PBS documentary about the Glenville based New York Air National Guard 109th Airlift Wing's 2009 trip to Greenland. The film is about an hour long and they're showing it on Saturday at 2 in the museum's Huxley Theater.

Battlesight
Three internationally renowned photographers, three battlefronts one subject -war. Battlesight is a look at the realities of war for soldiers and civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. You can see it through next weekend at The Arts Center for the Capital Region in Troy.

Do a little local shopping
If you're looking for some unique, locally made gifts you could check out the local Etsy shops or, if you'd prefer to see stuff up close before you buy, try some of the local holiday craft fairs. The Shaker Christmas Craft Fair is back at the Shaker Meeting House
today and Saturday from 10-4. The Shop at The Arts Center of the Capital Region
is open today until 4 and tomorrow from 11-3. The Tight Knit Market is back at the Troy Farmer's Market on Saturday morning. All weekend you can check out the 1st Annual Albany Holiday Crafts Spectacular at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center. 4-8 tonight (Free), 10-5 on Saturday ($5) and 10-4 on Sunday ($5).

Road Trips
If the weather allows for it, take a day trip:

+Northampton or Woodstock are great places to do a little holiday shopping.

+ Spend 12 hours in Columbia County . Ulster or Schoharie county. Or head over to Bennington.

Space Cadet
If you've been thinking about heading up to Mass MoCA, this Saturday you can check out the exhibits by day and stay for dj Kid Koala's new performance project "Space Cadets." It's a new live show that involves the audience reclining on the floor wearing headphones and watching the show from specially designed inflatable back rests.

Get a Christmas tree
If you're looking to cut your own, check this our first.

Brunch
If you haven't already eaten enough for the weekend,find a boozy brunch spot and indulge. Bring a designated driver, of course.