All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

We are officially in full holiday mode -- from the holiday windows at Troy Night Out to screenings of A Christmas Story to Mannheim Steamroller. After the jump, you'll find a few we thought might be fun to try this weekend.

Got something else in mind? Let us know about it.

And have a fantastic weekend!

Troy Night Out
The Collar City kicks off the holiday season tonight with Troy Night Out. Shops and galleries are open late. The Holiday Shop at The Arts Center for the Capital Region will be open with locally-made gifts. The Arts of Winter holiday window exhibit begins in the front windows of 20 shops along River, Second and Third streets. The Fulton Small Works gallery hosts its first show under its new director. Daisy Baker's hosts the official unofficial after party and Swing Syndicate will have a post-thanksgiving Black Friday Jam Dance Party ($8 Swing Syndicate admission includes free lessons).

You'll shoot your eye out, kid!
Proctors is showing A Christmas Story on Friday, in case you'd like to see it on the big screen (instead of waiting to see it non-stop on cable). 3 pm and 7:30 pm - $5

MOPCO: Spontaneous Broadway
Mop and Bucket Co. continues its run at Underground at Proctors tonight with a Spontaneous Broadway show. They'll improvise a complete Broadway musical based on audience suggestions. 8 pm - $14 for adults, $6 for students and seniors

Music

Friday: The Erotics at Valentine's
With Society High, Demons Alley, Dogs Divine. 8pm - $7

Friday: Mother Fletcher at Helsinki Hudson
This local ska favorite performs together for the last time on Friday night. 9 pm - $12

Saturday: Annie and the Hedonists at Caffe Lena
A little gospel, a little bluegrass and a little Fats Waller. 8 pm - $16 in advance / $18 at the door

Saturday: Q103 Thanksgiving Hangover at Washington Ave Armory
Staind is headlining. 7pm - $25-$35

Saturday: Jack Grace Band at Helsinki Hudson
Smart, funny alt-country. 9 pm - $15

Saturday: Grateful Dead Night at Putnam Den
New Moon Review with Grateful Dead keyboardist Tom Constanten and The Garcia Project. 9 pm - $18

Saturday: Jane Monheit and Mark O'Connor at the Egg
The two performers will offer up a rootsy show for the holidays. 8 pm - $29.50

Saturday: Celtic Thunder Christmas at the Palace
Christmas songs the Irish way. Saturday at 7:30, $32-$62

Sunday: Mannheim Steamroller at the Palace
Yes, they will be playing that song. 4 pm - $34-$72

Man of La Mancha
The Capital Rep production of the Cervantes tale continues its five-week run this weekend. Tonight at 8, Saturday 3 & 8, Sunday 2 & 7 $40-$70

Albany Institute LEGO challenge / gift fair
The Albany Institute of History and Art will host a LEGO building challenge in which teams compete to see who can build the best LEGO version of Albany architecture. (We get to help judge!) Ace local LEGO builder Bill Leue will be there, working on his reconstruction of the historic (and now demolished) Trinity Church. (Registration is required for the LEGO challenge.) You can also do some local holiday shopping while you're there at the annual holiday gift fair and festival festival, featuring a bunch of local vendors of crafts and handmade present possibilities. Friday 10 am to 5 pm, Saturday 10 am to 5 pm, Sunday noon to 5 pm - free

Craft fairs

Cohoes Holiday Craft Fair
Cohoes' annual holiday craft fair on Saturday will gather a bunch of local crafters. The fair will be preceded by breakfast with Santa, and followed by community caroling and lighting of the Christmas tree. 10 am - free

Saratoga Springs 36th Annual Craft Fair
The Saratoga fair donates all of its proceeds to the Saratoga Center for the Family. 10 am - $2

See a movie -- or two
Skip the shopping and see a movie. Heck, be decadent -- see two. The Descendants is showing on two screens at The Spectrum right now. There's also Anonymous, Ides of March and of course, the new Muppet Movie.

Big trouble for moose and squirrel
If you're looking to get kids out of the house today and want to avoid the malls, here's a fun option. The Guilderland Public Library is hosting a Black Friday Marathon of old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons, complete with popcorn. 1-5 pm - free

Science for kids

Science camp
The Children's Museum of Science and Technology is offering a number of science camps to keep the kids busy while school's out. The one for the day after Thanksgiving is "Potions and Notions," in which kids will learn to make a rocket out of Alka Seltzer and liquid lasagna. 9 am to 4 pm - $45 through $55

Black Friday at the Schenectady Museum
The Schenectady Museum is offering "hands-on science activities" for kids today (1-2:30 pm). Also: its FETCH! Lab will be building paper structures strong to enough to hold up giant dog biscuits (3-4:30 pm). free with museum admission ($7.50 for adults, $5 for kids)

Museums

Temple of Fancy
A new exhibit at the Albany Institute looks at Pease's Great Variety Store, which was one of the first five-and-dime stores in the city. Opens Saturday. Museum admission ranges from free to $10.

Katharina Grosse
Katharina Grosse's exhibit, One Floor Up More Highly, has been extended at MASS MoCA through the end of the year, so you can still go see her large scale installations merging painting, sculpture and architecture. All weekend, $5-$15, free for members

Golden Dragon Acrobats
Call it cirque nouveau. Call it fantasy. Golden Dragon Acrobats will be at the Egg on Sunday. The show melds acrobatics, dance, costumes, theatrics and music. 3 pm - $15-$22

Tattoo Expo
Northern Light's Rat-A-Tat Tattoo Expo is back for two nights of ink-covered hijinks and music. Saturday night will headlined by Sick of It All, while the Sunday headliner is Trapper Under Ice. 12:30 pm - $10-$15

Drumline Live
Saturday at Proctors: Drumline Live, which "brings show-style marching bands to the theatrical stage" (it's from the same people behind the movie Drumline). 8 pm - $20 and up

Bake some chocolate chip cookies
Skip the shopping and start in on the baking instead. Here are two of the best chocolate chip cookie recipes you're likely to find (at least until the year 2040) and some interesting info to go along with them.

Get ready for winter
Before the snow flies again, go shoppingfor cat litter, Yak Trax and all the other stuff you'll need to own winter.

Farmers' markets
Farmers' markets are indoors at Troy, Saratoga, Delmar and Schenectady.

Road trips
Maybe it's time for a holiday shopping trip to Northampton. Or you could spend 12 hours in Ulster County, Bennington, Vermont and Columbia County.

Brunch
One of the great things about the weekends are lazy mornings. over brunch or enjoy a great diner breakfast.

Capital Rep advertises on AOA

photo: Bill Leue