All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

Well, hello December. It looks like we're in for a sunny but cold weekend -- perfect to get you in the mood for some holiday cheer. There are all sorts of events scheduled -- some holiday themed and others, not so much. After the jump, you'll find a few we thought might be worth checking out.

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

And have a fantastic weekend!

Santa Speedo Sprint and Winter Wonder Lark
It's time for what might be our favorite annual fundraiser. The Santa Speedo Sprint is Saturday. There's still time to sign up to run. And all those skivvies are exposed for charity. Last year, the race raised $20,000 for the Albany Damien Center. The run will be the centerpiece of Winter Wonder Lark. The festival starts at 10. Registration for the sprint starts at 11 am. The sprint itself is at 2 pm, starting and finishing at Lark and Madison in Albany.

Historic Albany House Tour
On Sunday the Historic Albany Foundation's 9th Annual Holiday House Tour will give people a look into some of the city's historic and notable homes. This year the tour will also include everything from row houses to contemporary homes from the 1950s. Noon. Tickets are $24 for members, $29 for the general public.

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. It's a different show every week. 8 pm - $14 for adults, $6 for students and seniors

Theater

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

Aida
It's the final weekend of the Schenectady Light Opera Company performance of Aida, Elton John and Tim Rice's take on the Verdi opera. Friday, Saturday at 8, Sunday at 2. $22-$28

The Royal Family
The Schenectady Civic Playhouse presents The Royal Family, a thinly-veiled look at the Barrymores of Hollywood. This is the last weekend. Friday and Saturday at 8, Sunday at 2:30, $15

A Wonderful Life
All this weekend at the Cohoes Music Hall, there will be theatrical performances of the classic Christmas tale of fate and family. Friday at 8pm, Saturday 3pm and 8pm, Sunday at 3pm. $25-$35

Miracle on 34th Street
Classic Theater Guild presents the holiday classic Miracle on 34th Street at Proctors. Tonight and Tomorrow at 7:30. Sunday at 2. $14-$17.95

Model trains
This weekend, the Schenectady Museum's annual holiday display of O gauge Lionel model trains returns. At noon on Saturday and Sunday. Free for members, $7.50 for adults, children $5, seniors $6.25.

Music

Friday: Way Yes, Carl Daniels, Bailiwick at The Daily Grind (Troy)
Afro-pop and folk rock in show organized by Swordpaw and In Your Speakers. 7 pm - $6.50 ahead / $9 at the door

Friday: The JACK Quartet at EMPAC
From the blurbage: "A string quartet performance in two acts featuring three pieces from the 1960s to the present that play with conventions of music notation and performance, and a haunting 30-minute piece from the 1990s with an uncanny spectral interplay."8 pm, $18 general admission, $13 students, seniors, and Rensselaer faculty and staff, $6 for Rensselaer students

Friday: Dax Riggs at The Linda
Roots/metal/glam. With: Skeletons in the Piano, Pillowhead. 7 pm - $10 ahead / $12 at the door

Friday: The Dark Star Orchestra at the Palace
It might not be the classic Grateful Dead experience, but it is classical. 7:30 pm - $31

Friday: Hot Cousin at Valentines
A Valentine's happy hour show. 6pm.

Saturday: Dar Williams at The 8th Step at Proctors
Indie folk Singer/Songwriter with great stories and a terrific sense of humor. 7:30 pm - $28

Saturday: Lyle Lovett at the Egg
The crooning alt-country songsmith is back. 8:15 pm - $58

Saturday: Deer Tick at Jillian's
A free show courtesy of WEQX.

Saturday: Ladies Auxiliary Ukulele Orchestra at Caffe Lena
"Something from every era, ranging from Mozart to Radiohead, all of which benefit from fresh arrangements and a vocal delivery with tongues buried firmly in cheeks." 8 pm - $16 ahead / $18

Saturday: Olivia Newton John at the Palace
Who doesn't love those songs from Grease? 8pm - $39.50-$59.50

Sunday: Mike Gordon at the Egg
The Phish bassist has been branching out on his own. 8pm - $25.25

Holiday music
Saturday: The Nutcracker at Proctors
The Northeast Ballet's Company's annual production. There's also a Sunday performance at 2 pm. 7 pm, $20 and up

Saturday: Albany Gay Men's Chorus at the Picotte Recital Hall
The chorus is presenting a night of holiday music. 7:30pm. $10, $7 for students, free for children.

Saturday: Mountain Snow and Mistletoe at The Egg
Holiday songs and stories from Christopher Shaw and Bridge Ball's Mountain Snow Orchestra. There's another performance Sunday at 2 pm. 8 pm, $24

Saturday: Old Songs' "Nowell Sing We Clear: A Pageant of Mid-Winter Carols" at St. John's
The annual presentation at St. John's Lutheran Church in Altamont. 3 pm, $20 adults, $5 for children ages 12 and under

Even more Nutcrackers
The past couple of weeks have been awash in Nutcracker performances, and this weekend the Northeast Ballet is putting their version on at Proctors. Friday at 10am, Saturday at 7pm, Sunday at 2pm. Individual tickets are $9 Adults, $8 for 17 and under, groups tickets are $7 Adults, $6 for 17 and under.

iEAR Grad Show
"Oscillations," this year's installment of RPI's Electronic Arts Graduate Show, is Sunday and will feature works by grad artists Sena Clara Creston, Allison Berkoy, Heidi Boisvert, Alejandro Borsani, Anton Hand and Joshua Thorson. In the West Hall building at the RPI Campus. 4 pm, free

Ryder Cooley
In the last few months performance artist Ryder Cooley has been performing sections of her work XMALIA. She'll be performing tonight at the Spotty Dog in Hudson, while Sarah Faulkner will be signing copies of her book Animal Sanctuary. 8 pm - free

Museums

Temple of Fancy
This exhibit at The Albany Institute of History and Art looks at Pease's Great Variety Store, which was one of the first five-and-dime stores in Albany. 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

Holiday Shopping
You have to get it done, so you might as well have some fun with it. There's the Tight Knit Market at the Troy Farmers' Market on Saturday (lots of locally hand made goodies) and The Holiday Shop at The Arts Center (fun gifts made by regional artists). And here are some other fun, local gift ideas.

Holiday Light Displays
+ The Capital Holiday Lights are open in Albany's Washington Park. Tonight and Saturday from6-10, Sunday from 6-9. $15 per car, $25 per van

+ Quick Resonse light display in Round Lake (map). Horse and wagon rides and visits with Santa and refreshments.5:30 pm to 9 pm - free.

Bake some chocolate chip cookies
One of the best things about the holidays? Cookies! 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.

Farmers' markets
Farmers' markets are indoors but there's still plenty of great stuff to be had. Check out the markets at Troy, Saratoga, Delmar and Schenectady.

Road trips
Get the road tripping out of your system before the real snow starts. 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
Oooh -- did someone say brunch? How about a great diner breakfast? We're in.

AOA is a media sponsor for the Santa Speedo Sprint.
Capital Rep advertises on AOA.
Proctors is also an AOA advertiser.