All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

Attention Capital Region: Go outside this weekend. That is all.

Oops, nope. Sorry, there's more. After the jump you'll find our list of stuff to do on this first gorgeous weekend in May.

As always, if you've got plans you don't see listed here, drop them in the comment section.

And whatever you're up to, have a fantastic weekend!

1st Friday
Tonight is 1st Friday in Albany, and it should be a great night for strolling around he city.
A few things to check out:

+ Albany Barn Stage One hosts Seeing Green: Environmentally Conscious Art, featuring local artists Nicolette Callaway, Ruxana Saifi, Cheryl Gowie, Nicole Levy, and Grace Tatara.

+ Capital Rep is showing Rothko-themed paintings by local artist Tony Iadiciccio

+ The Albany Institute is open late and admission is free. See the mummies, the Currier and Ives exhibit, and more. 5 pm-8 pm.

+The Capital Swing Dance is at 25 South Allen Street. 8:30-10 pm - $15.

Food truck festival
The first Food Truck Festival of NY is Saturday in Troy's Riverfront Park. Twelve trucks are currently listed for the lineup, and there will also be live music. Saturday noon-7 pm - free admission

Roller Derby
The Albany All Stars have a bout on Saturday at the Washington Avenue Armory against the Port City Rollers. Doors open at 6 pm, first whistle at 7 pm - $10, $4 for kids

Theater

Sunday in the Park with George
Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George -- a fictional tale of artist George Seurat and the people in his famous pointillist painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grande Jatte -- opens this weekend at Schenectady Civic Players. It stars Molly Rose McGrath as Dot and Matthew Moross as George Seurat. Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 8 pm, Sunday at 2 pm

Red
Capital Rep's production of Red continues this week. (TU Review, Troy Record review.)

Our Son's Wedding
Curtain Call Theater in Latham presents Our Son's Wedding, the story of an Italian-American plumber and his wife who arrive at their son's wedding to another man. Friday & Saturday at 8 pm, Sunday at 3 pm - $23

Leading Ladies
Home Made Theater's free play reading series wraps up on Sunday with Leading Ladies, the story of two washed up Shakespearean actors on performing scenes from Shakespearean plays on the "moose lodge circuit who try to pass themselves off as the nieces of an elderly woman to get an inheritance." Sunday 2 pm - free

Comedy

The Spank! The Fifty Shades Parody show at the Egg Friday is sold out.

MopCo: You Never Know
The Mop & Bucket Company's "You Never Know" show is back. Think Whose Line is it Anyway -- a night of short form improv games where talented improvisers make up scenes and songs based on audience suggestions. Underground at Proctors. Friday at 8 pm - $14 adults, $6 students and seniors.

Improv at The Comedy Works
Mop & Bucket's weekly short form improv comedy show is back on Saturday night at The Comedy Works on Northern Blvd in Albany. Think Whose Line is it Anyway. 8 pm - $15-$20

Circus
The Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus is at the TU Center Thursday through Sunday. This particular circus crew is the "Dragons" tour. Tickets are $27 and up.

Downtown Albany Blues Competition
The Downtown Albany BID hosts its second annual blues competition Friday night at nine downtown businesses. Listen and vote for your favorite. The top two vote getters will play at Alive at 5 shows this summer. Friday 5-9 pm - free admission

Music

Friday: The Babies at Valentine's
Indie rock. With: Birthdays, Party Boat. 7 pm

Friday: Leroy Justice at Bayou Albany/Hollow Bar
Roots rock. 8 pm - $10 ahead / $12 day of

Friday: The Howlin' Brothers at The Linda
String band. New album is produced by Brendan Benson. 8 pm - $10

Friday: Bear Grass at Valentine's
Album release show. With: Two Tree, Hand Habits. 9 pm - $5

Friday: Jimkata at Red Square
Electro rock. With: Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (sadly, not literal). 8 pm - $12

Friday: Oobleck at Helsinki Hudson
"Funked-out-afro-grunge-rock-alt-dub-whatever." 9 pm - $10 ahead / $12 at door

Friday: Tony Trischka at Caffe Lena
"Perhaps the most influential banjo player in the roots music world." 8 pm - $24

Saturday: The Tenors at the Palace
Formerly The Canadian Tenors. They've both had a PBS special and performed with... Justin Bieber. 8 pm - $39.50

Saturday: Aficionado at Valentine's
The final show for long-running locals. With: Nightmares for a Week. 8 pm - $10

Saturday: Michael Powers at Helsinki Hudson
Blues singer/guitar player. 9 pm - $15 ahead / $18 at door

Sunday: Golem at Helsinki Hudson
Klezmer rock. 8 pm - $15 ahead / $18 at door

Ladyfest
The first Ladyfest Upstate Festival, "a community based, not-for-profit global music and arts festival for women identified, trans, genderqueer and gender nonconforming artists," starts Friday and runs through Sunday at venues in Albany and Troy. The schedule includes "educational workshops, informational skill shares, music, visual art, poetry, performance art, and films." Friday-Sunday various times - all access pass starts at $20

Film

Blancanieves
The Saratoga Film Forum is screening Blancanieves, the legend of Snow White set in 1920s Seville Friday at 7:30 pm, $7, $5 with valid student ID.

Small Apartments
The Saratoga Film forum is screening Small Apartments, the film based on Saratoga native Chris Millis' book and starring Billy Crystal. Millis will be on-hand to discuss the film afterward. Sunday 7 pm - $7, $5 with valid student ID

CDCG's Spring Brunch
The Capital District Community Garden's annual spring brunch is this sunday at the Siek Campus Center at Hudson Valley Community college. 10 am-2 pm - $30 at the door, kids under 10 eat free.

Vanguard Designer Showhouse
The Vanguard Designer Showhouse is open for tours this weekend. This year's house is The George Stedman house -- an 1884 Queen Ann at in Loudonville. Proceeds from tours of the Vanguard Designer showhouse benefit the Albany Symphony Orchestra. Friday and Saturday from 10:30 am-5 pm and Sunday from noon-5 pm

The Dutch
Friday: Historian and journalist Russell Shorto will be at the State Museum to talk about his upcoming book Amsterdam: A History of the World's Most Liberal City, as part of the NYS Writers Institute visiting writers series. (Here's a short NYT Mag bit he wrote contrasting Dutch and American attitudes about bikes.) Shorto also wrote The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America. Friday 7 pm, State Museum, Clark Auditorium - free

Ryoichi Kurokawa: syn
Friday at EMPAC: Ryoichi Kurokawa's syn is an audiovisual performance that "obscures familiar everyday imagery with vibrating, impossibly detailed geometric constellations" Performed live on dual projection screens, his visuals are accompanied with clouds of sound that pulse in accord to construct a sensory experience of overwhelming energy. Friday 8 pm - Free

Saratoga Tattoo Expo
The annual Saratoga Tattoo Expo is this weekend at the Saratoga City Center. Local and international tattoo artists, entertainment, contests and more. Friday 3 pm-11 pm, Saturday from 11 am-11 pm, Sunday 11 am-7 pm.

Bike Expo
This Sunday, Albany's Washington Park hosts the annual Bike Expo. Vendors, tables, bike shops, bike clubs and advocacy groups. Washington Park Lakehouse 10 am-4 pm - free admission

Check out the tulips
You don't have to wait for the Tulip Festival. Many of the tulips have opened and are ready for viewing. Take a walk through Washington Park in Albany and see them before the crowds descend. If you want to learn more about tulips, former Albany city gardener Judy Stacey is leading a Harmony House tour of a tour of the Albany's tulips on Sunday -- the tour starts at 2 pm and is $30 per person.

Horses
Saratoga's 54th Annual Horse Show is this weekend. Hunters, jumpers and equestrian classes. It's at the Yaddo showgrounds at the Saratoga Race Course. Saturday and Sunday 8 am-5 pm - spectators $3

Visit baby animals
There's still time to visit the baby animals at Hancock Shaker Village in Western Mass. Behind the scenes tours are also available. Admission: Adults - $17, kids 13 and up- $8, kids 12 and under-Free.

Outdoor Farmers Markets
Farmers' arkets move outdoors this weekend. Here's where you can find them.

Kentucky Derby
Saturday is the Kentucky Derby. Mix up a batch of mint juleps, put on a hat and have a little derby day party.

Volunteer at a park
This Saturday is "I Love My State Park Day" across New York. Volunteers are gathering at New York State Parks to work on projects on Saturday morning. Here's how to find a project at a park near you.

Buy plants
This Sunday, Saratoga Spa State Park is hosting a native plant sale with lectures and kids activities. 10 am-2 pm

Drive-in
Yep, the drive-in movie theaters are open for the season. Malta is showing Iron Man & Oz The Great and Powerful and 42 and Oblivion. The Hollywoodand the Jericho is also showing Iron Man and Oz.

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