All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

Ready. Set. Weekend.

This October weekend should look and feel like an October weekend. Some sun, maybe a little rain, colorful leaves, temperatures in the 60s and a huge heaping pile of stuff to do that you can jump right on into.

Doing something you don't see on our list? Share it with the rest of the crowd. And whatever you're up to, have a fantastic weekend!

Chowderfest
The annual Troy Chowderfest is Sunday. More 15 restaurants will be competing and offering samples ($1 each). The festival opens at 10 am and runs until 3 pm. But: "the chowder will most likely run out later in the afternoon."

Mini Maker Faire
Emma Willard is hosting a Mini Maker Faire on Saturday at its campus in Troy. Blurbage: "The event will be a family-friendly celebration featuring rockets and robots, DIY science and technology, farming and sustainability, alternative energy, bicycles, unique hand-made crafts, music and local food, and educational workshops and installations." Saturday 9 am-4 pm - $5

Roller derby
Saturday: The Hellions of Troy roller derby open their home season at the Rollarama in Schenectady versus the Chautaqua County Babes of Wrath. Saturday 8 pm - $10 ahead / $12 at door / $3 kids 12 and under

Fall stuff

Apples
Pick your own season is well underway at a number of orchards around the Capital Region Check the website of your favorite (or give 'em a call). Don't forget the cider donuts. Here are the results of the latest Tour de Donut. Pick a pumpkin while you're out -- it's almost jack o'lantern time.

Upper Union Street Harvest Fest & Art Show
Saturday is the annual Upper Union Street Harvest Festival and Art Show in Schenectady, with music, art, a gourmet marketplace and children's activities. 10 am to 3 pm. Free admission.

Farm, Foliage and Fiber Fair
Birds of prey, pony rides, a petty zoo, hay rides, pumpkin painting and demonstrations, and crafts by fiber artists at the Farm Foliage and Fiber Fair at Mabee Farm Historic Site in Rotterdam Junction. Saturday from 11am to 4pm

Fall Fest at Waterford Harbor Farmers Market
This Sunday the Waterford Harbor Farmers Market will host a fall festival with cider, donuts, games, trick or treating, face painting and costume parade. 9 am-1 pm - free admission

Goold Orchard Apple Festival
Goold's 25th annual Apple Festival includes crafts, entertainment, horse drawn wagon rides, wine samples, pick-your-own apples and pumpkins. Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm. $8, under 12 free.

Liberty Ridge Farm's Fall Festival
Liberty Ridge Farm is hosting its ongoing fall festival with a corn maze, rides, animals, trolley rides and a pumpkin cannon. $12.50

Corn Mazes
The giant maze at Fort Ticonderoga is open every day from 10 am to 5 pm -- free with admission to the fort. And the corn maze at Samascott's Garden Market in Kinderhook is now open -- 11 am to 5 pm Saturday-Monday, $7 per person (kids under 4 free).

Spooky Stuff

Harvest Haunt
Five haunted attractions including a Farmer's Haunted House, Forest of Fear, and Field of Screams will be at at the Harvest Haunt at Liberty Ridge Farm Friday through Sunday. 6:30 pm-11 pm - $19

Albany Ghost Tour
Harmony House Tours is is running its Albany Ghost Tour again this weekend. Friday through Sunday night, 7 pm - $30

Car shows

Downtown Albany Fall Car Show and Cruise-In
Saturday: There's a classic car show in downtown Albany along North Pearl Street, including motorcycles and cars from the 1920s to present day. 10 am to 2 pm - free

The Way We Were car show
Ballston Spa's annual The Way We Were Autumn Car Show will be in downtown Ballston Spa with classic cars. Sunday from 9 am to 4 pm - free admission

Capital District Food Tour
The Giddy-up bus is hosting a Capital District Food Tour on Sunday. The bus will travel to four restaurants around the Capital Region that will offer gourmet samples. 1 pm to 7 pm $40.

Theater

Venus in Fur
Capital Rep's production of the Tony-nominated play Venus in Fur continues -- "a delicious, suspense-packed study of the erotics of power." (It's reported to be the most-performed play of the 2013-2014 season around the country.) Reviews: Times Union | Daily Gazette | Nippertown.

Guys and Dolls
Schenectady Light Opera opens its production of the musical theater classic Guys & Dolls this weekend. Performances Friday and Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 2 pm -$18-$28

The Drowsy Chaperone
Home Made Theater presents the musical The Drowsy Chaperone. Friday and Saturday at 8pm, $23-$29

Les Mis
Cohoes Music hall continues its run of Les Miserable. Friday 8 pm, Saturday at 3 pm and 8 pm, Sunday at 3 pm - $30 and up

Comedy

Ladies of Laughter
Proctors presents Ladies of Laughter, a line-up of five women comedians with credits that include Comedy Central, SNL, the View and the Montreal Just for Laughs Festival. Saturday 8 pm - $20, $25, $30 & $35

Chortal Combat
Mop & Bucket Company continues its run of Chortal Combat at Proctors. Teams of improvisors compete by creating scenes and songs using audience suggestions. Friday at 8pm - $14 for adults, $6 students/seniors.

Bob Marley
Friday: Comedian Bob Marley brings his act to The Egg. Friday 8 pm - $24.50

Ralphie May
Saturday: Stand-up comedian Ralphie May will be at at The Egg . Saturday at 8pm - $35

Music

Friday: Yip Deceiver at Valentine's
Dance rock from two members from of Montreal. With: Mike and Amy Shift the Paradigm.

Friday: The Features at The Hollow
Indie rock. You've probably heard this song. 7 pm - $10.27 ahead / $15 day of

Friday: Taking Back Sunday at Upstate Concert Hall
Alterna-emo-pop punk. With: Polar Bear Club, Transit. 8 pm - $27.50

Friday: Sweet Honey in the Rock at Troy Music Hall
40th anniversary tour of Grammy-winning a cappella group. 8 pm - $25 and up

Friday: American Babies at Red Square
Alt-country/Americana. With: Rebel Darling. 8 pm

Saturday: Plume Giant at MASS MoCA
Chamber folk from Brooklyn. (Where else?) 8 pm - $12 ahead / $16 day of / $10 students

Saturday: Willie "Loco" Alexander at Valentine's
Rock vet, played with the Velvet Underground. With: David Greenberger, MaryLeigh Roohan. 8 pm - $12

Saturday: Damien Center benefit at Valentine's
With: Charmboy, Bryan Thomas, Pony in the Pancake, Jesse Calhoun, Party Boat, Charlie Watts Riots, The Ernst Project. 6 pm - $10

Saturday: World Up at McGeary's
A world music dance party with DJ Nate DaGreat, DJ ARC, and Properly Chilled playing new and classic dance music from Latin America, Africa, India and the Caribbean. 10 pm-2 am - free

Film

Ghostbusters
The Malta Drive-in is screening Ghostbusters as the second half of a double feature with Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs II. Friday through Sunday

The Garden
The NYS Writers Institute continues its film series with the award-winning documentary The Garden. The film chronicles "the epic battle over 14 acres of urban farmland between the residents of a Latino neighborhood and powerful business interests and municipal authorities. Friday at 7:30 pm at Page Hall on UAlbany's downtown campus - free

Blue Jasmine
The Saratoga Film Forum is screening Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine this weekend. Friday and Sunday at 7:30 pm - $7

The Italian Job
Michael Caine and a cast of Mini Coopers are the stars of this month's Ballston Spa Film Festival Classic Film series. The free series is screening the original 1969 version of The Italian Job on Saturday night at Ballston Spa High School. 6:45 pm - free

La Jeune-Fille et la Mort (Death and the Young-Girl)
Saturday: EMPAC presents La Jeune-Fille et la Mort. From the blurbage:

The bell rings; a teacher instructs the audience to take out their textbooks. The class begins. The "Young-Girlization" of the world is the topic of the class, which gradually breaks with codes and regulations of teaching and learning. The custom-made textbook is inspired by Raw Materials for a Theory of the Young-Girl by the Tiqqun collective. Sound poetry, lessons from a one-of-a-kind ballet instructor, songs, sculptures, and music by a string quartet combine to form this multifaceted and symbolic portrait of the Young-Girl created by Quebec-based Bureau de l'APA and collaborators from diverse artistic domains.

Saturday, 7 pm - $18.

Free museum days
+ Saturday is GE Kids in Free Day at miSci -- children 12 & under receive free museum and planetarium admission when accompanied by a paying adult.

+ Monday (Columbus Day) is free admission day at the Albany Institute of History and Art.

Monsters of New York
Author and cryptozoologist Bruce G. Hallenbeck presents Monsters of New York a program about Champ -- "America's Loch Ness Monster" -- and other creatures purported to roam New York. There's also an exhibit on "Monsters of New York"" at the New York State Library. Saturday at 2 pm, NYS Museum - free

Jewels of the Sea
Discovery Hall in Troy opens its Jewels of the Sea exhibit for Columbus Day weekend. See 800 species and 1000 variations of seashells, including the largest and smallest seashells on earth. Saturday through Monday 10 am to 4 pm - adults $2 / 12 and over $1 / 11 and under free

Hockey
The Albany Devils are at the TU Center on Saturday. 7:30 pm - $13.50 and up

Curling
The Albany Curling Club hosts a free and open house on Saturday and Sunday with demonstrations and explanations of competitive curling. Wear warm, loose clothing, and bring clean sneakers along. Noon to 4 pm - free

Rock Your Style
Rock Your Style, a fashion themed fundraiser for The Damian Center includes a fashion show, dancing, food by Mazzone, wine and champagne. Friday starting at 5:30 at 11 North Pearl Street. $55.

Farmers' markets
In just a few weeks the farmers' markets move indoors. Markets are open in Troy (Saturday), Delmar (Saturday), Saratoga (Saturday), Schenectady (Sunday), and the new Spa City Farmers Market -- at the Lincoln Baths in Saratoga Springs (Sunday).

Take a walk
It's our favorite season for strolling. Here are some of our favorite autumn walks.

The Troy Music Hall, Proctors, Capital Rep, the Downtown Albany BID, and The Mop and Bucket Company advertise on AOA. And AOA is a media sponsor of the Emma Willard Mini Maker Faire.