All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

If you've got time to do things this holiday weekend, we've got stuff to do. Plenty of it -- from holiday lights and concerts to Red Ryder bb guns and Bumpuses to ... Osmonds. Yes, Osmonds.

You'll find our list after the jump. Planning something you don't see there? Let us know about it. It's the season for sharing. And whatever you're up to, bundle up and have a fantastic weekend.

Holiday stuff

Friday through Sunday: Melodies of Christmas at Proctors
Annual holiday concerts featuring the Empire State Youth Orchestra and Youth Chorale. various times - $15 and up

Friday: Mendelssohn Club Holiday Concert at The Egg
An all-male choir established in 1909 playing its annual holiday concert. 7:30 pm - $18

Saturday-Sunday: "The Messiah" at Troy Music Hall
The Albany Symphony will be playing "The Messiah" by Handel, as well as other "warm Baroque pieces." Saturday 7:30 pm / Sunday 3 pm - $19 and up

Saturday-Sunday: Mountain Snow and Mistletoe at The Egg
The annual bluegrass holiday show. Saturday 8 pm / Sunday 2 pm - $24

Sunday: 2013 Holiday Concert at EMPAC
Rensselaer Orchestra and the Rensselaer Concert Choir performing selections from Handel, Monteverdi, Haydn, Bruckner, Sibelius, Brahms and J. Strauss II. 3 pm - free

Sunday: Donny and Marie Christmas at the TU Center
As in, Osmond. 6:30 pm - $49.50 and up

Santa's Playland Open House
Friday and Saturday night Quick Response in Round Lake opens as Santa's Playland with a giant holiday display, refreshments and a horse drawn wagon ride. 5:30-9:30 pm - free admission

Capital Holiday Lights in the Park
The Capital Holiday Lights display in Washington Park continues through January 3. After the tour you stop at the lake house for a visit with Santa. Fridays and Saturdays from 6-10 pm / Sundays through Thursdays from 6-9 pm - admission prices are $15.00 per car, $25.00 for 10-18 passenger vehicle

Toys and trains
The Toy and Train exhibition continues this weekend at MiSci.

Ice skating
Postponed twice now, the ice skating rink at the Empire State Plaza is now scheduled to permanently open for the season on Friday, weather permitting. Skating's free and there will be free skate rental on opening day (as there is every Friday). Also Friday: Rock 'n Skate with Hard Soul. Friday 11 am-8 pm / Rock 'n Skate 6-8 pm - free

Theater

The Santaland Diaries
The Schenectady Civic Players are producing an adaptation of The Santaland Diaries, David Sedaris' story of his experience playing Crumpet the Elf at Macy's during the holiday crunch. "At first the job is only humiliating, but once thousands of children start pouring through Santa's Workshop he becomes battle weary and bitter, entertaining us with stories of naughty children and pushy parents, empowered elves and sloshed Santas." Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 2:30 pm - $17

A Christmas Carol
The Dickens classic continues this weekend at Capital Rep. A new adaptation in which five actors play 20 characters. On Sunday Afternoon there's a special Behind-The-Scenes event featuring a backstage tour, Dickens Trivia and a talk by actor/writer Patrick Barlow, the adaptor of this verysof A Christmas Carol as well as the Broadway hit, The 39 Steps. The event starts with a continental breakfast at 12:30 pm and it's free.
Friday 8pm, Saturday 3pm & 8pm, Sunday 2pm - $20 and up

Plaid Tidings
Cohoes Music Hall presents the holiday review Plaid Tidings. Saturday 3 pm and 8 pm / Sunday 3 pm - $25-$35

White Christmas
Classic Theater Guild presents the Irving Berlin musical White Christmas this weekend at Proctors. Friday at 7:30pm, Saturday at 2pm and 7:30pm - $18.50, $15.50 for students and seniors

Film

A Griswold family Christmas
The Ballston Spa Film Festival classic film series is screening Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation at the Ballston Spa High School. Saturday 6:45 pm - free

You'll shoot your eye out
The Bow Tie Cinema classic Movies and Mimosa flick this week is A Christmas Story. Saturday and Sunday at 11am - $5.50, $2 mimosas

Richard II
Live from Stratford-Upon-Avon, The Spectrum is screening the Royal Shakespeare Company's Richard II. Sunday at noon - $15, 12 and under $12

Revisionaries
The Arts Center of the Capital Region screens the final film in the three month Revisionaries media series, curated by 99 Hooker and Dr. Russell Scholl. This installment, "America Loves you: Part 2," includes more dubious advertisements, and law-and-order subtext -- complete with "bad boys, ass kicking women, law enforcement, the church, and of course SATAN SATAN SATAN." Saturday at 7 pm - $10

Comedy

Brian Regan
Friday: Comedian Brian Regan will be at The Palace for a stand-up show. Friday 8 pm - $39.75

Spontaneous Broadway
Friday is The Mop and Bucket Company's last Spontaneous Broadway of the season. Watch skilled improvisors make up a Broadway-style show at the Underground at Proctors, complete with music, props and costumes -- based on audience suggestions. Friday 8 pm - $14, $6 for students and seniors

Comedy night at Bogie's
Saturday: Jeff "The Drunk" Curro from the Howard Stern show will be at Bogie's in Albany for a show with a whole bunch of comics, including Ethan Ullman. Saturday 9 pm - $10 ahead / $12 at the door

Music

Friday: Shaggy at Upstate Concert Hall
With: Mack Wilds, 2 Pistols, DJTGIF, DJ iROC. 8 pm - $10 ahead / $15 day of

Friday: Rustic Overtones at Putnam Den
With: Los Elk. 9:30 pm - $10

Friday: Judith Hill at Helsinki Hudson
From The Voice. 9 pm - $28 ahead / $35 day of

Saturday: Kim Gordon + Bill Nace at MASS MoCA
As Body/Head -- "A Syd Barrett era--Pink Floyd-inspired, deeply improvisational duo, Body/Head, that pairs her propelling guitar and vocals with free-noise guitarist Bill Nace." 8 pm - $20 ahead / $25 day of

Saturday: Chris Webby at Upstate Concert Hall
Rapper straight outta Norwalk. Connecticut. With: Bizzy Crook, AMJ, Dutch Mxster, Third Eye Visions. 8 pm - $18 ahead / $20 day of

Saturday: Spuyten Duyvil at Caffe Lena
"A barn-burning romp through the last 100 years of American Roots music." 8 pm - $18

Saturday: Chris Brubeck's Triple Play at the Zankel Center
Son of Dave. 7 pm - $25

Sunday: The Wooten Brothers at The Egg
"The Wooten Brothers featuring Victor on bass, Regi on guitar, Joseph on keyboards and Roy 'Futureman' on percussion -- reunite to perform their funky blend of R&B, hip-hop, jazz, rock and blues." 7:30 pm - $34.50

Sunday: All That Remains at Upstate Concert Hall
Metal. With: Soil, Hollow Is Thy Heart, Sworn To Remember. 7:30 pm - $15 ahead / $18 day of

Sunday: The Sweetback Sisters at Helsinki Hudson
"The Sweetback Sisters stir up their twangy, retro-country magic in artisanal Brooklyn, N.Y. - the new Nashville." (Who knew?) 8 pm - $18

The Secret Language of Color
Saturday: Arielle Eckstut and Joann Eckstut will be at the Saratoga Northshire to talk about their book The Secret Language of Color. (Previously mentioned, for a different event.) Saturday 7 pm - free

Antiques
Sunday: Antiques experts Leigh and Leslie Keno will be at the State Museum for a talk about "searching for masterpieces of American furniture." The brothers, who are originally from Herkimer County, have been on TV a bunch, most notably on Antiques Roadshow. Sunday 2 pm - free

The Wheatfield
Avatar's Stephen Lang will be at the Crandell Theater in Chatham this Sunday with a one man show/film about The Battle of Gettysburg. The Wheatfield combines "live theatre, film, music, and anecdotal history commemorating the most significant three days of the Civil War." The program will be hosted by historian Harold Holzer. Sunday at 4 pm on Sunday $15 / $10 students.

Cookies
The Confectionery's holiday cookie decorating party on Sunday is sold out.

Hockey

Albany Devils
The Albany Devils take on the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the TU Center Friday nigh at 7 pm. And then they're back in action against Hartford at 5 pm on Saturday.

RPI
The RPI men's hockey team has two games at Denver this weekend at Houston Field House, Friday and Saturday at 7 pm. And then on Sunday, the Engineers will be playing the USA U-18 team in a special autism awareness game -- the field house environment will be adjusted to be accommodate people on the autism spectrum. Example: There will be no music and no goal horn. That game is 4 pm Sunday.

Cagewars 23
Because nothing says happy holidays like a good Cage Wars -- the Washington Avenue Armory is hosting a Cagewars 23 MMA bout. Saturday 8 pm

Local holiday gift shopping

The Arkell Museum Holiday Gift Fair
Visit the Arkell Museum, take in the art and get some holiday shopping done at the Arkell Museum and Canajoharie Library annual Holiday Gift Faire Saturday 11am to 4pm.

The Shop at The Arts Center
Saturday: The Arts Center of the Capital Region has opened it's annual holiday shop. You can shop gifts from local artists and crafters at The Arts Center. Saturday 11am - 3 pm

TightKnit
Saturday: The TightKnit handmade holiday market is in the Fear Building atrium on Saturdays through December. Saturday 9 am - 2 pm

Honest Weight's Holiday Craft Fair
Saturday: Honest Weight's holiday craft fair continues. Local artisans and crafters will be selling holiday gifts in the co-op's community room. "From decorative paper boxes to wooden bowls and cutting boards; from cards and prints to pottery and ceramics; from jewelry, aprons, and garden-inspired women's clothing." Saturdays 10 am-4 pm

Farmers' markets
Indoor markets are open in Troy (Saturday at the Atrium), Saratoga (Saturday at the Lincoln Baths in Spa State Park), Schenectady (Sunday at Proctors), and the Spa City Farmers Market -- at the Lincoln Baths in Saratoga Springs (Sunday at the Lincoln Baths).

Capital Rep advertises on AOA. The Confectionery was a stop on the AOA Bad Boys tour.