All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

It seems Mother Nature knows when the weekends are this year. Once again the sun and summer temperatures are back just in time for the end of the work week.

Got plans? If not, you'll find our list of stuff to do after the jump. Doing something fun that's not on the list? Be sure and drop it in the comments so we can all see.

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

Troy Night Out
Friday is the first Troy Night Out of the summer. On the list of things to check out:
+ The Photography Center of the Capital District is showing an award-winning exhibit of underwater photography by David Hall, from his new book, Beneath Cold Seas: The Underwater Wilderness of the Pacific Northwest.
+The grand opening of the Palladium building, 38 3rd Street, featuring an art show curated by Fulton Street Gallery and free champagne.
+ The unveiling of a new restaurant at 9 First Street.

Saratoga Jazz Festival
Saturday-Sunday: The Saratoga Jazz Festival returns to SPAC. This year's lineup includes Earth, Wind & Fire, Trombone Shorty, Terence Blanchard, Dave Holland Prism, Patti Austin, Jon Batiste & Stay Human, Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra, Quinn Sullivan, Dr. Lonnie Smith, and others. Saturday-Sunday at noon - $60

Old Songs
Friday-Sunday: The Old Songs Festival is at the Altamont Fairgrounds -- folk, traditional, Celtic, world music and dance. Also, there are workshops with performers, a craft show, vendors for food and instruments, and kids activities. Friday-Sunday - various prices

Swimming
Many public pools are now open for the summer, or will be soon. The beaches at Moreau Lake State Park, Thompson's Lake at Thacher State Park, and Grafton Lakes State Park are open for the season.

Strawberries
Strawberry season is here, and we're just about at the peak of it. There are a bunch of places around the Capital Region to pick your own. (Or, buy them from the farm stand.)

Ballston Spa Village Family Fun Day
Sunday: Food, carnival rides, a bounce house, music, a pie eating contest and fireworks at the Ballston Spa Village Family Fun Day at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds. Sunday 3pm to 9pm - free admission

World Cup
Looking for a place to watch the World Cup action this weekend? Here area few ideas.

Theater

Fully Committed
Scrubs regular Sam Lloyd stars in the one man show "Fully Committed," at the Adirondack Theater Festival. The show, a big Off-Broadway hit a few years ago, was created by a pair of playwrights while they were both employed by a top Manhattan restaurant, and brought to life with the help of ATF. Friday & Saturday at 7:30pm - $25-$40

Tradition
Fiddler on the Roof closes this weekend at The Mac-Haydn Theater in Chatham. Saturday at 4pm & 8pm. Sunday at 2pm. $12- $30.

Romeo & Juliet
Lion's Tooth Theatre Company presents Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet at the Skidmore College's Amphitheater. Pre-show carnival at 5:30pm with performances at 8pm on Friday and Saturday - free, but donations are being accepted

A Prairie Home Companion at Tanglewood
Saturday: Garrison Keillor and company will be at Tanglewood for a live broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion. Saturday 5:45 pm - $24 and up

Film

The Nance
Sunday: The Spectrum is screening Nathan Lane's award-winning Broadway performance in The Nance. "The Nance recreates the naughty, raucous world of burlesque's heyday and tells the backstage story of Chauncey Miles and his fellow performers. At a time when it is easy to play gay and dangerous to be gay, Chauncey's uproarious antics on the stage stand out in marked contrast to his offstage life." Sunday at noon

Practically perfect in every way
The Madison Theater is screening Disney's Mary Poppins this weekend. It's also showing Big and Romancing the Stone.

The hills are alive...
The Bow Tie in Saratoga Springs is screening Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music on Saturday and Sunday at 11 am as part of its Cine Classic series.

Blazing Saddles
The Insomnia Theater film at The Bow Tie this weekend is Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles.

Do you want to build a snowman?
Proctors is screening Frozen this weekend. Sunday at noon and 2:30 pm - $5

When A Man's Fed Up 2
Friday: The Linda is screening the locally-made short film A Man's Fed Up 2, followed by an open mic with JB, aka Dirty Moses and Masai, Poetyc Visionz and Shauntay, Stakk Money, Iman, Mojavi, and Nickey Black. Food provided by The Soul Kitchen. Friday 8 pm - $15

Drive Ins
+ Malta: Screen 1 Transformers / Edge of Tomorrow | Screen 2 22 Jump Street / A Million Ways to Die in the West

+ Hollywood: Transformers / 22 Jump Street

+ Jericho: Transformers / Edge of Tomorrow

Music

Friday: Jeanne O'Connor and the New Standard on the roof at The Tang Museum
Part of the Tang's UpBeat On the Roof series. Soulful reinterpretation of music from the great songwriters of the 60s and 70s. 7 pm - free

Friday: The Revelations at Helsinki Hudson
Soul. With: Simi Stone. 9 pm - $15

Friday: Alan Evans at The Hollow
Soul. 8 pm - $12 ahead / $15 day of

Saturday: Rusted Root at Upstate Concert Hall
Still kicking. With: The Lucky Jukebox Brigade. 8 pm - $18 ahead / $20 day of

Saturday: Swamp Baby + The Dustbowl Faeries at Helsinki Hudson
"Night of avante chamber-pop." With: Two Cats in Suits. 8 pm - $10 ahead / $12 day of

Saturday: MIRK at The Hollow
Album release show. 8 pm - $10 ahead / $15 day of

Saturday: Red Haired Strangers at Caffe Lena
Old-school Americana. With: The Black Feathers. 8pm - $15 advance, $17 at the door

Sunday: Michael Jackson Experience at The Palace
"Unique tribute to Michael Jackson." 7 pm - $29.50 and up

Sunday: Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion at Caffe Lena
Folk. 7 pm - $18

Food

Summer foods
Saturday at Different Drummer's: Deanna Fox is teaching a hands-on class about making homemade ice cream treats (noon to 2:30 pm - $55) and Jill Kavanagh is teaching one about "Summer Small Bites" (6pm to 8:30 - $65).

Picnic Recipes
Friday: The Honest Weight Food Co-op has a class about making picnic food and making the co-op cafe's summer salads. Friday at 7:30pm - free (registration required)

Canals and Railroads
The Schenectady County Historical Society is opening a new exhibit on Saturday: Canals and Railroads, from Collaboration to Competition. The exhibit "explores the beginnings of the Canal Era and New York State's early railroads, which were built to enhance and complement -- rather than compete with -- the waterway system."

Books
Saturday: The 21st annual book and music sale to fight AIDS is this Saturday in front of The Book House at Stuyvesant Plaza. All proceeds benefit the AIDS Council of Northeastern NY. Saturday 9 am to 6 pm

Farmers' Markets
Outdoor farmers' markets are open for the season:
+ The Troy Waterfront Farmers Market will be on River Street in downtown Troy Saturday morning. The twilight market will also be open Friday from 6-9 pm at Broadway and 2nd.
+ The Saratoga Farmers' Market is at the High Rock Park pavilions on Saturday.
+ The Delmar Farmers Market is at Bethlehem Central Middle School on Saturday.
+ The Schenectady Greenmarket is around Schenectady City on Sunday.
+ The Spa City Farmers' Market will be on the front lawn of the Lincoln Baths Sunday.

Honest Weight and Old Songs advertise on AOA.

photo: Kirk Edwards