All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

AOA's starting the weekend a little early. Happy Friday.

A weekend, even in the rain, is still a weekend.

Keep your umbrella handy and your favorite weather app nearby this weekend, but don't let a little rain keep you from having fun. After the jump a few things we thought you might enjoy. Got something planned that you don't see here? Drop it in the comments.

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

1st Friday
It's 1st Friday in Albany. Shops and galleries are open late around the Capital Region. Here are a few things you might want to check out:
+ Upstate Artist's Guild's show, Free Will, curated by mural artist RADICAL.
+The Hudson Disco-Tek is exhibiting work by Kateryne Lora and Michael O'Connor, with music by Carl Daniels, Gina Mauro, Nick Shattell, Jam Sauce and others.
+ Iron Gate Café is open with a Veg Out Vegan menu from 5-9 pm.
+ Reggie's Red Hot Feetwarmers headline the Capital Swing Dance at 25 South Allen Street.

The Track
Track season continues at the Saratoga Race Course. Saturday is the Whitney, one of the top stakes races of the season.

Schoharie County Sunshine Fair
The Schoharie County Shunshine Fair continues at the fairgrounds in Cobleskill through Saturday. $12 for adults, free for children under 12 and under

The Bolshoi
Friday: The world-famous Bolshoi Ballet has one more performance of Don Quixote at SPAC Friday 8 pm - $34 and up, indoor tickets are limited, so you might want to call first.

Cirque Éloize
Friday-Sunday: "Modern" circus company Cirque Éloize starts a run on the main stage at Proctors. This particular show is "iD," which incorporates dance. various times - $20 and up

African-American Family Day
Saturday: The annual African-American Family Day returns to the Empire State Plaza. Music, art, dance, kids activities. The musical headliner is Jeffrey Osborne. Saturday noon-7 pm - free admission

Theater

Cabaret
The Local Actors Guild of Saratoga's performance of the Kander and Ebb musical Cabaret opens on Friday at the Arts Center of Saratoga. The show stars Capital Region standout Brittany Leigh Glenn as Sally Bowles and Oliver Ord as the emcee. Friday & Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 2pm - $20 general admission

The Tempest
Confetti Stage presents Shakespeare's The Tempest in the garden at the Ten Broeck Mansion. Friday's gala opening night performance starts at 6:30 pm and includes a drink ticket, raffle items and tours of the mansion.($25) Saturday's performance begins at 7:30 pm ($15). Bring your own blanket or rent a chair for $2.

Park Playhouse
The Park Playhouse in Albany's Washington Park presents its second production, of the season -- Oliver. Saturday and Sunday at 7:30pm - free, bring a blanket or low chair

Cap Rep
Cap Rep's production of Smokey Joe's Cafe continues this weekend.

WTF
+ Chita Rivera and Roger Rees (Cheers, Robin Colcord/ West Wings as Lord John Marbury) star in WTF's production of The Visit,directed by John Doyle. With a book by Terrance McNally and music by Kander and Ebb, it's the story of the "oft-widowed richest woman in the world, who returns to the hardship-stricken town of her birth."

+ The last few performances of WTF's production of Sam Shepard's Fool for Love, starring Sam Rockwell and Nina Arianda, are sold out.

Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein
The Mac Haydn closes its production of the musical version of Brooks' 1974 film. Friday 8pm, Saturday 4pm and 8pm, Sunday 2pm and 7pm - $28-$30, $12 for kids

Midsummer Night's Dream
Saturday: Classic Theater Guild is hosting its gala performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream at 7pm. The Classic Theater children's show, Pinocchio, will be presented on Saturday at 2 pm. tickets for each show $17.50

Baseball
The ValleyCats are at home this weekend, with games on Friday and Saturday at 7pm and Sunday at 5pm. Fireworks after Friday's game.

Film

The Ballston Spa Film Festival
Friday-Saturday: The Ballston Spa Film Festival returns this weekend. The family-friendly festival will show 30 short films from young filmmakers, emerging student filmmakers and established (but still emerging) filmmakers from around the world. Many have won awards at other film festivals and some will be making their world premier. Films will be shown at Ballston Spa High School and outdoors at Old Iron Spring Park on Front Street (bring chairs and blankets). screenings start at 7 pm and 9 pm - free

Little Italy Film Festival
Friday: The Dan DiNicola Memorial Little Italy Film Festival continues with an al fresco screening of Big Night in the parking lot behind More Perreca's on Jay Street in Schenectady. 8:45 pm - free

"That rug really tied the room together."
Sunday: Regal Crossgates is showing The Big Lebowski. Sunday 2pm

Go West
The Madison Theater's weekend lineup includes Once Upon a Time in the West, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, and An American Tale.

Drive-ins

+ Malta: Screen 1: Guardians of the Galaxy, The Purge: Anarchy | Screen 2: Lucy, Sex Tape
+ Jericho: Guardians of the Galaxy, Sex Tape
+ Hollywood: Planes: Fire and Rescue / Guardians of the Galaxy

Falcon Ridge Folk Festival
This weekend is the annual Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, with performances from Friday through Sunday at Dodds Farm in Hillsdale. This year's line-up of more than 40 acts includes Tom Paxton, The Nields, Cheryl Wheeler, Tracy Grammer, and Darlingside. single day tickets $40 - $50

Music

Friday: Sean Rowe at Canal Square in Cohoes
An outdoors show. 6 pm - free

Friday: Conor Oberst at Brewery Ommegang
With: Dawes (which will also be backing Oberst), and The Baseball Project. 7 pm - $35

Friday: Carbon Leaf at Helsinki Hudson
Rock. 9 pm - $25

Friday: Frank Vignola & Vinny Raniolo at Caffe Lena
Jazz guitar. 8 pm - $25

Friday: Taina Asili y la Banda Rebelde at The Linda
Album release show. 9 pm - $10

Friday: An Evening with the Brubeck Brothers Quartet at Universal Preservation Hall
Two members of one of America's most accomplished musical families with their jazz quartet. 8pm - $30

Saturday: African-American Family Day at Empire State Plaza
Lineup headlined by Jeffrey Osborne. noon-7 pm - free

Saturday: John Williams' Film Night at Tanglewood
The famous composer + some of his famous film scores + the Boston Pops = a popular night. 8:30 pm - $22 and up

Saturday: Bang on a Can Marathon at MASS MoCA
"6 hours of a boundary-busting festival finale, featuring more than fifty musicians and composers, chamber music with Glenn Kotche, and Steve Reich's newest composition Radio Rewrite, a remix of two songs by Radiohead." 4-10 pm - $24 / $35 with museum admission

Saturday: Donna the Buffalo at Helsinki Hudson
Their website asks if you've herd of them. 9 pm - $20 ahead / $25 day of

Saturday: Super 400 at The Hollow
Hometown heroes. With: Off the Record. 8 pm - $10

Sunday: Rascal Flatts at SPAC
Country. With: Sheryl Crow, Gloriana. 7 pm - $42.85 and up

Sunday: Old Crow Medicine Show at Brewery Ommegang
Americana. 7 pm - $35

Sunday: Black Violin at Helsinki Hudson
"The world's first and quite likely only classical music and hip-hop fusion duo." 8 pm - $22

Polo
Saratoga Polo hosts matches on Friday and Sunday at Whitney field. Friday and Sunday 5:30pm - $20-$50

Big Truck Day
Saturday is "Big Truck Day" at Maple Avenue Middle School in Saratoga Springs. The annual event is a fundraiser for The Children's Museum at Saratoga. Kids can get check out more than 20 big trucks. There's a bounce house and, balloons, snow cones and other kid friendly events. Saturday: 10am to 2pm - $1 per adult, $5 per child.

Taste of Thailand
Friday: Price Chopper's Market Bistro is offering a Taste of Thailand cooking class. Pad Thai, shrimp curry, glazed chicken lettuce wraps, Thai BBQ wings and Thai iced tea are on the menu. Friday 6 pm - $55 per person, registration required.

Edible Plant Walk
Sunday: The Huyck Preserve & Biological Research Station is hosting a guided edible plant walk. Perry Davenport from the Cornell Cooperative Extension will guide the trip. Sunday 1-2:30 pm - free

Art

Silly Stuff
Saturday: Multimedia artist Jarryd Brand opens his new show Silly Stuff, a celebration of the creative artists outlet for distraction, at the Carey Institute for Global Good. The show is up through August. reception on Saturday from 1-3 pm - free

Ansel Adams/ Edward Hopper
The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls continues its exhibition of later works by photographer Ansel Adams, and a show featuring Edward Hopper and some of his contemporaries.

Albany Institute
The Albany Institute of History and Art's Small and Seductive contemporary art exhibit is up for a few more weeks, as is its Summer Exposure photography exhibit.

The Clark
The much-anticipated expansion of The Clark Art Institute -- designed by architect Tadao Ando -- is now open. The Clark is in Williamstown, about an hour's drive east of Albany. If you're headed that way, you might think about a combo ticket for The Clark, MASS MoCA, and the Williams College Museum of Art.

Berkshire Botanical Gardens
The Berkshire Botanical Gardens are a lovely place to to wander or have a picnic. Combine it with a dinner in Stockbridge or a trip to the Berkshire Theater Festival.

Check out a state park
Visit a local state park, like Cherry Plain, Moreau, Grafton Lakes or Peebles Island.

Swimming
There are a bunch of Capital Region pools and beaches. Here's a handful of places to swim.

Farmers' Markets
Outdoor farmers' markets should be flush with produce:
+ The Troy Waterfront Farmers Market will be on River Street in downtown Troy Saturday morning.
+ 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.

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photo: Theatre T & Cie / Valerie Remise