All Over Albany

The week ahead

Here are a few things to keep in mind, look forward to, or keep busy with this week, from the weather (snow midweek?), to Thanksgiving, to history, to trotting, to ice skating, to music...

Weather

Here's the paraphrased forecast for this week:

Monday: Rain, 62.

Tuesday: Sunny and 51.

Wednesday: Cloudy, maybe significant snow/rain -- there's some uncertainty. Upper 30s.

Thursday: Cloudy and 40..

Friday: Sunny, mid 30s.

Weekend: And so on.

Midweek situation worth watching.

Thanksgiving

It's Thursday (obviously). Though we now regard Thanksgiving as one of the major American holidays, it wasn't an official annual holiday until 1863 when it was made so by Abraham Lincoln (with a proclamation written by New York's William Seward). And the holiday wasn't officially fixed to the fourth Thursday of November by Congress until 1942.

By the way: New York was the first state to adopt annual Thanksgiving day, beginning in 1817.

The Secret Garden

Tuesday: Capital Rep opens its production of Tony Award-winning musical The Secret Garden (it was in previews this past weekend). various times - $20 and up

Arts and sciences

Revisiting The Birth of a Nation
Monday: Proctors is hosting a discussion about 1915 D.W. Griffith film The Birth of a Nation, which is recently screened as part of its AFI 100 series. Though noted by film historians for its groundbreaking use of many cinema techniques, the work is also criticized for its depiction of the Ku Klux Klan and racist content aimed at African-Americans. Monday 7 pm - free

Hands on History: 98 Acres in Albany
Wednesday: Two of the historians behind the 98 Acres in Albany project that's documenting the neighborhood knocked down for the Empire State Plaza will be at the University Club in Albany November 25 to present a bunch of the remarkable images they've collected. Event blurbage:

Ann [Pfau], an independent historian, and Dave [Hochfelder], a professor at the University at Albany, recently embarked on an effort to document the people displaced and the structures demolished to make way for the Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza. Stacy Sewell, a professor at St. Thomas Aquinas College, is also part of the 98 Acres in Albany project.

The event will be held at 6:00 p.m. at the National Register-listed University Club of Albany, 141 Washington Avenue, and will include a presentation of dozens of photographs of buildings and the people who lived in them uncovered in their research. Ann and Dave will also share research strategies with those who may be interested in finding out more about their own homes or neighborhoods.

The event is free, but pre-registration is required (details at that first link). Also the U Club will be collecting donations for the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York.

Turkey Trot

Thursday: The annual Troy Turkey Trot is Thanksgiving morning. Roughly 8,000 people will be running/walking/trotting through downtown Troy. The event includes a 5k, 10k, walk, and kids' mile. Online registration closes Monday just before midnight. Last chance registration is Wednesday is in-person at the packet pickup.

Thanksgiving dog walk
Thursday: The annual Thanksgiving morning dog walk is at Albany's Capital Hills golf course. Donations will be collected for the Hudson Mohawk Humane Society. Never taken your dog to Capital Hills? It's a great place to walk during the winter -- lots of dogs, lots of space. Thursday 9-11 am - free

Ice skating

Friday: The ice skating rink at the Empire State Plaza is scheduled to open for the season Friday (weather permitting). The rink is open 11 am-8 pm. Skating is free. Skate rentals are $4 / $3 for kids under 12 (and skate rental is free on Fridays). And looking ahead to the weekend, there's a free learn-to-skate clinic on Saturday (registration required -- these clinics fill up fast).

Museums

Got people in town and need to take them somewhere? You might hit up a museum. The Albany Institute, miSci (the train exhibit is opening), the State Museum (check out the new Shaker exhibit), The Clark (new building!) MASS MoCA, the Arkell, The Hyde Collection, and the Baseball Hall of Fame are all open Friday and the weekend.

Music

Monday: Emmure at Upstate Concert Hall
Metalcore. With: Acacia Strain, Fit For A King, Kublai Khan, Sylar, Concrete. 6:30 pm - $18 ahead / $20 day of

Tuesday: Slayer at Washington Ave Armory
Metal icons. Suicidal Tendencies, Exodus. 7:30 pm - $37.74 ahead / $40 day of

Tuesday: WGNA Secret Star Acoustic Jam at Proctors
Three country musicians revealed when they take the stage. 7 pm - $29

Wednesday: O.A.R. at The Palace
Know for their live shows. 8 pm - $29.75

Wednesday: Chris Webby at Upstate Concert Hall
Rapper straight out of Norwalk, Connecticut. With: Jitta On The Track, Mikey Noyse, Quale Jak. 8 pm - $18 ahead / $20 day of

Wednesday: Hamell on Trial at The Low Beat
Punk songwriter/storyteller. 8 pm

Friday: Black Veil Brides at Upstate Concert Hall
Rock and body paint. With: Falling In Reverse, Set It Off, Drama Club. 7 pm - $25 ahead / $29 day of

Friday: Thanksgiving Super Soul Fest at The Egg
Al B. Sure, Jeff Redd, Fonda Rae, Cupid. 8 pm - $39 and up

Friday: Slick Rick at Putnam Den
Veteran rapper. With: DJ Trumastr. 9 pm - $20 ahead / $25 day of

Friday: Grainbelt at The Low Beat
Black Friday tradition. 6 pm

Friday: The Heavy Pets at The Hollow
Jam. 8 pm - $10

Saturday: French Montana at Upstate Concert Hall
Rapper. With: Rowdy Rebel. 9 pm - $25 ahead / $28 day of

Saturday: Sixties Rock Experience at Proctors
Tribute acts performing as music stars of the 60s. 7 pm - $20 and up

Saturday: Alex Torres & His Latin Orchestra at The Linda
As advertised. 7:30 pm - $10

Friday-Saturday: Holidelic at Helsinki Hudson
"Part dance party, part funk concert, part comedy show, the holiday-funk spectacular Holidelic features original holiday songs as well as loose, funk-infused adaptations of Tchaikovsky, "Frosty the Snowman," "Little Drummer Boy" and the like." 9 pm each day - $20 ahead / $25 day of

Saturday: The America show at The Egg is sold out.

Sunday: Trans-Siberian Orchestra at TU Center
Christmas music, played very loud. 3 pm & 7:30 pm - $33 and up

Sunday: Straight No Chaser at The Palace
A cappella group. 7:30 pm- $29.50

Sunday: Hot Club of Saratoga at Caffe Lena
Gypsy jazz. 7 pm - $18

To do list

1. Thanksgiving details -- travel, meal planning, pie ordering, whatever. (Don't wait to defrost the turkey.)

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These are a just a few things for this week, not a comprehensive list. Know of something people should be looking forward to this week? Please share!

Cap Rep advertises on AOA. And AOA is a media sponsor of the Troy Turkey Trot.