All Over Albany

This week was brought to you by

This week was brought to you by snowflakes, cocktails, thoughts about giving and Santas in Speedos.

It was also brought to you by AOA advertisers like CDTA, sponsors of the AOA holiday lights in honor of Make-A-Wish Foundation. This holiday season CDTA can get you where you're going and safely back home again. It's like a one horse open sleigh, but enclosed. And with wheels. And heat. And a motor instead of a horse so you get there faster. So it's even better than a one horse open sleigh.

You'll find more of the advertisers that make AOA possible in the list below. Please patronize them when you can, and thank them for their support. If there's something you want to pass along to the AOA crowd, we can help get you started. It's easy and affordable. Just send us a note at advertising@alloveralbany.com.

Stuff to do

miSci, The Museum of Innovation and Science in Schenectady. Their annual holiday Toys and Trains exhibit runs now through January 19.

Saints Basketball
Get your tickets now for one of 14 Siena home games at the TU Center.

The Mop & Bucket Improv Company. MopCo offers a new improv show every Friday night at Proctors with music, scenes and improv games based on audience suggestions. They're also teaching classes in improv and creativity for adults and kids at MopCo World Headquarters on Union Street in Schenectady, and they are now booking holiday parties and special events.

Beverage Trail tour
Check out the wineries, breweries and distilleries along the Columbia County Beverage Trail.

Albany Institute
The Albany Institute of History and Art, presenting the 2014 Exhibition by artists of the Mohawk-Hudson region,highlighting the work of the best visual artists in the region.

Troy Music Hall
Troy Music Hall presents an evening with Lily Tomlin, March 7 at 8pm.

Demetri Martin
Live Nation, presenting Demetri Martin at The Egg, January 29.

See a movie
Spectrum 8 Theaters--because the holiday movie season is underway.

The Secret Garden
Capital Rep, presenting The Secret Garden through December 21.

Places to live
Brian Brosen and Reggie Monroe at The Capital Team at Realty USA,created a bonafide tournament of pizza miracle, when they bought out all of the tickets to last weekend's TOP final at Shmaltz brewing and gave them away to 100 hungry readers. In addition to being pizza philanthropists, Brian and Reggie can help out with your residential and commercial real estate needs in the Capital Region. Because that's how they roll.

Food and Drink

The Albany Chef's Food and Wine Festival. Wine, spirits, craft beer and innovative chefs and restaurants, January 15-17 in Downtown Albany.

Honest Weight Food Coop. Honest Weight has all kinds of local deliciousness for your holiday table.

Beer
Shmaltz Brewing, host of the All Over Albany Tournament of Pizza People's Plate tasting event.

Farmie Market
Farmie Market -- Farm fresh food delivered right to your door.

Cider
Nine Pin Ciderworks in Albany, sourced entirely from Capital Region apples.

Cider donuts, pies and other deliciousness
Lakeside Farms in Ballston Lake: breakfast, lunch, gift shop, cider donuts and pies for the holidays.

New World
New World Bistro Bar, named #1 Best Restaurant, according to Times Union 'Best of the Capital Region' Readers' Poll and also listed as one of 'the 13 Best New York Restaurants, not in NYC' according to Thrillist.com.

Now Open
Broadway Plaza Liquor is now open at 418 Broadway, next to Coulson's News.

Kimchi fries
+ Mingle on Delaware Ave in Albany. Be on the lookout for Fin the Fishmonger's "Fin"-tastic specials, including fresh haddock fish tacos & pan-seared whole trout. Their chef will be using local products to create new specials daily to keep the menu fresh. Try the Kimchi fries.

Fine wine
Capital Wine at the corner of State and Lark Streets, with a wonderful supply of wines from around the world.

Food and beer
+Brown's Brewing

Stuff to drive

Keeler Mini, sponsor of AOA's Tournament of Pizza to end all Tournaments of Pizza.

Holiday Shopping

Central Avenue
The Central Avenue BID, shop local this holiday season.

Enjoy Troy
Enjoy Troy hats, shirts and other great stocking stuffers.

Stuff to learn

UAlbany's History Department, offering an M.A. and Ph.D. in Environmental History. Explore the human connection to nature.

The College of Saint Rose, offering 52 Graduate Programs with a purpose. Programs include: MFA in Creative writing, MBA, Computer Information Systems and more.

Helpful stuff

Healthy food
Capital District Community Gardens. CDCG is seeking help from the community to fund its Urban Grow Center in Troy .

Historic home help
Historic Albany's architectural parts warehouse -- the Capital Region's only not-for-profit architectural parts warehouse.

Taxes
April 15 has come and gone, but Staff Ciampino & Company, P.C. can still help you with your business and personal tax needs. They're also the sponsors of the All Over Albany Start Up Grant business contest.

Banking
Berkshire Bank, providing the $1,500 prize money for this year's AOA Startup Contest. Great rates on home equity loans.

Libraries
The Albany Public Libraries. Their mobile app helps you find library locations and hours, check your library card account, learn about upcoming events, download eBooks, audiobooks, music and more. You can even check ISBN bar codes on books, DVDs and CDs to see if the library owns what you need.