All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

It looks like the snow is taking a break just in time for the weekend. And there is a long list of stuff to do, both holiday and non-holiday themed. So put on a pair of waterproof boots and go have some fun.

After the jump we've pulled together a list of things you might like.

Got something planned that's not on the list? Drop it in the comments so we can all see.

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

Holiday

Friday: Mendelssohn Club Holiday Concert at The Egg
"The Mendelssohn Club performs their annual Holiday Concert: Seasonal Joy Around the World with guest artists Vedrana Kalas and the Queensbury Madrigal Singers." 7:30 pm - $20

Friday: The McKrells Christmas Show at The Madison Theater
Kevin McKrell and the band celebrate the holiday season. 7:30 pm - $20

Friday, Saturday: Holiday folk show at Caffe Lena
"The time when true-blue folkies across the region gather at Caffe Lena to enjoy a 'Candlemas-Hanukkah-Ramadan-Solstice-Christmas-Kwanzaa-New Year-Boxing Day-Epiphany Event.'" 8 pm both days - $20

Friday-Sunday A Christmas Carol at The Theatre Institute at Sage
A new adaptation of the Dickens classic, produced at the Schacht Theatre on Sage's Troy campus. (There are also morning shows December 3-5, 10-12.) Friday and Saturdays 7 pm / Sundays 2 pm - $15 / $12 students and seniors

Friday-Sunday: It's A Wonderful Life (Live on Stage) at Proctors
Classic Theater Guild's production of the classic in a "faithful adaptation." various times - $18.50 / $15.50

Friday-Saturday: Santa's Playland Open House
The Round Lake Quick Response Restoration Santa's Open House is this weekend. Holiday lights, refreshments and visits with Santa. Friday and Saturday 5:30pm to 9pm - free

Friday: Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation Candlelight House Tour
A tour of "festively decorated" homes in the North Broadway section of the city. 5-9 pm - $40 and $50 for the tour only / $75 or $85 for the tour plus a reception

Saturday-Sunday: Northeast Ballet's Annual Nutcracker at Proctors
With principal dancers from the New York City Ballet. Saturday 7 pm / Sunday 2 pm - $20 and up

Saturday: Downtown Schenectady's City Hall-iday
A new take on downtown Schenectady holiday open house: crafts, performances, horse-drawn carriages, Santa. noon-4 pm - free admission

Saturday: Albany Gay Men's Chorus: Christmas Bells are Ringing
"This year you will hear some traditional holiday music-and perhaps some not too traditional." The chorus will be at the First Congregational Church in Albany (on Quail near New Scotland). And there's a repeat performance Sunday at the First Reformed Church in Hudson. 7:30 pm - $12 / $9 students

Saturday: Max & Ruby - The Nutcracker Suite at The Egg
"Bunny siblings Max & Ruby let their imaginations whisk them away to a magical land where they become characters in the beloved holiday ballet." 11 am / 3 pm - $18 / adults in free with a kid (one adult per kid)

Saturday: Albany Pro Musica: Christmas Around the World
The choral group will be at the Carondelet Hospitality Center in Latham for "joyous journey to holiday celebrations in Sweden, Italy, Austria, Germany, France, Nigeria, Spain and England, back to America." Saturday, Saturday 7:30 pm / Sunday, Sunday 3 pm - $25 and up / $10 students

Saturday: Nowell Sing We Clear: A Pageant of Mid-Winter Carols at Old Songs
"This will be the 40th and final season of Nowell Sing We Clear with its unusual songs, carols, stories and customs." 3 pm - $20 / $5 12 and under SOLD OUT

Sunday: Historic Albany Holiday House Tour
"The tour moves from neighborhood to neighborhood highlighting the very best in Albany's architecture and ongoing preservation efforts." noon-4 pm - $25 / $15 students before December 10 | $30 / $20 students after December 10

Sunday: The Zucchini Brothers Holiday Show at The Egg
Kids concert. 2 pm - $12 / one adult in free with each kid

Sunday Funday Reading Series: Holiday Stories
The Low Beat hosts the Pine Hills Review Sunday Funday Reading Series. Readers will share crazy, embarrassing, awkward and uncomfortable holiday stories. 3 pm

Capital Holiday Lights in the Park
The Capital Holiday Lights in the Park continue in Washington Park. Friday and Saturday at 6-10 pm / Sunday 6-9 pm - $15 per vehicle

Trains and Toys
The model trains have returned to the Museum of Science and Innovation in Schenectady. $6.50-$9.50

Local holiday shopping

Shaker Craft Fair
Saturday: The Shaker Heritage Society is hosting a Christmas craft fair with over 75 local and regional artisans offering hand made crafts and food items. Saturday 10am to 4pm.

Spring Street Gallery Bazaar
Saturday: Spring Street Gallery in Saratoga Springs hosts a curated artisan holiday gift sale. Saturday 11 am-6 pm - free admission

Laurie Anderson
Friday: Laurie Anderson finishes up her residency at EMPAC with a debut screening and discussion of her new film. "Begun as a 40-minute personal essay for French-German Arte TV, New Film (a personal essay) captures a series of interconnected confessional stories set against a soundtrack of original music." Friday 7:30 pm - free

Theater

New Play Festival
Saturday-Sunday: Local Actors Guild of Saratoga presents a new play Festival this weekend at The Dee Sarno Theater at The Arts Center in Saratoga. $15 per show, $30 flex ticket to all three shows.

Shrek
Friday-Sunday: Schenectady Light Opera opens its production of Shrek: The Musical with some of the most talented youth actors in the Capital Region. Friday and Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 2pm - $18/$22/$28

The Secret Garden
Friday-Sunday: Capital Rep continues its production of Tony Award-winning musical The Secret Garden various times - $20 and up

Hollywood Confidential
Friday-Sunday: Curtain Call theater opens the regional premiere of the comedy Hollywood Confidential, about an actor whose bad day keeps getting worse. Friday and Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 3pm - $24

The Game's Afoot
Schenectady Civic presents The Game's Afoot a comedic whodunit filled with twists and turns set during the Christmas Holidays. Friday and Saturday 8pm, Sunday, 2:30pm.

Comedy

John Oliver
Saturday: Comedian John Oliver -- of The Daily Show, and Last Week Tonight fame -- will be at The Palace for a standup show. 8 pm - $39.75

Theater Sports
Friday: Improv comedy teams compete against each other creating scenes and songs from audience suggestions in the Mop & Bucket Company's annual Theater Sports competition Underground at Proctors. Friday 8 pm - $14

Fight Club Burlesque
Friday: C. Amanda Boutahorse's Cult Classics series is back at The Hangar in Troy with a burlesque tribute to Fight Club. Friday 9 pm - $15

Siena vs. UAlbany
Saturday: The basketball teams from Siena and UAlbany will face off at the TU Center in the annual Albany Cup. The women's teams tip at 5 pm, with the men's team's following at 7:30 pm. $12 and up

Music

Friday: Chris Thomas King at The Linda
Blues. 8 pm - $18

Friday: Robert Randolph and The Family Band at Helsinki Hudson
Funk and soul. 9 pm - $35

Friday: Helderberg Chamber music with Yehuda Hanani & Jeffrey Swann at the Carey Institute for Global Good
Classical cellist and pianist. 6:30 pm - $15

Saturday: Swinging with the Rat Pack at The Egg
"[T]hree skilled New York actors are bringing the songs, the laughs and the charisma of Frank, Dean and Sammy back to life." 8 pm - $50

Saturday: Chuck Ragan at The Hollow
Folk rock. 8 pm - $15 ahead / $18 day of

Saturday: Chris Webby at Upstate Concert Hall
Rapper, rescheduled. With: Jitta On The Track, AMJ, Quale Jak. 8 pm - $18 ahead / $20 day of

Sunday: Cymbals Eat Guitars at The Low Beat
Indie rock. With: Alex G, What Moon Things. 8 pm - $12 ahead / $14 at door

Sunday: Brad Mehldau Trio at The Egg
Jazz pianist. 7:30 pm - $29.50

Sunday: The Pat Benatar/Neil Giraldo show at The Egg has been postponed.

Film

Le Weekend
Saratoga Film Forum presents Le WeekendFriday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 3pm.

Spring Street Classic
The Film Forum's Spring Street Classic is the 1946 Lana Turner version of The Postman Always Rings Twice. Saturday at the Spring Street Gallery 7:30 pm - free

Free holiday movies at Proctors
Proctors has a full slate of free holiday themed movies on Saturday in the main stage and GE theaters, including Santa Claus Conquers The Martians, The Polar Express, Scrooged and Home Alone. The day ends with a free It Came From Schenectady screening of Bad Santa with games, prizes, surprises and themed drinks.

More holiday movies
The Bow Tie in Saratoga is screening the holiday classic Holiday Inn as its Saturday and Sunday morning Cine Classic. 11am.

The Insomnia Theater show this weekend at the Bow Tie is National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Friday and Saturday, 11:30pm.

The Madison is screening the Muppet Christmas Carol and Laurel and Hardy's March of the Wooden Soldiers this weekend.

"Kaaaaaaaaaaahn!"
The Madison is screening a Star Trek double feature. First, an episode of the fan created series Star Trek Phase II (formerly called Star Trek New Voyages), followed by a screening of The Wrath of Kahn. Saturday at 1 pm - $10

Ice skating

Empire State Place
Bundle up and take a spin around the ice skating rink at the Empire State Plaza. 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).

Swinburne Park
The city of Albany rink at Swinburne Park is now open for the season. (see the link for hours)

Cap Rep, MopCo, Historic Albany Foundation, and Siena advertise on AOA. And AOA is a media sponsor of the ESP skating rink.

photo via John Oliver FB