All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

Mittens? We don't need no stinkin' mittens!

But if you have them, sure -- we'll take them.

Yep, it's going to be nippy out there this weekend. And we're expecting to see more snow before it's over. But we're hardy upstaters. When the temperature drops we don't retreat to the couch. We bundle up, open the door, and say: "Bring on the weekend!"

In that spirit, we've pulled together a list of things we thought might be worth going out for this weekend. Doing something you don't see here? Drop it in the comments and share it with the rest of us.

And whatever you're up to, stay warm and have a great weekend!

1st Friday
Shops and Galleries around Albany are open late for 1st Friday. Here's the full schedule of art and events. Post 1st Friday events include Sonny and Perley headlining the Capital Swing Dance at 25 South Allen and Mother Judge at the University Club.

Winter Carnival
Saturday-Sunday: The Lake George Winter Carnival starts this weekend with a parade, glacier golf, outhouse races on the lake, ice diving demonstrations a chili cook off, dogsled races, fireworks and marshmallow roasting. The carnival continues every Saturday and Sunday for the month of February. Free admission.

Ice Harvest Festival
Saturday: The Hanford Mills Museum hosts its annual Ice Harvest Festival at which kids and adults can walk out onto the frozen mill pond and help cut blocks of ice that are then loaded on sleds and hauled to the ice house. The harvested ice is later used to make ice cream at the museum's Independence Day Celebration. Horse-drawn sleigh rides, ice fishing, ice sculpting, and a hot soup buffet. Saturday from 10am to 4pm

Frozen Springs Classic Pond Hockey Tournament
Friday-Sunday: Spa State Park is hosting the annual Frozen Pond Classic a pond hockey tournament this weekend. Sixty teams will play in round robin style (registration to play is closed). It's free to watch. Friday starting at 6 pm through Sunday

Albany All Stars Roller Derby
Sunday: The Albany All Stars take on the Assault City Roller Derby Washington Avenue Armory. The "A" and "B" squads for each derby group will taking on each other. Sunday 1-5 pm - $10 in advance / $12 door / $4 for kids under 12

Stage

South Pacific
Schenectady Light Opera Company is opening a new production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic South Pacific. When the show debuted on Broadway in 1949, interracial marriage was illegal in 28 states and some lawmakers wanted one of its songs pulled, claiming it promoted interracial relationships and led to communism. The love story set in the Pacific during WWII, based on the James Michener novel Tales of the South Pacific , is filled with beautiful music and a message about prejudice and ignorance that is still relevant today. Friday and Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 2pm - $28 / $22 / $18

Proposals
Friday-Sunday: Neil Simon's memory play, Proposals, opens this weekend at Albany Civic Theater. It's a comedy-drama about an afternoon at a family's summer retreat in the Poconos, told from the perspective of the maid. Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm, Sunday at 3pm - $15, / $10 for students

Tony & Tina's Wedding
Friday-Saturday: This interactive dinner theater at Proctors takes you to the wedding of, yep, Tony and Tina. The actors are all around you, and you never know who you'll be dancing with or talking to. Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2 pm - $65 / $75

Murder Ballad
Saturday-Sunday: Troy Civic Theater opens a new production of Murder Ballad this weekend at The Arts Center of the Capital Region. Saturday and Sunday at 8 pm - $13 & $15

The Importance of Being Earnest
Friday-Sunday: Classic Theater Guild presents Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest at Proctors this weekend. Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm, Sunday at 2 pm - $15.50 / $18.50

How Water Behaves
Capital Rep's production of Sherry Kramer's How Water Behaves closes this weekend. Blurbage:

It all begins when sweet Nan and her out-of-work webmaster hubby, Steve, realize they can't afford to keep up the extravagant gift giving that has become their family's tradition. In an effort to make everyone happy, they announce that they have made a gift to a charity in everyone's name. Except it's a fictitious charity. No problem -- until the website that Steve creates to seal the deal becomes prey to cyberspace hijinks, with deliciously funny and unpredictable results.

Various times - $20 and up

From Here To Eternity: The Musical
Friday: A touring production of From Here To Eternity: The Musical will be on the Proctors main stage. The musical is based on the James Jones novel. Blurbage: "Pearl Harbor, 1941, where the girls sing 'don'cha like Hawaii;, the men of G Company sing the blues, and where even on an army base, love and desire are never very far away."
Friday various times - $15 / $10 students

Real Life: The Improv
Friday: In The Mop & Bucket Improv's latest format, Real Life: The Improv, improvisors create songs and scenes based on the life of a Capital Region celebrity. Friday 8pm - $14

Film

Let the Fire Burn / Jason Osder
Friday: Documentary director Jason Osder will be at UAlbany as part of the NYS Writers Institute visiting writers series. He'll there for a screening of, and talk about, his film Let The Fire Burn. The doc is about the Philadelphia black-liberation group MOVE and the bombing of its headquarters in 1985 by the Philadelphia police. Friday 7 pm, downtown campus, Page Hall - free

"Frankly my dear..."
The Madison Theater is screening Gone With The Wind this weekend.

Triple Play
Ready for spring yet? The Albany Institute of History and Art opens a new baseball exhibit this weekend to help tide you over until the spring training. Triple Play is an exhibit of baseball memorabilia from the major leagues and the Capital Region.

More museums
It's a good time to check out a museum. The State Museum's Shaker exhibit continues. You can also check out the new building at The Clark take a trip to The Hyde Collection,The Tang Teaching Museum's Hope and Anger exhibit, or the Baseball Hall of Fame. And, of course, there's also MASS MoCA over in North Adams.

Earlier:
+ Day trip: Glens Falls and the Hyde Collection
+ Day trip: Williamstown and the Clark

Home Expo
Friday-Sunday: The Times Union Home Expo is this weekend at both the TU Center and the Empire State Plaza. More than 400 booths with home experts, cooking, and interior design demonstrations, a garden, and more. Friday through Sunday - $5-$14 / kids under 14 free with an adult

Music

Friday: Get The Led Out at The Palace
Led Zep tribute act. 7:30 pm - $28.50 ahead / $30.50 day of

Friday: Wild Adriatic + Conehead Buddha at The Hollow
9:30 pm - $12 ahead / $15 day of

Saturday: Steve Earle at MASS MoCA
Folk/country/rock singer/songwriter. 8 pm - $22 ahead/$28 day of

Saturday: Awkwafina at Proctors
Rapper, Girl Code panelist. And former UAlbany student -- here's a profile by Steve Barnes, who taught some of the classes she took there. 8 pm - $20

Saturday: Steve Wynn + Richard Barone at The Low Beat
80s alt-rock songwriters. 8 pm -

Saturday: Linda Eder at Troy Music Hall
Started on Broadway before solo career. 8 pm - $32 and up

Saturday: Livingston Taylor at Caffe Lena
From the famous musical family. 7 pm - $50

Saturday: Jay Farrar at The Egg
Founding member of Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt. 8 pm - $24

Saturday: Charlie Hunter Trio at Parish Public House
Featuring Curtis Fowlkes and Bobby Previte. 8 pm - $15

Saturday: Capital Area Indie Fest at The Linda
Carl Daniels and the Black Box, Chris Dukes Band, Ashley Sofia, Stockade Kids, Holly and Evan, Accents, Legendary Losers, Sandy McKnight & the Idea. 7:15 pm - $10

Sunday: Live and Let Die: A Symphonic Tribute to the Music of Paul McCartney and the Beatles at Proctors
Four-piece band + orchestra + Beatles/Paul McCartney music. 8 pm - $39 and up

Ice skating

Empire State Plaza
Bundle up and take a spin around the ice skating rink at the Empire State Plaza. The rink is open 11 am-8 pm daily. Skating is free. Skate rentals are $4 / $3 for kids under 12.

More ice skating
We recently updated our list of ice skating spots -- both outdoor and indoor -- around the Capital Region.

FAQ Circus
Saturday: The Montreal-based FAQ Circus will be in the Frear Building atrium in Troy for a series of short performances during the farmers' market. (The circus will be back in town for performances in the Gasholder Building February 20-21). Saturday 10:30 am / 11:45 am / 1 pm - free

Farmers' markets
Winter farmers' markets continue indoors:
+ The Troy Waterfront Farmers Market will be in the Troy Atrium in downtown Troy Saturday from 9 am-2 pm.
+ The Saratoga Farmers' Market will be at the Lincoln Baths on Saturday from 9 am-1 pm.
+ The Schenectady Greenmarket will be inside Proctors on Sunday from 10 am-2 pm.
+ The Spa City Farmers' Market will be in Lincoln Baths Sunday from 10 am-3 pm.

Capital Rep, MopCo, NYSOGS, The Albany Institute of History and Art and Troy Music Hall advertise on AOA.

photo: Shirley Yu Photography