All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

We're ticking down the days until Thanksgiving, so shopping, travel, and menu plans may be on your mind this weekend. But don't forget to celebrate the here and now -- otherwise known, in this case, as the weekend.

After the jump we've pulled together all kinds of pre-holiday goodness for you to enjoy -- from movies and shows to a cider pressing party to cooking classes and day trips.

Pick your favorites and make some plans. Got something in mind that you don't see here? Drop it in the comments for everyone to see.

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

Selected Shorts
Friday: Selected Shorts, the popular public radio program on which actors read short stories, brings a live performance to Troy Music Hall. The theme of the stories will be "Uncharted Territories - moving, comical, and surprising stories about unexpected encounters in places both fantastical and close to home." Featured readers include Sam Underwood (The Following, Dexter), Patricia Kalember (Sisters), and Tony Award winner Boyd Gaines. Friday 8 pm - $27-$34

Lidia Bastianich
Friday: Chef/restaurateur/cook book author/television host Lidia Bastianich will be at Proctors for An Intimate Conversation with Lidia Bastianich. It's billed as "an evening of conversation and storytelling celebrating our love of Italian food." Friday 8 pm - $20 and up

Nine Pin Pressing Party
Saturday: Nine Pin Ciderworks is hosting a pressing party to celebrate the release of the Cider Monster Vintage 2014, which was made from 87 different varieties of apples pressed at last year's pressing party. In addition to cider pressing they'll be celebrating with other things pressed: French-pressed coffee, a panini press, and an Apple Jug Bench Press competition. Saturday 11 am to 6 pm

Literary Legends
Saturday: The Friends of the Albany Public Library host its annual Literary Legends event honoring local authors. This year the event will be held at the Delaware Avenue branch of the Albany Public Library and honors Wicked author Gregory Maguire and nationally-recognized African-American feminist author (and Albany resident) Barbara Smith. Saturday 7 pm - $75

Albany Auto Show
Friday-Sunday: The Times Union Center hosts the Albany Auto Show this weekend. The annual car show features more than 160 new vehicles from 30 manufacturers, plus exhibitor booths featuring auto-related products and services. Friday 11 am-7 pm / Saturday 10 am-7 pm / Sunday 10 am-5 pm -- $8 / free for kids under 12.

Comedy

Electric City Improv
Friday: MopCo's newest format of short and longform improv games opens in the Proctors Underground. Friday at 8pm - $14, $6 for students and seniors

Make Me Laugh
Saturday: The finals of the Make Me Laugh stand-up comedy competition are this Saturday at the Glens Falls Civic Center. Saturday at 8 pm - $12

Stage

Chasing Charles
Saturday-Sunday: Local Actors Guild of Saratoga presents Chasing Charles, an original work by Jeremy Buchner that looks at the early days of the AIDS epidemic in New York City through the story of Schenectady native and popular NYC make-up and wig designer Charles Elsen. Saturday at 2pm & 8pm and Sunday at 7:30 pm - $20

Looking For Normal
Friday-Sunday: Albany Civic continues a production of Jane Anderson's Looking for Normal, "a humorous, poignant look at gender issues and the social ties that bind." It's the story of a long-married couple from the heartland and how they cope when the husband decides he is a woman trapped in a man's body and wants a sex change. Friday and Saturday 7:30 pm / Sunday at 3 pm - $18 / $10 students

Sweeney Todd
Friday-Sunday:The Wood Theater in Glens Falls presents Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, the story of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Friday and Saturday at 8 pm / Sunday at 2 pm - $30

Polina
Friday-Saturday: The Madison Theater hosts the regional premier of Polina -- a one man show about a woman who steps out of a painting and murders male virgins (it focuses on the on the investigation surrounding the murders). Friday and Saturday at 8pm - $20 / $15 for seniors, students and male virgins

Sundance Institute Theatre Lab
Saturday: MASS MoCA hosts the Sundance Institute Theater Lab, presenting new plays and musical theater projects that are currently in development. Saturday 8 pm - $15 / $5 student tickets

American Idiot
Friday-Saturday C-R Kids presents a youth production of the Tony-winning Green Day musical American Idiot at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga. Friday and Saturday 7:30 pm - $15 and $20

Suspense Halloween Radio
Friday: The Linda hosts Suspense Halloween Radio, an evening of classic radio plays The Hitchhiker and Sorry, Wrong Number, performed by actors and Foley artists from the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Friday at 8pm - $25

Science Festival of the Capital District
Friday-Sunday: miSci hosts the Science Festival of the Capital District. "Wall-to-wall science projects with presenters from around the Capital Region and beyond." Friday-Sunday various times -- free with museum admission

Film

Warren Miller's Chasing Shadows
Friday-Saturday: Warren Miller's 66th snowsports film, Chasing Shadows, comes to The Palace this weekend. Friday and Saturday at 8pm - $23

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Friday: The NYS Writers Institute classic film series presents the 1975 Oscar-winning One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. at Page Hall on the UAlbany Downtown Campus. Friday 7:30 pm, UAlbany downtown campus, Page Hall - free

Vampyr
Friday: Gary Lucas accompanies Carl Dreyer's 1932 horror classic Vampyr with an original solo guitar score in the GE Theater at Proctors. The film is followed by a late night "CINEFANTASTIQUE" solo concert featuring themes from the films of Fellini, Hitchcock, Tati and other film makers. Friday 7:30 pm - $15

Hamlet
Sunday: The Spectrum is screening an encore presentation of The National Theater's newest version of Hamlet, with Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role. Sunday at noon - $15

Giselle
Sunday: The Spectrum is screening a filmed version of the Bolshoi Ballet's new adaptation of the classic Giselle. Sunday at noon - $15

Everest
The Madison is screening Everest, a documentary about a climber who reached the top of Everest but was declared dead soon after -- and was later found alive.

Music

Friday: Tim Hecker at EMPAC
"[H]is works have been described as 'structured ambient,' 'tectonic color plates,' and 'cathedral electronic music.'" 9 pm - $18

Friday: Quiet Company at The Hollow
Indie rock. 9 pm - $15

Friday: Boz Scaggs at The Egg
Performing "a full evening of hits." 8 pm - $69.50 and up

Friday: Joe Krown Trio at Parish Public House
New Orleans organ jazz. 8 pm - $15

Friday: Popa Chubby at The Hangar
Blues rock. 7 pm - $17

Friday: Iris Dement at The Egg
Country/folk. With: Pieta Brown. 7:30 pm - $29.50

Friday: The Suitcase Junket at Caffe Lena
One-man band. 8 pm - $18

Friday: Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys at Helsinki Hudson
Rockabilly. 9 pm - $15 ahead / $18 day of

Saturday: Cole Swindell at Upstate Concert Hall SOLD OUT
Country. 8 pm - $30 ahead / $32 day of

Saturday: Hot Club of Saratoga at The Linda
Gypsy swing quintet. 8 pm - $12

Satruday: Benefit for Jason Martin at Takk House
Many different acts playing short sets to raise money to help with medical bills related to Martin's recovery from being mugged in Troy in October. 7:30 pm - $20

Sunday: Joseph Arthur at Helsinki Hudson
Singer/songwriter. With: Jonah Tolchin. 8 pm - $15 ahead / $18 day of

Kids Night Out at the THINKQbator
Saturday: For kids who want to do something fun, and parents who want a night out. Drop your kids off for an evening of invention and creativity at the Tech Valley Center of Gravity THINKQubator for Kids Night Out and go out for dinner or just get stuff done. $40 gets kids pizza, water and workshop materials. Discount for siblings. Saturday, 5:30pm to 9:30pm -- Registration required.

Myers House holiday market
Sunday: The Stephen and Harriet Myers House will be opening on Sundays throughout the holiday season for a holiday gift market. Sunday, noon to 6pm - free admission

Get out of town
Sometimes you just need some new scenery. Try one of these day trips.

Museums/galleries

SUNY Poly CMOST NANOvember
Saturday: SUNY Poly CMOST is hosting a family day as part of NANOvember. This year's event has a Star Wars theme. Saturday 10 am-5 pm - admission is free

50 Objects
The new Capital Region in 50 Objects exhibit continues at The Albany Institute of History and Art. It's a look at 50 iconic objects and images that help tell the story of the Capital Region. Sunday at noon - Free with museum admission.

More museums
+ A new work from painter Barbara Takenaga is on a 100-foot wall at MASS MoCA.
+ The Hyde Collection recently opened an exhibition of American printmaking.
+ The Arkell has relatively new exhibitions of winter landscapes and the work of illustrator William Joyce.
+ And the Clark has a new exhibitlooking at how the museum collects art.

College hockey
Friday-Saturday: Both the Union College and RPI men's hockey teams have two games at home this weekend. On Friday, Union faces off with Brown at Messa Rink and RPI takes on Yale at Houston Field House. Then on the Saturday, Brown heads over to RPI and Yale to Union.

World Cup qualifying
Friday: As hard as it might be to believe, the US men's national soccer team is starts the qualifying process for the next World Cup with a match against St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The local chapter of the American Outlaws fan group will be at Wolff's in Albany watching the game. Friday 6:30 pm

Thanksgiving pies
Saturday: Deanna Fox is teaching a Thanksgiving pie class at Different Drummer's Kitchen. Saturday 5 pm - $55

Farmers' markets
Farmers' markets are now indoors, but there is still plenty of autumn bounty to be had.
+ Troy Waterfront Farmers Market is inside the Atrium. Saturday 9 am-2 pm
+ The Saratoga Farmers' Market is indoors at the Lincoln Baths. Saturday from 9 am-1 pm
+ The Delmar Farmers Market is indoors at the Bethlehem Central Middle School. Saturday 9 am-1 pm
+ The Schenectady Greenmarket has returned to its indoor location at Proctors. Sunday from 10 am-2 pm.
+ The Spa City Farmers' Market is inside at the Lincoln Baths Sunday from 10 am-3 pm

The Troy Music Hall, Helsinki Hudson, The Mop & Bucket Improv Company and Nine Pin advertise on AOA. And AOA is a media sponsor for Literary Legends

photo courtesy of the artist