All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

It's December, and this weekend the Capital Region will be flirting with 60-degree weather -- a fact that should make for some happy Speedo Sprinters on Saturday.

In addition to the sprint, there are lots of other fun things happening this weekend. You'll find our list after the jump. Got something planned that you don't see there? Drop it in the comments so the rest of us can see.

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

Holiday stuff

Saturday: Santa Speedo Sprint
People dashing down Lark Street in scant, holiday-themed attire. For charity. sprint starts at 2 pm at Lark and Madison - registration is $25 to run

Friday: Mendelssohn Club Holiday Concert at The Egg
"The Mendelssohn Club of Albany performs its annual Holiday Concert: Winter Wonderland with Guest Artists: Bell Top Boys Choir and Karlinda Caldicott, Harpist" 7:30 pm - $20

Friday-Saturday: Sharon Springs Victorian Holiday Celebration
"You can count on Santa being here, and this year we expect a visit from Mrs. Claus and her helpers who will be serving up hot chocolate, cider and some delicious holiday treats. Of course. we will have our Christmas traditions - The Christmas Chicken, Christmas Caroling and all the other festive happenings here in Sharon." Starts the evening of December 11 with the Festival of Lights Parade. various times - free admission

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 - $25 ahead / $30 day of

Saturday: Downtown Schenectady's City Hall-iday
"Members of the regional community are invited to gather family and friends and head to Schenectady's spectacular City Hall in the heart of downtown for a fun-filled afternoon of music, crafts, demonstrations, performances and more..." noon-4 pm - free admission

Saturday: Albany Pro Musica The Many Moods of Christmas at Troy Music Hall
"A moving program anchored in Ralph Vaughan Williams' powerful Fantasia on Christmas Carols and Robert Shaw's beautiful collection, The Many Moods of Christmas." 7:30 pm - $25 and up

Saturday-Sunday: The Mountain Snow and Mistletoe shows at The Egg are sold out.

Saturday: Robinson & Rohe's Lightbox Christmas at Caffe Lena
"Liam Robinson and Jean Rohe go deep into the Christmas repertoire: the mystical, the melancholic, the soulful, the sublime. Expect songs you may not know: haunting melodies of old Europe, joyful singalongs of the Southern US, and modern takes on the strange and ancient Christmas tale." 8 pm - $16

Sunday: Historic Albany Foundation 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 9 | $30 / $20 students after

Sunday: Trans Siberian Orchestra at TU Center
Christmas prog rock. 3 pm and 7:30 pm - $46.50 and up

Sunday: Ugly Sweater Party at Saratoga Music Hall
Saratoga Children's Theater is hosting an Ugly Sweater Party at the Saratoga Music Hall. Wear an ugly Christmas sweater and celebrate with food, drinks, a silent auction and other holiday fun. Sunday 3-6 pm - $10 / $5 for kids 13 and under / 5 and under attend free

Capital Holiday Lights
Friday-Sunday: The Capital Holiday Lights in Albany's Washington Park are open for the season. You can drive through 125 light displays and stop at the lake house for a snack and a visit with Santa and the reindeer. Friday-Sunday 6pm to 9pm - $15 and up

Polar Express
Friday-Sunday: The Polar Express train starts this weekend at the Saratoga North Creek Railway. A round trip journey to "the North Pole" complete with a visit from Santa. Friday-Sunday - various times and prices

Santa's Magical Express
Friday-Sunday: Kids can thwart Jack Frost and help Santa save Christmas on Santa's Magical Express.

Holiday Markets

Babes in Troyland
Saturday-Sunday: Troy Flea's Babes in Troyland holiday market is this weekend at Takk House. More than 30 vendors with handmade, vintage, and antique items. There will also be fun stuff happening including a whiskey tasting, beer garden, improv, burlesque, a bad santa photo booth, music by DJ Trumastr. Saturday 1-7 pm / Sunday 1-4 pm - $5 admission

Holiday Gift Shop at Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence
Sunday: Through December 27 the Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence in Albany hosts a holiday gift market with handmade gift items on Sundays. each Sunday through December 27

Stage

Matilda
Friday-Sunday: A touring production of the Broadway show Matilda The Musical will be at Proctors this week. It's based on the Roald Dahl story of the same name. Tuesday-Sunday various times - $20 and up

A Christmas Story
Friday-Sunday: Capital Rep continues its production of A Christmas Story, The Musical, an adaptation of the classic film. Tuesday-Sunday various times - $20 and up

Beauty & The Beast
Friday-Sunday: Schenectady Light Opera's youth production of Disney's Beauty & The Beast closes this weekend. Friday & Saturday at 8 pm / Sunday (sold out) at 2 pm - $28

It's a Wonderful Life
Friday-Sunday: Schenectady Civic Players presents a live radio version of the holiday classic It's a Wonderful Life. Friday and Saturday at 8 pm / Sunday at 2:30 pm - $17

Miracle on 34th Street
Friday-Sunday: Home Made Theater presents a stage version of the classic film Miracle on 34th Street. Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm / Sunday at 3 pm - $18 / $12 for kids 12 and under.

Charley's Aunt
Friday-Sunday: Curtain Call Theater presents the farce Charlie's Aunt. Friday and Saturday at 8pm / Sunday at 3pm - $24

Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!)
Friday: Confetti Stage presents <em>Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!). The show starts as a performance of A Christmas Carol and mutates into "a festive Frankenstein of ancient traditions and pop culture hijinks. Friday at Professor Java's on Wolf Road 7:30 pm - $15 / $10 for students

Music

Friday: Driftwood at Putnam Den
Americana. With: Black Mountain Symphony. 9 pm - $10 ahead / $12 day of

Friday: Eastbound Jesus at The Hollow
With: The Mallett Brothers Band. 9:30 pm - $12 ahead / $15 day of

Friday: DigiTour Slaybells at Upstate Concert Hall
Featuring Rebecca Black and many others. (From Buzzfeed earlier this year: On The Road With The Teen Social-Media Sensations Of DigiTour). 6:30 pm - $25 ahead / $28 day of

Saturday: The Figgs at The Low Beat
As is tradition. With: The Charlie Watts Riot. 8 pm - $10

Saturday: Professor Louie and the Crowmatrix at The Linda
"[R]ompin' stompin' roots rock, sweet ballads and roadhouse blues..." 8 pm - $12

Sunday: Dustin Lynch at Upstate Concert Hall
Country. 7 pm - first 100 $10.77 / $25 ahead / $28 day of

Sunday: Tall Heights at Caffe Lena
"Stunning, harmony-heavy indie folk..." 7 pm - $16

Sunday: Glenn Miller Orchestra at Troy Music Hall
"Playing classics such as In The Mood, Chattanooga Choo Choo, A String of Pearls, Moonlight Serenade, Tuxedo Junction and more." 3 pm - $28 and up

Comedy

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

Comedy's Best Kept Secret Tour
Friday: Two nationally touring comedians on a road trip from NYC to Anchorage, Alaska make their stop in Saratoga at The Parting Glass as part of the Comedy's Best Kept Secret Tour. . Friday at 9pm - $15

Film

A Christmas Story
Friday-Sunday: The Bow Tie in Saratoga is screening the film version of A Christmas Story. Friday and Saturday nights at 11pm and Saturday and Sunday Mornings at 11 am.

Elf
The Madison Theater is screening the Will Ferrell movie Elf this weekend.

Rocky Horror Christmas
Saturday: The Madison Theater is hosting two screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Saturday at 8 pm & 11 pm

Hoops
The men's and women's basketball teams from Siena and UAlbany renew their rivalry at TU Center on Saturday.

Hockey
Friday: The Albany Devils take on the Syracuse Crunch at the Times Union Center. Friday
at 7pm $16 - $26

Museums

+ The holiday shop is open at the Albany Institute. They also have a new exhibit -- Masterworks: 225 Years of Collecting. And you can also check out The Capital Region in 50 Objects.

+ MASS MoCA has a handful of current exhibits/ (There's also currently a car on site for collecting LEGO for Ai Weiwei.)

+ The Clark has a good permanent collection, and there's currently an exhibit about how works have been added to it.

+ The Arkell is an easy drive out west to Canajoharie. It currently has a display of winter landscapes, and exhibit of works by William Joyce.

+ The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls has exhibits of American printmaking and works by photorealist Audrey Flack. (And there's more to do and eat in Glens Falls.)

Skating

ESP
The ice skating rink at the Empire State Plaza is open for the season. It's open every day 11 am-8 pm and it's free to skate. Skate rentals are $4 for adults / $3 for kids (and free on Friday).

Swinburne
Swinburne ice rink in Albany has opened for the season. The rink is open seven days a week. Hours vary. It's $1 to skate (.25 for seniors and .50 for students). Skate rental is $3.

Farmers' markets
Stop by a farmers market for something local and delicious to take to a holiday party.
+ 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 is at 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, MopCo, Helsinki Hudson, and Cap Rep advertise on AOA. AOA is a media sponsor of the Santa Speedo Sprint, Babes in Troyland, and the ESP ice skating rink.