All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

Congratulations! You made it through the first full week of 2016. If you have any celebration left in you, check out our list of stuff to do this weekend.

If not, we won't judge you if you lay on the couch with Netflix and leftover cookies. We might even join you. (On our own couch... you know what we mean...)

Got something planned that you don't see on our list? Tell us about it.

Whatever you're up to, have a fantastic weekend!

All Stars Roller Derby
Saturday: The Albany All Stars Roller Derby open its 2016 season with a bout at The Armory on Washington Ave in Albany. The Brawl Stars will be taking on the Battle Cats of the Southshire Roller Derby. There will be music from DJ Trumastr and halftime activities. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Orange Street Cats. Saturday 7 pm - $10 ahead / $12 at the door / $4 for kids 12 and under

Stage

Sleuth
Friday-Sunday: Curtain Call Theater opens a new production of Anthony Shaffer's comedy/thriller, Sleuth. Friday & Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 3pm - $24

Theatresports
Friday: MopCo's Theatersports returns to Proctors underground this weekend. Two teams compete against each other, creating scenes and songs based on audience suggestions. Think Whose Line is it Anyway? Friday 8 pm - $14 / $6 students and seniors

Movies

Recent releases
This could be a good weekend to catch one of the big end-of-year releases. The Big Short is good (and surprisingly funny, given the subject matter). Carol has gotten very strong reviews and it's now playing at the Spectrum. Creed continues to rack up praise. And if you're the last person to have not seen The Force Awakens, now's a chance to see it in a theater that's not completely jammed.

Also: Proctors is showing Spectre -- the James Bond film released a few months back -- on the GE Theater's big screen various times this weekend (and tickets are $5).

Classics
If you're up for a classic, the Bow Tie in Saratoga Springs is showing the Katherine Hepburn Little Women on Saturday and Sunday morning. The Insomnia Theater film this week is The Three Amigos.

Music

Friday: Bully at Helsinki Hudson
Alt rock. 9 pm - $10

Friday: Hot Club of Saratoga at Caffe Lena. Gypsy jazz quintet. 8 pm - $20

Friday: Good Fiction at The Hollow
EP release show for local group. With: Carl Daniels and the Black Box, Linear North. 8 pm - $10

Saturday: Albany Symphony Orchestra at the Palace
"The New Year Begins: Blue Danube & Brahms." 7:30 pm - $19 and up

Volume Reading and Music Series
Saturday: The Spotty Dog in Hudson hosts the Volume Reading and Music Seriesfeaturing readings from prose and poetry writers, and short sets from local DJs. Saturday 7 pm - free

Hockey
Friday-Saturday: The Albany Devils have two home games this weekend, against Syracuse Friday and against Lehigh Valley Saturday. Friday 7pm / Saturday 5 pm - $16 and up

Hoops
Saturday: The UAlbany women's team takes on Vermont at the SEFCU Arena. Great Danes senior Shereesha Richards is one of the nation's best players. Saturday 2 pm - $5 and up

Skating

ESP
The ice skating rink at the Empire State Plaza is open for the season. (Weather permitting -- be sure to check.) 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 is open for the season. Again, weather permitting, 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.

Twelfth Night at Crailo State Historic Site
Saturday: The Crailo State Historic Site in Rensselaer celebrates Twelfth Night with music, decorations, 17th century re-enactors, hearthside cooking demonstrations and refreshments. Saturday 4-7pm - $6 / $5 seniors and students and $1 for children under 12.

Museums
Winter weekends are good times to wander through one of the Capital Region's museums:

+ If you didn't have time to check out miSci's annual Toys and Trains show during the holidays, it's still open.

+ You can check out the Masterworks: 225 Years of Collecting exhibit. And there'a also The Capital Region in 50 Objects exhibit.

+ MASS MoCA has a handful of current exhibits. (There's also currently a car on site for collecting LEGO for Ai Weiwei.) And of course, there's the Sol LeWitt installation.

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

+ This is the last weekend to catch the Hyde Collection exhibits of American printmaking. (And there's more to do and eat in Glens Falls.)

Cast iron cooking
Friday: Deanna Fox will be at Different Drummer's leading a hands-on class about cooking with cast iron pans. "This class will teach the basics of caring for cast iron and include recipes such as skillet potatoes, caramelized onions, cornbread, cast iron steak, tarte tatin, and seasonal cobbler." Friday 6 pm - $65

Farmers' markets
+ 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 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 Mop & Bucket Company and Helsinki Hudson advertise on AOA. And AOA is a media sponsor of the ESP ice skating rink.

Photo: Dino Petrocelli