All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

It's a weekend in June. We'd thought we'd remind you of that because the weather might not feel like a weekend in June. So dig out one of the sweaters you packed away last month and pick some adventures from this weekend's list of stuff to do. This week's list includes circus performances, parades, art festivals a Renaissance fair, and more.

Doing something you don't see on our list? Share it in the comments so the rest of us can see. And whatever you're up to, have a fantastic weekend!

Pride
Saturday: The Capital Pride celebration continues this weekend with the Pride Parade and Festival in Albany. The parade starts at Robin and State Street and travels down State Street to Lark, then across Lark to Madison, and then heads west up Madison before turning back into Washington Park at Willett. Saturday at noon

Following the parade there's the annual Pride Festival in the park. Entertainment this year includes DEV and David Hernandez from American Idol. Saturday noon to 5 pm -- free admission

Juneteenth Celebration
Sunday: Albany's annual Juneteenth Celebration is in Washington Park. Juneteenth is the oldest holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery. There will be music, free food and beverages, giveaways and more. Sunday 1-6 pm -- free

Fork in the Road
Friday: The food trucks return to Albany's Tricentennial Park for another Fork in the Road event. In addition to the trucks there will be music and craft vendors. Friday 5-8 pm -- free admission

Beer, Bourbon, BBQ & Bands
Friday: Proctors is hosting Beer, Brew and Bands, an evening of craft beer and bourbon samplings with BBQ food trucks and bands. Friday at 6pm -- $30 / $15 for designated drivers (tickets come with a $5 food truck voucher)

Yol Circus
Friday-Sunday: Marquise Productions presents YOL, a circus performance, at the Troy Gas Light Company Gasholder Building. From the blurbage: "YOL, which means "road" or "way" in Turkish, tells the story of one girl on a mystical journey, exploring a path formed by her own curiosity and imagination. Interacting with the supernatural and mysterious aspects of her own mind, she undergoes her own evolution as both storyteller and observer. A story told through a mix between a new form of circus and theatre, YOL explores what our beliefs say about us and the possibility of returning to a childlike wonder about the world around us." Friday-Sunday, various times -- $20 / $15 sudents and seniors / $10 for kids under 12 / age 5 & younger are free on lap of adult

Troy Flag Day parade
Sunday: Troy's annual Flag Day Parade has become known as one of the largest Flag Day celebrations in the nation. The parade travels along 4th Street from the Rensselaer County Jail north to Federal Street downtown. Sunday 1 pm

(FREAK) Flag Day
Saturday: Basilica Hudson hosts its annual (Freak) Flag Day, which coincides with Hudson's Flag Day parade and fireworks celebrations. It includes performances and a dance party. Saturday at sundown -- $10

Freedom Festival
Saturday: The annual Freedom Festival returns to Freedom Square in north Troy. It includes art, demonstrations, food, and music. Saturday 3-6 pm -- free admission

Capital District Renaissance Festival
Saturday-Sunday: Indian Ladder Farms hosts the New York Capital District Renaissance Festival. Saturday-Sunday 11 am-6 pm -- $13 / $5 for kids / free for kids 2 and under

Beekman Street Art Fair
Sunday: Saratoga Springs' Beekman Street Arts District hosts its annual Beekman Street Art Fair. Sunday 10 am to 5 pm -- free admission

Henry Street Bike Party
Sunday: Henry Street in Saratoga hosts its annual Henry Street Bike Party, a street fair, kids bike parade, and Big Wheel race. Sunday noon to 4 pm

Sundae on the Farm
Sunday: Turning Point Dairy in Saratoga hosts its annual Sundae on the Farm. Tours of the dairy farm, a farmers' market, food demos by local chefs, wagon rides, an ice cream eating contest, and more. Sunday from noon to 4 pm -- free admission

Capital District Soap Box derby
Saturday: The Annual Capital District Soap Box Derby moves to Schenectady this year. Homemade soap box derby cars will race down Franklin Street in Schenectady. Saturday starting at 9 am -- free for spectators

Schenectady Celtic Heritage Day
Saturday: Mabee Farm Historic Site hosts Schenectady Celtic Heritage Day with celtic music, traditional step dancing, pipe bands, sheep shearing, blacksmithing and woodworking demonstrations, craft vendors, Irish food and drink, and more. Saturday noon to 6 pm -- $10 per car

Stage

The Dog in the Manger
Friday-Saturday: Steamer 10 presents The Dog in the Manger, "a fast-paced, hilarious comedy from Spain's Golden Age." Friday and Saturday at 8pm -- $15 ahead, $20 at the door / $10 students and seniors

Lonely, I'm Not
Friday-Sunday: Creative License theater company presents Lonely I'm Not at The Albany Barn. The play is by Paul Weitz, and the New York Times said the "damaged-boy-meets-defensive-girl story has the sweet suspense, elliptical construction and off-kilter charm of an ideal Hollywood rom-com." Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm -- $15

Nice Work If You Can Get It
Friday-Sunday: The Mac-Haydn Theatre in Chatham opens its season with a production of the all-Gershwin musical comedy Nice Work If You Can Get It. Friday-Sunday -- various times and prices

Foolishly In Love
Friday: The Round Lake Auditorium hosts Foolishly In Love, a 1940s musical review starring Holly McCormack and Stephanie Schneider, with Malcolm Kogut on piano. It's a review that tells the story of love, loss and more love, through 1940s music. Friday 7 pm -- $10

Tony party
Sunday: Proctors is hosting a viewing party for the Tony Awards on the big screen in the GE Theater. It's a big year for Broadway with the critical and popular success for Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton, and shows like Waitress and Steve Martin's musical Bright Star have also made for an exciting season. Sunday 7 pm -- free admission

Bing Bamboo Room Burlesque
Sunday: The Bing Bamboo Room Burlesque returns to The Low Beat with Abrac-burlesque, a celebration of World Magic Day. (It's an 18+ show.) Sunday 8pm -- $15

Comedy

Pretty Much the Best Comedy Show
Saturday: The Pretty Much the Best Comedy Show series heads over to Capital Rep, with headliners Nick Vatterott and Amber Nelson. Nick Vatterott was named "Chicago's Funniest Man" by Chicago Magazine. Amber Nelson has performed at Montreal's Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, and she's a regular at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in NYC. Saturday 8 pm -- $15 ahead / $20 day of

Mopco Improvapalooza
Friday: MopCo's final Proctors Underground show of the season. Improvapalooza features the region's best up-and-coming improvisors and improv groups together with Mopco for an evening of improv games, songs, and scenes based on audience suggestions. Friday 8 pm -- $14 / $6 for students and seniors

Film

Rocky Horror Picture Show
Friday: The Madison Theater is screening The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with a shadow cast performance by The Kids of Albany. Prop kits will be sold in the lobby. Friday at 8 pm and midnight -- $10

Drive-in
Here's what you can see this weekend:
+ Hollywood: Angry Birds:The Movie and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadow
+ Jericho Drive In: Angry Birds:The Movie and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadow
+ Malta: Screen 1: The Conjuring 2 and The Nice Guys | Screen 2: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadow and The Angry Birds Movie

ASO American Music Festival
Friday-Saturay: The Albany Symphony Orchestra has its annual American Music Festial at EMPAC. "Hear thrilling new works by living American composers as David Alan Miller and the Albany Symphony give life to their music for the first time and witness for yourself the Albany Symphony's enduring artistic legacy that is reshaping the nation's musical future." Friday-Saturday various times - various prices

Music

Friday: Richard Thompson at The Egg
Folk rock singer/songwriter. 8 pm -- $39.50

Friday: Film and concert to celebrate Lee Shaw at The Linda
"This special evening will celebrate the life of late Jazz Pianist Lee Shaw, Albany New York's Queen of Jazz, on the anniversary of her 90th birthday. The evening will include a screening of Lee's 88 Keys, followed by a musical performance by long time Trio members Rich Syracuse, Jeff Siegel and special guest Nick Hetko, featuring the music of Lee Shaw." 7 pm -- $20 and up

Friday: Holly Miranda at Helsinki Hudson
Singer/songwriter. With: Sonya Kitchell. 9 pm -- $15 ahead / $20 day of

Friday: Chandler Travis Philharmonic at The Hangar
9-piece ensemble. 7 pm -- $10 ahead / $12 day of

Friday: Ambersmoke + Bare Matress | Bye at The Low Beat
Ambient + post punk. 8 pm

Saturday: The National at MASS MoCA
Outside at the museum. With: YASSOU. gates at 5 pm -- $55 ahead / $59 day of

Saturday: Dixie Chicks at SPAC
Country stars. First pop show of the season at SPAC. 7 pm -- $35 and up

Saturday: Vinnie Caruana at The Hollow
From I Am The Avalanche and Movielife. 7 pm -- $12 ahead / $15 day of

Saturday: Tim O'Brien at Helsinki Hudson
Bluegrass. With: Grant Gordy. 9 pm -- $25 ahead / $29 day of

Saturday: Driftwood at Caffe Lena at The Grove at Neumann
Americana. The show is at Caffe Lena's temporary spot during the venue's renovations. 7 pm -- $20

Saturday: Frog Holler at The Hangar
Rock-indie-bluegrass. 8 pm -- $10

Sunday: Hippo Campus at The Hollow
Indie rock. 8 pm -- $10.27 ahead / $12 day of

Sunday: Jeffrey Foucault at Helsinki Hudson
Folk/blues/country. With: Rusty Belle. 8 pm -- $15 ahead / $18 day of

Capital Region Parade of Homes
Saturday-Sunday: This is the last weekend for the annual Capital Region Parade of Homes. Tour 11 newly-built showcase homes representing a variety of lifestyles and prices. (The event continues next weekend) Saturday and Sunday 11 am to 5 pm -- $20

Baseball
Sunday: The Albany Dutchmen take on the Glens Falls Dragons at the Christian Plumeri Sports Complex. Sunday at 5 pm -- $5, $4 for students and seniors, $3 for kids under 12

Volume Reading and Music Series
Saturday: The monthly Volume Reading and Music Series returns to the Spotty Dog. This month the series hosts readings by poet Mary Lou Buschi and authors Julie Metz and Benjamin Hale. There's also a short DJ set. Saturday 7 pm

Swimming
It might be a tad chilly this weekend, but Capital Region beaches are open for swimming on weekends at Thompson's Lake at Thacher State Park, Grafton Lakes State Park , Cherry Plain State Park, and Moreau Lake State Park.

Art/museums
Wander through one of the Capital Region's museums:

Splendor, Myth, and Vision
The Clark opens a new exhibit this weekend -- Splendor, Myth, and Vision: Nudes from the Prado. Blurbage: "The exhibition explores the role of the nude in European painting in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and the collecting and display practices of the Spanish royalty. Twenty-four of the paintings have never before been shown in America." It's on display through October 10.

Best of SUNY Student Art
This year's Best of SUNY Student Art Exhibition is now on display at the State Museum. It's juried presentation of student work from across SUNY's many campuses. "The works on exhibit at the New York State Museum represent the wide range of media being studied by art students within SUNY and cover the traditional areas of drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, and sculpture, as well as digital imaging, photography, and mixed media installations." It's on display through October 23.

The exhibit Imaging the American West: Selections from The Metropolitan Museum of Art also continues the State Museum. It includes works by artists such as Albert Bierstadt, Paul Manship, Georgia O'Keeffe, Frederic Remington, and Charles M. Russell. It will be on display through July 17.

Hyde Collection
The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls recently opened an exhibit looking at the work of Christo & Jeanne-Claude. It's on display through June 26.

Masterworks Paper
In honor of its 225th anniversary, the Albany Institute of History and Art is showing some rarely-seen paper items including manuscripts, letters, architectural plans, photographs, ephemera, silhouettes, and maps spanning three centuries in its newly opened Masterworks Paper exhibit. Many of these items can't be exhibited often or for extended periods due to their sensitivity to light. On display through October 16.

Ansel Adams
The Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown has an exhibit of early works by Ansel Adams on display through September 18.

MASS MoCA
MASS MoCA has a new exhibit: Explode Every Day: An Inquiry into the Phenomena of Wonder. Blurbage: "Harnessing the idea of wonder as a thematic metaphor, the exhibition features both existing and new works by twenty-three international artists, each touching on certain facets of wonder, including: the perceptual/ visionary, the technological/scientific, the philosophical/meditative, time/cosmos, and illusion/fear."

Also on view is Alex Da Corte's Free Roses. "Provocative, puzzling, and visually seductive, in his first museum survey Alex Da Corte's neon-bright, exuberant works merge the languages of abstraction and modern design with banal, off-brand items, ranging from shampoo to soda to tchotchkes and household cleaning supplies."

Fence
The annual Fence show is now on display at the Arts Center of the Capital Region -- it shows art works from members of the center. Blurbage: "This year we accepted and displayed 382 pieces, including paintings, drawing, photography, fiber arts, stained glass and sculpture. There is also a separate category for young artists in grades K-12." on display through June 26

Sculpture parks
Maybe you'd like to explore some sculpture parks around the region.

Hiking Steepletop
Saturday: Steepletop, the Austerlitz home of Edna St. Vincent Millay, is hosting a hiking tour of the grounds and gardens. (hiking appropriate dress and footwear) Saturday 10 am to noon -- $35

Day trips
Explore some waterfalls, head for The Berkshires, The Catskills, or Columbia County. Or check out a state park.

Pick-your-own strawberries
Pick-your-own strawberry season has started at many farms around the region (or will be starting soon). The season doesn't last long, so don't wait. (And remember to call head about conditions.)

Ice cream stand season
Seasonal ice cream stands around the Capital Region are open.

Farmers' markets
Farmers Markets are outdoors:
+ Troy Waterfront Farmers Market will be on River Street and around Monument Square Saturday 9 am-2 pm
+ The Saratoga Farmers' Market is outdoors at High Rock Park. Saturday from 9 am-1 pm
+ The Delmar Farmers Market is at Bethlehem Central Middle School. Saturday 9 am-1 pm
+ The Schenectady Greenmarket is at its outdoor location around City Hall. Sunday from 10 am-2 pm.
+ The Spa City Farmers' Market is outdoors to the lawn at the Lincoln Baths. Sunday from 10 am-3 pm

Creative License and The Madison Theater advertise on AOA.

photo: Douglas Liebig