All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

Into every weekend a little rain must fall.

Well, not every weekend -- but this weekend.

Still, there will be plenty of sunshine on Friday and Sunday. And a little rain is nice sometimes. So keep your umbrella handy, pick a few things from our list of stuff to do and get out there and have some fun. Jump in a puddle while you're at it. The is the Capital Region! Yeah! (Sorry, our inner Joe Biden slipped out.)

Anyway -- after the jump you'll find our list of stuff we thought you'd like to try. If you're doing something you don't see listed here, share it in the comments so the rest of us can see.

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

The Track
The season continues at the Saratoga Race Course. The headline race of the week is The Whitney on Saturday.

Schoharie County Sunshine Fair
Friday-Saturday: The Schoharie County Sunshine Fair wraps up at the fairgrounds in Cobleskill. The schedule includes agricultural displays, games, a demolition derby, and performances -- Sawyer Fredericks is performing on Saturday. Friday-Saturday various times -- $15 for adults, $10 for seniors (age 62 and up), free for children 2 and under (tickets includes fair admission, grandstand and grounds shows, and unlimited rides from noon to closing)

Philadelphia Orchestra
Friday-Saturday: The Philadelphia Orchestra is back at SPAC for another summer stay. This weekend's schedule:
+ Friday: Featuring a new work by Michael Torke and dancers from the New York City Ballet
+ Saturday: Ratatouille In Concert -- the Pixar film with live score
Friday-Saturday 8 pm -- $40 and up

Black Arts and Cultural Festival
Saturday: The Empire State Plaza hosts The Black Arts and Cultural Festival, celebrating African American contributions to music, dance, art, and more. Grammy-winning group Sounds of Blackness is the headliner. Saturday 2-7 pm -- free admission

1st Friday
Friday: It's 1st Friday again already. We're not sure how that happened so quickly. Participating shops and galleries in Albany are open late with performances, art, and other fun surprises.
+ The Albany Institute of History and Art is open late with free admission and free samples of Crisan gelato.
+The Albany Barn opens a solo exhibit by sculptor/painter Stacy Caldwell with a reception from 5-8 pm. And its "Anything But Canvas" group exhibition featuring works using non-traditional materials is also opening with a reception at the Stage One Gallery.
+ Upstate Artists Guild has its annual members show and work by featured artist Christoph Speenburgh.
+ Reggie's Red Hot Feetwarmers headline the monthly 1st Friday swing dance at 25 South Allen. 8-11 pm -- $15 / seniors and students $10

Here's the full schedule.

Stage

The Stone Witch
Friday-Saturday: Judd Hirsh stars in the world premiere of a new play called The Stone Witch at Berkshire Theater Festival. "Reality and fantasy collide when a struggling, young writer is chosen by a powerful book editor for a special assignment -- to help a reclusive children's book author and illustrator complete his first manuscript in over a decade." Friday 8 pm, Saturday 2 pm and 8 pm -- $62

Williamstown Theatre Festival
Friday-Sunday: The Williamstown Theatre Festival's season continues with the new musical Poster Boy on the Nikos Stage (it runs through Sunday). And a production of Wendy Wasserstein's An American Daughter started this week on the main stage. (It runs through August 21.) various times -- $40 and up

A Night with Janis Joplin
Friday-Sunday: This is the last week for Capital Rep's production of A Night with Janis Joplin. (It closes Sunday.) Friday-Sunday various times - $25 and up

Romeo & Juliet
Sunday: The Saratoga Shakespeare Company returns to Saratoga's Congress Park with a production of Romeo and Juliet . Sunday 3-5 pm -- free admission (donations appreciated)

Richard III
Friday: The Adirondack Shakespeare Company's production of Richard III will be presented at the National Museum of Dance in Saratoga Springs. Friday 7:30 pm - $20 / $17 students, seniors, and veterans / free children 12 and younger

Classic Theater Guild's Summer Theater Festival Gala
Saturday: This year's Classic Theater Guild Gala at Proctors will feature performances of Treasure Island (starts at 4 pm) as well as Romeo and Juliet (starts at 7:30 pm). Each will be presented by the company from the annual Helderberg Theatre Festival. Saturday 4 pm -- $20 for 2 shows and refreshments

The Comedy of Errors
Friday-Sunday: Confetti Stage presents Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors in the Ten Broeck Mansion garden in Albany. Friday and Saturday 7:30 pm / Sunday 2 pm -- $15 adults / $8 students and children / free on Sunday

Seussical: The Musical
Friday-Sunday: The GE Kids in Free production of Seussical: The Musical, presented by the Park Playhouse, will open this weekend at the Palace Theatre. Friday-Saturday 2 pm -- $17 / children 12 and under free with adult

Comedy

Ali Siddiq
Friday-Sunday: Comedy Central 2013 One to Watch Ali Siddiq will be at the Funny Bone at Crossgates. Friday-Sunday various times -- $12-$16

Eddie Clark
Friday-Sunday: Comedian Eddie Clark will be performing at The Comedy Works in Saratoga Springs. Friday-Sunday various times - $15 advance / $20 at the door / dinner package $40 advance / $45 at the door

Baseball
Saturday-Sunday: The Tri-City ValleyCats will take on the Brooklyn Cyclones twice this weekend. Saturday's game will be a "Notte Italiana" themed night ending with fireworks, while Sunday's game will be a NFL-themed night. Saturday 7 pm / Sunday 5 pm - $5-10 ahead / $7-12 on game day.

Film

Ballston Spa Film Festival
Friday-Saturday: The Ballston Spa Film Festival returns this weekend with a slate of films from the Capital Region and across the globe. The films are shown at Ballston Spa High School and Old Iron Spring Park (bring a chair). Friday and Saturday starting at 7 pm each night -- free admission

Globe on Screen: Measure for Measure
Sunday: The Spectrum is screening a filmed production of the Globe Theatre's Measure for Measure -- one of Shakespeare's darkest comedies. Sunday 11 am -- $15

"Why'd it have to be snakes..."
Friday-Sunday: Raiders of the Lost Ark is playing this weekend at The Madison Theater. Friday-Sunday various times -- $5

Also screening at The Madison this weekend: Goonies and Charade.

Drive-in
Here's what you can see this weekend:
+ Hollywood: Ice Age and Jason Bourne
+ Jericho Drive In: Suicide Squad and Jason Bourne
+ Malta: Screen 1: Suicide Squad and Lights Out | Screen 2: Secret Life of Pets and Jason Bourne

Music

Friday: Robert Randolph and The Family Band at Helsinki Hudson
Pedal steel guitarist, funk and soul. 9 pm -- $45

Friday: Slaid Cleaves at Caffe Lena at the Grove
Singer/songwriter. 7 pm -- $22

Friday: Red Haired Strangers at Upbeat on the Roof
Country/blues/bluegrass. 7 pm -- free

Saturday: Sounds of Blackness at ESP Black Arts and Cultural Festival
Also on the lineup for the festival: the Jubilee Choir, the Wassa Pan Afrika Dance Ensemble, Def Poetry Jam Reunion, and Albany's own Young Noble Gentlemen. various times -- free

Saturday: Scott Sharrard at Madison Theater
Blues rock guitarist. 8 pm -- $15

Saturday: The Honey Dewdrops + The Sea The Sea at Caffe Lena at the The Grove
A duo of duos. 7 pm -- $18

Saturday: Mariachi Flor de Toloache at MASS MoCA
"Trailblazing Latin Grammy nominees Mariachi Flor de Toloache are New York City's first all-female mariachi band. They infuse the classic ranchero sound with bursts of hip-hop, soul, jazz, salsa, and are about as much fun as it gets." 8 pm -- $16 ahead (and students) / $22 day of

Saturday: International Blues Challenge at The Linda
Local blues acts competing for chance to compete at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. 7 pm -- $12

Sunday: Snoop Dog + Whiz Khalifa at SPAC
Rap stars. With: Kevin Gates and Jhene Aiko, Casey Veggies and DJ Drama. 7 pm -- $26 and up

Sunday: Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma at Tanglewood
"With its artistic director Yo-Yo Ma, the Silk Road Ensemble returns to Tanglewood for another fascinating and wide-ranging traversal of music both traditional and new..." 8 pm -- $22 and up

Sunday: Anders Osborne Band at Helsinki Hudson
Roots rock. 8 pm -- $35

Sunday: DakhaBrakha at Music Haven
"Adventurous Ukrainian 'folkdrone Björkpunk' quartet." With: Tavche Gravche. 7 pm -- free

Big Truck Day
Saturday: The Children's Museum at Saratoga presents its annual Big Truck Day in the Maple Avenue Middle School parking lot. Kids can see and climb on trucks of all different sizes. Saturday 10 am-2 pm -- $1 adult / $5 child

Honor Our Vets Car Show
Sunday: The annual Honor Our Vets Cars Show, returns to the Stratton VA Hospital in Albany which will feature custom and muscle vehicles. All proceeds will benefit local military and veteran personnel through the Voluntary Services Office of the Stratton VAMC. (Originally scheduled for Saturday, but moved to Sunday based on forecast.) Sunday 10 am-2 pm -- free admission

Vale Cemetery Narrated Tour: Giants of Industry
Sunday: MiSci is hosting a tour of Vale Cemetery in Schenectady focused on great scientists, innovators, industrialists and visionaries who helped build Schenectady. Science curator Chris Hunter will conduct the tour. Sunday 2 pm -- $7 adult / children 12 and under free

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

Splendor, Myth, and Vision
Now on display at The Clark: 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.

A More Perfect Union
The Tang presents: A More Perfect Union -- a new exhibit featuring Mel Ziegler's Multi-Year Project Flag Exchange. The installation includes 50 American flags collected by Ziegler, who traveled the country trading new flags for tattered ones flying at homes and public locations. (Runs through January.) free admission (suggested donations of $2 - $5)

Circus
The Arkell Museum has an exhibit of circus-themed art and vintage circus marketing materials.

Alexander Hamilton
The Albany Institute of History and Art recently opened a new exhibit on the life of Alexander Hamilton and his time in Albany. Hamilton, who has experienced a resurgence in popularity due to Lin Manuel Miranda's award-winning musical based on his life, married Elizabeth Schuyler at the Schuyler Mansion in Albany and visited the city often after that. The exhibit highlights objects related to Hamilton, including a portrait from the permanent collection of Union College. (On display through December 31.)

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

MASS MoCA
+ Explode Every Day: An Inquiry into the Phenomena of Wonder
+ Alex Da Corte's Free Roses
+ Here Comes the Sun in the Kidspace

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.

Fence Select
The annual Fence Select show recently opened at the Arts Center of the Capital Region in Troy. It'll be on display through August 27.

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

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

Swimming
Capital Region community swimming pools and beaches are open. Here's a list of local pools, beaches and spray pads, complete with dates, pricing and other important details.

Blueberries
It's Blueberry season in the Capital Region -- here are a bunch of places you can pick your own.

Farmers' markets
+ Castleton-on-Hudson has a new Farmers and Artisans Market that runs the first and third Friday of every month. Friday 4-7 pm
+ Troy Waterfront Farmers Market is in Riverfront Park for the rest of the summer because of construction on River Street. 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

The NYSOGS Summer at the Plaza series, Live Nation, The Madison, and The Spectrum advertise on AOA. And AOA is a media sponsor of the Ballston Spa Film Festival