All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

It is the first weekend of official summer -- so soak it up.

After the jump, a whole list of stuff we thought might interest you -- music festivals, baseball, swimming, strawberry picking, summer markets, and more. Pick your favorites, grab some sunscreen and go.

Doing something we didn't list here? Share it in the comments so we can all see.

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

Music festivals

Solid Sound Festival
Friday-Sunday: The Solid Sound Festival returns to MASS MoCA. This year's lineup includes Wilco (of course), Television, Kurt Vile and the Violators, Robert Glasper Experiment, Dawn of Midi, Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin with the Guilty Ones, Kevin Morby, Joan Shelley, and Big Thief. And the comedy lineup includes John Hodgman (of course), Michelle Buteau, Hari Kondabolu, Eugene Mirman, Nick Offerman, Jean Grae's The Show Show with DJ Quelle Chris. Friday-Sunday various times -- weekend pass $159

Saratoga Jazz Festival
Saturday-Sunday: The annual Saratoga Jazz Festival is at SPAC this Saturday and Sunday. Headliners include Chaka Khan, Gipsy Kings, Jacob Collier, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Maceo Parker. Saturday and Sunday various times -- $65 and up (kids free on the lawn)

Old Songs Festival
Friday-Sunday: The Old Songs Festival will be at the Altamont Fairgrounds. "Old Songs is a family-friendly festival of folk, traditional, Celtic and world music and dance, known for its relaxed atmosphere, interactive sessions and workshops, hands-on experience and participatory nature." Friday-Sunday various times -- single session tickets $40/ $35 seniors / $25 student or youth | festival passes $135 / $130 seniors / $70 students / $60 youth

ValleyCats Baseball
Friday-Sunday: It's the first weekend of Tri-City ValleyCats season. On Friday the Cats take on the Lowell Spinners and on Saturday and Sunday they play Vermont. Friday and Saturday 7 pm, Sunday 5 pm -- $6 to $11

Outdoor Day at Five Rivers
Saturday: Five Rivers Environmental Education Center in Delmar is showing off its new education center by hosting an Outdoor Day. "Check out the exhibits in the new visitor center and learn about the habitats at Five Rivers, get reacquainted with the turtles, marvel at the restoration work on Wayne Trimm's mural, and enjoy a variety of programs and activities for all ages." There will be guided walks, a wildlife rehabilitator with rescued animals, crafts, an ECO K9 unit, and more. Saturday 10 am-3 pm -- free admission

Adirondack Wine & Food Festival
Saturday-Sunday: The Adirondack Wine & Food Festival returns to Lake George. Sample locally-produced beer, wine, cider and foods at the Charles Wood Park in Lake George. Saturday 11 am-6 pm, Sunday 11 am-5 pm -- $30 ahead / $35 day of / $15 designated driver or under age

Swimming
Pool season is here. Some public pools and spray pads are open for the season already, and more will be opening this weekend.

Strawberries
Strawberry season is in swing around the Capital Region. Here are a bunch of farms where you can pick your own.

Beer is a Four Letter Word
Saturday: Shmaltz Brewing is celebrating the 4th anniversary of its Clifton Park brewery with "Beer is a Four Letter Word," featuring more than a dozen guest craft breweries from around the state. Also: food and games. Saturday 1-5 pm -- $25 / $10 designated drivers

Party in the Park with UAG
Saturday: UAG holds its Party in the Park fundraiser at Albany's Washington Park Lake-house. Music, poetry, art for display and sale, hors d'oeuvres and stations, cash bar. Saturday 7-10 pm -- $40 to $100

Stage

Dancing With the Stars
Friday: Dancing with the Stars Live comes to the Palace Theater in Albany. Saturday 7:30 pm -- $49.50 and up

Anything Goes
Friday-Sunday: The Mac Haydn Theater presents the Cole Porter classic Anything Goes. Friday-Sunday, various times and prices

Steel Magnolias
Friday-Sunday: Curtain Call Theater presents Steel Magnolias. Friday and Saturday 8 pm, Sunday 3 pm -- $24

Comedy

Kevin James
Friday: Actor/comedian Kevin James brings his stand-up act to The Egg. Friday 7 pm -- $55 and up

Tom Arnold
Friday-Saturday: Tom Arnold is at the Funny Bone at Crossgates. Friday and Saturday multiple times -- $25

Pretty Much the Best comedy Show: Tony Deyo
Saturday: Stand-up comic and former symphony musician Tony Deyo headlines Pretty Much The Best Comedy Show at Proctors. Saturday 8 pm -- $15 advance / $20 at the door

Electric City Puppet Improv
Friday: MopCo's quirky audience favorite Electric City Puppet Improv is back. "They have fur, horns, corrective lenses, and plaid shirts. Weirdos, whatnots and whatchamacallits performing improv comedy like you've never seen!" Friday 8 pm -- $10 / $6 for students and seniors

TheaterSports
Saturday: MopCo presents TheaterSports. Teams of improvisors compete against each other to create songs and scenes based on audience suggestion (think Whose Line is It Anyway) Saturday 8 pm -- $15 / $6 for students and seniors.

Music

Friday: NRBQ at The Hangar
Rock. 8 pm -- $25

Friday: The Sea The Sea at Caffe Lena
Folk pop. 8 pm -- $18

Friday: The Florists + Skinny Pill at The Low Beat
Post-punk. With: Recorduroys, Haley Moley. 8 pm

Friday: The Mighty Nautilus at The Hollow
"Ranging from sultry funk songs to sophisticated compositions, 70's jazz fusion standards to hip-hop beats..." With: Harley's Encore. 8 pm -- $12

Saturday: John Paul White at Helsinki Hudson
From The Civil Wars. With: Lera Lynn. 9 pm -- $25 and up

Saturday: Big Mean Sound Machine at The Hollow
"A polyrhythmic monster with a crisp, constant, unrelenting groove..." With: Hannah Gill and The Hours. 8 pm -- $12

Saturday: International Blues Challenge at The Linda
"The International Blues Challenge is an international search by The Blues Foundation and its Affiliated Organizations (of which our own Capital Region Blues Network is one) for the Blues Band and Solo/Duo Blues Act ready to perform on a national stage, but just need that extra break." 7 pm -- $12

Sunday: Brazilian Girls at Helsinki Hudson
"[A] singular, sophisticated, and catchy fusion of electronic dance music and world-beat styles..." 8 pm -- $25 and up

Sunday: MaryLeigh Roohan at Caffe Lena
Back for a hometown show. 7 pm -- $14

Film

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Sunday: The Spectrum is showing the National Theatre production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? starring Imelda Staunton and Conleth Hill. Sunday 11 am -- $15

Shakespeare
The Madison has a weekend of films inspired by The Bard. This weekend it's screening Romeo and Juliet, 10 Things I Hate About You (a film with shades of Taming of the Shrew), and Shakespeare in Love (Tom Stoppard's fictional look at William Shakespeare, and the inspiration for Romeo and Juliet). They're also showing the original Babe, the story of a spunky little pig -- with no ties to Shakespeare that we can see.

Drive-ins
Drive-in season is here:
+ Malta: Screen 1: Transformers and Wonder Woman | Screen 2: Cars and Captain Underpants
+ Jericho:: Cars and Wonder Woman
+ Hollywood: Cars 3, and Wonder Woman

James Howard Kunstler at Northshire Bookstore
Friday: Author James Howard Kunstler will hold a reading, discussion, and signing of his new novel, A Safe and Happy Place, at Northshire Saratoga. Friday 7 pm -- free admission

Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence
Saturday: The Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence is hosting a gardening work party. Help with the digging, mowing, planting and more at the historic Myers Residence. Saturday 1-3 pm

Museums/Galleries

Artists of the Mohawk-Hudson Region
The Albany Institute recently opened the Artists of the Mohawk-Hudson Region exhibit, an annual exhibit highlighting the work of the visual artists in the region. (On display through September 3.)

Hyde Collection
The Hyde Collection recently opened its new Feibes & Schmitt Gallery. It includes 40 works of modern art donated by Schenectady residents Werner Feibes and the late James Schmitt. The exhibit includes works by Josef Albers, Jean (Hans) Arp, Ellsworth Kelly, Sol LeWitt, Louise Nevelson, George Rickey, Bridget Riley, and Andy Warhol.

The Clark
The Clark recently opened a new Picasso exhibit, Picasso: Encounters. (On display through August 27.)

MASS MoCA
MASS MoCA recently opened its new B6 space, adding 106,000 square feet to the already massive museum. And Nick Cave's Until is still on display until the end of August.

Fields Sculpture Park
The Fields Sculpture Park at Omi in Ghent recently opened its new summer exhibition.

State Museum
The People's Art: Selections from the Empire State Plaza Art Collection, continues at the New York State Museum with works by artists such as Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, Helen Frankenthaler, Franz Kline, David Smith, and Alexander Calder. (On display through September 3.)

USS Slater
The USS Slater, the destroyer escort historical museum in Albany, is open for tours. Friday-Monday 10 am-4 pm -- $9 / $8 for seniors / $7 for kids 6 to 14 / free for kids 5 and under

Berkshire Botanical Garden
The Berkshire Botanical Gardens in Stockbridge are open for the season. every day from 9 am-4 pm -- $15 / $14 seniors / $12 students / kids under 12 are admitted free

Markets

Hudson River Exchange summer market
Friday-Saturday: The annual Hudson River Exchangesummer market returns to the Henry Hudson Riverfront Park in Hudson. Handmade and vintage items, food and music. Friday 4-9 pm, Saturday 11 am-6 pm -- free admission

Farmers' markets
+ Troy Waterfront Farmers Market is on River Street around Monument Square. Saturday 9 am-2 pm
+ The Delmar Farmers Market is Bethlehem Central Middle School (332 Kenwood Ave). Saturday 9 am-1 pm
+ The Saratoga Farmers' Market is outdoors at High Rock Park Saturday 9 am-1 pm
+ The Schenectady Greenmarket is at its outdoor location around city hall. Sunday 10 am-2 pm
+ The Spa City Farmers' Market is on the lawn of the the Lincoln Baths. Sunday 10 am-3 pm.

Troy Makers Market
Saturday: Local craft vendors will display and sell wares at the Troy Makers Market in conjunction with the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market. Saturday 9 am to noon

Troy Flea
Sunday: Troy Flea returns to Riverfront Park with more than two dozen vendors. Sunday 10 am-3 pm -- free admission

Day trips
Explore New Paltz, head for The Berkshires, the Catskills, or Columbia County.

The Mop & Bucket Company and The Albany Institute advertise on AOA. And AOA is a media sponsor of the Troy Fleaand Hudson River Exchange Summer Market.

photo: Ines Kaiser