All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

Hello, August!

It's a great time of year to laze away a weekend by the pool. But if it's stuff to do you're after, then you've come to the right place.

After the jump, a list of weekend events we thought might interest you. Doing something you don't see here? Let us know about it.

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

Black Arts and Cultural Festival
Saturday: The Empire State Plaza hosts the Black Arts and Cultural Festival, "an updated take on a classic celebration of the traditions and cultural contributions of the black community through music, art, dance, and more." The music headliner is Jody Watley. Saturday 2-7 pm -- free admission

Ballston Spa Film Festival
Friday-Saturday: The annual Ballston Spa Film Festival returns to Ballston Spa High School and Old Iron Spring Park. It will screen 43 short films over four different slates. Saturday's screening will be followed by a party at the Brookside Museum. Friday and Saturday various times -- free admission

Schoharie County Sunshine Fair
Friday-Saturday: The Schoharie County Sunshine Fair wraps up this weekend in Cobleskill. Music, animals, contests, performers, fair food, a midway, and more. Friday-Saturday 9 am-10 pm -- $15 / free for children 2 and under

Philadelphia Orchestra
Friday-Saturday: The Philadelphia Orchestra continues at SPAC. Friday is the Russian Festival, including a Russian-themed Cirque de la Symphonie performance. Saturday night the orchestra plays the live score alongside a screening of ET: The Extra-Terrestrial. Friday and Saturday 8 pm -- various prices

The Track
The season continues this weekend at Saratoga Race Course.

Big Truck Day
Saturday: The Children's Museum of Saratoga hosts its annual Big Truck Day at the Maple Avenue Middle School. It's a chance for kids of all ages to see, touch, and climb into big trucks of all shapes and sizes. Saturday 9 am-1 pm -- $5 per child / $1 per adult

Stage

Mamma Mia!
Friday-Sunday: Mamma Mia! continues at Capital Rep. Friday-Sunday various times and prices (limited seating)

Tales from Sleepy Hollow
Friday-Sunday: Confetti Stage presents a production of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in the Ten Broeck Mansion Gardens. Friday and Saturday 7:30 pm, Sunday 2 pm -- $15 / $8 for students / Sunday's free

Saratoga Shakespeare in the Park
Friday-Saturday: This is the last weekend for the Saratoga Shakespeare Company production of A Midsummer Night's Dream in Saratoga Springs Congress Park. Friday-Saturday 6 pm -- free

WTF
Friday-Sunday: This is the last weekend for the production of Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. And the recently-opened A Legendary Romance continues. Friday-Sunday various times -- various prices

Buyer and Cellar
Friday-Saturday: Curtain Call Theater presents its new season with Buyer and Cellar, a one-man comedy about a struggling actor in LA working for a beloved megastar. Friday-Saturday 8 pm, Saturday and Sunday matinee 3 pm -- $24

Sweeney Todd
Friday-Sunday: The Mac-Haydn in Chatham continues its production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd. Friday-Sunday various times -- various prices

Berkshire Theater Festival
Saturday-Sunday: Berkshire Theater Festival continues its productions of The Music Man and Edward Albee's Zoo Story . Friday-Sunday various times and prices

The Winter's Tale
Saturday: Adirondack Shakespeare Company presents a production of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale at the National Museum of Dance in Saratoga. Saturday 3 pm -- $20 / $17 for students and seniors

Comedy

Steve Trevino
Friday-Sunday: The Funny Bone hosts improv and stand-up artist Steve Trevino. Friday-Sunday various times and prices

MopCo Family Show
Saturday: MopCo hosts a comedy show for all ages. All acts are based off audience suggestions. Saturday 8 pm -- $9.50 adults / $3 children and seniors

Late Night Improv Comedy
Saturday: "Cheaper than counseling, and a whole lot funnier." MopCo's late night improv show takes deepest, darkest truths and turns them into comedic songs and stories. Saturday 10 pm -- $9.50

Baseball

ValleyCats
Friday-Sunday: The ValleyCats wrap up a three-game series against Staten Island and begin a series with Vermont. Friday and Saturday 7 pm, Sunday 5 pm -- $5.75 and up

Music

Friday: Marc Cohn at Helsinki Hudson
Walkin' in Hudson? 8:30 pm -- $45 and up

Friday: ONE OK ROCK at Upstate Concert Hall
Pop rock. With: Set It Off, Palisades, Restless Streets. 6:30 pm -- $20 ahead / $25 day of

Friday: Ryan Montbleau at Caffe Lena
Singer/songwriter. 8 pm -- $22

Saturday: Jody Watley at Black Arts and Cultural Festival at the ESP
With: Shalamar Reloaded. festival 2-7 pm -- free admission

Saturday: The Chick Corea Elektric Band + Bela Fleck & The Flecktones show at The Egg is sold out

Saturday: Stone Sour at Upstate Concert Hall
Metal. With: The Dead Deads. 8 pm -- $35 ahead / $38 day of

Saturday: Don Flemons at Caffe Lena
Old-time folk. 8 pm -- $25

Saturday: Bang on a Can Marathon at MASS MoCA
Part of the annual festival. 4-10 pm -- $12 ahead / $18 day of

Saturday: The Va Va Voodoos at The Low Beat
Album release show. With: Wreckless Eric, 61 Ghosts, Two Percent. 7:30 pm

Sunday: Rhiannon Giddens at The Egg
Co-founder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops on her Freedom Highway tour. 7:30 pm -- $39.50 and up

Sunday: Dylan Perrillo Orchestra at Caffe Lena
Jazz. 7 pm -- $22

Sunday: Amir Elsaffar & Two River at Music Haven.
With Cliff Brucker & Full Circle. 7 pm -- free

Film

Da-dum. Da-dum da-dum, dum dum dum dum dum dum....
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, The Madison Theater is screening the 1975 film Jaws. Also screening at The Madison, Where the Wild Things Are, and Guardians of the Galaxy 2.

Jaws is also being screened at the Bow Tie Cinemain Saratoga as part of its Saturday and Sunday morning Movies and Mimosa series. Thi's months Friday and Saturday night Insomnia Theater classic is Predator.

Drive-ins
Drive-in season continues:
+ Malta: Screen 1: The Dark Tower and Spiderman: Homecoming | Screen 2: Emoji Movie and Dunkirk
+ Jericho:: Emoji Movie and Transformers:The Last Knight
+ Hollywood: Emoji Movie, and Spiderman

Museums/galleries

Albany Institute
+ The Albany Institute recently opened a new exhibit of its Hudson River School works -- more than 80 pieces, almost the entire collection.
+ The Artists of the Mohawk-Hudson Region exhibit, an annual exhibit highlighting the work of the visual artists in the region, continues. (On display through September 3.)

The Clark
The Clark has a Picasso exhibit, Picasso: Encounters (on display through August 27). Also now on display is an exhibit of work by Helen Frankenthaler (through October 9).

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.

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.

Arkell
The Arkell Museum in Canajoharie has an exhibit of paintings marking the 200-year anniversary of the Erie Canal, and an exhibit of portraits of suffragists. (Both on display through September 3.)

Fields Sculpture Park
The Fields Sculpture Park at Omi in Ghent has a summer exhibition.

Arts Center of the Capital Region
The Arts Center of the Capital Region recently opened this year's Fence Select, an exhibition composed of 78 pieces selected from the Fence Salon by Michael Oatman. (On display until August 26.)

UAlbany Art Museum
Friday: The University Art Museum has Abstracts, "a large-scaled landscape exhibit where the paintings represent the relationship between communities and reality," and Gloves Off, "a video, photography and sculpture to create an kaleidoscopic view of contemporary culture." (On display until September 29)

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. Wednesday-Sunday 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

PYO blueberries
We're at the height of local blueberry season. Here are a bunch of places around the area where you can pick your own.

Swimming
Public pools and spray pads are open for the season.

Markets

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

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 for the Ballston Spa Film Festival.

photo: Tanya Rosen-Jones