All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

Welcome to that transitional weekend when we go from falling leaves to holiday lights. This is also the last weekend before the holiday craziness sets in for many people, so find a way to enjoy it.

After the jump, our list of things we thought might make you happy. Doing something that didn't make our list? Tell us about it in the comment section.

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

Melt N' Toast
Saturday: The Takk House hosts Melt N' Toast, a grilled cheese festival. Food, craft beverages, music, and lots of grilled cheese. Sample them and vote for your favorite. Admission includes souvenir glass, ten samples of any grilled cheese sandwich, and one craft alcoholic beverage. Saturday noon-4 pm -- $40 / VIP tickets $70 and include unlimited samples and open bar

Holiday

Gazette Holiday Parade
Saturday: The annual Gazette Holiday Parade returns to State Street in Schenectady. Streets will be closed in the area starting at around 3:30 pm. Saturday 5 pm -- free

Light up the Holidays
Friday: The holiday lights in Washington Park officially go on in a ceremony at the Washington Park Lake House. Friday 5 pm -- free

Taste of the holidays
Saturday-Sunday: The Albany Police Athletic League presents two Taste of the Holidays events with craft beer, wine and spirits, plus food from a number of local restaurants, taverns and delis:

Saturday: Albany PAL presents its Craft Beer, Wine & Spirits Festival at the Lights. Music and tastings amid the holiday lights in Washington Park. Saturday 3-7 pm -- $25 advance, $45 at the door

Sunday: Sunday, the Albany Police Athletic League presents a Chili, Chowder & Soup Fest featuring samples from Albany restaurants, taverns, delis. Music, crafters, Santa, and more. Sunday 4-7 pm -- $7, $3 for kids 10 and under ahead / $12, $5 for kids 10 and under at the door

Albany Train Show
Saturday: The Albany Train Show returns to the Polish Community Center. Working trains, 100 vendor tables, appraisers, face painting and balloon animals. Saturday, 9 am-3 pm -- $5 / kids under 12 are free

Holiday Lighted Tractor Parade
Saturday: The annual Holiday Lighted Tractor Parade starts at Greenwich Junior-Senior High School in Washington County. Saturday, 6:30 pm -- free

Markets

Hudson-Mohawk Weavers' Guild 39th Annual Show & Sale
Friday-Sunday: The Hudson Mohawk Weavers' Guild hosts its annual show and sale at the Pruyn House. Handwoven fashions, furnishing, and holiday gifts by local artisans. Friday 10 am-9 pm, Saturday 10 am-5 pm, Sunday noon-4 pm -- free admission

Pottery Market
Friday-Saturday: The Collar City Clay Guild holds its annual pottery market at Pat's Barn in the Rensselaer Tech Park. Friday 11 am-7 pm, Saturday 10 am-4 pm - free admission

Stage

The Little Foxes
Friday-Sunday: Northeast Theater Ensemble presents Lillian Hellman's classic play, The Little Foxes, at the Ten Broeck Mansion. Friday-Sunday various times -- $12-$20

Dead Man's Cell Phone
Friday-Sunday: Albany Civic Theater continues a production of Sarah Ruhle's play Dead Man's Cell Phone. Friday and Saturday 7:30 pm, Sunday 3 pm -- $18

The Legend of Georgia McBride
Friday-Sunday: Curtain Call Theater continues a production of The Legend of Georgia McBride."A small-time Elvis impersonator comes under the wing of a self-proclaimed grand dame of drag." Friday and Saturday 8 pm, Sunday 3 pm -- $25

A Doll's House
Friday: UAlbany presents Ibsen's classic play, A Doll's House. Saturday 2 pm and 7pm -- $10-$20

The Gazillion Bubble Show
Sunday: Proctors presents The Gazillion Bubble Show -- lasers, lighting effects, and "masterpieces of bubble artistry." Sunday 3 pm -- $20-$45

Comedy

Ladies of Laughter
Comedians Kelly MacFarland (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Jocelyn Chia (SiriusXM), Robin Fox (WE TV, Lifetime TV), and Jane Condon (Lifetime, Last Comic Standing, 24) are at Proctors this weekend for the Ladies of Laughter comedy show. Saturday 3 pm and 8 pm -- $25

Italian Comedy Festival
Saturday: Cohoes Music Hall hosts the Italian Comedy Festival featuring the stand-up of Johnny Rizzo and Liz Russo. Saturday 8 pm -- $25 in advance / $30 at the door

Dollars to Donuts/Alf Pacino
Friday: Improv groups Dollars to Donuts and Alf Pacino are the featured acts at the MopCo Improv theater. Friday 8 pm -- $10 . $6 for students and seniors

Spontaneous Broadway
Saturday: MopCo Improv Theatre presentsSpontaneous Broadway. Act one is a mock backers audition, in which the company invents songs based on audience suggestions. The audience votes on a favorite, and in act two, the company makes up the full musical, including costumes, sets and a reprise of the first act song. Saturday 8 pm -- $10 / $6 for students and seniors

Film

Los Sures
Friday: The NYS Writers Institute Film Series continues with a screening go Diego Echeverria's 1984 film Los Sures, a documentary about one of Brooklyn's poorest neighborhoods In the late 1970s and early 1980s. Friday 7:30 pm, UAlbany downtown campus, Page Hall -- free

The Tragically Hip: Long Time Running
Friday: Proctors is screening the documentary film Long Time Running, the story of the final tour of The Tragically Hip. Friday 7 pm -- $5

The Madison
This weekend the Madison Theater is screening Despicable Me 3, Atomic Blonde, and, from 1973 the Julie Christie/Donald Sutherland thriller Don't Look Now.

Kicker Arenacross & Freestyle Motocross Show
Saturday: The Times Union Center hosts the Kicker Arenacross & Freestyle Motocross show. Saturday 7:30 pm -- $13 and up

Hockey

RPI
Friday-Saturday: The RPI men's hockey team takes on Notre Dame at the Houston Field House. Friday and Saturday 7 pm -- various prices

Hoops

UAlbany
Friday: The UAlbany men take on Yale at the SEFCU arena . Friday 7 pm -- $15 and up

Sunday: UAlbany's women's team takes on Fordham at the SEFCU Arena. Sunday 2 pm -- $15 and up

Benefits

Albany Center Gallery's Future 40 Gala
Saturday: Albany Center Gallery's Future 40 Gala, celebrating its first 40 years and looking forward to the next 40, is at the Renaissance Albany Hotel. Saturday 7-11 pm -- $100 / $75 age 35 and younger

Core De Pour Hard Cider Tasting
Friday: Proctors hosts Core De Pour, a craft hard cider tasting with cider cocktails, music, and food. It's fundraiser for the American Diabetes Association. Friday 6:30-9:30 pm -- $25

Lake George Polar Plunge For Special Olympics
Saturday: The annual Polar Plunge for Special Olympics is back at Lake George. Saturday 9 am

Music

Friday: Bob Dylan at The Palace
The one and only. With: Mavis Staples. 7:30 pm -- $52.50 and up

Friday: David Crosby at The Egg
"Joining him will be five musical friends..." 8 pm -- $49.75 and up

Friday: Gobsmacked at Proctors
"The Amazing A Capella and Beatbox Show." 8 pm -- $20 and up

Friday: Laura Luna at EMPAC
Multimedia concert inside the 360-degree panoramic screen. 7:30 pm -- $18

Friday: B3nson Funsgiving at The Low Beat and Pauly's
Sgt Dunbar and the Hobo Banned, BEWARE! The Other Head of Science, Oceanator, Bear Grass, The Black Kennedys, The Parlor, TAOTSS, Scientific Maps, Swamp Baby, Burly. 7 pm -- $7

Friday: Wurliday + Girl Blue at The Hollow
Soul and funk. 8 pm -- $12

Friday: Danielle Bradbery at Upstate Concert Hall
Country, The Voice winner. With: Craig Wayne Boyd. 7 pm -- $8 ahead / $10 day of

Friday: Jonathan Richman at The Hangar
With Tommy Larkins on drums. 8 pm -- $15 and up

Friday: The Accidentals at The Linda
Indie folk. With: Jake Allen. 8 pm -- $15

Friday:
Lori Lieberman at Caffe Lena
First to record "Killing Me Softly with His Song." 8 pm -- $25

Friday-Saturday: Beatlemore Skidmania at Skidmore
The annual Beatles tribute shows. Friday 8 pm, Saturday 2 pm -- $10

Saturday: The Sean Rowe show at The Hangar is sold out.

Saturday: Albany Symphony at The Palace
Performing Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" and other works. 7:30 pm -- $15 and up

Saturday: Saint Motel at Upstate Concert Hall
Indie pop. With: Gibbz. 8 pm -- $20

Saturday: Ashley Bathgate at The Egg
Cellist from Bang on a Can All-Stars. 7:30 pm -- $28

Saturday: Albert Cummings at The Upper Room
Blues. 7 pm -- $22

Saturday: The Mallett Brothers Band at The Hollow
With: The Slaughterhouse Chorus. 8 pm -- $12

Saturday: The Lustre Kings at Caffe Lena
Rockabilly. 8 pm -- $22

Saturday: Songs of George Ward--Until the Black Flies Go
With: Dave Ruch, John Roberts, George Ward, and special guests. 7:30 pm -- $20 ahead / $22 at the door

Sunday: Hollywood Undead at Upstate Concert Hall
Rap rock. With: Butcher Babies. 7 pm -- $25 ahead / $28 day of

Sunday: John McEuen & The String Wizards: Will the Circle Be Unbroken at The Egg
Americana. 3 pm -- $29.50

Sunday: Justin Townes Earle at Helsinki Hudson
Folk rock. With: Joshua Hedley. 8 pm - $25 and up

Sunday: Modigliani Quartet at Union College
French classical ensemble. 3 pm -- $30

Museums/galleries

State Museum
The State Museum recently opened Votes for Women -- its new exhibit about the women's suffrage movement. It also recently opened the first phase of its new Enterprising Waters: New York's Erie Canal exhibit.

Albany Institute
Well-Dressed, an exhibit of high fashion from the 19th century, continues at the Albany Institute of History and Art, along with an exhibit about the the anti-suffrage movement in Albany. Also almost its entire collection of Hudson River School works is on display.

The Tang
The Tang Museum at Skidmore College recently opened an exhibit of work by Njideka Akunyili Crosby this weekend. She was awarded one of the MacArthur Foundation "genius grants" this year. (On display through December 31.)

Hyde Collection
The Hyde Collection recently opened a a touring exhibit of folk art (on display through the end of 2017). And the new Feibes & Schmitt Gallery is open.

MASS MoCA
MASS MoCA has a bunch of exhibits on display that make use of its huge gallery expansion.

USS Slater
This is the last month of the current season at the USS Slater, the destroyer escort historical museum in Albany. Wednesday-Sunday 10 am-4 pm -- $9 / $8 for seniors / $7 for kids 6 to 14 / free for kids 5 and under

Farmers' markets

+ Troy Waterfront Farmers Market is indoors at the atrium. Saturday 9 am-2 pm
+ The Delmar Farmers Market is at Bethlehem Central Middle School (332 Kenwood Ave). Saturday 9 am-1 pm
+ The Saratoga Farmers' Market is indoors at the Lincoln Bathhouse Saturday 9 am-1 pm
+ The Schenectady Greenmarket is indoors at Proctors. 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 Albany Institute, the Mop & Bucket Company, Troy Music Hall, Live Nation, and Hudson-Mohawk Weavers' Guild advertise on AOA. And AOA is a media sponsor for the Melt N' Toast.

photo via Bob Dylan Facebook