All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

These are the days that can sometimes be too busy to fully enjoy. So between the shopping and wrapping and baking and crossing off holiday to-do lists, find someone you like (or a bunch of someones) and pick something fun to do and savor it together.

After the jump, a long list of fun options from Speedo sprinting to holiday shows to outdoor skating. Doing something you don't see on our list? Drop it in the comment section so everyone can see.

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

Holiday

Holiday lights in the park
Friday-Sunday: The Capital Holiday Lights are on in Albany's Washington Park. Light displays, Santa, reindeer, crafts, and more. Friday and Saturday 6 pm-10 pm, Sunday 6-9 pm -- $20 and up

Santa Speedo Sprint
Saturday: The annual Santa Speedo Sprint is on Lark Street. It's exactly what it sounds like: Santas in Speedos (and other scanty outfits) sprinting down Lark Street to raise money for a bunch of good causes. It's put on by the Albany Society for the Advancement of Philanthropy and the Albany All Stars Roller Derby. Saturday sprint at 2 pm -- $25 to spring / free to watch

A Taste Of Lark: Chili & Chowder Edition
Saturday: Following the Speedo Sprint, you can sample chili and chowder from area restaurants at A Taste of Lark. Saturday, noon-4 pm -- samples of chili and chowder $1 a piece

Melodies of Christmas
Friday-Sunday: The annual Melodies of Christmas holiday concert is Proctors this weekend with performances by the Joey Thomas Big Band, the Empire State Youth Orchestra, Northeast Ballet, and Orlando's School of Dance. Friday and Saturday 7 pm, Sunday 3 pm -- $15 and $25

Ten Broeck Mansion Holiday House, Helderberg Madrigals/Candlelight tour
The Ten Broeck Mansion is decked out for the holidays and hosting some public events.
+ Friday: There's a candlelight house tour. tours leave at 6:30 pm and 7 pm -- $15
+ Saturday: The Helderberg Madrigals will perform. 1pm -- $25

North Central Holiday Justice and Peace Celebration at Sanctuary for Independent Media
Saturday: The Sanctuary for Independent Media hosts the North Central Holiday Justice and Peace Celebration. "We'll have free portraits, arts activities, free food from Unity House, Troy Bike Rescue bike give-away, tours of our new NATURE Lab gallery, on-demand typewriter poetry, the lighting of the tree at Freedom Square (at the corner of 101st and 5th/6th Avenue), and more!!" Saturday 3-6 pm -- sliding scale contribution

Caroling for the Holidays
Saturday: The Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence hosts a caroling party. Saturday 4-6 pm -- free

Schenectady Festival of Trees
Saturday-Sunday: The annual Festival of Trees continues at the Schenectady County Historical Society. Christmas trees of all styles, from "classic to kooky." Saturday and Sunday 10 am-5 pm -- $6 / under 12 get in free

Chatham WinterFest
Saturday: Chatham Winterfest is a full day of holiday activities, music, and shopping on the streets of Chatham. Saturday 10 am-6 pm -- free admission

Open House at Clermont State Historic Site
Saturday: Clermont State Historic Site hosts a holiday open house. Tour the decorated mansion, toast marshmallows on a bonfire, and learn about the mansion and its history. Saturday 11 am-4 pm -- free

Bolshoi Ballet: The Nutcracker
Sunday: Regal Cinema at Crossgates is screening the Bolshoi Ballet's version of The Nutcracker. Sunday 12:55pm -- $18

A Saratoga Christmas with The McKrells
Sunday: Kevin McKrell and his band host their annual Christmas show at HMT at the Spa Little Theater. Sunday 7 pm -- $15

Holiday Sing-Along with Pop-Up Piano Bar
Sunday: The Mop & Bucket Company hosts a pop-up holiday sing-along. Sunday at 5:30pm -- $5

Chanukah in the Chocolate Factory
Sunday: Bethlehem Chabad hosts Chanukah in the Chocolate Factory. Activities for children and adults, including a chocolate gelt drop, golden ticket winners, hot chocolate bar, Oompa Loompa Latkes, a crazy car menorah parade and more Sunday 3:30 pm-5:30 pm -- free

Markets

Fort Orange market
Friday: The Fort Orange General Store hosts a holiday market in the Arcade Building on Broadway in Albany. Friday, 5 pm to 8 pm.

Albany Sports Card & Memorabilia Show
Sunday: The Albany Ramada Plaza hosts the Albany Sports card & Memorabilia Show. Sunday 9 am-3 pm -- $2 / kids under 12 admitted free

Stage

She Loves Me
Friday-Sunday: Capital Rep continues its production of She Loves Me. "This confection of a musical is based on the timeless story by Miklos Laszlo that also served as inspiration for the classic film The Shop Around the Corner and more recently You've Got Mail." Friday-Sunday various times -- $25 and up

A Tuna Christmas
Friday-Sunday: Confetti Stage presents A Tuna Christmas, a holiday comedy where three actors play a long list of characters from the town of fictional town of Tuna, Texas. Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm at the Linda Norris Auditorium -- $10=$15

See How They Run
Friday-Sunday: Curtain Call Theater presents the holiday comedy See How They Run. "A delightful farce set in an English vicarage, populated by an American actor and actress, a cockney maid, and four men in clergy suits." Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, Sunday at 2 pm -- $20

Disney on Ice
Friday-Sunday: The touring Disney on Ice show is at the TU Center. It has a Frozen them, because of course it does. Friday-Sunday various times and prices

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Friday-Sunday: A production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever will be at Cohoes Music Hall. "The Herdmans are the worst kids in the history of the world-so when they crash Sunday school and demand parts in the Christmas pageant, the whole town panics." A Park Playhouse production. Thursday-Sunday various times -- $25 / $15 kids 12 and under

A Christmas Carol
Friday-Sunday: Home Made Theater presents the Dickens holiday classic A Christmas Carol. Friday 7:30 pm, Saturday and Sunday 1 pm -- $18 / $12 for kids under 12

The Game's Afoot
Friday-Sunday: Consortium Actors present The Game's Afoot or Holmes for the Holidays, comedy/mystery inspired by Sherlock Holmes. Friday 8 pm, Saturday 2 pm and 8 pm, Sunday 2 pm -- $15 / $12 students and seniors

American Soup with Andy Warhol
Friday-Sunday: iTheater Saratoga Presents American Soup with Andy Warhol, at the National Museum of Dance. It's "a celebration of pop culture and the landmarks of history on the evolution of the American spirit, all set to iconic music from the last 50 years." Friday and Saturday 7:30pm, Sunday 2 pm -- $25 / $15 for students

Comedy

Steve Caouette
Friday-Saturday: The Comedy Works in Saratoga hosts actor comedian Steve Caouette. Friday and Saturday various times and prices

Mark Normand
Friday-Sunday: Stand-up artist Mark Normand plays the Albany Funny Bone. Friday-Sunday various times and prices

Friday Night Improv: Down the Rabbit Hole at MopCo
Friday: MopCo presents improv comedy troupe Down the Rabbit Hole with musical guest Tom McWatters. Friday at 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

A Rocky Horror Christmas Show
Friday: The Madison Theater hosts The Kids of Albany Rocky Horror Christmas Show with a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show accompanied by a live shadow cast performance. Bring stockings for elves to fill with candy. Friday 8 pm -- $10

Madison Theater
This weekend at The Madison Theater: The Polar Express, It's a Wonderful Life, It and Howeds.

Saturday morning cereal bowl, holiday edition
Saturday: Proctors hosts the Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl -- three hours of cartoons and all the breakfast cereal you can eat. This weekend's cartoons are holiday themed. Saturday 10 am -- $9 / $6 for kids 12 and under

Hoops

Saturday: The UAlbany men's team takes on Canisius at SEFCU Arena. Saturday 7 pm -- $8 and up

Sunday: The UAlbany women's team takes on St. Bonaventure at SEFCU Arena. Sunday 2 pm -- $8 and up

Sunday:Siena's women take on Sacred Heart at the on-campus ARC. Sunday 2 pm -- $10 / $5 kids

Skating

Empire State Plaza
The skating rink at the Empire State Plaza opens this weekend. The rink will be open seven days a week from 11 am to 8 pm (closed 3-4 pm for maintenance), weather permitting. And it's free to skate. Skate rental is $4 for adults / $3 for kids 12 and under / and free on Fridays. (A photo ID is required for skate rental.)

Swinburne Park
The skating rink at Albany's Swinburne Park opens for the season Friday at 3 pm. (See the link for the schedule.) It's $1 to skate / 50 cents for under 18 / 25 cents for seniors / skate rental is $3.

Music

Friday: Mendelssohn Club Holiday Concert at The Egg
"The Mendelssohn Club of Albany is its 109th season, presents 'Class and Brass.'" 7:30 pm - $20

Friday: Mountain Snow Orchestra at The Egg
"John Kirk, Brian Melick and Kevin McKrell have been bringing Christmas cheer to audiences for years as the 'orchestra' for the annual Mountain Snow Mistletoe Show. This year they will be joined by the 'new' McKrells and their Celtic-influenced 'folkgrass' for a down home evening of holiday music, merriment and mischief." 8 pm -- $28

Friday: Gibson Brothers: North Country Christmas at Proctors
Bluegrass. 7:30 pm -- $30 and up

Friday: Broadside at The Hollow
Pop punk. 8:30 pm -- $14

Saturday: Shemekia Copeland at The Massry Center
Soul/blues/R&B. 8 pm -- $35

Saturday: Magpie and Kim & Reggie Harris: Sing Solstice at Proctors
An 8th Step show. 7:30 pm -- $26 and up

Saturday: Boy Named Banjo at Caffe Lena
Americana. With: Richie & Rosie. 8 pm -- $18

Saturday: Lord Electro at Parish Public House
Jam. With: The Edd, Sun House. 9 pm -- $10

Sunday: Albany Pro Musica The Many Moods of Christmas at Troy Music Hall
"This year's program features Ola Gjeilo's stunning 'Dreamweaver' and Robert Shaw's exhilarating collection, 'The Many Moods of Christmas, suite three.'" 3 pm - $25 and up

Museums/galleries

ACG Member Show
Friday: Albany Center Gallery opens its annual Members Show for local and regional artists. The show opens Friday with a reception that is free and open to the public. The show runs through January 12.

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.

Hyde Collection
The Hyde Collection recently opened a a touring exhibit of folk art (on display through the end of 2017). The new Feibes & Schmitt Gallery is also now open. And it's pay-what-you-wish admission during December.

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

The Clark
The Clark has a good permanent collection, and The Impressionist Line: From Degas to Toulouse-Lautrec is currently on display.

Rockwell
The Norman Rockwell Museum is just over the Massachusetts border in Stockbridge.

Arkell
The Arkell is an easy drive out west to Canajoharie. It currently works by Cassatt, Homer, O'Keeffe, Grandma Moses, Whistler on display.

Baseball Hall of Fame
Baseball fans could probably spend most of the day at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

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

The Albany Institute, the Mop & Bucket Company, and Troy Music Hall advertise on AOA. And AOA is a sponsor of the ESP ice rink and the Santa Speedo Sprint.