All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

Happy holidays!

We've compiled a few things to do this pre-holiday weekend, but our best advice -- use the time to be with some of the people you love. Relax, unplug for a while, and have some fun.

Doing something you don't see on our list? Tell us about it in the comment section, and whatever you're up to, have a safe and happy holiday 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

It's a Wonderful Life
Friday: The Palace Theater is screening the classic holiday film It's a Wonderful Life. Friday 7 pm -- $5

A Garfield Christmas
Friday: Proctors presents A Garfield Christmas, a holiday musical featuring the famed lasagne-loving feline. Friday at 8 pm -- $20 to $40

Pony in the Pancake Holiday Show
Friday: Pony in the Pancake holds its annual holiday show at The Low Beat with guests Richard Spataro, Haley Moly, Los Espejos ,and Electric Turtle. Friday at 8 pm

Holidelic
Friday-Saturday: Holiday-funk spectacular featuring Holidelic is Helsinki Hudson. Friday and Saturday 9 pm -- $25

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

Stage

She Loves Me
Friday-Sunday: Capital Rep wraps up its production of She Loves Me this weekend. "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

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 8 pm, Sunday 2 pm -- $20

Bing Bamboo Room Burlesque
Saturday: The Bing Bamboo Room hosts a holiday-themed Burlesque show at Hudson Harbor Steak and Seafood. Saturday 7 pm -- $20

Comedy

Comedy's Best Kept Secret Tour
Saturday: Brett Druck and Dan Frigolette bring Comedy's Best Kept Secret Tour to The Comedy Works in Saratoga. Saturday 7:30 pm -- $15 ahead / $20 day of

Erik Myers
Friday-Saturday: Erik Myers headlines at the Albany Funny Bone. Friday-Saturday -- various times and prices.

Maestro at MopCo
Friday: MopCo presents Maestro -- improvisors compete against each other, creating games stories, scenes and songs based on audience suggestions. 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

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

Proctors films
Friday-Sunday: Proctors screens The Florida Project, Marshall, and Roman J. Israel Esquire this weekend. Screenings will take place in the new 3rd floor Addy theater and in the GE Theater. Friday-Sunday various times -- $6

The Spectrum
The Spectrum is open on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. It's current lineup includes Downsizing, The Shape of Water, Lady Bird, and The Last Jedi.

Hoops

Siena
Friday: The Siena men's basketball team takes on Holy Cross at the Times Union Center. Friday 7 pm -- $10 and up

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.) The rink closes at 4 pm on Christmas Eve and will be closed on Christmas day.

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. The rink is closed on Christmas Day.

Museums/galleries

Be sure to check museum schedules over the next few days because of the holiday.

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 will not be held on Christmas Eve.
+ The Spa City Farmers' Market will not be held on Christmas Eve.

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 The Spectrumadvertise on AOA. And AOA is a sponsor of the ESP ice rink.