All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

Welcome to our weekly look at stuff to do this weekend, cleverly titled, Stuff to Do This Weekend.

After the jump, a few things we thought might interest you. Planning to do something that didn't make our list? Let us know about it.

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

Wine and Dine for the Arts
Friday-Saturday: The annual Wine and Dine for the Arts festival returns to downtown Albany. (This year's main location will be at the Empire State Plaza.) The multi-day event includes tastings, chefs and restaurants, seminars, and competitions for sliders and bartenders. Friday-Saturday various times and prices

Monster Jam
Saturday-Sunday: Monster Jam is back at the Times Union Center. Monster truck racing and freestyle competition. Saturday 1 pm and 7 pm, Sunday 1 pm -- $18 and up

Martin Luther King Jr.

The Dr. King Challenge
Friday: Skidmore College hosts the Dr. King Challenge, an evening of spoken word, music, and performance art examining injustice and creating community. Friday 7 pm

Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration
Sunday: Schenectady County Community College hosts a celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., featuring keynote speaker Michael A. Blake, State Assembly member and DNC Vice Chair. Sunday 2:30 pm

Comedy

Storytime Time
Friday: MopCo presents Storytime Time, Ethan Ullman's series of stories that are funny and true. Friday 8 pm -- $10 / $6 for students and seniors

Jim Florentine
Friday-Saturday: Crank Yankers guest and VH1 That Metal Show host Jim Florentine is at The Comedy Works in Saratoga this weekend. Friday and Saturday, various times and prices

TheaterSports
Saturday: The Mop & Bucket Company opens its season of TheaterSports at the MopCo Improv Theater. Teams of improvisors compete by creating games, stories and songs based on audience suggestion. Saturday 8 pm -- $10 / $6 for students and seniors

Film

It Came From Schenectady: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Friday: It Came From Schenectady presents a screening of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas at the GE theater at Proctors. As with all ICFS evenings there will be prizes, surprises, comfy couches, and themed drinks. Friday 7 pm -- $9 / $6 for students and seniors

Bob Dylan: Trouble No More
Saturday-Sunday: The Addy at Proctors is screening Bob Dylan: Trouble No More. Saturday-Sunday various times -- $9 / $6 students and seniors

Hockey

RPI
Friday-Saturday: The RPI men's hockey team is at home this weekend with games against St. Lawrence on Friday and Clarkson on Saturday. Friday and Saturday 7 pm --$12 / $9 kids and seniors

Union
Friday-Saturday: The Union men's hockey team has the opposite schedule, with games at the Mesa Rink against Clarkson and St. Lawrence. Friday and Saturday 7 pm -- $12

Hoops

UAlbany women
+ Saturday: The UAlbany women's basketball team faces Maine at SEFCU Arena. 2 pm -- $10
+ Monday: The Great Danes take on Binghamton at home. Monday 2 pm -- $10

Arts Feast benefit for RISSE
Friday: RISSE center for refugees and immigrants hosts Arts Feast, a benefit art show and sale with food, music, poetry performances celebrating refugees and immigrants in the Capital Region. Friday, 5:30-8:30 pm -- free admission but donations are welcome

Volume Music and Reading series
Saturday: The Spotty Dog in Hudson hosts the Volume's Music and Reading Series with novelists Taylor Larsen, Rolling Stone's Joe Hagan, and writer/editor Michele Filgate, plus a post-reading DJ set by Samantha Hunt. Saturday 7 pm -- free admission

Music

Friday: Ja Rule at Upstate Concert Hall
Hip hop. With: PaPa Shallah, Nemesis of Mind Over Matter, Youseff Milad, DJ IROC. 8 pm -- $25 ahead / $28 day of

Friday: Ominous Seapods at Cohoes Music Hall
Blues/folk still jamming. (The Saturday show is sold out.) 8 pm -- $22 ahead / $27 day of

Friday-Saturday: Chris Smither at Caffe Lena
Singer/songwriter. 8 pm -- $30

Friday: Elvis Birthday Bash with Mark Gamsjager & The Lustre Kings
As it says. 9 pm -- $20 ahead / $25 day of

Saturday: WAR at The Egg
"Lonnie Jordan, original lead singer, keyboardist and musical director brings the legendary band WAR and its signature mix of funk, jazz, R&B and Rock & Roll to the stage for an evening of classics..." 8 pm -- $34.50 and up

Saturday: Carolyn Wonderland at The Massry Center
Blues/soul. 8 pm -- $25 / $10 students

Sunday: Schenectady Symphony Orchestra at Proctors
"The Adventures of Boof Margarine, by filmmaker/composer Dave Keen who is a Niskayuna native, pays homage to the silent comedies of the golden era of cinema." 3 pm -- $12 and up

Sunday: Albany Pro Musica High School Choral Festival at Troy Music Hall
"Choirs from local high schools will all perform individually, followed by a grand finale - 260 voices and instrumentalists under the baton of APM Artistic Director José Daniel Flores-Caraballo." Sunday 5 pm -- $15 / $5 students

Sunday: McKinley James at The Ale House Rockabilly. 8 pm -- $10

Sunday-Monday: Deeper Than the Skin: Greg Greenway and Reggie Harris Celebrate MLK, Jr. at Caffe Lena
"With beautifully performed songs and words, they share a compelling story of racial injustice faced down with creative resistance, friendship, music and joy." 7 pm -- $22

Skating

Empire State Plaza
The skating rink at the Empire State Plaza is closed Friday because of the weather. If you're going this weekend, check before heading out. The rink is usually 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 is open for the season. (See the link for the schedule.) It's $1 to skate / 50 cents for under 18 / 25 cents for seniors / skate rental is $3.

Museums/galleries

State Museum
The State Museum continues its Votes for Women, 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 opens Alphonse Mucha: Master of Art Nouveau this Sunday. And the new Feibes & Schmitt Gallery is also now open.

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 it will be open 10 am-5 pm on Monday.

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

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 inside the Lincoln Baths. Sunday 10 am-2 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 and the Mop & Bucket Company advertise on AOA. And AOA is a sponsor of the ESP ice rink.