Stuff to do this weekend
The Freihofer's Run for Women is in Albany Saturday. / photo courtesy of Freihofer's Run For Women
If you're bored this weekend...
You know what? There's really no way you should be bored this weekend. We almost ran out of pixels listing all of the stuff there is to do this weekend. You can run, you can swim, you can eat all sorts of foods, see shows, watch a ball game, listen to music, try drawing comics -- and that's really just the beginning.
Take a look at what we've pulled together for you and make your plan. And, as always, if you're 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!
1st Friday
Friday: Participating shops and galleries are open late for Albany's 1st Friday art walk.
+ The Massry Gallery at The College of Saint Rose opens a new faculty exhibit featuring 19 artists.
+ The Albany Institute of History and Art is open late and admission is free
+ The Albany Barn hosts a pop-up exhibition and vendor fair
+ The Albany Elks Club hosts the monthly 1st Friday swing dance with with Allan Thomson's Little Big Band. 8 pm -- $15
+ Iron Gate Cafe is open for a grand reopening party
Freihofer's Run For Women
Saturday: The Freihofer Run for Women returns to Albany for its 40th year. Thousands of women of all ages will compete in the annual 5K race past the Capitol and around Washington Park. Online registration has closed, but there's last-chance registration at the Health and Fitness Expo at the The Armory at Sage College on New Scotland Ave Thursday and Friday. Also: Keep an eye out for road closures and parking restrictions related to the race. Saturday starting at 8:30 am
Festivals
PolishFest
Friday-Sunday: The Blessed Virgin Mary of Czestochowa Church in Latham is throwing a PolishFest, featuring Polish food, music, art language, and culture. Friday 4-9 pm, Saturday noon-9 pm, Sunday noon-6 pm -- $5 admission
St. Basil Greek Festival
Friday-Sunday: St. Basil's in Troy hosts its annual Greek Festival. Greek food, music, dance and culture. Friday 5-10 pm, Saturday noon-10 pm, Sunday noon-5 pm -- free admission
Freedom Festival
Saturday: The Sanctuary for Independent Media hosts its annual Freedom Festival in Troy's Freedom Square with performances by Bell's Roar and Donfons, along with food, activities, and more. Saturday 3-6 pm -- free
Armenian Festival
Saturday-Sunday: St. Peter Armenian Church in Watervliet hosts its annual Armenian Festival this weekend with authentic Armenian foods, dancing, craft vendors, and carnival games for kids. Saturday noon-8 pm, Sunday noon-4 pm -- free admission
Schenectady's Kids' Arts Festival
Saturday: The annual Kids Arts Festival returns to Jay and Franklin Streets in downtown Schenectady. More than 50 groups will offer painting, dancing, sculpting, performing, and other opportunities for young people. Saturday noon-4 pm -- free admission
Fam (Fashion, Art, Music) Fest
Saturday: The Grand Street Community Arts Center hosts the FAM (Fashion Arts Music) Fest. There's a free community block party from 1-4 pm with music, art, vendors, and more. The fashion show follows with clothing by local designers and music performances from MTV's P. Muna and the 1991 tour, TRUTH, Neighborhood Nick, Keem, Ozymandias, and special performance from high school freshman Kerorie. Saturday 6 pm -- $10
Lupine Fest
Saturday: The Albany Pine Bush Preserve hosts its annual Lupine Festival, with music, crafts, kids activities, and more. Saturday 10 am- 4 pm -- free
VegFest
Saturday: VegFest returns to the Polish Community Center on Washington Ave Ext in Albany. Vegetarian food, speakers, exhibitors and more. Saturday 10 am-5 pm -- free admission
Cambridge Valley Balloon Festival
Friday-Sunday: The Cambridge Valley Balloon Festival will be in and around the village of Cambridge in Washington County this weekend. In addition to the balloons (daytime and moonglow launches), there will be a Taste of Cambridge food event, a craft fair, farmers' market, museum tour, concerts, car show, and other events. Friday-Sunday various times -- free admission
Elvis Festival
Friday-Sunday: It's Elvis Fest weekend in Lake George. Tribute artists will dress as The King for shows, cruises, competitions, and more. Friday-Sunday various times and prices
Pride
The annual Capital Pride celebration is gaining momentum with events this week and next. There's a Pride kick-off barbecue at the Washington Park Lakehouse Thursday (5-8 pm). And the Alt-Prom for teens is Friday at the Albany Capital Center ($20).
Note: The big Pride weekend is not this weekend but next -- with the Black and Latino Gray Pride celebration on Saturday and the Capital Pride parade and festival that Sunday.
Puerto Rico on My Mind
Friday: The Cultural Empowerment & Community Engagement Center in Albany and Capital District LATINOS host Puerto Rico on My Mind, an afternoon/evening of art, music and events to honor Puerto Rico and those affected by Hurricane Maria. Friday 1-7:30 pm -- free
Arena football
Saturday: The Albany Empire takes on the Baltimore Brigade at the TU Center. Saturday 7 pm -- $15-$75
miSci After Dark: Brains & Games
Saturday: miSci hosts another After Dark program for adults featuring games, innovations, full museum access, a bar, science demonstrations, and a planetarium show. The theme this time around is "Brains & Games," in connection with the museum's BRAIN: The World Inside Your Head exhibit. (It's 21 and over.) Saturday 5:30-9:30 pm -- $12 ahead / $15 at the door
Swimming
Weather permitting, the beaches are open at Moreau and Grafton Lakes State Parks. 10 am-6 pm
Albany Comic Con
Sunday: The Red Lion Hotel on Wolf Road hosts the Albany Comic Con. Vendors, collectibles, panels, and guests. Sunday 10 am-5 pm -- $8 general admission
Stage
On Your Feet!
Thursday-Sunday: A touring production of the musical On Your Feet! is at Proctors. It's about Emilio and Gloria Estefan. "From international superstardom to life-threatening tragedy, ON YOUR FEET! takes you behind the music and inside the real story of this record-making and groundbreaking couple who, in the face of adversity, found a way to end up on their feet." Thursday-Sunday various times -- $20 and up
La Ronde
Friday-Saturday: Troy Foundry presents La Ronde at Frear House (113 2nd St. in Troy). It's an immersive theater experience in which you select a character to follow through the piece. "The original text for LA RONDE was written by Viennese author and dramatist Arthur Schnitzler. Named for a type of dance, the audience meets 10 individuals who exchange sexual partners throughout the piece. Considered scandalous for its indictment of sexuality among the upper, educated class, Schnitzler's piece acted as an expose of the hypocritical attitudes of his time. The play was banned by censors preventing its first public performance until 1920, 23 years after it had been written." Thursday-Sunday 8 pm -- $15 / $10 students, seniors, veterans
Next Act! New Play Summit
Saturday-Monday: Proctors and the Rep will host the Next Act! New Play Summit this weekend with discussions and performances of new works. Saturday-Monday, various times and prices
Last of the Red Hot Lovers
Friday-Sunday: Classic Theater Guild presents a production of Neil Simon's Last of the Red Hot Lovers on the stage at Schenectady Light Opera Company. Friday and Saturday 7:30 pm, Sunday 2 pm -- $20 / $18 for students and seniors
Don't Dress for Dinner
Friday-Sunday: Curtain Call Theater presents the farce Don't Dress for Dinner. Friday and Saturday 8 pm, Sunday 3 pm -- $19.50
The Importance of Being Earnest
Saturday-Sunday: Sand Lake Center for the Arts presents The Importance of Being Ernest. Friday and Saturday 8 pm, Sunday 2 pm -- $18 / $10 for kids
Damn Yankees
Friday-Sunday: The Mac-Haydn Theater in Chatham has a production of Damn Yankees. Friday-Saturday various times and prices
Backbeard the Musical
Friday-Sunday: The Theatre Institute at Sage presents Backbeard The Musical. It's a new new musical about a hairy pirate, based on Sage faculty member Matthew McElligott's children's book series. Friday-Sunday various times -- $15 / $12 students, seniors, kids
Rebel, Rebel: A Burlesque Tribute to Star Wars
Friday: Two Penny Nerdlesque presents "Rebel, Rebel: A Burlesque Tribute to Star Wars" at the MopCo Improv Theater. Friday 8 pm -- $10 / $6 for students and seniors
Comedy
Damon Williams
Friday-Sunday: Damon Williams headlines at the Albany Funny Bone this weekend. Friday-Sunday various times and prices
Ray Harrington
Friday-Saturday: Ray Harrington headlines at The Comedy Works in Saratoga this weekend. Friday-Saturday various times and prices
Mick Treadwell's 10 North Jay
Saturday: MopCo presents Mick Treadwell's 10 North Jay, an improv variety show with games, songs and scenes based entirely on audience suggestion. Sunday 5 pm -- $10 / $5 kids, students, and seniors
American Music Festival
Thursday-Sunday: The Albany Symphony's annual American Music Festival has multiple events in Troy. Festival blurbage:
Hear more than 25 new works by 18 American composers, including 14 stunning world premieres by today's best composers. American master, David Del Tredici returns to the Albany Symphony for a performance of "Adventures Underground," one of his most famous works inspired by the literary classic "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and Water Music NY composer Loren Loiacono premieres a brand new Piano Concerto with the Albany Symphony on Saturday, June 2, 2018.
An all-festival pass is $99. But the cap to the festival is a free Albany Symphony concert in Troy's Riverfront Park on Sunday that starts at 7:30 pm.
Music
Thursday: Séan McCann at Caffe Lena
From Great Big Sea. 7 pm -- $18
Thursday: Radiator King, Tears of Joy, Abbey McGrath at Pauly's
Punk blues + indie + singer/songwriter. 8:30 pm -- $7
Friday: The Sea The Sea at The Hollow
Indie folk pop. 8 pm -- $12
Friday: Brick + Mortar, The Unlikely Candidates at Lucky Strike Jupiter Hall
Indie rock. 7 pm -- $15
Friday: Lara Hope and The Ark Tones
Rockabilly/roots. (Free dance lesson at 7 pm.) 8 pm -- $15
Friday: Marcia Ball at The Upper Room
"Gulf Coast blues, New Orleans R&B, swampy Louisiana ballads, and jumping, Tex-?Mex flavored zydeco..." 7 pm -- $30 and up
Saturday: Start Making Sense at Cohoes Music Hall
Talking Heads tribute. 8 pm -- $22
Sunday: Festival of Young Artists at SPAC
Featuring Empire State Youth Orchestra, Northeast Ballet Company, and the Capital District Youth Chorale. 2 pm -- free (registration required)
Sunday: The Suitcase Junket at Caffe Lena
One-man band. 7 pm -- $22
Film
RBG
The documentary RBG -- about Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- is playing at The Spectrum. It's gotten good reviews.
Movie in Wiswall Park
Friday: Summer outdoor movie season begins in Ballston Spa's Wiswall Park with a screening of Despicable Me 3. Friday 8:30 pm -- free admission
Drive-ins
Drive-in movie season has returned. Here's what's playing:
+ Malta: Screen 1: Solo: A Star Wars Story, Infinity War / Screen 2: Deadpool 2, Break In
+ Hollywood: Solo, Avengers Infinity War
+ Jericho Drive-in: Solo, A Wrinkle in Time
Baseball
Saturday-Sunday: The Albany Dutchmen take on the Oneonta Outlaws at Siena College Ballpark this weekend. Saturday and Sunday 5 pm -- $5 / $4 students and seniors / $3 youth
Touch-A-Truck
Saturday: The Albany Junior League is hosting a "Touch a Truck" event in the Gold Parking Lot of the uptown UAlbany campus. More than 30 different trucks, plus bounce houses and other family-friendly activities. Saturday 10 am-3 pm (the first two hours are horn free for kids with sensitive ears) -- $8 kids / $2 adult / kids under 2 free / VIP packages available
Capital Region Parade of Homes
Saturday-Sunday: This is the first weekend of the Capital Region Parade of Homes. It's a self-guided tour through award-winning decorated homes in the region. Saturday-Sunday 11 am - 5 pm -- $20
Comic Jam
Saturday: Ira Marcks hosts another
Museums/galleries/talks/walks
Birds of Oakwood Cemetery
Saturday: The Friends of Oakwood Cemetery are hosting a bird walk through the cemetery, home to many species of migratory birds. (Bring binoculars.) Saturday 8 am (rain date: Sunday) -- $15
Saratoga Auto Museum
The Saratoga Auto Museum in Spa State Park opens a new cars of the 1950s exhibit this weekend.
Saratoga Antique Bottle Show & Sale
Sunday: The National Bottle Museum's annual Saratoga Bottle Antique Show & Sale returns to the Saratoga County Fairgrounds. Sunday 9 am-2:30 pm -- $5 / $1 kids 12 and under
Dangerous Frontier Living History Weekend
Saturday-Sunday: Mabee Farm will transform into a French and Indian War era outpost on the Mohawk Frontier this weekend with cannons, muskets, re-enactors, and demonstrations. Saturday and Sunday 10 am-5 pm -- $10 per car
The Last Circle of Ulysses Grant
Friday: Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga hosts author Robert C. Conner, former Grant Cottage Interpreter, for a reading and discussion about The Last Circle of Ulysses Grant, his novel about Grant's last days. Friday 6 pm -- free admission
USS Slater
The USS Slater is open for the season.
State Museum
The State Museum has a few new exhibits: "A small fort, which our people call Fort Orange" and Art of the Erie Canal.
Hyde Collection
The Hyde Collection recently a opened an exhibit of work by Rockwell Kent. (On display through July 22.)
Albany Institute
The Albany Institute of History and Art has mummies and Hudson River School paintings, and this is the last weekend for the the Dahl Taylor Addy exhibit, and the second-to-last weekend for Along the Eastern Road: Hiroshige's Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido.
Farmers markets
+ The Troy Waterfront Farmers Market is outdoors on River Street. Saturday 9 am-2 pm
+ The Delmar Farmers Market is outside at Bethlehem Central Middle School. Saturday 9 am-1 pm
+ The Saratoga Farmers' Market is outside at High Rock Park. Saturday 9 am-1 pm
+The Colonie Farmers' Market is at The Crossings. Saturday 9 am-1 pm
+ The Schenectady Greenmarket is outdoors around City Hall. Sunday 10 am-2 pm
+ The Spa City Farmers' Market is outside at 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, Mop & Bucket Company, and Northshire advertise on AOA.
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Comments
Spring Fly-In Breakfast!!
Saturday, June 2, 8 am to Noon at the Kline Kill Airport (NY1) in West Ghent, NY. See our beautiful airplanes, some large, some small, mostly home-built.
Everyone is welcome!
We put on a great pancake & egg breakfast!
http://www.eaa146.org/
... said SALLY on Jun 1, 2018 at 1:58 PM | link
The Pony Barn cocktail lounge at June Farms opens up this Friday, June 1st! Our hours are June-August, Wed-Sat 5-11pm, and Sundays from 11am-4pm for a cocktail brunch and Family Fun Day! Reservations not necessary, but encouraged. To make a reservation call or text (518) 888-2988 or visit JuneFarms.com for more info! We will also have a farm tour guide on Wed-Sat nights to give you a guided tour of the farm on our new fleet of golf carts! We hope to see you at June Farms!
... said Alison Szczawinski on Jun 1, 2018 at 4:16 PM | link
Aleda or The Flight of the Suff Bird Women
June 8 @ 7pm
June 9 @ 7pm
June 10 @ 5pm
CLYNK, Glenville Business & Technology Park
Aleda is a one-act chamber opera in three scenes commissioned and produced by Musicians of Ma’alwyck, Ann-Marie Barker Schwartz, Director, with music and libretto written by Max Caplan, Stage Direction by Krysta Dennis, and Musical Direction by Timothy Reno.
Set in Staten Island in 1916, the opera tells the true story of a unique women's suffrage demonstration attempted by early female pilot Leda Richberg-Hornsby and the National American Woman Suffrage Association (N.A.W.S.A.). Equipped with a bi-plane, a cargo of votes-for-women petitions, and a huge banner reading "Women want liberty too," the suffragists endeavored to fly over New York Harbor during a national celebration at the Statue of Liberty in order to "bomb" President Woodrow Wilson with petitions. While ending in failure, the attempt stands as a testimony to the courage and inventiveness of these women in their struggle for the right to vote. The presentation of the opera coincides with the 100th anniversary year of the passing of women suffrage in New York State. The performance will open with “Burden of the Ballot,” a one-act play written by Dr. Krysta Dennis, taking place in May 1917 at Historic Cherry Hill in Albany, that depicts the debate of this important movement in American history. The unique performance venue, a 1942 Navy warehouse built to service aircraft, lends itself beautifully to this compelling story of the suffrage movement. Learn more about the Aleda story and the talent behind this extraordinary and cutting edge production at http://musiciansofmaalwyck.org/aleda/. Ticket prices $25/$10.
... said Irene DeGraff on Jun 1, 2018 at 4:17 PM | link