All Over Albany

Photos from AOA5

Here are a bunch of photos from AOA's 5th birthday party Thursday. It was great to see so many people -- both to meet some for the first time, and to catch up with others we don't see often enough.

Many thanks to the City Beer Hall for putting together some very tasty food and making sure everything went smoothly. And thank you to Andy Kainz Photography for the photos.

There probably weren't a lot of people who thought AOA would make it five years -- we're not sure we would have predicted it! We greatly appreciate all the support over the years. Thank you.

(there's more)

AOA birthday drawing #5 Albany Food & Drink

Crocuses-- one of the first local signs of spring.

This week, AOA celebrates our 5th birthday -- and you get the presents. Each day this week we'll hold a drawing for another birthday present. You can enter every day to win all kinds of good stuff.

Today's birthday drawing prize is a basket full of food and drink from Albany. It includes:

+A $50 gift certificate for The Wine Bar and Bistro on Lark
+A $25 gift certificate for Crisan
+A bottle of sparkling wine and $25 gift certificate for Capital Wine
+A $25 gift certificate to Red Poppies Polish Pantry
+A sweatshirt and bottle of Coal Yard New Make Rye from Albany Distilling Company.

To enter, just answer the question below in the comment section of this post.

We're finally noticing some signs of spring in the Capital Region. What's your favorite local sign of spring?

Maybe it's the warmer weather, or the crocuses or tulips, or the ice cream stands. Tell us what gets you excited about the season.

We'll pick one winner at random.

Important: All comments must be submitted by noon on Saturday, April 20, 2013 to be entered in the drawing. You must answer the question to be part of the drawing. (Regular commenting guidelines apply.) One entry per person, please. You must enter a valid email address (that you check regularly) with your comment. The winner will be notified via email by 2 pm on Saturday and must respond by noon on Tuesday, April 23.

AOA Birthday drawing #4: A Taste of Albany + All Good Bakers + The Cheese Traveler

From a previous year's Taste of Albany.

This week, AOA celebrates our 5th birthday -- and you get the presents. Each day this week we'll hold a drawing for another birthday present. You can enter every day to win all kinds of good stuff.

Drawing's closed! Winner's been emailed!

Today birthday drawing prize: Two tickets to the Taste of Albany May 2 at the State Museum. The fundraiser for the Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless will include samples of food from more than 30 Capital Region restaurants.

But, wait, there's more! The winner will also receive a $50 gift certificate from All Good Bakers on Delaware Ave in Albany, and a cheese plate for ten from The Cheese Traveler next door.

Because today is the AOA Birthday Party, we thought it'd be fun to ask this question for the drawing:

What's your favorite AOA story, recurring feature, item, or thing of all time?

Answer the question in the comments, and you're entered. We'll pick one winner at random.

A Taste of Albany is from 6-8 pm May 2 on the State Museum mezzanine. Tickets are $70 each ($60 for people under $30) -- there's also a $150 VIP ticket that includes a special pre-event reception.

All Good Bakers -- a farm-to-bakery cafe -- is at 540 Delaware Ave in Albany. The Cheese Traveler is right next door and offers hand-crafted cheeses, meats, and specialty foods, as well as meat from Tilldale Farm.

Important: All comments must be submitted by 11 am on Friday, April 18, 2013 to be entered in the drawing. You must answer the question to be part of the drawing. (Regular commenting guidelines apply.) One entry per person, please. You must enter a valid email address (that you check regularly) with your comment. The winner will be notified via email by 2 pm on Friday and must respond by noon on Monday, April 22.

photo: Bennett Campbell

AOA Birthday drawing #3: Basket of Adk Grazers beef, Bilinski's sausage, ingredients from Honest Weight, Larry's Southwest Sauces

Cattle in the pasture at White Clover Farm in Washington County, one of the farms in the Adirondack Grazers Cooperative.

This week, AOA celebrates our 5th birthday -- and you get the presents. Each day this week we'll hold a drawing for another birthday present. You can enter every day to win all kinds of good stuff.

Drawing's closed!

Today's birthday drawing: a basket of all kinds of local deliciousness you can use to put together some great dinners.

+ From:Larry's Southwest Sauces: An assortment of delicious sauces & recipes 
+ From Biliniski's: A 6 pack of assorted flavors of Bilinski chicken sausage
+ A box of steak from the Adirondack Grazers local beef coop: 2 sirloin tip steaks, 2 ribeye steaks, 2 NY strips and one large sirloin "cowboy steak."
+ And a $50 Honest Weight for other assorted ingredients.

To enter, answer the following question in the comment section of this post:

AOA is celebrating five years this week. What's the best thing about being five?

We'll draw one winner at random.

Important: All comments must be submitted by 11:30 am on Thursday, April 18, 2013 to be entered in the drawing. You must answer the question to be part of the drawing. (Regular commenting guidelines apply.) One entry per person, please. You must enter a valid email address (that you check regularly) with your comment. The winner will be notified via email by 5 pm on Thursday and must respond by noon on Friday, April 19.

AOA birthday drawing #2 MASS MoCA + Gramercy Bistro

From the Sol LeWitt installation at MASS MoCA.

This week, AOA celebrates our 5th birthday -- and you get the presents. Each day this week we'll hold a drawing for another birthday present. You can enter every day to win all kinds of good stuff.

Drawing's closed! Winner's been emailed!

Today's birthday drawing is for one of our favorite Capital Region road trips -- a visit to MASS MoCA and lunch at the Gramercy Bistro in North Adams, Massachusetts. The prize includes:

+ Four passes to MASS MoCA
+ Lunch for two (up to $40) at Gramercy Bistro

To enter, answer the following question in the comment section of this post:

There are so many great road trips you can make within an hour or so of the Capital Region. What's your favorite Capital Region road trip?

Tell us where you like to go and what you like to do there, so the rest of the crowd can try it sometime.

We'll draw one winner at random.

Important: All comments must be submitted by 11am on Wednesday, April 17, 2013 to be entered in the drawing. You must answer the question to be part of the drawing. (Regular commenting guidelines apply.) One entry per person, please. You must enter a valid email address (that you check regularly) with your comment. The winner will be notified via email by 5 pm on Wednesday and must respond by noon on Thursday, April 18.

AOA Birthday drawing #1: New World/Spectrum

A $300 gift certificate to New World + 4 tickets to The Spectrum. Happy birthday!

This week, AOA celebrates our 5th birthday -- and you get the presents. Each day this week we'll hold a drawing for another birthday present. You can enter every day to win all kinds of good stuff.

Drawing's closed!

First up: Dinner and a movie.

A $300 gift certificate to New World Bistro Bar and a four-pack of tickets to The Spectrum.

One winner will be able to treat friends to a great night out for dinner at New World and a movie at The Spectrum.

To enter today's drawing, just leave your answer to this question in the comments:

How would you want to celebrate your birthday in the Capital Region?

Maybe it's dinner at your favorite restaurant, maybe it's a show, maybe it's something totally off-beat.

We'll draw one winner at random.

Important: All comments must be submitted by 10 am on Tuesday, April 16, 2013 to be entered in the drawing. You must answer the question to be part of the drawing. (Regular commenting guidelines apply.) One entry per person, please. You must enter a valid email address (that you check regularly) with your comment. The winner will be notified via email by 5 pm on Tuesday and must respond by noon on Wednesday, April 17.

AOA Birthday Party 5

Update: OK, so the party filled up in about three hours. That was fast. There's a waitlist at Eventbrite, and we just released a bunch of spots to people on the waitlist Wednesday morning. In past years, spots have continued to open up as the date nears, so if you'd like to attend please sign up for the waitlist. Thank you!

AOA is now five years old -- hey, we're surprised, too! So we're having a party. And you're invited. (Of course.)

We'll be celebrating at the City Beer Hall in Albany on April 18 from 5:30 pm until 8:30 pm. There will be free snacks, cake, and a lot of interesting people.

Because space is limited, we do ask that you RSVP at the linked Eventbrite page. The party fills up fast every year.

See you there!