Items tagged with 'holidays'
Where to find the fireworks this weekend
Ooooohhh. Aaaahhhhh.
Yes, it's only Tuesday, but we're already thinking about the 4th of July weekend.
And those thoughts sent us searching for the local fireworks displays.
After the jump is a list of what we found.
If we missed one that you like to check out, let us know.
Great local gifts for Valentine's Day
Like those Necco conversation hearts -- but better.
Valentine's Day is nearly here! This means candy, lots of pink and red things, frivolous and sometimes-almost-too adorable paper goods, dinner reservations, flowers and all manner of stuffed animals propped in store windows. Oh... and, you know, letting the people in your life know that you love them.
After all the fuss of the biggest winter holidays has died down, Valentine's Day is a funny little break from the every-day. It's a little bit of warmth in the otherwise totally freezing, month of February.
Lots of Capital Region shops have their share of hearts and flowers but here are four of my favorite local ways to do something special for Valentine's Day.
What are your favorites?
Local holiday gift guide round-up
The Peppermint Pigs from Saratoga Sweets are still one of our favorite holiday gifts.
If you haven't finished (or -- you know -- started) your holiday shopping yet, there's a good chance you're getting a little... what's the word we're looking for? Panicky?
No worries. We've had the AOA elves out compiling a list of local holiday gifts that are fun to give and pretty easy to get.
Check out the full list after the jump. And by all means, if you have a good last-minute gift in mind that you'd like to add, pass it on.
Happy shopping.
Holiday gift guide: Candy!!!
Candy!
If you've been waiting to find the perfect little extra gift, or you're just looking for something nice for someone you know so well, today's gift idea might be just the ticket.
Because let's face it: locally made candy might very well be the best thing since --- well, itself.
Here are a few of my favorite local candy shops and some of their most popular holiday treats:
Holiday gift guide: children's museum memberships
Nothing says happy holidays like exploring earthworms.
Maybe you know some kids that seem to have more stuff than they know what to do with. You want to get them a gift but you don't know what they have, you don't know what they need, and you don't know what the hot new toy is.
Today's holiday gift guide suggestion is something kids can appreciate in December, or in June (and that parents won't have to clean up).
Holiday gift guide: local history
Your Capital Region history questions, answered.
Maybe it's just our inner geek, but we love knowing the back-story about the place we live.
Learning who stayed in that old hotel back in the day, what ghost haunts the music hall or the correct pronunciation of Kosciusko just kinda makes our day in a weird little way.
Today's local holiday gift guide suggestion celebrates exactly that type of local history geekdom.
Holiday gift guide: Rolf's
Smokey holiday goodness.
On the 4th day of the gift guide AOA gives to you:
The gift of meat.
Holiday gift guide: bags at The Paper Sparrow
They're our bag, baby. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
We were Victorian Strolling through Troy last weekend when we popped into The Paper Sparrow to see what new home made goodies Kate had added to her collection.
What we saw on the wall had us digging for our wallets.
Holiday gift guide: Albany Etsy
A little something for everyone.
Internet shopping makes the holidays infinitely easier to battle through, allowing us to avoid the frustrating lines in the mall and the dreaded parking wars.
On the other hand, how does one shop locally while remaining in the comfort of their pjs?
As it turns out, a whole bunch of our favorite local artists, crafters and other awesome gift-makers have shops set up on Etsy!
Here are three sellers who offer items I covet myself but will sacrifice as gifts for those who deserve fantastic local gifts:
The tree is lit -- with a bang
For best results, take a look at it really big.
Sebastien's posted a photo set from the tree lighting Sunday at the ESP.
(This also explains why we heard fireworks last night. It kind of caught us off guard.)
photo: Sebastien B
Tuba Christmas at the ESP
Emails Chris today with word of a brassy event:
Tuba Christmas is a flash mob style concert where by low brass (tubas, French horns, etc.) show up someplace, practice a bunch of Christmas tunes, and then play 'em.
I've attended a bunch of these (in Baltimore, out on the Eastern part of MA) and it's awesome, but they depend on getting the word out.
Chris says the local Tuba Christmas is scheduled for this Sunday at the ESP. From (where else?) tubachristmas.com:
ALBANY - SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6 - TIME: 4:00 pm LOCATION: Empire State Plaza, concourse
REGISTRATION: 12:30 pm Massry Center for the Arts, St. Rose, room 306
REHEARSAL: 1:30 pm same as registration
PARKING: rehearsal is on site, parking for performance is being arranged
CONDUCTOR: David Wampler, Instructor of low brass, College of St. Rose
COORDINATOR: Gregory Clark 315-264-4474
photo: Flickr user celesteh
Donating locally for the holidays
The holiday season is a time when many people are thinking about giving back.
There are lots of wonderful organizations and worthy causes in the Capital Region, and it can be tough to know where to start. We've put together a list of a few local charities that do some very good work, with details on what they need, what not to send and how you can help.
We're sure you know of some others, so please, add your favorites to the list.
Bring a little local something
Mmmmmm....piiiiiiieee
So you're invited to Thanksgiving dinner and you're going to bring something-- because that's the way your mother brought you up.
If you want to bring something with a little local flavor, here are a few ideas. If you have some other favorites, we'd love to hear them.
Gifts that say Albany -- literally
When you visit NYC, you can't throw a snow globe without hitting a Big Apple themed gift. Hats, shirts, mugs stickers, ties, postcards. But if you have friends or relatives visiting the Capital Region, have you noticed that it's nearly impossible to find the same kind of things with an Albany theme? It's the capital city, but can you find an "I heart The Egg" bumper sticker, or an "I got my tan in Albany" t-shirt? Noooooo.
Well, if you're just busting to show your A-Town pride you might find an outlet at CafePress.
There's always room for pie
A plethora of pie!!!
So I stopped into Grandma's pie shop this week, and let's just say you'd never know there was a recession by the look of the dining room. They whole thing has been converted into a sort of "pie holding area," overflowing with boxes marked "from Grandma, with love."
Darcie Cegener, the manager, says by tonight they'll have sold about 5,000 pies for Christmas. The most popular ? Apple, pumpkin, and chocolate.
Five thousand pies is a drop in the bucket. Thanksgiving week they sold 12,000,
So is there one left for you? Yep, but don't dawdle. The pies are going quick, and Grandma closes her doors at 3PM today.
Santa Claus came from Troy?
Santa is a Troy boy?
Quick, who are the most famous legends of Troy? Uncle Sam, Mame Faye...and Santa
Claus.
Santa Claus? Yep, the jolly old elf we know as Santa today first appeared in Troy, N.Y., 185 years ago today.
Well, sort of.
AOA's holiday gift guide
These little piggies are on the AOA holiday gift guide.
OK gang, we're down to the wire on this whole holiday shopping thing. It is officially the time of year when those who haven't finished shopping (or started) might begin to panic.
No need.
We're kind of big on thoughtful gifts here at AOA, so in case you still haven't been able to think of the right gift for someone on your list, we've been compiling a list for you. If you've missed them, after the jump you'll find a list of local gifts we think would be fun to give (or get).
Got some fun favorites that aren't on the list? Help an elf out and post your suggestions.
Don't Bogart the Egg Nog
Just in time for Christmas, The Rev Records has released a holiday album. The Silver Screams Don't Bogart the Eggnog is a collection of original holiday music recorded by A-Town's Bryan Hamill.
From the website:
Hamill turns his lens on the holiday season, tackling such subjects as pets,knitting, and pastries, all in his signature hodge-podgey bedroom pop style.
You can download an mp3 for 5 bucks or email one as a gift.
The Frankencake at Cheesecake Machismo
Mmmmm. Frankencake.
Why settle for one flavor of cheesecake when you could have six? Or more!
If you're headed to a holiday party this season and don't know what to bring, here's the perfect idea: A Frankencake from Cheesecake Machismo.
Who has the best egg nog?
The nog lineup.
We got an email from Meagan last week:
Every holiday season, I find myself in an egg nog debate with a friend/coworker/stranger about who makes the best egg nog. My family and I are loyal fans of Stewart's egg nog (the premium one, not that "light" crap). I've always immediately dismissed anyone else's rebuttal. I have given a couple other egg nogs a try, and in my opinion, they were nowheres near as delish as Stewart's.
So you know what this means? Yeah, that's right: egg nog taste test!
... said Kaitlin about Viva Kaitlin!