Items tagged with 'stufftodo'
Tour de Habitat 2010
The annual Tour de Habitat bike ride is coming up September 26. From the brochure:
The Tour de Habitat gives riders a choice of pedaling a 100, 50, 25 or family-friendly 10 mile route to benefit Capital District Habitat for Humanity. All rides start and finish at the Albany Pump Station, with a post-ride reception featuring food and beer.
The entry fee is $100, for which the org is hoping people will get sponsors. The fee includes "riding a fully supported route, pre- and post-ride meals at the Albany Pump Station, two pints of any Evans beer after the ride and a souvenir t-shirt."
Earlier on AOA: Scoring your very own urinal at Habitat ReStore
In Your Face Wrestling
He probably knew this was coming. But still... ouch.
While at The Track Saturday, baking in the August sun waiting for the Travers to begin, I was talking with some guys and said that this was my first time photographing horses. They asked what I normally shoot.
"Roller derby," I replied.
"Seriously, or are you just messing with us?"
My answer was the "I <3 Rollerderby" button that I keep on my camera bag.
We talked about the local teams for a bit and then they told me about a wrestling event -- In Your Face Wrestling -- scheduled for that night in Ballston Spa, and that I should go take some shots.
Stuff to do this weekend
The Mathematicians--one of 16 great bands playing Rest Fest this weekend at St. Joesph's
Yes, we know there is still plenty of actual summer left, but if, like ours, your brain still runs on the academic calendar -- you're scrambling to pack as much fun as you can into the next couple of weekends.
This weekend is overflowing with options.
After the jump, you'll find a few things we thought might be fun. Got something else in mind? Shout it from the rooftops. Or, you know -- just leave it in the comments. Yeah, on second thought, that would be better.
Have a great weekend!
Windham World Cup Mountain Bike Finals
Dirty, yes. Dangerous-- sure. But kinda cool.
Italy, France, Belgium, Windham N.Y.
The final leg of the Tour De France of Mountain Biking-- The World Cup Mountain Bike Finals -- gets rolling this week about an hour from Albany. The best mountain bikers in the world are gathering on Windham Mountain this weekend to compete for the World Cup title.
This is the first time the World Cup final will be held in the U.S., and it's the first East Coast World Cup race ever.
After the jump, a few details about the weekend and some video of what you can expect to see.
EMPAC Fall 2010
The schedule for the upcoming fall season at EMPAC is out. And, as we've come to expect, it includes a bunch of interesting/odd/challenging shows.
Here are a few that caught our eye while scanning the list...
Restoration Fest compilation
Check it out: the organizers of the upcoming Restoration Festival have posted a compilation with music from the bands appearing this weekend at St. Joseph's.
It's like an all-star mix tape of local music. The compilation is available as a download, or via song-by-song stream.
As you've probably noticed (look up, you might have to reload), AOA is one of the sponsors of the Rest Fest. It's exciting to see all these great local bands get together in one place -- and we're happy to help spread the word.
Classic movies at The Palace 2010-2011
The Palace Theater in Albany has released the schedule for its 2010-2011 classic movie series.
It looks like a good slate: North By Northwest, Bonnie and Clyde, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and a bunch other favorites. The full schedule is after the jump.
The films run on Monday nights. They're $5 for adults and $3 for kids. You can buy a season pass for all 18 films for $45 (that's half price).
Peebles Island
The view from Peebles Island -- New York's smallest state park.
A recent Saturday spent exploring Cohoes led me to nearby Waterford, a quaint little place on the edge of Saratoga County that to me seems almost quintessentially upstate New York.
I don't know how I've managed to live here so long without having ever made a trip to Peebles Island in Waterford, right outside Cohoes. It's beautiful. One hundred and 91 acres of land at the confluence of the Hudson and Mohawk rivers.
The US Water Ski Show Team in Scotia
Hold on!
After seeing mention of the US Water Ski Show Team on AOA, Sebastien checked out one of their shows in Scotia. The result is a fun photoset -- both nice moments and "Look at that!"
And it sounds like Sebastien had a good time:
This is definitely a family oriented team, you can feel everybody is involved. Children, parents, grand-parents, there is a healthy energy going on. The announcers are a bit cheesy but it's all good, this fits the occasion and the location, in a nice way. Bring your iPod, you never know, maybe I was just super jolly that night. There are always looking for new volunteers by the way, you don't even have to know how to ski. I would try if I had one ounce of balance in me. Picture the enormous splashes.
The team has two more shows lined up in Scotia this summer: August 24 and August 31. The team performs on the Mohawk, right near Jumpin' Jack's (map).
photo: Sebastien B
Stuff to do this weekend
It's Altamont Fair time!
Just a few weekends of summer left, so get 'em while you can!
Once again we've pulled a few ideas we thought might be fun this weekend.
Got something else planned? Let us know about it.
And have a great weekend.
Tyler White is a lumberjack
and he's OK
Three years ago Tyler White went to woodsman team practice with a friend at SUNY Cobleskill to see what it was all about. All that chopping and sawing and rolling on logs looked like fun, so he gave it a try.
Next week Tyler will compete against five of the nations top collegiate lumberjacks at the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Collegiate Championship in Oregon.
The Pig Pit BBQ
Hmmm... do we smell a BBQ smackdown?
While driving around Cohoes , I couldn't help but giggle at this "Pig Pit vs. Dinosaurs: Bring it on!" sign. Clearly I had to check that out.
So, my look at Cohoes continues with, The Pig Pit.
At the Plaza Food Festival
Updated with a sampling of vendors
Here's something that might be worth checking out on Wednesday: the annual At the Plaza Food Festival will be set up on the ESP from 11 am - 9 pm.
The event blurb says there will be 50 food vendors, which might make for a fun lunch stop. A sample of the vendors is after the jump.
And there's music, too. Among the lineup: locals Super 400 will be playing at 6:15 (that's them on the right, at the ESP even). And the Smithereens (yep, those Smithereens) will be playing at 7:45.
(Thanks, Glenna!)
photo via OGS
Waffle Week at Brown's
This sounds fun (and potentially yummy): next week is "Waffle Week" at Brown's Brewing in Troy. From the press release:
For on August 24, 1869, one Cornelius Swarthout of Troy, New York was awarded the very first patent for the Waffle Iron. From that day forward, waffle enthusiasts the world over rejoiced, and the making of those fried battery delights would never be the same.
To commemorate this erroneously overlooked moment in history, Brown's Brewing Company is hosting its first ever "Waffle Week - A Glorious Celebration in Praise of The Waffle Iron." Beginning on Monday, August 23, Brown's will offer a different waffle each day - all made with one of Brown's Dependable Ales & Lagers. And to truly celebrate the occasion, Brown's is featuring a famous Waffler in history to represent the dish of the day.
The waffle-by-waffle schedule is after the jump. It includes a "a snappy Cajun Creole Waffle" and a "rich Oatmeal Stout Dark Chocolate Waffle."
Sadly, there's no offal falafel waffle...
Remsen Street in Cohoes
Remsen Street in Cohoes
Lately I've been into taking little sojourns to areas locally that I've never really thought to explore. This weekend I headed to Cohoes in hopes of checking out the views of the falls from Falls View Park . Unfortunately, the lower sections were closed off, making for something of a boring trip.
While deciding where to go instead, I took a stroll down Remsen Street.
Mushrooming knowledge
From the "hey, I never really thought about doing that at home until now" file -- there's a class at The Furnace space in Albany this Thursday evening on growing your own mushrooms. From the event blurb:
We will be mixing the Tree Oyster (pleurotus ostreatus) mushroom spawn with sterilized straw and spent coffee grounds, some of which you will be able to take home to watch grow. Bring your own large food grade container, such as a gallon size jar or bucket, no top necessary.
The class will be taught by Scott Kellogg, one of the authors of the book Toolbox for Sustainable City Living. It starts at 7 pm. There's a $5 suggested donation.
(Thanks, Jess!)
photo: Shawn Baker via Wikipedia
The Huyck Preserve
The Rensselaerville Falls at the Huyck Preserve.
Looking to stretch our legs and get some fresh air this weekend, we headed out for the Huyck Preserve in the far southwest corner of Albany County.
We had a great time. Have a look...
Stuff to do this weekend
Wilco @ Mass MoCA this weekend--in their only East Coast appearance on this tour.
This is going to be the kind of weekend we want to bottle and take out in February. Alas, we don't have the technology. Yet.
So don't let it go to waste.
After the jump you'll find a few ideas we thought would be fun.
Got something else in mind? Share with the group, please.
And have a great weekend.
Free roller derby tickets!
Update: The drawing's closed. Thanks for entering! Congrats to Kamala, Dan and Dawn!
The Hellions of Troy are back in action this Saturday at the Rollarama against the Central Mass Roller Derby's Petticoat Punishers. We have three pairs of tickets and we're giving them away.
Here's how you could win a pair. Post a comment answering this question:
What's one thing in everyday life that you would whistle as a "foul"?
This could be anything -- from people taking too long in the drive-thru ATM (!) to people who hover at the pick-up counter in Five Guys 9 (!!) to co-workers who talk to too loud on the phone. Blow the whistle and tag 'em with a penalty!
We'll pick three winners at random from the posted comments.
The Hellions throw down at 7 pm on Saturday (doors at 6pm). Tickets are $12 at the door ($10 ahead of time) -- kids are $3. From what we heard, the last bout was a packed house.
Important: One entry per person. You must answer the question to be entered. You must submit your comment by 1 pm Friday August 13. You must include a working email address (that you check regularly) with your comments. The winners will be notified by 3 pm Friday and must respond by 6 pm.
AOA is a media sponsor of the Hellions.
Tracy Morgan coming to the Palace
In what could be a funny, bizarre night, Tracy Morgan is playing the Palace September 17.
Morgan, of course, plays the wacked-out Tracy Jordan on 30 Rock. The real life Tracy sometimes seems to share a lot of characteristics with the fictional Tracy. In fact, Morgan told Oprah that a lot of the stuff on 30 Rock is written with who he is in mind "because Tina [Fey] partied with me."
It looks like Morgan's Palace appearance is part of a short tour to warm up for two shows at the Apollo later in September. Those NYC shows will be recorded for an HBO special.
Tickets for the show at the Palace start at $36.50.
photo via the Palace
LarkFest silent disco
This could be fun/odd: this year's LarkFest will include a "silent disco." From one of the organizers:
We will be closing off Hudson [Ave] near Washington Park and throwing Albany's first Silent Disco.
Each patron will be given a wireless headset. 2 DJs will broadcast their music over the airwaves and the party goers will be able to choose which one they listen to.
Here's the Facebook event page.
Googling around a bit, it looks there have been such quiet get downs in a bunch of places (the UK, especially) and music festivals (including Camp Bisco).
[via @PatrickDodson]
Emmylou Harris coming to The Egg
Emmylou Harris will be playing The Egg November 14. Tickets are already on sale for Egg members. They'll be available to the general public August 17. They start at $54.50. (Egg box office: (518) 473-1845.)
Harris is, of course, an icon of American music -- and she's played with seemingly everyone.
photo: Eric Frommer (Flickr user armadilo60)
Sister Spirit looking for extras
Sister Spirt, the movie that's been shooting in Albany, is looking for "sisters" to be extras in scenes next week.
An email from the casting director is after the jump -- it also includes details about who's starring in the movie (Alicia Silverstone, Vincent D'Onofrio and a few other actors you might recognize).
Oh, and if you play the didgeridoo, here's the chance you've been waiting for...
Stuff to do this weekend
Alec Baldwin appears with the Philadelphia Orchestra tonight--'cuz that's how he rolls.
We're not sure what we did to deserve this, but there's another fabulous summer weekend on tap.
Rather than arousing the suspicion of the weather gods, we're going to quietly list the things we might want to do under lovely clear skies in low humidity.
After the jump, this weekend's list of things that looked interesting to us.
As always, if we missed something good, let us know.
The Ballston Spa Film Festival
French Roast, last year's animated short winner, was nominated for an Oscar. It's screening again this year.
Move over Cannes. Stand back Sundance.
This weekend short films from around the world will be screened in Ballston Spa.
The third annual Ballston Spa Film Festival gets underway tomorrow night. 45 short films from as far away as Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Indonesia and as nearby as -- well -- Ballston Spa, will be screened both outdoors at Wiswall Park in the village and indoors at Ballston Spa High School.
A whole weekend's worth of movies, workshops and panel discussions --for free.
A little preview after the jump.
... said Anonymous about The Albany metro area is "brainy"