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Events & Entertainment Sports- Albany Conquest, Albany: Pepsi Arena 51 S Pearl St Albany, NY 12207 518- 487-2222 Admission charged Arena football is back. The Albany Conquest play their home games at the Pepsi Arena. The Conquest season runs from April-July. Call for exact dates and times. Albany River Rats, Albany: Pepsi Arena 51 S Pearl St Albany, NY 12207 518-487-2244 Admission charged 2004 marked the 10th Anniversary season of the Capital Districts only professional hockey team, the Albany River Rats. The Albany River Rats are the top minor affiliate of the New Jersey Devils. Call for exact dates and times. Empire State Plaza, Albany: Outdoor Plaza 518-474-2418 Admission charged Seasonal outdoor skating rink. Call for hours and conditions. Swinburne Rink and Recreation Center, Albany: Clinton Ave, below Manning Blvd. Albany, NY 518-438-2406 Admission charged Outdoor rink. Call for hours and conditions. Golf Courses- Call for fees and tee times. Mill Road Acres, Albany: 30 Mill Rd, Latham, NY 518-785-54653 18 holes Capital Hills at Albany, Albany: 65 O’Neil Rd, Albany, NY 518-483-2208 18 holes Stadium Golf Club, Inc., Albany: 33 3 Jackson Ave, Schenectady, NY 518-374-9104 18 holes Arts and Entertainment- Empire State Performing Arts Center, Albany: Madison Avenue at Swan Street Empire State Plaza 518-434-1845 Admission charged Albany's most visible performing arts space holds 880 and has a smaller hall for smaller events. It hosts music, theater, and dance companies. Call for hours Capital Repertory Company, Albany: 111 North Pearl Street Downtown 518-462-4534 Admission charged Albany's most fearless theater company premieres new plays and playwrights as well as the classics at this converted grocery store. Season: October-June Albany Civic Theater, Albany: 235 Second Avenue 518-462-1297 Admission charged Four productions every year are all this bijou theater can manage, but each run is completely booked out well in advance. The building is a converted Victorian firehouse with seating for just 50 people. Call for hours Palace Theatre, Albany: North Pearl Street 518-465-4663 Admission charged This 1929 Art Deco movie theater was designed by architect John Eberson, and is a must for any walking tour of the city. Call for hours Albany Berkshire Ballet, Albany: 25 Monroe Street 518-426-0660 Admission charged The Albany Berkshire Ballet is nationally recognized for its versatility in performing both classical and contemporary dance works with excellence. The company's classical repertory rivals that of any large company performing today. Call for hours Lark Street, Albany: Central Square 518-434-6311 This street two blocks west of Empire State Plaza is studded with diverse gift shops, collectibles and antiques stores and cafes, mainly between Madison and Washington Streets. Lark Street borders the comfortably yuppie borough of Central Square, with glorious Victorian houses one after another, almost all by Albany architects like Ernest Hoffman or Charles Nichols. Nightlife in Albany: Lark Street 518/434-1217 ext, 409 Albany Alive Events Line Lark Street and the surrounding streets are your best destinations for fun, with all manner of choices. Just walk around here at night until you hear your kind of live music: Pauly's Hotel at 337 Central Avenue (tel. 518/426-0828) or the Lionheart Blues Cafe at 258 Lark (tel. 518/436-9530) for blues music; Bogie's at 297 Ontario (tel. 518.482-4368) or Valentine's at 17 New Scotland Avenue (tel. 518/432-6572) for rock or folk, QE2 at 12 Central Avenue for alternative or house or dance music (tel. 518/434-2023) Events- Early May- Albany Tulip Festival, Albany: Washington Park, Albany 518-434-2032 Admission free One of Albany’s oldest and most highly anticipated events is the annual Tulip Festival set in Albany’s beautiful historic Washington Park. Each year, this traditional Albany event greets spring with thousands of tulips blooming in a myriad of colors and varieties. Thousands from across the Capital District Region and beyond come to Tulip Fest each May to celebrate Albany’s rich Dutch heritage. Tulip Fest features entertainment on 4 stages including a Dance stage. The KidZone features crafts and family fun entertainment, and Jazz Sunday is the perfect way to celebrate Mother's Day. Don't miss the over 100 crafters, the fine arts show, Gardening Talks or the vast array of food vendors. June- August- Hudson River Way Walking Tours, Albany: Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center 25 Quackenbush Square 518-434-0405 Admission free The Hudson River Way is a pedestrian bridge that connects Albany’s historic downtown to the Hudson River, allowing direct access for pedestrians and bicyclists. The bridge visually tells the story of Albany’s history through a series of paintings, many depicting historical artifacts discovered in various archeological excavations. The paintings are done in 17th century trompe l’oeil style, which “trick the eye” into believing it is seeing actual objects. Free parking in Visitors Center parking area off Broadway via Spencer St. 10am daily Alive at Five, Albany: Riverfront Park 518-434-2032 Admission free The stage comes alive with music from national, regional and local artists; each night plays host to a different genre of music. The weekend kicks-off with an early start, as many of Albany’s professionals, community members and families enjoy the diverse musical talent presented during the series. The music is not the only form of entertainment at Alive at Five as great crowd participation, dancing and people watching all make for a unique blend of concert atmosphere and hometown block party fun. Summer favorites such as ice-cold beer, fresh squeezed lemonade, cotton candy and delicious BBQ from some of the areas favorite local vendors are available for sale. Summer, Thursdays from 5pm to 8pm June- September- Guided Horse-drawn Carriage Tours, Albany: Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center 25 Quackenbush Square 518-434-0405 Admission charged. Guided tours of historic downtown Albany aboard a horse-drawn carriage. Tours begin at 10am, reservations recommended. August- GE's Albany Riverfest, Albany: Albany Riverfront Park. Easy access using the Hudson River Way Pedestrian Bridge. Park in any of the numerous downtown garages and parking lots, and walk across the bridge. 518-434-2032 Admission Free GE's Albany's Riverfest is a day long celebration at the newly renovated Albany Riverfront Park. Music, food, and children's activities make for the perfect family celebration on a summer day. The Amphitheater boasts a stellar line-up of musical entertainment, the KidZone has hands-on activities and a stage, and the evening ends with brilliant fireworks. Food and beverages will be available to complete the perfect summer family festival. Noon - 9:00 pm Usually early August, call for exact date. Family Movie Night at Riverfront Park, Albany: 518-434-2032, call for specific nights. Admission free Grab a blanket for a night under the stars for a great family night at the movies! Food will be available for purchase, and Radio Disney will host an awesome show prior to the movie. Thursdays- 6:30 pm Radio Disney show 8:00 pm Movie Latin Fest, Albany: Washington Park Parade Grounds 518-434-2032 Admission free The Albany Latin Fest is a family festival event that celebrates the contributions of Hispanics to the cultural arts mosaic of American life. As the premier Hispanic cultural festival event in the Capital District, the event has had one of the largest attendance rates of any Hispanic festival in upstate New York. The Albany Latin Fest features local and international Hispanic artists, children’s carnival rides, as well as food and craft vendors representative of the diverse Hispanic cultures from across the state. 12:00 noon to 8:00 pm Usually held early August, call for specific date. Summer in the City Art Fair, Albany: Pine Street Park, Broadway and Pine Street 518-434-2032 Admission free Summer in the City Art Fair features exhibits by local artists and musical entertainment. Artwork is available for purchase. Wednesdays from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm Call for exact dates. September- The Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival, Albany: Albany Riverfront Park Access the event via the Hudson River Way Pedestrian Bridge at Broadway and Pine Street 518-434-2032 Admission free The Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival features the hottest in regional and national jazz music, as well as tasty food and beverages. Albany Riverfront Park provides the perfect setting for a great late summer day on the banks of the Hudson River. Noon to 7:00 pm Usually in early September, call for exact date. Lark Fest, Albany: On Lark Street 518-434-3861 Festival with music, food and fun! Call for exact date and time October- Columbus Day Parade and Italian Festival, Albany: Albany Riverfront Park 518-641-7518 Admission free Set in the beautiful fall colors of Washington Park, this festival showcases the best of Italian music and food. The colorful parade features marching bands, folk dances, a grand marshal and hundreds of participants. A festival at the Lakehouse follows the Parade. 1pm Parade, 2-6 pm Festival Usually held on a Sunday, call for exact date. End of November- End of December- Capital Holiday Lights in the Park, Albany: Washington Park Downtown Albany 518-434-2032; 800-456-7890 Admission free A dazzling drive-through holiday light display with thousand of lights and more than 100 illuminated scenes and displays creating a wonderland of winter fun. Most evenings, Santa visits with the children at the end of the ride (call for information). Refreshments are available. There are always plenty of surprise visits from Frosty, Rudolph and other characters in this winter wonderland. Ends with surprises and holiday treats in the Lakehouse. Opens at 6pm New Year’s Eve- First Night Albany, Albany: Downtown Albany 518-434-2032 Fun for the entire family -- a great way to celebrate New Year's Eve! The magic of this annual holiday tradition is celebrated by the entire community! Hundreds of performers fill dozens of indoor stages in Downtown Albany. The celebration features something for everyone including dance, comedy, fireworks, live music, psychics, star shows, and the famous conga line to ring in the New Year! 2:00 pm to midnight. |
