Apple & Wine Festival, Farm Fest, Undercover Playground, LarkFEST, Hispanic Heritage, and More This Weekend

Just went to little J’s Back-to-School Night. Her teacher’s the same person M had in first grade, and she’s just gotten better. Plus, there were slides of our children looking adorable, so what’s not to like? Except, of course, that it’s after 8 and I still haven’t had dinner yet. I’m waiting to have dinner with Cute W, and he’s reading to the girls. Wow, it’s almost like a date night. Except with crappy frozen food and possibly the tv on.

There are a ton of things going on this weekend. Seriously. And the weather’s supposed to be pretty fabulous. So. . . let’s bring it.

All Weekend

• It’s Clifton Park’s Annual Farm Fest from 10 am to 5 pm both Saturday & Sunday.
• There are Hudson River Valley Ramble events scheduled for this weekend and next weekend.
• It’s the Apple & Wine Festival at Altamont Fair Grounds. Admission is $8 at the gate for grown ups, $7 at Price Chopper. Haunted House, face painting, petting zoo, kids circus, pony rides, and more. Kids 15 and under are free.
• If you’re up for a drive, The Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown is having their Harvest Festival. I recently visited The Farmers’ Museum and wrote a review on Kids Out and About. If you don’t want to click over, the basic verdict is: super-fun.
• The Irish 2000 Music & Arts Festival begins at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds at 5 pm Friday and continues on Saturday.
• There’s a Saratoga Civil War Encampment in Congress Park.
• It’s St. Gabriel’s Church’s 4th Annual Fall Festival in Schenectady.
• The town of Charlton is having a big Explore Charlton weekend, which I know because they took out a huge ad in the Gazette. A lot of it seems to take place Sunday afternoon. Alas, the Charlton website doesn’t mention it at all.

Evening of Friday, September 16th:

• It’s Art Night Schenectady from 5-9 pm.
• From 6-8 pm, it’s Garage Bands in the Garage at the Albany Public Library.

Saturday, September 17th:

• From 8-9:30 am, watch Birds Take Flight from the Albany Pine Bush to warmer climates. Pre-register; it’s $3/person or $5/family.
• It’s LarkFEST in downtown Albany from 10 am to 5:30 pm.
• From 10 am until 4 pm it’s Nature Fest at Moreau Lake State Park.
• Orenda Yoga is hosting a Family Peace Day celebration from 10:30 am to noon. It’s free.
• At 11 am, 1 pm, & 3 pm, Johnson Hall State Historic Site will enjoy A Visit from Ben Franklin. Free, but donations are appreciated.
• From noon to 4 pm, it’s the Annual Fall Festival at Five Rivers.
• Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company is dancing Undercover Playground at a variety of locations. Thanks, Alex, for passing on the details. The planned schedule is: 12:30 pm at Riverfront Park, Broadway, Rensselaer NY (off 9/20 bridge); 1:15 pm at Frear Park, 2701 Lavin Court (off Route 40/Oakwood Avenue); 2:00 pm at Prospect Park, 65 Prospect Park Road, Troy NY (off Route 2); 2:45 pm at Grafton Lakes State Park, 100 Grafton Lakes State Park Way, Grafton NY (Route 2), with a first performance at the Deerfield pavilion, second BONUS performance at Long Beach.
• Do a special Art Smart project from 1-3 pm at the New York State Museum. There’s a fee for this program, $10/non-member.
• From 2:30 to 4 pm, kids ages 8 to 13 can do Imaginative Computing for Kids at the Albany Public Library. Call to register.
• Pottery Barn Kids has a Star Wars Red Carpet Event from 3-5 pm.
• From 3-8 pm, it’s the Hannaford Hispanic Heritage Celebration at Empire State Plaza.

Sunday, September 18th:

• From 10 am to 4 pm, it’s “Wheels in the Woods” at Thacher.
• At Crailo State Historic Site, they’ll have Trade Partners, a program that highlights Native American skills and art, from noon ’til 4 pm. It’s free.
• At 1 pm, learn about Spa Science: the Chemistry of Lotion  at the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology. Ages 5 and up, $2/non-member. Pre-register.
• It’s Discovery Day at the Hyde Collection from 1-3 pm.
• From 1-3:30 pm it’s Africa Day at the National Museum of Dance in Saratoga. $5 admission.