Category — Dance

We finally made it to SPAC to see the New York City Ballet!

I’ve been meaning to go for years. They’re here, for what? Two weeks or so each summer? And every year I’m either away on vacation or it’s storming on the night I planned to go or something else ridiculous happens to thwart my cultural appreciation aspirations.

This year my clever and motivated friend invited me along to American Girl Night (sponsored by Emma Willard School). Even though we were tired from our weekend away, I couldn’t pass up a free ride with excellent company. The more the merrier! Also driving an navigating intimidates me. Because I’m a bit of a loser.

My friend was rewarded for her motivating karma with a brand-new American Girl doll, Kanani, the girl of the year, for her daughter! We weren’t even at the raffle area, but M was, along with her friends, and she ran to alert her.  It was thrilling for all of them.

New Doll, Happy Winner, and J to left

Besides the raffle, Cute W just asked me, what makes it an “American Girl” night? There were three crafts (stickers on a cardboard visor, ribbons to tie onto a ponytail holder, and a lei to assemble),  tasty treats (sugar cookies and snow cones), and terribly popular photos taken in photobooths from the Saratoga Photobooth Company. Also little bags and magazines. All included with our lawn tickets, which were $20/grown-up and $5/child.

We had an excellent time. J had her buddy L, and M ran into some friends. The actual ballet, for them, was an afterthought. But I’d go again.

If you want to go, here are my suggestions for extra fun:

• Understand that other girls will bring their American Girls, possibly wearing matching outfits doll-girl outfits, possibly very overdressed with heels, while others will be in shorts. That’s okay. Embrace it and do as you wish.
• Pack camp chairs even if you don’t want to sit in them because when people set their chairs directly in front of your blanket, you will resent them. You will wonder how they can sit directly in front of your six-year-old. Let go of this resentment and, instead, bring camp chairs or an extra blanket for a buffer zone.
• Snack in the car as you drive to arrive at 6 pm. But don’t eat all of your snacks/dinner yet.
• Snag a spot, and then, if you’re there early, head for the photobooths first, because those are the longest lines.

Waiting at the photobooths

• Then, after that, eat some free treats.
• By 7 or 7:30 pm, you will hopefully have scooped up all possible AG swag, so settle yourself down and eat some dinner on your blanket.
• The ballet starts at 8 pm, and this is when your older child will realize that she never got a string for her lei, and your younger child will think that possibly she needs to throw up, either because of snow cone excess or the desire to stay happy for her friend instead of consumed with jealousy about the Kanani raffle prize. Well, okay, that won’t happen to you, but something will happen, because the kids were unbelievably overstimulated and now they’re. . . less so. J kept saying, “They need better scenery!”
• So, really, my suggestion would be to bring along someone who doesn’t care about the ballet to take over at this point (perhaps your husband?) so that you can watch the dang ballet.
• Really, come to think of it, your husband would also be good at helping hold all those AG dolls and bags full of crafts before the show, too.
• And then coordinate with some friends and when the ballet starts, the people who are interested in the ballet can slip over to another blanket very far away from your children’s blankets.
• Also, in that case, bring wine. Hopefully you’ll have a friend who is pregnant to graciously drive the grown-ups home at the end of the ballet.
• And if you don’t plan ahead, with the division of labor and the wine and all, maybe you should all just leave at intermission (about 10 pm). Because 2 out of 3 girls who drove home with us were asleep before we hit Ballston Spa.

It’s our last day of school, which means I’m now the proud mama of a first grader and a (holy crap!) 4th grader! That makes us all pretty old. Sniff.

You might be seeing a new photograph in the header (and if you don’t, you can keep refreshing until you do see it). One of the headers is from the Central Park Rose Garden during the off-season, and I’ve been meaning to add one during the blooming season. Cute W took this new one with roses in bloom and the new fountain. Thanks, baby! Also thank you to my friend Brian who taught me how to add the header images in the first place, and made me such easy-to-follow instructions that I can add new ones without bugging him again.

Speaking of excellent dads that I know, I meant to link to Steve McCurry’s photography blog again for his series on fathers in honor of Father’s Day, but I forgot. You can still appreciate fathers today, so go check it out.

I’m recycling material, an edited-down version of an essay that I wrote about J’s recital last year for the now-defunct CBS 6 blog (accompanied by one of my favorite photos ever, taken by the delightful and talented Cute W). I’m hoping that enough of you are new and/or lazy about clicking links, so you haven’t seen it. Yes, I’m slacking off and using the extra time to pack and do laundry. Don’t judge me, okay!?!

The Recital

It’s recital season, and I predict crying. Luckily, it will be me, not my daughter. She takes classes at a large dance school with a marathon rehearsal, followed by a marathon recital, as its annual capstone.

Last year was our first time. As one group of dancers, then the next, took the stage to rehearse, I realized that we were acquainted with someone in almost every group: neighbors, classmates, a former babysitter, girls from church. The effect was overwhelming. For each child, I’d search out the parent in the crowd and frequently find a familiar figure. Even the strangers, actually, seemed familiar: hands clasped, face rapt, jaw set in fear of a stumble, eyes filled with utter devotion.

A few of my friends had been coming to this rehearsal every year for close to a decade. With books and snacks, they were more prepared than I was, and more relaxed. The grown-ups all chuckled knowingly at my daughter’s beginner class, uncertain and tentative as they crossed the stage to practice their bows, straining to keep hands clasped and their chain of dancers unbroken. All the parents were telescoping back to their own children’s early efforts—was that the year that they wore the yellow polka dots or the shiny blue? Remember how she cried all morning, and then onstage she never stopped smiling?

I was stuck in my own time warp. The acts progressed, with older girls and more complicated choreography. Many classes included various stages of puberty, and tiny pixies skipped on the stage with muscular Amazons. And yet they all moved so gracefully, looking more alike than different, taking on a sort of archetypal image: today’s adolescent girl. Their steps were strong and sure-footed even as many solemn faces betrayed their deep concentration to avoid a misstep. It was mesmerizing. If my daughter continues, I will be sitting and watching every year for the foreseeable future. We’ll have a shelf of DVDs of each year’s recital, and watching them in a row will be like watching time-lapse photography showing flowers unfurling.

I had seen other performances and recitals, even those with my own kids, that were a chore. But seeing all of these lovely dancers perform in succession made me recognize my preschool daughter, and even myself, as part of an unbroken chain. The choreography was wonderful, but the impression was so great because the most advanced dancers weren’t girls at all anymore, but fully grown-up young women.

It was like a glimpse of the future. And it looks beautiful.

No, I’m serious. Between the holiday and the snow day and the other snow day and my cold, I didn’t get much done this week. I am a wimpy snow driver, so I kept procrastinating away errands. I wasn’t feeling too great and the kids were around all over the place, I didn’t knock much off my To Do list, and I skipped my workouts. And then, what’s the point of eating healthy if you’re not working out, anyway?

Yep, that’s right. It became a regular shame spiral. But the week is over now, so I’ll start fresh. You know, tomorrow.

We had Boogie Night at the girls’ school this evening, and I’d have to say it was the least unpleasant Boogie Night ever. How’s that for a ringing endorsement? Well, generally the scene is a gym filled with children and very loud music. Some kids are dancing and many are running around like maniacs while their parents ignore them. As a parent, you are officially supervising, which means that you have to stand around scanning the crowd while making idle shouted chitchat. This is particularly difficult for me because I really love to dance. I miss dancing like a maniac every weekend in college. I briefly contemplated attempting to organize a regular Family Dance Party in my basement because I yearn for it so. But parents are not allowed to dance at the elementary school because that would Humiliate My Daughters and Scar Them For Life. So instead I have to stand around. Actually, I did dance YMCA with J. Hopefully M didn’t notice.

The other generally painful aspect of these social occasions, for me at least, is that I fret about my children and whether they’re feeling lonely or left out or whatever. For the first couple of years, it felt like M would just wander around these events aimlessly, and yet she wouldn’t want me to approach her. And last time, all of her friends were dancing and she went into the library’s Book Fair and read a book. Which: yeah, okay. Reading books is good. But I was trying to figure out if there was Drama or if she just doesn’t like to dance. Tonight, both of my children were happily dancing with friends, which made it all much more enjoyable.

In fact, as the entire gymnasium did the Macarena, one of my friends sidled up to me and claimed credit for the enthusiastic and skilled dancing. It turns out that it was her idea to teach kids dances in gym class before Boogie Night. What a great idea it turned out to be! When I was growing up, we’d do a unit on square dancing in school, and it was fun but stressful, with much worry about partners and sweaty hands. But these basic line dances are pretty easy, fun, and they can be accomplished with no yucky touching whatsoever. Such lame-for-your-wedding but super-fun-for-the-elementary-school-crowd hits include the Electric Slide, the Cotton-eyed Joe, the Chicken Dance, YMCA, and the Macarena. It was clear that my children weren’t the only ones who’d been practicing their moves, and it was also a great equalizer, since obviously the kindergarteners are not quite as clued into pop culture as the fifth graders. Anyway, I thought that I’d pass it along, because I think it’s a good idea, not only for fun gym classes, but to drum up enthusiasm for school events.

I have a couple of items that I missed back when I did the week’s post.

First, the Nisky Dixie Cats will be playing at the Niskayuna Town Gazebo tonight (Tuesday) at 7 pm, and The Rogues will be playing rock and roll on Thursday at 7 pm at the gazebo.

The Homespun Occasions folks will be doing a Family Dance Concert at 11 am this Thursday in Congress Park in Saratoga Springs.   They are absolutely super-fun for all ages.

Speaking of music, Ruth Pelham’s Music Mobile will be at Schenectady’s Central Park at 10 am on Thursday.  I wouldn’t click if I were you:  there’s the Music Mobile theme song, and I couldn’t find the information on the website, but I promise that I saw a flyer.  This is a good event for younger kids:  songs, usually a simple craft that involves some music participation.  Alas, Tiny Tot Land remains closed.

I also should have mentioned that Friday afternoon kicks off the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.  This is a bit of a drive, but it’s quite a family-friendly event.  Part of me wishes that I could bring J to play some more tambourine, but we’re in desperate need of a quiet weekend at home.

Also on Friday, Hamilton Hill Arts Center is hosting Gospelfest at 6 pm at Jerry Burrell Park in Schenectady.  (another musical link!  hope you’re not reading this at work!)

Finally, and I’ve said it before, if you are a music junkie, you should really be following Nippertown.  They’ve got links to tons of free music series.  They’ll do a post when they hear about something, but then at the bottom they’ll link to all of their “Real Good for Free” posts, so it’s worth it to take a look to make sure that you’re not missing out.

I do my best to keep up with as many as I can, but I’ve got to tell you:  this summer has not been as relaxing as I’d anticipated.  There’s so much going, both around the Capital District and at our house, that lately I’ve been finding myself posting not when I run out of things to list, as I would in the past, but just because I’ve run out of energy and can’t possibly list everything out there.  So if there’s a library or museum that you particularly enjoy visiting, you might want to get on their email lists as well ask checking the blog.  This site is, of course, a work in progress, so hopefully I’ll be able to come up with ways to keep you up-to-date without going nutty myself!

Phew!  So much is going on this week.  Here’s what I’ve found:

All Week:

• Don’t forget that there’s plenty more going on at William K. Sanford (Colonie) Library and Albany Public Library.
• The Clifton Park Not-So-Common Players are performing Once Upon a Mattress in Clifton Commons at 7:30 pm from 7/22-7/25.
• It’s the Saratoga County Fair in Ballston Spa from July 20-25.
• The Schenectady County Library has a puppet show version of Rumpelstiltskin showing at various branches throughout the week.

Monday, July 19th:

• Take a Nature Trail Hike at 10 am at Moreau Lake State Park.  Or Learn How to Cast at 10:30 am.
• From noon to 4 pm it’s Dino Day at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga.
• At 1 pm, it’s Library Tots, a drop-in program for 0-24 months at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library.
• At 1:30 pm, kids can choose a building project to do with the Home Depot at the main Albany Public Library.  Call to register.  If this appeals to you but you can’t make it, remember that both Home Depot and Lowe’s offer occasional Saturday workshops in-store.
• At 2 pm at the Delaware Branch Library, kids 6 and up can learn about buying healthy foods, and they’ll decorate their own cloth bag and make a healthy trail mix snack.  Sponsored by Honest Weight Food Co-op.
• At 2 pm, there are programs for elementary-school kids at the Mont Pleasant, Glenville and Rotterdam branches of the Schenectady Public Library.
• The Colonie Town Band will be playing at 7 pm at the Crossings in Colonie.

Tuesday, July 20th:

• At 9:30 am, take a Luzerne Mountain Trail Hike at Moreau Lake State Park.
• Regal Cinemas’ free movies at 10 am.  For this week, it’s Arctic Tale and Shrek the Third at Crossgates and Wallace and Gromit and Bee Movie at Clifton Park.
• At Bowtie Cinemas in Schenectady, this week’s free 10 am movie is Hotel for Dogs.
• From 10 am to noon it’s Summertime Tots at the Children’s Museum of Saratoga.  This is an outdoor, drop-in program geared toward younger visitors.
• Do a Scavenger Hunt at noon at Moreau Lake State Park.
• At 1:30 pm at the Albany Public Library, kids can do a craft with folks from the Tang Museum.  Call to register.
• There are crafts for ages 6 and up at 2 pm at the Pine Hills Branch and the North Albany Branch of the Albany Public Library.
• At 2 pm, kids can participate in a songwriting workshop with River Jack Z (as in Zucchini) at the Guilderland Public Library.  Tickets are required.
• At 2 pm, it’s Dazzle Dogs at the Niskayuna Public Library.
• At 3 pm, it’s Twinkle, Twinkle, What’s That Star? at the Children’s Museum of Technology.  For ages 4 and up, pre-registration required, and it’s $2/non-member.
• From 3-4:30 pm, kids in grades 3-6 can participate in Guess What I Collect? at the Crandall Public Library.  Pre-registration required.
• There’s a Friends of Guilderland Athletics Family Fun Night from 4-10 pm.  I found this on Fit Albany.  $2/person.
• At 7 pm, The Tichy Boys are playing at the Town of Brunswick Community Center.

Wednesday, July 21st:

• Regal Cinemas’ free movies at 10 am.  For this week, it’s Arctic Tale and Shrek the Third at Crossgates and Wallace and Gromit and Bee Movie at Clifton Park.
• At Bowtie Cinemas in Schenectady, this week’s free 10 am movie is Hotel for Dogs.
• At 2 pm, kids can get crafty at the new Bach Branch of the Albany Public Library on New Scotland Avenue.
• From 2-4 pm, it’s an Ice Cream Extravaganza at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga.  Pre-registration is required, and it’s $4/person.
• At 2:30 pm, Matthew McElligott, author of the Blackbeard the Pirate series, will be talking and signing books at the Bethlehem Public Library.  Sign-up is required.
• At 6 pm, kids in grades 6 and up can do a little Teen Tokyo at the new Bach Branch of the Albany Public Library with Japanese animation and yummy Pocky.
• The Audiostars will be playing at 7 pm at Freedom Park in Scotia.
• Cavanaugh and Kavanaugh are playing at 7 pm at the Green at Bethlehem Public Library.
• The Zucchini Brothers are playing at 7 pm at Clifton Commons Park in Clifton Park.

Thursday, July 22nd:

• Take a Walk in the Woods at 9 am at Thacher Park.
• Regal Cinemas’ free movies at 10 am.  For this week, it’s Arctic Tale and Shrek the Third at Crossgates.
• At 10:30 am, it’s Color Fun! for kids 3 to 5 at the Children’s Museum of Technology.  Pre-registration is required, and it’s $2/non-member.
• At 11 am, kids K-3 can Make Music with Lisa at Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library.  You must pre-register.
• At 1 pm, there’s a free event for kids 5 and up at Schuyler House–they can dress up in Colonial clothing.  I heard about this on the New York History blog.
• It’s Craft Day at 1 pm at Moreau Lake State Park.
• At 2 pm, get Artrageous! at Children’s Museum at Saratoga.  It’s free, and recommended for kids in K-4.
• At 2 pm, Domino the Great will be performing at Crandall Public Library.  Registration is required.
• 3rd to 5th graders can make Neon Tees and Visors from 2-4 pm at the Guilderland Public Library.  Registration is required.
• Eddie Money is playing at Alive at Five at Albany Riverfront Park.
• Kyle Miller is playing at 5 pm as part of the Acoustic Sidewalk Series in front of Arbor Hill Library.
• Dan Berggren is playing at 6 pm in Wiswall Park in Ballston Spa.
• At 6:30 pm, there’s A Beach Bag Full of Stories at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library.  It’s a drop-in program for young elementary school kids.
• Keith Pray is playing at 6:30 pm at the Crossings in Colonie.
• At 6:30 pm, Hair of the Dog will be playing at the  Schaghticoke Town Hall Gazebo.
• Marty Wendell is performing on the lawn of the Malta Community Center at 6:30 pm (it’s on page 9 of this link).
• From 7-8:30, 4th- to 7th-grade Percy Jackson enthusiasts can participate in Half Blood Camp at the Guilderland Public Library.  Registration required.
• The Scotia-Glenville Community Band will be playing at 7 pm at Freedom Park in Scotia.

Friday, July 23rd:

• At 10:30 am, there are Stories for Families at the Scotia Branch Library.
• At 11 am, kids can design their own water wheel at the Guilderland Public Library.  Registration is required.
• There’s a Game-a-thon at the Bethlehem Public Library at 11 am.
• At 11 am, Something Fishy’s Going On for 4- to 6-year-olds at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library.
• From 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, the Milk Mustache tour is at the Empire State Plaza in Albany.
• At 2 pm, kids in grades 2 and up can just show up for Pop Art Experience at the Scotia Branch Library.
• At 2 pm, 1st- and 2nd-graders can see Troll Attack!, a story told in Lego pieces, at the Guilderland Public Library.  Registration is required.
• At 2:30 pm, they’re showing Alice in Wonderland at Bethlehem Public Library, with popcorn.  This one’s PG and I’ve heard it’s a little creepy.
• At 4 pm, kids in grades 1 to 5 can just show up for Pop Art Experience at the Duane Branch Library.
• It’s Parents’ Night Out at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga from 4-7 pm.  For $15 per child, you can drop them off and go have yourself a date!  Pre-registration and pre-payment is required.
• The Ron Cremisio Band is playing at Canal Square in Cohoes at 6:30 pm.

Holy crap! Just when you were saying, please, somebody deliver me from this heat and rescue me from my sweaty, messy house, and just give me something besides the pool to do so that I can give the kids a break before their eyes turn permanently bloodshot and their hair turns green due to overchlorination, guess what’s happening this weekend?

Proctors is having their (first annual) Animation Festival!  With a huge range of child-friendly features, and $3 tickets! Or $15 if you just want to spend the whole time (from the 10th to the 16th) there!  Which I’m tempted to do!  And on Monday & Wednesday night they have Oscar-Nominated Shorts, which I always want to see in a theater, and so I think I might have to see if I can drum up a babysitter.

Or just stay home & run the sprinkler. Done.

Here’s what else is going on this weekend:

All Weekend:

• From July 7th to 11th, the Family Players of North-Eastern New York are showing Seussical the Musical at 7:30 pm at Tawasentha Park in Guilderland.  If anyone goes, will you fill us all in?
• Annie Get Your Gun continues at the Park Playhouse on Tuesday the 6th at 8 pm.
• The Tioga County Fair continues through the 10th.
• Keep in mind that we’re now into the super-short Ballet Season at SPAC.  I desperately want to go when it’s not so freakin’ hot, but we have such a packed calendar that I don’t know if we’re going to make it. . . .

Friday evening, July 9th:

• From 5-10 pm, it’s Schenectady County SummerNight in Downtown Schenectady:  music, activities, and fireworks.
• It’s Family Night at SPAC.  Before the NYC Ballet’s performance there will be activities for kids beginning at 6 pm.
• At 6:30 pm, there’s a drop-in Chess Club at Guilderland Public Library.
• At 7 pm, they’re showing Pollyanna at Guilderland Public Library.   And yes, there will be popcorn.
• Take a Ghost Walk through Saratoga. $10/adult, $5 kids 7-11,  This is every Friday through the summer.
• They’ll be showing Monsters vs. Aliens at Tawasentha Park in Guilderland at 8 pm.

Saturday, July 10th:

• From 10 am to 6 pm there’s a Wags and Whiskers Family Fun Fair at Maple Ski Ridge.  It’s a free fundraiser for the SPCA, and pets are invited, too.
• Fossils Rock! at 10 am at Thacher Nature Center.
• It’s Countryfest at the Altamont Fairgrounds.  $40 at the door, kids 10 and under free.
• From 10 am to 5 pm, there’s Art in the Park in Congress Park in Saratoga.
• The Town of Wilton is having a Community Day from 11 am to 9 pm.  Food, music, rides, ponies, fireworks.
• Learn about Karner Blue Butterflies at 11 am at Albany Pine Bush.  This park gets really very hot.  I’ve got to recommend against this one for today.  Cal to register; $2/person, $5/family.
• The Delaware Branch Library is having a free Summer Splash Party from 1-4 pm–they promise wet and wild fun outside, including a free bounce house, misting tent, and water slide.
• At 1 pm the Schenectady Museum is doing a preschool-oriented planetarium show.  $4 in addition to museum admission.
• At 2 pm Andy the Music Man will be playing at Henry Hudson Town Park in Bethlehem.  Free, with a bounce house, too.
• At 3 pm & 7 pm you can see Steps to Suffrage: Musical Youth Drama at Boght Arts Center in Cohoes.  $6/adults, $5/students.
• The Powers Park Concert Series in Troy kicks off with a Cryin’ Out Loud Dance Party from 6-8:30 pm.
• Ernie Williams will be playing blues at Freedom Park in Scotia at 7 pm.
• There are Poets in the Park from 7-9 pm in Washington Park on Saturdays in July.

Sunday, July 11th

• Take a Native Plant Tour at noon at Thacher Park.
• There’s a Kids’ Puppet Show from The Puppet People at Freedom Park in Scotia at 7 pm.
• Running the River is playing at 7 pm at Clifton Common Park.
• Alex Torres and His Latin Orchestra are playing at Music Haven at Schenectady’s Central Park at 7 pm.

Phew!  Would you believe that we didn’t get home from J’s dance recital–she takes dance with Ginny Martin– until 10:30 pm? It was at The Egg downtown, and we were so starving that we stopped at Emack & Bolio‘s before heading home.

The recital was great, J enjoyed herself immensely, and I’m too tired to write more.  So tired I’m not going to try to figure out why this particular picture is ginormous. [I fixed this.]  Lucky for me, I just put up a sappy related post on the CBS 6 blog.

Okay, really?  This weekend is ridiculous.  There’s so much going on.  About ten different fair/festival-type events, along with so much more.  This is when I wish that organizers would get together somehow and coordinate a little bit better, because there’s just way too much to choose from.   Anyone have recommendations about what’s worth doing?  Here’s what I’ve collected:

All Weekend:

• Steamer 10 Theatre will be showing The Good (& Bad) Faeries of Nottingham.
• Okay, it’s about an hour northeast of us, but perhaps worth the trip?  The Cambridge Balloon Festival is all weekend, starting Friday with its first balloon launch and fireworks.  Anyone ever gone to this?
• It’s Charlton Founders’ Weekend.  Celebrated on Saturday and Sunday with a variety of events including a run, a parade, and free ice cream.
• NYSTI is presenting Disney’s Alice in Wonderland Jr. beginning on Saturday through June 18th.
• Kingston is holding Timefest, its city-wide celebration of history, from 11 am to 5 pm on Saturday & Sunday.  This is about an hour south of here, so not necessarily convenient unless you happen to be down there picking organic strawberries.
• St. Basil’s in Troy has a Greek Festival all weekend.
• Saturday’s National Learn to Row Day (yeah, who knew, right?).  Celebrate in Niskayuna from 10 am to 2 pm, or on Sunday with Schenectady-Guilderland-Scotia-Glenville Crew.   This is an activity for middle-school-aged kids and up.

Friday evening, June 4th:

• It’s First Friday in Albany from 5-9 pm.
• It’s Ballston Spa First Friday from 6-9 pm.  During the summer, this will include a family-oriented film at 9 pm in Wiswall Park.  Tonight’s is Coraline.  Personally, those crazy button-eyes creeped me out way too much in the preview, but maybe  some of you can handle it. . . .
• At 7 pm, the Guilderland Public Library will be showing Swiss Family Robinson.  I’ve got to say:  I love the Guilderland Public Library.  It’s one of my favorites, and since I’ve been to programs at at least 6 or 8 different local libraries (because I am a wanton library whore), that’s saying something.  But when I first heard that they were doing Friday night Disney movies, I kind of rolled my eyes.  Like, we don’t have enough of the freakin’ Disney movies, right?  So I was ever so pleased that they are kickin’ it old school with this one, Mary Poppins, Bedknobs & Broomsticks, and Treasure Island.  Yeah, baby!  And there will be popcorn.
• There’s an Alternative Prom from 7-11 pm for LGBT youth aged 13 to 19 at Revolution Hall in Troy.  It’s  $10.

Saturday, June 5th

• Celebrate National Trails Day by spending the morning doing trail work at Grafton Lakes State Park or Thacher State Park or Dyken Pond.  Sorry–if I had processed this sooner I would have told y’all to register a few days ago to get some free barbecue out of the deal, but maybe you can pack a lunch?
• It’s Art Gone Wild at Five Rivers from 9 am to 4 pm.  Some art, some nature, with music thrown in.  Some projects might include a nominal fee.
• It’s the Freihofer’s Run for Women at 10 in downtown Albany.  This is a big deal–world-class runners and regular folks.  There’s a kids’ run at 11 am, and Andy the Music Man will be playing at 10 am by the kids’ registration table in the concourse.
• From 10 am to 2 pm, the Schenectady County Historical Society is celebrating Heritage Weekend with walking tours of the Stockade, crafts, and tours of the museum.  Check out the Schenectady County site for a list of various activities.   They’ll also be teaching how to use a drop spindle from 9 am to noon at Mabee Farm.
• There’s a Town of Niskayuna Arts Fair from 10 am to 4 pm.  Free.
• There’s a Sheep and Wool Gathering from 10 am to 4 pm at the Thacher Nature Center.  Learn about traditional wool crafts like spinning, felting, and knitting. They’ve canceled this due to a bad weather forecast–hoping to reschedule later this summer.
• It’s the Lupine Festival from 10 am to 4 pm at the Albany Pine Bush.  Two random handy facts about lupines:  Miss Rumphius is a lovely picture book about lupines and it’s pronounced loo-pin, not loo-pine, which is the adjective meaning wolf-like.  I don’t know why, but I always get those confused.  Or not, you know, always, but when I’m thinking about blue wildflowers native to this area.  Which is more often than you’d expect.  Free.
• At 10:30 am, there’s a Family History Walk by the Rensselaer County Historical Society leaving from the market table at the Troy Waterfront Farmer’s Market.  Free for members, $10/non-member family.  Suggested for families with kids ages 5 and up–find clues about Troy’s history.
• Take Time Out for Tales at the Bethlehem Public Library at 11 am.
• Friendly’s is serving free ice cream from noon to 5 pm.  Don’t ask why.  Just say, “yes, please.”
• From 12-6 pm, the Albany Riverfront Park will have a Say It Loud!  Black and Latino Gay Pride celebration.  There are free activities for kids 5-12, music & performances, and free food.
• Schenectady is having its annual Kids Art Festival from noon to 4 pm.  This event is geared toward preschool and young school-aged children.  We’ve gone and had fun.  Come to think of it, I believe that it was at this festival that we took the now-famous (sort of) business card photo of J.
• From 1-2:30 pm, Peter McCarty will be signing two of his recent picture books at the Open Door Bookstore.
• At 1 pm at the Children’s Museum of Science & Technology, there’s a program for the 5-and-over crowd called Up in the Air in which, among other things, they’ll make mini hot-air balloons to take home.  $2/non-member and pre-registration is required.  A perfect complement to the Cambridge Balloon Festival, right?
• Join Clifford the Big Red Dog at the Lansingburgh Branch Library to explore the new Raising Readers Library Corner from 1-3 pm.
• It’s the NY Shout Out:  Youth Media Festival:  there’s a workshop for teenagers starting at 1 pm, and a showcase of youth media from 7-10 pm.  Suggested donation for the evening event is $10/person, the workshop is a sliding scale, $20 to $40.
• At 3 pm, the gates open at Schaghticoke Fairgrounds for the Western Festival and Championship Rodeo, which will start at 7 pm.  Bouncy-bounce and pony rides.  $12/adult, $7/kids 6 and over, and kids 5 and under free.

Sunday, June 6th

• At 9 am in Saratoga Springs, it’s the Cantina Fun Run for families.
• From 11 am to 12:30 pm, Shannon Hayes, author of Radical Homemakers:  Reclaiming Domesticity from a Consumer Culture, will be signing books at the Open Door Bookstore in Schenectady.
• At 1 pm, the Town of Clifton Park is hosting their annual Family Bike Ride–it’s a casual bike ride with commentary and stops for refreshments.  Free, and no pre-registration required.
• In Saratoga Springs, the Caroline Street Arts & Blues Fest and Chili Cookoff will be from 1-7 pm.  The Children’s Museum will be running kids’ activities.
• At 3:30 pm, there’s a Community Concert at Algonquin Middle School.  It’s free, but donations are accepted.

Sure, the conventional choice for a Memorial Day Weekend post might be an American flag, but instead I took a picture of what’s in front of me:  Isis the cat.  Lookin’ for some love while her human just wants to  finish the blog post.  It’s a little irritating, but not as irritating as sneaking rodents into the house.  But, you know, she never gets into the garbage or humps my leg, so that’s something, right?

She sticks out her tongue when she's particularly content.

Here’s what’s going on this weekend.  I moved the parade information & the Friday evening information into this post so you wouldn’t have to look hither, thither, and yon while pondering your options.  Remember, too, that if you’re looking at the regularly scheduled events on What about TODAY?, well–a lot of them may be off schedule for the holiday weekend.

All Weekend

• The National Scholastic Regatta is in Saratoga Springs on Saturday and Sunday.
• GottaGetGon is a big folk music festival in Ballston Spa all weekend.  $20 per day for grown-ups, kids 12 and under free.
• Swimming opens for the season at Grafton Lakes State Park!  Yeah, baby!  It’s open Friday through Tuesday, and it’s $8/car.  On Wednesday & Thursday, there’s no swimming, so entrance is $6/car.  And on Monday, it’s the Annual Memorial Day Sand Sculpture Contest.  Registration begins at noon at the Beach Nature Center, and families can work as a team (now that’s some wholesome fun).
• There’s a pre-sale for Yo Gabba Gabba tickets for September 2nd at the Times Union Center. The password is BROBEE.  Personally, just looking on the YGG website made me overstimulated.  In a bad way.  But we don’t get cable, so perhaps I’m just woefully out-of-touch.

Friday, May 28th

• It’s Troy Night Out from 5-9 pm.
• Parade at 6:30 pm in Stillwater.  From Hudson Avenue.
• Parade at 6:30 pm in Maplewood/Colonie. That’s all the information that I could find!
• There’s a Full Moon Hike at Moreau Lake State Park from 7-9 pm.
• There’s a Taiwanese Dance program at 7:30 pm at The Egg.  It’s free, but you need to obtain tickets by calling The Egg.

Saturday, May 29th

• Parade at 9 am in Ballston Spa.  From Milton Avenue to Front Street to Low Street.
• At 9 am, they’re teaching Family Birding Basics at Thacher Nature Center.  Bring binoculars.
• At Five Rivers, there’s a mostly-indoor program on bees at 10 am, and a program on bugs at 2 pm.  The 10 am includes a craft, with a $3 materials fee for non-members.
• There’s a Bennie Brook Kayak Trip from 11 am to 2 pm at Moreau Lake State Park.  Call for details, and plan on packing a lunch.
• Learn about Pond Life at Up Yonda Farm at 1 pm.
• At 2 pm, there’s a Wildlife Program including a look at injured wildlife who are being cared for at Thacher Nature Center.  Call for details.
• Do some Stargazing at Thacher at 8:30 pm.

Sunday, May 30th

• Do a Nature Scavenger Hunt at Moreau Lake State Park at 11 am.
• Memorial Day activities from 1-7 pm in Schuylerville  at the Old Stone Fort.
• Discover the Pine Bush at 1 pm.  $2/person, $5/family.
• It’s pretty quiet, actually.  Maybe you should throw a little barbecue in the afternoon?

Monday, May 31st

• Parade at 9 am in Schuylerville.  This is another one that I couldn’t find more info. on, although I did find stuff on 2009–super helpful, right?
• Parade at 9:30 am in Albany.  From Partridge Street & Central Avenue, east on Washington Ave. until North Hawk Street.
• On the USS Slater, they’re having a ceremony at 9:30 am and then the ship’s open to the public from 10 am to 4 pm.
• Parade at 10 am in Hoosick Falls. From Key Bank on Main to Memorial Park. More info here.
• Parade at 10 am in Watervliet.  East along 19th Street, then right on 2nd Avenue.
• Parade at 11 am in Bethlehem.  From the Elsmere firehouse along Elsmere, Kenwood, & Delaware to  Bethlehem Veterans Memorial Park.
• Parade at 11 am in Lansingburgh/Troy.  Follow the link–lots of information.
• Parade at 1 pm Parade in North Greenbush.  I could only find one listing for this one.

There are

Weekend’s over!  After ranting on Friday and fretting on Saturday, we’re back to the weekly line up.  There are also plenty of regularly scheduled events, and the weather’s looking pretty good, too.  Yay.

All Week

• From 3-4 pm each day, kids can help make a commercial for the Rensselaer Public Library‘s summer reading programs.

Monday, May 17th

• At 11 am, the Bethlehem Public Library is having a Fancy Nancy Party.  Sign-up is required, and it’s for pre-K kids with a parent.
• Have a Beaver Adventure at Moreau Lake State Park at 11 am.
• At 4:30 pm the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library will be showing AI: Artificial Intelligence as part of their free drop-in Teen Screen for kids in 6th grade and up.

Tuesday, May 18th

• It’s Music Morning at 10 am at the Bethlehem Public Library.  It’s for all ages.
• At 10:30 there’s  Shore Fishing at Moreau Lake State Park.  Learn the basics of fishing–call for details.
• At noon, there’s a free Cello Concert at St. Paul’s Church in Troy.
• From 6 to 7:30 pm, there’s a Healthy Eating Workshop designed for girls 7 and older at the East Greenbush Library hosted by girl scouts.  Albany Kid tells us all about it.
• Plant Sunflowers at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library garden as part of Family Storytime, and bring one home, too.  It’s from 6-7 pm.

Wednesday, May 19th

• There’s a Luzerne Mountain Trail Hike at Moreau Lake State Park from 9 am to noon.  It’s a new trail.
• It’s Katie’s Kitchen at 11 am OR 1 pm at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga.  Ages 3-6, $15 for non-members includes admission for one child and one parent.  This is on their calendar, but it’s no longer on their home page, so I’m wondering if they’re both full already?
• There’s a Teen Movie at 6:30 pm at the Bethlehem Public Library.

Thursday, May 20th

• At 7 pm, there’s a Sling Babies meeting at Bethlehem Public Library.  Sign-up is required.
• The Mohawk Commons Barnes & Noble is hosting a Ranger’s Apprentice Book Club at 7 pm.  It’s designed for 8- to 12-year-olds.

Friday, May 21st

• At 9 am at the Colonie Library, there’s a program about helping parents and students work effectively together with special education issues.  Registration is required.
• There’s Stretching with Stuffee at 10 am at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga.  Included with admission.
• The Bethlehem Public Library is hosting Kids on Bikes from 3-5 pm at the Green.  Sign-up is required.  They’ll discuss proper fit of helmets and bikes as well as other safety issues.
• At 5 pm, it’s the Acoustic Sidewalk Series at the New Scotland Branch Library.
• At the Saratoga Springs Barnes & Noble at 6:30 pm, there’s a gathering of the American Girls Club.
• Emma Willard School in Troy is hosting a free dance performance at 8 pm.