In partnership with

Hey 518 readers! Summer has officially arrived, and the Capital Region is wasting no time getting outside. This weekend brings the Capital Pride Parade & Festival, Renaissance Fair, Summer Craft Festival, Strawberry Fest, and plenty more reasons to soak up the sun.

🎟️ Seats are filling up for this month’s 518 Dinner Club in downtown Troy, happening next Wednesday at 6:30 pm. This month’s gathering is generously sponsored by Bootlegger’s on Broadway, which is throwing its 15th anniversary party on Saturday with a full day party in Troy! Get there for giveaways, drink specials, and a cool bunch of people.

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

📸 Robert Dungan

⭐️ = Top 5 Staff Picks

⭐️ 🌈 Capital Pride’s big day opens with the year’s best candy-tossing parade with floats, flags, and marching groups galore, stepping off on State Street (between Robin Street/Englewood Place and Lark Street). Then make your way to Washington Park for tons of local vendors, a tasty food court, and sassy good times. Sun, 12—4p, free.

⭐️ 🐑 The Summer Craft Fair at the historic Shaker Heritage Society is the year’s brightest chance to peruse 75+ vendors, tour the historic grounds, watch artisans at work, meet the animals, see sheep shearing up close, and linger over local treats while live music fills the air. Sat & Sun, 10a—3p, free (donations requested).

⭐️ ⚔️ The NY Capital District Renaissance Faire promises two packed weekends of medieval fun like real jousting, an artisan market, a pub crawl, and a kids’ kingdom that’s sure to delight your young knights. Sat—Sun, 11a—6p. A one-day pass is just $5 for children, $25 for adults.

⭐️ 🖼️ Caffè Lena organizes the best street fairs, and Beekman Street Art Fair promises to be no exception. Featuring a juried fine art and craft show featuring 60 artists, plus music for the soul including the Folk Club for Kids, Jazz Mode, and more. Stroll through for a folksy good time. Sun, 10a—5p, free.

⭐️ 🍓 The Mayfield Historical Society’s annual Strawberry Festival pays homage to the summertime ripening of America’s favorite berry. And you know what else spells summer? Flea market finds. The Gloversville festival also features Treasures in the Trunk, with neighbors popping their trunks and setting up card tables full of new, used, and antique goods. Sat, 12–4p, free.

Honorable Mention

 🔈️ Level up your listening skills with the phenomenal vibrations of of experimental Japanese sound artist FUJI|||||||||||TA at The Egg. It’s another, um, eggcellent example of how the iconic performing arts venue is willing to push the envelope and bring in the most interesting acts. Bravo to the team at The Egg 👏 BTW, Fujita is pronounced foo-JEE-tah (with the 'j' sound as in jump) or colloquially compressed as FOO-jah. Sun, 8p, $35.

A word from our sponsor

Good Friend Ecological Gardens is what happens when environmental stewardship and responsible design reshape the relationships between people and place. Plan your tour of our Niskayuna Learning Gardens, shop our locally-grown flower bouquets, or bring Good Friend home through our garden design service.

Read about us in The 518: The Nisky gardener creating beauty with purpose.

Capital Purrspectives Issue #7

🐈🐱 Are you just crazy about cats? You’re not the only one around here! Lori Doyle has just launched the Capital Purrspective, a region-specific newsletter that just tickles our toe beans with its adorable drawings and far ranging topics.

🖤 🐟 Have you ever seen a baby fish that looks like a tiny shadow? Here at the 518 headquarters, we have an explosion of baby Black Mollies, a freshwater fish with a dark aesthetic. They are easy to care for and fun to watch. Reach out to phat@the518.com to pick up a few for your juveniles for your tank. Just $1 each.

THURSDAY

☠️ It’s Emo Night at Alive at Five, featuring We The Kings (w/ Side B).

♦️ Putnam Place hosts a Texas Hold'em tournament to help cover the production costs of Saratoga's annual Flag Day Parade.

🎡 The Wilton Mall Carnival offers classic fair fun with rides, games, and plenty of fried foods.

🤠 Country cover band Big Sky Country headlines Electric City SummerFest.

🎻 The Mostly Modern Festival continues through the weekend, concluding with George Gershwin's American in Paris.

FRIDAY

👩‍🌾 Good Friend Ecological Gardens kicks off the summer season with tours of its lush learning garden, plus the flower shop will be open. Come see why we featured this Nisky gardener.

⚽️ Kick It In Troy gets you in the spirit with public viewings of the World Cup all tournament long.

⚽️ Catch the World Cup tournament at watch outdoor parties at Jennings Landing, Saint Rose Quad, and West Capitol Park.

SATURDAY

🚴‍♂️ Online registration closes Wednesday for Saturday’s Tour de Cure, which raises money to help people with diabetes. Day-of registration will be available.

🎭️ Spontaneous Broadway is back at Mopco. Watch a musical get conceived, produced, and played right in front of your eyes. Read our coverage of Spontaneous Broadway.

✊ The FlagSSS Day collective formed in 2019 after International Flag Day ceased celebration in Troy. On Sunday, the event continues with costumed marchers.

📚️ The Grown Up Book Fair organized by the gals at The Book Hive is back at Bard & Baker Cafe in Troy.

🐟️ Via Aquarium hosts a 90s murder mystery among the fishes. Costumes highly encouraged!

🎃 Is it really time for Halfway to Halloween? Double M's Haunted Hayride in Ballston Spa features six haunted houses, food, music and adult beverages from Speckled Pig Brewing Co.

🚒 Get to the Gas Up in Schoharie County for antique engines, tractors, demonstrations, great food, live music, and homemade ice cream.

🍄‍🟫 If you’re up for the drive, the 2026 Hudson Valley Fermentation Drive is in New Paltz this Saturday.

SUNDAY

🧘‍♂️ Pints & Poses is an hour-long vinyasa flow class with Amy S. from The Hot Yoga Spot! At Wolf Hollow Brewing Co.

🛍️ Come out to support businesses throughout the Capital Region at the free 518 Business Expo.

🍽️ The Lake George Restaurant Week kicks off on Sunday with 3 course for $35.

💀 The Twilight Market returns to Quackenbush Square in Albany. While you’re there, be sure to check out the new murals on the parking structure.

UPCOMING

6/15: Art on the Rail Trail Mini Gala
6/17: The 518 Dinner Club (sponsored by Bootlegger’s on Broadway)
6/20: Whitman Fantasy Faire
6/20: Center Square Stoop Stroll
6/20: Summer Solstice Celebration at Huck Finn’s Playland
6/21: Dadfest 2026
6/27-28: Saratoga Jazz Festival
6/27-28: Adirondack Wine & Food Festival

Our music listings are now published separately on The 518 website. Click here.

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Our rolling deadline is the Saturday before your event!

 💌 GET IN TOUCH!

Got an awesome business, event or personality we should feature? Let us know! Contact: phat@the518.com

In partnership with

Hey 518 readers! Apologies for the late evening send. It’s been a slog of a day. You know the feeling.

Today, we’re taking a look at the local coffee culture boom: more beautiful spaces, more neighborhood energy, and more excuses to order an afternoon latte. Let’s get our caffeine on…

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

The viral lattes at Station Six and the new Jacob Alejandro in Troy 📷️ Phat X. Chiem; Instagram

☕ Coffee culture in the Capital Region is hotter than ever

The local coffee scene in Albany and Troy is buzzing right now with recent additions. Here’s what’s brewing…

🚒 Station Six rolls up in Albany

A long-vacant firehouse at 125 Jefferson Street in downtown Albany underwent a massive, two-year makeover, and lit up social media during their soft opening.

Station Six owner Jordan Cambron has turned the historic brick building across from the New York State Museum into a bakery and café that hits all the right aesthetic notes. The joint went a bit viral on TikTok for their adorable takeaway cold-brew latte cans (the kind that’s sealed and you pop it like a soda). The banana and pistachio lattes are especially popular—both were sold out when we dropped in to chat with Jordan. Full story coming soon!

☕️ Jacob Alejandro gets its dream upgrade

Capital Region favorite Jacob Alejandro now has a bigger home that’s even more beautiful than the last.

After six years at 274 River Street, the husband-and-husband team of Alejandro and Jake Griffin-Diaz moved their specialty coffee shop to 9 First Street in mid-May. The new space nearly triples the seating, adds a bigger kitchen, and brings in a new espresso machine. 

“It’s a huge transformation,” Jake tells the TU. “This new space feels like the dream coffee shop we always wanted.” And man, does it look stunning.

🏆 Stacks Espresso bets on downtown Albany

The folks at Stacks seem to be bullish on Albany’s downtown core.

The Capital Region chain celebrated its second downtown location, inside the gorgeous Abraxas apartments at 90 State. It’s a 1,100-square-foot space and marks Stacks’ fourth Capital Region location, serving up the espresso drinks and breakfast sammies you know and love. We especially love what this signals about the direction of downtown—we’re also bullish on what’s happening there.

🦕 Stacks also lands at the NYS Museum

The New York State Museum finally has a cafe again, and Stacks is pouring the java.

The Carousel Café by Stacks is now open on the museum’s second-floor mezzanine. Visitors can refuel with Stacks’ coffee, teas, hot chocolate, pastries, made-to-order sandwiches, and kid-friendly options. Be sure to stop at the cafe after seeing the awesome new Expedition: Dinosaurs exhibit on the fourth floor.

The café’s reopening is part of the museum’s larger first-phase transformation, tied to the state’s $150 million investment in the institution.

🧑🏾‍🌾 Kha & Mel finally get a shop of their own

Brewing inside the Love Albany Center, Kha & Mel’s Coffee and Tea Room is the culmination of a dream for two Black entrepreneurs who have been slinging coffee at the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market for several years now.

They finally opened their brick-and-mortar spot at 8 Kate St in the up-and-coming Delaware South neighborhood—we told you about it a couple of months ago.

Albany Mayor Dorcey Applyrs stopped by to celebrate the new locally owned business. Da mayor called out owners Kha and Mel for “filling a neighborhood need.”

Drop in for fan favorites like the brown sugar oat latte or cold brew!

🐻 Lastly, Bear's Cup Bakehouse, the viral sensation that opened in Saratoga in late 2025, is opening a third location in Wilton at 631 Maple Avenue. It’s currently under construction. However, the TU’s critic wasn’t too impressed.

A word from our sponsor

Good Friend Ecological Gardens is what happens when environmental stewardship and responsible design reshape the relationships between people and place. Plan your tour of our Niskayuna Learning Gardens, shop our locally-grown flower bouquets, or bring Good Friend home through our garden design service.

Read about us in The 518: The Nisky gardener creating beauty with purpose.

🧝 After five months in business, The Lost Gnome, a fantasy-themed café and game shop at Slip 12, is throwing an official ribbon-cutting party on Thursday.

🍕 The owners of Sovrana Pizza are opening a new eatery called Gemelli’s Pizzeria, located in Albany’s Colvin Avenue corridor that’s seeing tons of activity of late. Keep your eyes on this neighborhood! [Albany Business Review]

🇮🇹 Sorrentino’s Delicatessen & Market in South Glens Falls has sadly closed after 20 years in business. [News10]

⚽️ Drink up, World Cup fans! Last call for New Yorkers is extended to 4 am nightly starting Thursday through July 20. [WAMC]

196 Maple Avenue, Acra, NY 12405

Nestled beside a gentle creek on 1.2 wooded acres, this petite Catskills retreat is full of cozy charm, promising easy living with a laid-back connection to the outdoors. With a manageable footprint and inviting spaces throughout, it’s got the perfect vibes for a serene cabin hideaway that’s less than an hour away from Albany.

Outside, the property opens to a grassy lawn, stone patio, fire pit, and two outbuildings including a workshop and storage shed, perfect for hobbies, projects, or extra storage. At this point, the only thing missing is a sauna, and that sunroom sure looks like a promising spot for it!

The deets: 2 bd, 1 ba, 1324 sf. Asking: $238,000. Days on market: 7. See the full listing  here.

Note: The 518 Weekender now publishes on Thursdays. Watch your inboxes! 

SUMMER FUN

👩‍🎨 Go find our friend Victoria van der Laan’s new downtown Albany mural, in collaboration with Albany Center Gallery. Hint: It’s inside the parking structure with the whale mural.

THURSDAY

☠️ It’s Emo Night at Alive at Five, featuring We The Kings (w/ Side B).

♦️ Putnam Place hosts a Texas Hold'em tournament to help cover the production costs of Saratoga's annual Flag Day Parade.

FRIDAY

👩‍🌾 Good Friend Ecological Gardens kicks off the summer season with tours of its lush learning garden, plus the flower shop will be open. Come see why we featured this Nisky gardener.

⚽️ Kick It In Troy gets you in the spirit with public viewings of the World Cup all tournament long.

🎸 TV Doctors (Evan Conway, Bob Morris, Josh Witmer) play the Wolf Hollow Brewing Co.

🤠 Country cover band Big Sky Country headlines Electric City SummerFest.

SATURDAY

⚔️ The NY Capital District Renaissance Faire promises two packed weekends of medieval fun like real jousting, an artisan market, pub crawl, and a “kids’ kingdom.”

🚴‍♂️ Online registration closes Wednesday for Saturday’s Tour de Cure, which raises money to help people with diabetes. Day-of registration will be available.

🐑 The Summer Craft Fair at the historic Shaker Heritage Society brings 75+ vendors, plus a petting zoo and sheep shearing! Sat-Sun.

🍓 The Mayfield Historical Society’s annual Strawberry Festival is a great reason to head out to Gloversville.

✊ The FlagSSS Day collective formed in 2019 after International Flag Day ceased celebration in Troy. On Sunday, the event continues with costumed marchers.

🪥Join artist Ottavia Huang for an intro class to watercolor and ink.

🐟️ Via Aquarium hosts a 90s murder mystery among the fishes. Costumes highly encouraged!

SUNDAY

🏳️‍🌈 The Capital Pride Festival and Parade kicks off at 11:30 am in Washington Park. The Parade begins at 11:30am, State St and Edgecomb. See the full schedule here.

🖼️ The Beekman Street Art Fair features a juried fine art and craft show featuring 60 artists—and music by Caffè Lena. What an excellent combo!

🔈️ Expand your audio appreciation when experimental Japanese sound artist FUJI|||||||||||TA comes to The Egg. How does one pronounce that name actually?

🧘‍♂️ Pints & Poses is an hour-long vinyasa flow class with Amy S. from The Hot Yoga Spot! At Wolf Hollow Brewing Co.

🛍️ Come out to support businesses throughout the Capital Region at the free 518 Business Expo.

ON VIEW

Our music listings are now published separately on The 518 website. Click here.

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Our rolling deadline is the Saturday before your event!

 💌 GET IN TOUCH!

Got an awesome business, event or personality we should feature? Let us know! Contact: phat@the518.com

FUJI|||||||||||TA brings his experimental sounds to The Egg.

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Our rolling deadline is the Saturday before your event!

In partnership with

Hey 518 readers, we’re putting out this short Friday edition to let you know about two cool events happening today that we didn’t include in yesterday’s 518 Weekender:

The first is the Good Food Fest, organized by Capital Roots. Good Food Fest brings together local food makers, farmers, craft beverage producers, musicians, and community members for a fun, family-friendly event. There’s also a “Best in Brine” pickle contest that costs $5 to taste. Get tix here.

📍Capital Roots Urban Grow Center, 598 River Street, Troy
⏰ Friday, 5-8p, free

🎸 🖼️ First Friday Albany is also happening tonight! Among the highlights is Capital Streets’ Walk & Talk.

Have an awesome weekend, readers! 😎 

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

⭐️ = Top 5 Staff Picks

⭐️ 🖼️ Art on Lark is back, baby! Thousands of people are expected to converge on Lark Street for the return of this iconic street festival. The reincarnation of Art on Lark will feature more than a hundred vendors, plus a solid lineup of musical talent (including our friend, Lulu Grey). Sat, 12-6p, free.

⭐️ 🎨 Openbaar will be competing with Art on Lark for the art fair crowd. From the same folks who put on the Vintage Roundup, this market features local artists, crafters, and other makers. It’s situated in the heart of Albany’s Warehouse District, in front of Lionheart on the Green. Sat, 11a-5p, free. If that weren’t enough, there’s also the Albany Bound Vintage Y2K Panic! market: Sat, 1-6p, free.

⭐️ 💃 Full Out Fest celebrates the joy of dance with a (mostly) free festival at Troy’s Riverfront Park. Featuring 100+ dancers from the Troy Dance Factory, the festival will showcase all kinds of dance styles, from hip-hop to ballet to breakdancing. The musical lineup includes Shiloh the Messenger and LACE, plus Capital Region fave DJ Intell Hayesfield. Read our profile of the festival. Sun, 5-8:30p. Lawn seating is free, $15 for amphitheatre and stage-level seating. Get your tix!

⭐️ 🇫🇷 What a charming idea! This year’s Kids Arts Festival will transform Schenectady’s Jay Square into a Parisian arts district celebrating the beauty, music, and art of France. Imaginative performers and student groups will be entertaining crowds, while more than 50 art activities will be offered along Jay and Franklin Streets. Sat, 12-4p, free.

⭐️ 🇬🇷 From moussaka to souvlaki, delicious Greek food is the main draw of the 2026 Saint Basil Troy Greek Festival. There’s also live music and dance, crafts, and other family activities. All weekend, free.

👀 Keep reading to see more notable events in “What’s Happening.”

💃 Full Out Fest is a full-on celebration of dance

Taking place this Sunday, Full Out Fest is one of Troy’s signature summer events. This year’s show features more than 25 dance numbers, two headlining musical acts (Shiloh the Messenger and LACE), plus Capital Region fave DJ Intell Hayesfield throwing down the beats. There will be lawn games, a vendor market, and lots of delicious food. Three ways to enjoy it:

🏆 Stage level seating
🎟️ Amphitheatre seating (general admission)
🌳 Free public lawn area (1st come/1st served)

Full Out Fest
⏰ Sunday, 5 to 8:30p
📍 Riverfront Park in Troy

SUMMER FUN

🎡 The admission-free Clifton Park Carnival continues through the weekend.

🎭️ The Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate New York presents Wedding Band, about an African-American seamstress and her white companion during the First World War. Playing at theREP.

💃 Proctors sets the stage for Moulin Rouge! The Musical, based on Baz Lurhmann’s stylized movie.

🎻 The Mostly Modern Festival, a sprawling fest celebrating bold, contemporary classical music, takes place at various venues in Saratoga.

🔥 The 24th annual Cambridge Valley Hot Air Balloon Festival features 4 massive launches of hot air balloons, plus a carnival, craft fair, a car show, and more!

FRIDAY

🎷 The Capital Jazz Collective plays the New Scotland Spirits Tasting Room.

🚶‍♂️Discover a new side of Albany when Capital Streets hosts its Walk & Talk.

🎙️ Put your records on—Corinne Bailey Rae celebrates 20 years since her debut album, at UPH.

🎭️ Sand Lake Center for the Arts presents The Wolves—a girls’ indoor soccer team navigates big questions and wages tiny battles with all the vim and vigor of a pack of adolescent warriors.

⛴️ Step off the concert hall pedestal and onto the historic Minne-Ha-Ha steamboat for a one-of-a-kind concert where classical music meets cocktail-hour vibes. Part of the Lake George Music Festival.

SATURDAY

🏳️‍🌈 The Schenectady Pride Festival features an appearance by Kandy Muse from RuPaul's Drag Race, plus plenty of other sassy talent and a vendor fair.

🥚 The Egg’s Open House features arcade games, DJ sets, and movie screenings—all free. The RED Bookshelf will also be hosting one of their monthly Family Circle events.

🎬️ Get to the basement of Collar Works for Hell’s Basement, a collab with Picture Lock One & Hellseeker Club. Featuring Hellseeker Goth Nite upstairs and a DJ set and screening downstairs.

🍄‍🟫 Join Luke Sarrantonio for a Forest & Fungi Ecology Walk at the Pine Hollow Arboretum.

🚤 The historic Erie Canal boat Seneca Chief is scheduled to dock at Mohawk Harbor in Schenectady at 3:45 pm this Saturday.

🖼️ Your Friend, Frederic E. Church opens at the Albany Institute of History & Art. The exhibit focuses on the friendship between the famed painter and Albany-based sculptor Erastus Dow Palmer.

📚️ Mingle with local authors and browse one-of-a-kind bookish vendors at the Book Hive’s 2nd annual Book Fest, at Wolf Hollow Brewing Co.

🚣‍♂️ Did you know that Saturday is National Learn to Row Day? And you can try it for free at the Albany Rowing Center.

SUNDAY

🐕️ The Woofstock Music Festival & 5K is back in Scotia, bringing dogs, their humans, and big festival energy to Lions Pavilion for one of the Capital Region’s largest outdoor animal fundraisers.

🏳️‍🌈 Celebrate PRIDE at the 2026 Lower Adirondack Pride Festival is in Glens Falls City Park. Also check out the Gay for Clay Pottery Brunch at Context Collective.

🎙️ The Albany Gay Men’s Chorus performs “Stand Up & Sing Out! Anthems of Justice, Love and Authenticity” at Emmanuel Friedens Church in Schenectady.

☠️ Saratoga’s alternative market, The Last Lap, sets up shop at Putnam Place. And Albany’s Empire Live hosts the Upstate Punk Rock Flea Market.

UPCOMING

6/13-14: NY Capital District Renaissance Faire (also 6/20-21)
6/14: 518 Business Expo
6/14: Capital Pride 2026
6/15: Art on the Rail Trail Mini Gala
6/17: The 518 Dinner Club (sponsored by Bootlegger’s on Broadway)
6/20: Whitman Fantasy Faire
6/20: Center Square Stoop Stroll
6/20: Summer Solstice Celebration at Huck Finn’s Playland
6/21: Dadfest 2026
6/27-28: Saratoga Jazz Festival
6/27-28: Adirondack Wine & Food Festival

Our music listings are now published separately on The 518 website. Click here.

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Our rolling deadline is the Saturday before your event!

 💌 GET IN TOUCH!

Got an awesome business, event or personality we should feature? Let us know! Contact: phat@the518.com

In partnership with

Hey 518 readers, it’s finally getting 🥵 in the Capital Region. The 518 Weekender is your guide to a gorgeous, art-filled weekend of good eats, dancing (check out Full Out Fest in Troy!), and vintage shopping.

🍽️ Seats are filling up for this month’s 518 Dinner Club in downtown Troy. We’re delighted to have the support of Bootlegger’s on Broadway. We love their craft beer selection and their events lineup. This Saturday, put on your favorite island shirt for Hawaiian line dancing!

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

⭐️ = Top 5 Staff Picks

⭐️ 🖼️ Art on Lark is back, baby! Thousands of people are expected to converge on Lark Street for the return of this iconic street festival. The reincarnation of Art on Lark will feature more than a hundred vendors, plus a solid lineup of musical talent (including our friend, Lulu Grey). Sat, 12-6p, free.

⭐️ 🎨 Openbaar will be competing with Art on Lark for the art fair crowd. From the same folks who put on the Vintage Roundup, this market features local artists, crafters, and other makers. It’s situated in the heart of Albany’s Warehouse District, in front of Lionheart on the Green. Sat, 11a-5p, free. If that weren’t enough, there’s also the Albany Bound Vintage Y2K Panic! market: Sat, 1-6p, free.

⭐️ 💃 Full Out Fest celebrates the joy of dance with a (mostly) free festival at Troy’s Riverfront Park. Featuring 100+ dancers from the Troy Dance Factory, the festival will showcase all kinds of dance styles, from hip-hop to ballet to breakdancing. The musical lineup includes Shiloh the Messenger and LACE, plus Capital Region fave DJ Intell Hayesfield. Read our profile of the festival. Sun, 5-8:30p. Lawn seating is free, $15 for amphitheatre and stage-level seating. Get your tix!

⭐️ 🇫🇷 What a charming idea! This year’s Kids Arts Festival will transform Schenectady’s Jay Square into a Parisian arts district celebrating the beauty, music, and art of France. Imaginative performers and student groups will be entertaining crowds, while more than 50 art activities will be offered along Jay and Franklin Streets. Sat, 12-4p, free.

⭐️ 🇬🇷 From moussaka to souvlaki, delicious Greek food is the main draw of the 2026 Saint Basil Troy Greek Festival. There’s also live music and dance, crafts, and other family activities. All weekend, free.

👀 Keep reading to see more notable events in “What’s Happening.”

💃 Full Out Fest is a full-on celebration of dance

Taking place this Sunday, Full Out Fest is one of Troy’s signature summer events. This year’s show features more than 25 dance numbers, two headlining musical acts (Shiloh the Messenger and LACE), plus Capital Region fave DJ Intell Hayesfield throwing down the beats. There will be lawn games, a vendor market, and lots of delicious food. Three ways to enjoy it:

🏆 Stage level seating
🎟️ Amphitheatre seating (general admission)
🌳 Free public lawn area (1st come/1st served)

Full Out Fest
⏰ Sunday, 5 to 8:30p
📍 Riverfront Park in Troy

🐕️ The Woofstock Music Festival & 5K is back in Scotia, bringing dogs, their humans, and big festival energy to Lions Pavilion for one of the Capital Region’s largest outdoor animal fundraisers. The day starts with the 5K Run and Walk-A-Thon, where participants can bring their pups, rally a team, and help support the Animal Protective Foundation.

After the race, the party keeps going with live music from American Vanity and more, food and pet-friendly vendors, local craft beer, and plenty of dog-loving fun. Sun, starts at 10a, $20 admission, kids 12 and under free.

🐠 Anybody in the 518 audience keep tropical fish? We have an explosion of black mollies and need to find good homes for them. Trade for other mollies or tropical fish. Reach out to phat@the518.com!

THURSDAY

🎸 Albany’s iconic summer concert series, Alive at Five, kicks off the season with R&B Night.

🎡 The admission-free Clifton Park Carnival continues through the weekend.

🎭️ The Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate New York presents “Wedding Band,” about an African-American seamstress and her white companion during the First World War. Playing at theREP.

💃 Proctors sets the stage for Moulin Rouge! The Musical, based on Baz Lurhmann’s stylized movie.

🎻 The Mostly Modern Festival, a sprawling fest celebrating bold, contemporary classical music, happens at various venues in Saratoga.

🎬️ Celebrate the 200th birthday of artist Frederic Church with the premiere screening of WMHT Public Media’s new documentary, Language in Landscape: The Art of Frederic Church at Hudson Hall.

🤣 The comedian Tig Notaro has added a late show at The Egg after selling out her first show there.

🎸 The Seven Wonders, a Fleetwood Mac tribute band, plays Electric City SummerFest.

FRIDAY

🔥 The 24th annual Cambridge Valley Hot Air Balloon Festival features 4 massive launches of hot air balloons, plus a carnival, craft fair, a car show, and more!

🎷 The Capital Jazz Collective plays the New Scotland Spirits Tasting Room.

🚶‍♂️Discover a new side of Albany when Capital Streets hosts its Walk & Talk.

🎙️ Put your records on—Corinne Bailey Rae celebrates 20 years since her debut album, at UPH.

🎭️ Sand Lake Center for the Arts presents The Wolves—a girls’ indoor soccer team navigates big questions and wages tiny battles with all the vim and vigor of a pack of adolescent warriors.

⛴️ Step off the concert hall pedestal and onto the historic Minne-Ha-Ha steamboat for a one-of-a-kind concert where classical music meets cocktail-hour vibes. Part of the Lake George Music Festival.

SATURDAY

🏳️‍🌈 The Schenectady Pride Festival features an appearance by Kandy Muse from RuPaul's Drag Race, plus plenty of other sassy talent and a vendor fair.

🥚 The Egg’s Open House features arcade games, DJ sets, and movie screenings—all free. The RED Bookshelf will also be hosting one of their monthly Family Circle events.

🎬️ Get to the basement of Collar Works for Hell’s Basement, a collab with Picture Lock One & Hellseeker Club. Featuring Hellseeker Goth Nite upstairs and a DJ set and screening downstairs.

🍄‍🟫 Join Luke Sarrantonio for a Forest & Fungi Ecology Walk at the Pine Hollow Arboretum.

🚤 The historic Erie Canal boat Seneca Chief is scheduled to dock at Mohawk Harbor in Schenectady at 3:45 pm this Saturday.

🖼️ Your Friend, Frederic E. Church opens at the Albany Institute of History & Art. The exhibit focuses on the friendship between the famed painter and Albany-based sculptor Erastus Dow Palmer.

📚️ Mingle with local authors and browse one-of-a-kind bookish vendors at the Book Hive’s 2nd annual Book Fest, at Wolf Hollow Brewing Co.

🚣‍♂️ Did you know that Saturday is National Learn to Row Day? And you can try it for free at the Albany Rowing Center.

SUNDAY

🏳️‍🌈 Celebrate PRIDE at the 2026 Lower Adirondack Pride Festival is in Glens Falls City Park. Also check out the Gay for Clay Pottery Brunch at Context Collective.

🎙️ The Albany Gay Men’s Chorus performs “Stand Up & Sing Out! Anthems of Justice, Love and Authenticity” at Emmanuel Friedens Church in Schenectady.

☠️ Saratoga’s alternative market, The Last Lap, sets up shop at Putnam Place. And Albany’s Empire Live hosts the Upstate Punk Rock Flea Market.

UPCOMING

6/13-14: NY Capital District Renaissance Faire (also 6/20-21)
6/14: 518 Business Expo
6/14: Capital Pride 2026
6/15: Art on the Rail Trail Mini Gala
6/17: The 518 Dinner Club (sponsored by Bootlegger’s on Broadway)
6/20: Whitman Fantasy Faire
6/20: Center Square Stoop Stroll
6/20: Summer Solstice Celebration at Huck Finn’s Playland
6/21: Dadfest 2026
6/27-28: Saratoga Jazz Festival
6/27-28: Adirondack Wine & Food Festival

Our music listings are now published separately on The 518 website. Click here.

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Our rolling deadline is the Saturday before your event!

 💌 GET IN TOUCH!

Got an awesome business, event or personality we should feature? Let us know! Contact: phat@the518.com

In partnership with

Hey 518 readers! Today, we’re putting Full Out Fest on your radar. A full-throated celebration of dance and music, Full Out Fest has become one of Troy’s signature summer events. Don’t miss it on Sunday!

🎟️ We’re sooo excited for the next 518 Dinner Club on Wednesday, June 17. That’s because we’re heading to hoppin’ downtown Troy to eat, drink, mix and mingle. This month’s dinner club is generously sponsored by Bootlegger’s on Broadway, Troy’s premier destination for craft cocktails, elevated pub fare & nightlife. Save your seat now!

🍨 Due to a scheduling conflict, we are moving our first Sundae Morning brunch to July. Date TBD. Thank you to everyone who put in their 2 cents about pricing last week. The vast majority of our readers said they wanted a choice between ticket options (with and without drinks included). Only one person said $12 was an “outrageous” price for a sundae.

But Kurver Kreme, a Capital Region institution, charges $12.28 for a large “signature sundae”—and that’s just the ice cream without everything else we’ve got going on at our event! So who’s doing it wrong?

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

Full Out Fest is a full-on celebration of dance along Troy’s Riverfront Park 📷️ via Instagram

Troy’s Full Out Fest celebrates the joy of dance 💃 

When Full Out Fest started in 2021, Troy Dance Factory was still rebuilding after the pandemic.

The studio had enough dancers for a short show, but founder Nadine Medina wanted something bigger and more community-driven. So she invited musician friends to perform, brought in local artists and vendors, and turned the whole thing into an outdoor celebration at Troy’s Riverfront Park.

“It was 2021 and we just wanted to party and celebrate,” Nadine says.

Fast forward to 2026, the event has grown into a full-fledged festival and one of Troy’s signature summer events. This year’s show features roughly 25 dance numbers, two headlining musical acts (Shiloh the Messenger and LACE), plus Capital Region fave DJ Intell Hayesfield throwing down the beats. There will be lawn games, a vendor market, and food trucks.

At the center of it all are the dancers: more than a hundred performers from Troy Dance Factory, across styles including jazz, hip-hop, ballet, contemporary, breakdancing, and more. 

The studio attracts adults who are not necessarily looking to make a career out of dance, but want to keep growing their dance skills and challenging themselves.

Some of the dancers taking the stage at Full Out Fest this Sunday will be performing for the first time ever. A couple of them weren't even allowed to dance growing up.

"There are so many hurdles that so many of them have had to overcome to get on that stage," Nadine says. "It just feels bigger than dance."

All of the dance numbers have been created just for Full Out Fest.

This year’s Full Out Festival comes at a time when the arts and the humanities are coming under heavy attack, so a (mostly) free festival that celebrates dance feels bold and defiant.

"Dance is for everybody," Nadine says. "The festival and studio are giving people different entry points into this art form. They might just be walking by on Sunday and suddenly be completely captivated by what’s happening on stage. Anyone is welcome to come sit on the lawn and watch."

Reserved seating is $15 per person, but the event is also designed so people walking through the park can still catch the energy, browse the market, or simply enjoy the dancing and music. There are 3 ways to attend:

🏆 Stage level seating for 5
🎟️ Amphitheatre seating (general admission)
🌳 Free public lawn area (1st come/1st served)

The deets: Full Out Fest is this Sunday, from 5 to 8:30 pm at Riverfront Park in Troy. Rain date is June 14. Get your tickets now!

A word from our sponsor

A local, career fireman-owned company, ETyler Landscaping specializes in garden design that’s functional, beautiful, and built to last. We create landscapes tailored for your space and your lifestyle, using quality plants, stone, and skilled craftsmanship.

Whether you need some simple accents or a big makeover, ETyler brings your vision to life—beautifully.

Schedule your free consultation today. Find us on Instagram and Facebook. Now serving Albany, Troy, and nearby communities.

🍤 Anyone else notice that the dining reviews in the TU have gotten a lot more critical since they hired on their tag team of critics? This is probably a good thing because a tough critic is more useful than someone who just seems to love everything. ICYMI, their verdict on Bloom Boutique Bar & Eatery in Albany is in: The restaurant is “big on style, but the food lacks consistency.” [Times Union]

🍸️ Hot on Reddit: People are confused (and also kind of irritated) to find out that the Larkin Hi-Fi is indeed still open for business. [Reddit]

🍺 The Ruck is coming to Schenectady! The popular Troy joint is opening a second location in the Electric City, dubbing it Ruck² . [Albany Business Review]

🏮The TroyAsia Night Market was insane last week. It really ought to be more than once a year, so we are looking into organizing another one for the Autumn Moon Festival. Reach out if you would love to be a vendor at this: phat@the518.com.

💰️ More than 8 million New Yorkers are set to get a check this year to offset rising utility costs. Find out if you qualify for a rebate in this article… [WAMC]

4 1st Street, Castleton, NY 12033

Spiral staircase and Hudson river views? Count us in! Bluebird Bungalow is a 1911 Arts and Crafts residence in the historic village of Castleton-on-Hudson, set on three quarters of an acre with sweeping views of the historic Hudson. The original woodwork and architectural details have been preserved and tastefully updated.

This absolute gem of a property celebrates indoor-outdoor living. The enclosed sunroom is lined with vintage windows and flows seamlessly to the deck and gardens beyond. Outside, a pollinator garden, two raised cedar beds, peonies, native white pines, a cherry tree, and apple trees have been cultivated with care. The river-facing porch is oriented to catch ships passing at sunset.

Five Mitsubishi Hyper Heat pumps handle whole-home heating and cooling year-round. The rockwool-insulated garage fits an SUV and home gym, complete with a workshop. Just 15 minutes to Albany, and a short reach to Hudson, Kinderhook, and Troy.

The deets: 3 bd, 2 ba, 1324 sf. Asking: $435,000. Days on market: 5. See the full listing  here.

Note: The 518 Weekender now publishes on Thursdays. Watch your inboxes! 

SUMMER FUN

🎬️ Check out Masters of the Universe and other great summer daze movies at Spectrum Theatre.

🎡 The admission-free Clifton Park Carnival continues through the weekend.

WEDNESDAY

🎸 Fitz and the Tantrums & Vertical Horizon headline the free Belmont on Broadway concert, part of the festivities surrounding the 2026 Belmont Stakes.

🎙️Opera Saratoga’s Portraits is a series of hour-long concerts at Saratoga Arts featuring 20 rising opera stars.

🏳️‍🌈 Indian Ladder Farms kicks off PRIDE month with Orchard Opulance—The Queens’ Feast.

THURSDAY

🎸 Albany’s iconic summer concert series, Alive at Five, kicks off the season with R&B Night.

🇬🇷 From moussaka to souvlaki, delicious Greek food is the main draw of the 2026 Saint Basil Troy Greek Festival.

🎭️ The Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate New York presents “Wedding Band,” about an African-American seamstress and her white companion during the First World War.

🍸️ The Center for Disability Services throws a gala called An Aficionado Experience at Forts Ferry Farm.

🎸 The Mostly Modern Festival, a sprawling music fest celebrating bold, contemporary classical music, happens at various venues in Saratoga.

🎬️ Celebrate the 200th birthday of artist Frederic Church with the premiere screening of WMHT Public Media’s new documentary, Language in Landscape: The Art of Frederic Church at Hudson Hall.

🤣 The comedian Tig Notaro has added a late show at The Egg after selling out her first show there.

🎸 The Seven Wonders, a Fleetwood Mac tribute band, plays Electric City SummerFest.

FRIDAY

🔥 The 24th annual Cambridge Valley Hot Air Balloon Festival features 4 massive launches of hot air balloons, plus a carnival, craft fair, a car show, and more!

🎷 The Capital Jazz Collective plays the New Scotland Spirits Tasting Room.

🚶‍♂️ Discover a new side of Albany when Capital Streets hosts its Walk & Talk.

🎙️ Put your records on—Corinne Bailey Rae celebrates 20 years since her debut album, at UPH.

SATURDAY

🖼️ Art on Lark is back, baby! Thousands of people are expected to converge on Lark Street for the return of this iconic street festival.

🇫🇷 This sounds charming—this year, the Kids Art Festival in Schenectady will transform into a Parisian arts district with special activities to celebrate the beauty, music, and art of France.

🥚 The Egg’s Open House features arcade games, DJ sets, and movie screenings—all free. The RED Bookshelf will also be hosting one of their monthly Family Circle events.

🎨 Openbaar, Albany’s local art market, is down in the Warehouse District—and free!

🍄‍🟫 Join Luke Sarrantonio for a Forest & Fungi Ecology Walk at the Pine Hollow Arboretum.

🚤 The historic Erie Canal boat Seneca Chief is scheduled to dock at Mohawk Harbor in Schenectady at 3:45 pm this Saturday.

🖼️ Your Friend, Frederic E. Church opens at the Albany Institute of History & Art. The exhibit focuses on the friendship between the famed painter and Albany-based sculptor Erastus Dow Palmer.

📚️ Mingle with local authors and browse one-of-a-kind bookish vendors at the 2nd annual Book Fest, hosted at Wolf Hollow Brewing West.

🚣‍♂️ Did you know that Saturday is National Learn to Row Day? And you can try it for free at the Albany Rowing Center.

SUNDAY

💃 Full Out Fest celebrates the joy of dance!

🏳️‍🌈 Celebrate PRIDE at Gay for Clay Pottery Brunch at Context Collective.

ON VIEW

• Your Friend, Frederic E. Church | Albany Institute of History & Art

• threads: weaving an intricate banner | Albany Center Gallery | Ends June 13

• LIGHT EATERS by Gracelee Lawrence | Collar Works

• Inked: Stigma, Otherness, and Art | Tang Teaching Museum

• All These Growing Things | Tang Teaching Museum | Ends July 19

• Richard Deon Woodcuts | Hyde Collection | Ends July 26

• Blanche Lazzell: Becoming an American Modernist and A Life in Bloom: The Floral Paintings of Julia McEntee Dillon 

Our music listings are now published separately on The 518 website. Click here.

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Our rolling deadline is the Saturday before your event!

 💌 GET IN TOUCH!

Got an awesome business, event or personality we should feature? Let us know! Contact: phat@the518.com

Corinne Bailey Rae celebrates 20 years since her debut album, at Universal Preservation Hall.

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Our rolling deadline is the Saturday before your event!

In partnership with

Hey 518 readers, apologies for the double email this week, but we just couldn’t send out The 518 Weekender without including one of our favorite events all year—the TroyAsia Night Market!

Capping off Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the much-anticipated market brings delicious street food, drinks, games, and K-pop vibes to downtown Troy this Saturday from 5–9 PM. Taking place across the street from Sunhee’s Farm & Kitchen, this year’s event features later hours so it really is a night market.

Some of our very favorite Asian peeps will be represented, including Sunhee’s, Cheebog & Chateau Bakery. Pro tip: In past years, the market has actually run out of food so be sure to get there early. It will be mobbed!

TroyAsia Night Market
102 Ferry St, Troy
Saturday, 5–9 pm, free

🍨 Drumroll please…. We are launching a new event series called Sundae Morning. Think Sunday brunch with ice cream! In our historic Mansion neighborhood home.

Our first date is Sunday, June 28, from 11 am to 2 pm. For our inaugural event, we’ll have baked goods from Nostalgia Bakery, coffee from Virgo Rising Coffee, popup bookstore from Dilly Dally Books, print sale from Kiddie Pool, plus a full sundae bar + mimosas. Maybe a mini vintage market too? 🤯 

But we need YOUR help to price this event:

We’re excited for our ice cream date with you. Mark your calendars!

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

The TroyAsia Night Market caps off Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

⭐️ = Top 5 Staff Picks

⭐️ 🎸 Lark Before Dark at Lark Hall is billed as a “dance party for people who have things to do the next day” and the dress code is “come as you are.” Sounds like our kind of party! DJ RVMBA will be throwing down old-school 90s and early 2000 dance hits. And if you really want to keep going, there’s an afterparty at The Eleven. Sat, 6-10p, $15.

⭐️ 🍺 The Druthers Annual Albany Block Party is another reason why Albany’s Warehouse District is hoppin’ these days. Their block party is just a really fun night and a good excuse to come down to the district. Big Sky Country, who do rockin’ country music covers, headlines. Thurs, 4:30-9:30p, free.

⭐️🦉 Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park's Annual Wildlife Festival coincides with the emergence of wild blue lupines and the endangered Karner blue butterfly. It’s a perfect backdrop to celebrate wildlife and our precious natural resources. Expect lots of live animal demos, vendors, music from Caffe Lena, food and more! Sun, 11a-3p, free.

⭐️ 🎸 Schenectady’s inaugural Electric City Summer Fest brings live music, local vendors, food and drink, and a big crowd to North Broadway. Grateful Dead cover band The Wheel kicks off the Thursday concert series this week. Thurs, 5:30p, free.

⭐️ 🖼️ Troy Night Out will be going off this Friday. First, Picture Lock One’s very cool Home Screen, featuring home movies curated from their audience, kicks off at 5 pm (screening at 7:30 pm). Then, starting at 6 pm, get to the biannual Open Studios at Upstairs Arts Collective.

Honorable mentions:

🌺 The Ten Broeck Mansion Floral Show & Tea Tasting brings floral displays, special tours, and a china sale to Albany’s historic family home. On Saturday, Music in the Mansion is a delightful spring concert with Stringwynd, the dynamic duo of flutist Melanie Chirignan and Celtic harpist Dr. Darhon Rees‑Rohrbacher. Thurs-Sun, $20-$50. Some dates are SOLD OUT.

🪻Albany Pine Bush Preserve’s Discovery Center will open late for Lupine Fest: Nature Night Out with live music and food trucks.

⭐️ 🎡 The Clifton Park Carnival offers the summer fair experience without the admission fee (although unlimited ride wristbands are $30 and the carnival games are not free, of course). Pro tip: Bring cash! Opens Thursday, runs through June 7, free admission.

👀 Keep reading to see more notable events in “What’s Happening.”

A local, career fireman-owned company, ETyler Landscaping specializes in garden design that’s functional, beautiful, and built to last. We create landscapes tailored for your space and your lifestyle, using quality plants, stone, and skilled craftsmanship.

Whether you need some simple accents or a big makeover, ETyler brings your vision to life—beautifully.

Schedule your free consultation today. Find us on Instagram and Facebook. Now serving Albany, Troy, and nearby communities.

We’ve got some fantastic animal events to share this week:

Saturday: The Bark Walk—The Capital Region’s Dog Fashion Show & Pet Market

Sunday: Birds ‘N Brews at Wolf Hollow Brewing Co.

Sunday: Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park's Annual Wildlife Festival

THURSDAY

🍺 It’s a busy weekend at Wolf Hollow Brewing Co. West! Beginning with Blooms & Brews on Thursday; Rusticator on Friday, and Havana Night on Saturday.

FRIDAY

🏳️‍🌈 Get to RPI’s EMPAC for a Pride Kick Off, a relaxed, come-as-you-are evening of creativity, music, and good company.

🇦🇲 The Armenian Festival brings dancing, music, and homecooked treats to Watervliet, Fri through Sun.

🛞 Interfaith Sanctuary presents “Drive to Live” in Albany, a stage play set in 1952 about a Black family residing in Albany and Harlem. Fri-Sat.

🎙️ Songs of Freedom: Raising our Voices is a joint fundraiser benefiting Troy Indivisible and Christ Church United Methodist.

SATURDAY

🎭️ Mopco Theatre brings back Spontaneous Broadway, a fully improvised musical that is conceived and performed in a single show! Read our coverage of Spontaneous Broadway.

🎬️ The 4th annual Mayfly Film Festival is an hour of beautiful short films, screened outdoors at Jay Square in downtown Schenectady.

🏃‍♀️ The 48th Annual Delightful Run for Women is this Saturday—online registration closes on Tuesday at midnight!

🎸 Planet KPOP at the Palace Theatre is your chance to experience the music of KPOP Demon Hunters, BTS, Huntr/x, BLACKPINK, and more.

🌱 The Catskills Cup Spring Fling at McGrath's Edgewood Falls features a chainsaw carver, food trucks, seed swap, and more.

🖼️ Join an artist talk with Victoria Palermo, Adam Tinkle, and Page Darrow, moderated by Ian Berry, director at the Tang Teaching Museum. At the Main and Atrium Galleries in Saratoga.

SUNDAY

🖼️ It’s the LAST day to see “Americana/ble: The BIG GROUP SHOW” at Kiddie Pool. Bonus: Karley’s opening up her studio for visits and a flat file print sale! The address is 128 Grand St, Albany.

🍺 One of our faves, Lost & Found Bar and Kitchen in Albany welcomes the summer with a Patio Season Kickoff Party!

🍽️ Arts Letters & Numbers celebrates the grand opening of the new outdoor bar and patio at La Perla Restaurant.

🏃‍♂️ The Cantina Kids Fun Run is an athletic event for kids up to age 12 held in Saratoga’s Congress Park.

🎻 The Festival of Young Artists at SPAC features student popup performances, poetry slams, fine art displays, and food vendors.

💃 Ecstatic Dance Troy transforms into SEED: Soul Expansion Embodiment Dance, a guided, anatomy-informed, life-force awakening journey where music and movement meet conscious facilitation.

🏳️‍🌈 Organized by the Pride Center of the Capital Region, the annual Pride Rainbow 5K Run-Walk is a fun family-friendly event with runners of all levels.

🍵 The 46th Annual Saratoga Antique Bottle Show & Sale is the major fundraiser for the National Bottle Museum. See a variety of bottles from early New England communities.

🛍️ Join Sand Lake Merchant and Sand Lake Center for the Arts in Averill Park for their Spring Merchant Market.

MONDAY

🏳️‍🌈 Get to Nine Pin for its Pride Drag Show, with a portion of the proceeds donated to LGBTQIA+ non-profit organizations in the Capital Region and Hudson Valley.

🎸 An Evening With Cake at SPAC brings the Sacramento-based band known for their unique blend of funk, country, mariachi, jazz, and folk influences.

UPCOMING

6/4: Alive at Five R&B Night (first concert of the season)
6/6: Openbaar Market
6/5-7: Cambridge Valley Balloon Festival
6/6: Albany Vintage Bound
6/7: Full Out Fest in Troy
6/13-14: NY Capital District Renaissance Faire (also 6/20-21)
6/14: Capital Pride 2026
6/17: The 518 Dinner Club (we’re in Troy this month!)
6/20: Whitman Fantasy Faire
6/21: Dadfest 2026
6/27-28: Saratoga Jazz Festival

Our music listings are now published separately on The 518 website. Click here.

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Our rolling deadline is the Saturday before your event!

 💌 GET IN TOUCH!

Got an awesome business, event or personality we should feature? Let us know! Contact: phat@the518.com

In partnership with

Hey 518 readers, we’re back with another packed 518 Weekender for you. But can someone tell us why it always rains on the weekends in upstate NY??

🍨 Drumroll please…. We are launching a new event series called Sundae Morning. Think Sunday brunch with ice cream! In our historic Mansion neighborhood home.

Our first date is Sunday, June 28, from 11 am to 2 pm. For our inaugural event, we’ll have baked goods from Nostalgia Bakery, coffee from Virgo Rising Coffee, popup bookstore from Dilly Dally Books, print sale from Kiddie Pool, plus a full sundae bar + mimosas. Maybe a mini vintage market too? 🤯 

But we need YOUR help to price this event:

We’re excited for our ice cream date with you. Mark your calendars!

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

The Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park's Annual Wildlife Festival coincides with the blooming of the lupine 📷️ Photo courtesy of Daily Gazette

⭐️ = Top 5 Staff Picks

⭐️ 🎸 Lark Before Dark at Lark Hall is billed as a “dance party for people who have things to do the next day” and the dress code is “come as you are.” Sounds like our kind of party! DJ RVMBA will be throwing down old-school 90s and early 2000 dance hits. And if you really want to keep going, there’s an afterparty at The Eleven. Sat, 6-10p, $15.

⭐️ 🍺 The Druthers Annual Albany Block Party is another reason why Albany’s Warehouse District is hoppin’ these days. Their block party is just a really fun night and a good excuse to come down to the district. Big Sky Country, who do rockin’ country music covers, headlines. Thurs, 4:30-9:30p, free.

⭐️🦉 Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park's Annual Wildlife Festival coincides with the emergence of wild blue lupines and the endangered Karner blue butterfly. It’s a perfect backdrop to celebrate wildlife and our precious natural resources. Expect lots of live animal demos, vendors, music from Caffe Lena, food and more! Sun, 11a-3p, free.

⭐️ 🎸 Schenectady’s inaugural Electric City Summer Fest brings live music, local vendors, food and drink, and a big crowd to North Broadway. Grateful Dead cover band The Wheel kicks off the Thursday concert series this week. Thurs, 5:30p, free.

⭐️ 🖼️ Troy Night Out will be going off this Friday. First, Picture Lock One’s very cool Home Screen, featuring home movies curated from their audience, kicks off at 5 pm (screening at 7:30 pm). Then, starting at 6 pm, get to the biannual Open Studios at Upstairs Arts Collective.

Honorable mentions:

🌺 The Ten Broeck Mansion Floral Show & Tea Tasting brings floral displays, special tours, and a china sale to Albany’s historic family home. On Saturday, Music in the Mansion is a delightful spring concert with Stringwynd, the dynamic duo of flutist Melanie Chirignan and Celtic harpist Dr. Darhon Rees‑Rohrbacher. Thurs-Sun, $20-$50. Some dates are SOLD OUT.

🪻Albany Pine Bush Preserve’s Discovery Center will open late for Lupine Fest: Nature Night Out with live music and food trucks.

⭐️ 🎡 The Clifton Park Carnival offers the summer fair experience without the admission fee (although unlimited ride wristbands are $30 and the carnival games are not free, of course). Pro tip: Bring cash! Opens Thursday, runs through June 7, free admission.

👀 Keep reading to see more notable events in “What’s Happening.”

A local, career fireman-owned company, ETyler Landscaping specializes in garden design that’s functional, beautiful, and built to last. We create landscapes tailored for your space and your lifestyle, using quality plants, stone, and skilled craftsmanship.

Whether you need some simple accents or a big makeover, ETyler brings your vision to life—beautifully.

Schedule your free consultation today. Find us on Instagram and Facebook. Now serving Albany, Troy, and nearby communities.

We’ve got some fantastic animal events to share this week:

Saturday: The Bark Walk—The Capital Region’s Dog Fashion Show & Pet Market

Sunday: Birds ‘N Brews at Wolf Hollow Brewing Co.

Sunday: Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park's Annual Wildlife Festival

THURSDAY

🍺 It’s a busy weekend at Wolf Hollow Brewing Co. West! Beginning with Blooms & Brews on Thursday; Rusticator on Friday, and Havana Night on Saturday.

FRIDAY

🏳️‍🌈 Get to RPI’s EMPAC for a Pride Kick Off, a relaxed, come-as-you-are evening of creativity, music, and good company.

🇦🇲 The Armenian Festival brings dancing, music, and homecooked treats to Watervliet, Fri through Sun.

🛞 Interfaith Sanctuary presents “Drive to Live” in Albany, a stage play set in 1952 about a Black family residing in Albany and Harlem. Fri-Sat.

🎙️ Songs of Freedom: Raising our Voices is a joint fundraiser benefiting Troy Indivisible and Christ Church United Methodist.

SATURDAY

🎭️ Mopco Theatre brings back Spontaneous Broadway, a fully improvised musical that is conceived and performed in a single show! Read our coverage of Spontaneous Broadway.

🎬️ The 4th annual Mayfly Film Festival is an hour of beautiful short films, screened outdoors at Jay Square in downtown Schenectady.

🏃‍♀️ The 48th Annual Delightful Run for Women is this Saturday—online registration closes on Tuesday at midnight!

🎸 Planet KPOP at the Palace Theatre is your chance to experience the music of KPOP Demon Hunters, BTS, Huntr/x, BLACKPINK, and more.

🌱 The Catskills Cup Spring Fling at McGrath's Edgewood Falls features a chainsaw carver, food trucks, seed swap, and more.

🖼️ Join an artist talk with Victoria Palermo, Adam Tinkle, and Page Darrow, moderated by Ian Berry, director at the Tang Teaching Museum. At the Main and Atrium Galleries in Saratoga.

SUNDAY

🖼️ It’s the LAST day to see “Americana/ble: The BIG GROUP SHOW” at Kiddie Pool. Bonus: Karley’s opening up her studio for visits and a flat file print sale! The address is 128 Grand St, Albany.

🍺 One of our faves, Lost & Found Bar and Kitchen in Albany welcomes the summer with a Patio Season Kickoff Party!

🏃‍♂️ The Cantina Kids Fun Run is an athletic event for kids up to age 12 held in Saratoga’s Congress Park.

🎻 The Festival of Young Artists at SPAC features student popup performances, poetry slams, fine art displays, and food vendors.

💃 Ecstatic Dance Troy transforms into SEED: Soul Expansion Embodiment Dance, a guided, anatomy-informed, life-force awakening journey where music and movement meet conscious facilitation.

🏳️‍🌈 Organized by the Pride Center of the Capital Region, the annual Pride Rainbow 5K Run-Walk is a fun family-friendly event with runners of all levels.

🍵 The 46th Annual Saratoga Antique Bottle Show & Sale is the major fundraiser for the National Bottle Museum. See a variety of bottles from early New England communities.

🛍️ Join Sand Lake Merchant and Sand Lake Center for the Arts in Averill Park for their Spring Merchant Market.

MONDAY

🏳️‍🌈 Get to Nine Pin for its Pride Drag Show, with a portion of the proceeds donated to LGBTQIA+ non-profit organizations in the Capital Region and Hudson Valley.

🎸 An Evening With Cake at SPAC brings the Sacramento-based band known for their unique blend of funk, country, mariachi, jazz, and folk influences.

UPCOMING

6/4: Alive at Five R&B Night (first concert of the season)
6/6: Openbaar Market
6/5-7: Cambridge Valley Balloon Festival
6/6: Albany Vintage Bound
6/7: Full Out Fest in Troy
6/13-14: NY Capital District Renaissance Faire (also 6/20-21)
6/14: Capital Pride 2026
6/17: The 518 Dinner Club (we’re in Troy this month!)
6/20: Whitman Fantasy Faire
6/21: Dadfest 2026
6/27-28: Saratoga Jazz Festival

Our music listings are now published separately on The 518 website. Click here.

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Our rolling deadline is the Saturday before your event!

 💌 GET IN TOUCH!

Got an awesome business, event or personality we should feature? Let us know! Contact: phat@the518.com

Hey 518 readers! First, apologies for the late evening send today. Secondly, we missed a big event last weekend—the opening of Expedition Dinosaurs: Rise of the Mammals at the NYS Museum. If you were at the opening weekend, you know the 4th floor of the museum was mobbed!

🦕 We try our best to be in the know about most major events; sometimes things just slip through. As a consolation, here’s a fun video we shot of the dino exhibit. Btw, if you’re not following us on our Instagram, are you even a 518 reader??

🏃‍♂️ Today, we’re introducing you to Cap City Runners, the most visible running club in the Capital Region. You might also recognize co-founder Don Applyrs for a different reason…

🎟️ Lastly, we’re heading to downtown Troy for the next 518 Dinner Club on Wednesday, June 17. You won’t want to miss it!

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

Part of the Cap City crew in front of Alias Coffee in Albany. Don Applyrs is in the top left corner.

Cap City Runners is building a big tent for all paces & faces

After a decade as a runner in Albany, Don Applyrs has gotten a good look at the city. It’s what he didn’t see that inspired him to start Cap City Runners. 

“I ran the whole city, from Whitehall to the South End, and wouldn’t see anyone that looked like me,” he recalls. “So I just felt like it was time to build something here. There’s no reason we can’t have a diverse running community in Albany.”

One Saturday, he posted to Instagram: I'm starting a community walk and run meetup. He tagged some friends, including Markel "Kaelz" Brace and Angelo "Justice" Maddox Jr. On that first run, Don’s wife, his young daughters, and a few buddies showed up.

That was nearly three years ago. 

Today, his wife is the mayor of Albany—Dorcey Applyrs. And Cap City Runners is arguably the Capital Region's most visible running club, sometimes drawing 100-plus people to their meetups. 

The group is intent on creating a big tent that’s open to “all paces and faces.”

“We have a wide range of different people that come out, at all different levels of their running journey,” says Angelo, a co-founder.

The club meets Saturday mornings at Alias Coffee in Albany and Wednesday evenings at Common Roots Albany Outpost, where members will linger afterwards for happy-hour drinks, food, and conversation. Sometimes they will shut the place down because no one wants to leave.

And unlike other running clubs, Cap City runs year-round. “Rain, sleet, or snow—we go,” Don says.

"Running is a lifestyle. You don't take a break on your lifestyle," Angelo adds.

The community meetups are free. Membership, which runs $200–$350, unlocks training plans, apparel, and partner discounts. But showing up costs nothing, which is the point.

There’s no gatekeeping here. Don recalls one member who approached another local running group and was told, “You’re not fast enough.”

"That's not the kind of community or environment that we want,” he says.

Cap City has room for serious runners, too. Members have chased half-marathon and marathon PRs, and this spring, the club co-organized the inaugural 5.18K race for 518 Day, drawing over 500 registered participants.

This June, a contingent from Cap City will also participate in The Breaking Balance Project, a nonstop, three-day 450-mile relay from Buffalo to Brooklyn. The project is organized by Balance Hope, a Rochester-based nonprofit raising awareness around mental health.

Cap City also promotes an annual Juneteenth Challenge. This year, members will make a personal commitment to run or walk 161 miles during the month of June, honoring the 161 years since the first Juneteenth in 1865. And on June 19th, the club hosts a community 5K and 10K.

The club is an LLC with plans to become a nonprofit because the founders want to make a bigger impact. They’re especially focused on working with youths and improving mental health.

"Running goes way beyond the physical," Angelo says. "It impacts you mentally, it builds confidence, it builds camaraderie. Along with runner’s high, our crew also gets a community high."

Be sure to follow Cap City Runners on their Instagram.

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🤖 Hot on Reddit: The community is raising concerns about an AI data center being proposed for Albany’s South End.

☕️ Jacob Alejandro has moved from its original Troy location at 274 River St. to 9 First St., in the former Slidin' Dirty/Twisted Fiddler location. [Albany Business Review]

🚍️ The CDTA’s Nature Bus returns to service on Saturday, May 30. Hitch a free ride to outdoor destinations like Albany Pine Bush Preserve and Thacher State Park. [News10]

🥒 Capital Roots and Good Food Market are hosting their first Good Food Festival in Troy on Friday, June 5, from 5 to 8 pm, featuring many of the food businesses supported by their incubator kitchen. Among the events is a “Best in Brine” pickle tasting. Presale tickets on sale now. [The Dishing]

121 Maple Avenue, Troy, NY 12180

This Side Hall Colonial is fresh, clean, and smartly situated in Troy's historic East Side neighborhood near Emma Willard. Highlights of this 3 bed, 2 bath include: bright common spaces, historic details, original old-growth heart pine floors, tasteful fixtures and a wood stove.

The updated kitchen features slab granite countertops and a classic farmhouse sink, as well as access to a screened-in porch. The second floor has a large primary suite, two additional bedrooms, storage nooks and a studio/office. With an inviting front porch, on-demand heating and a walk-out basement, this home is the perfect blend of historic character and modern functionality in a fantastic neighborhood.

The deets: 3 bd, 2 ba, 1746 sf. Asking: $349,000. Days on market: 5. See the full listing here.

Note: The 518 Weekender now publishes on Thursdays. Watch your inboxes! 

WEDNESDAY

🥟 Get to the Asian American Pacific Islander Month Pop-up at the Empire State Plaza for good eats and live music by the Asian Arts New York Eastern Music Ensemble.

🖼️ Hurry, it’s the last week to see “Designing Power: The Black Panther Party” at the Tang Teaching Museum.

THURSDAY

🎡 On Thursday, the Clifton Park Carnival kicks off 11 days of family fun.

🌺 There are only a few tickets left for the Ten Broeck Mansion Floral Show & Tea Tasting. Only Thursday and Saturday tix are still available.

🍺 It’s a busy weekend at Wolf Hollow Brewing Co. West! Beginning with Blooms & Brews on Thursday; Rusticator on Friday, and Havana Night on Saturday.

FRIDAY

🏳️‍🌈 Get to RPI’s EMPAC for a Pride Kick Off, a relaxed, come-as-you-are evening of creativity, music, and good company.

🎬️ Picture Lock One presents Home Screen, featuring a curated selection of home videos of people in their community.

🪻 Albany Pine Bush Preserve’s Discovery Center will open late for Lupine Fest: Nature Night Out with live music and food trucks.

🇦🇲 The Armenian Festival brings dancing, music, and homecooked treats to Watervliet, Fri through Sun.

🛞 Interfaith Sanctuary presents “Drive to Live” in Albany, a stage play set in 1952 about a Black family residing in Albany and Harlem. Fri-Sat.

🎙️ Songs of Freedom: Raising our Voices is a joint fundraiser benefiting Troy Indivisible and Christ Church United Methodist.

SATURDAY

🎭️ Mopco Theatre brings back Spontaneous Broadway, a fully improvised musical that is conceived and performed in a single show!

🎬️ The 4th annual Mayfly Film Festival is an hour of beautiful short films, screened outdoors at Jay Square in downtown Schenectady.

🏃‍♀️ The 48th Annual Delightful Run for Women is this Saturday—online registration closes on Tuesday at midnight!

🎨 The Shaker Heritage Society invites you to a Dot Mandala Charcuterie Board painting workshop.

🎸 Planet KPOP at the Palace Theatre is your chance to experience the music of KPOP Demon Hunters, BTS, Huntr/x, BLACKPINK, and more.

🕰️ DD's Vintage & More is at the Schodack Flea Market every weekend through the summer.

🌱 The Catskills Cup Spring Fling at McGrath's Edgewood Falls features a chainsaw carver, food trucks, seed swap, and more.

🎸 Lark Before Dark is billed as a dance party for people who have things to do the next day.

SUNDAY

🦉 Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park's Annual Wildlife Festival will feature lots of live animals and demos on sustainability and science.

🏃‍♂️ The Cantina Kids Fun Run is an athletic event for kids up to age 12 held in Saratoga’s Congress Park.

🖼️ The Festival of Young Artists at SPAC features student popup performances, poetry slams, fine art displays, and food vendors.

💃 Ecstatic Dance Troy transforms into SEED: Soul Expansion Embodiment Dance, a guided, anatomy-informed, life-force awakening journey where music and movement meet conscious facilitation.

🏳️‍🌈 Organized by the Pride Center of the Capital Region, the annual Pride Rainbow 5K Run-Walk is a fun family-friendly event with runners of all levels.

🍵 The 46th Annual Saratoga Antique Bottle Show & Sale is the major fundraiser for the National Bottle Museum. See a variety of bottles from early New England communities.

🤣 Mabel & Geffrey’s Musical Comedy Fundraiser is a witty blend of live music, improvisation, and playful storytelling.

🦅 Birds ‘N Brews at Wolf Hollow Brewing Co. welcomes winged friends from the Whispering Willow Wild Care.

🛍️ Join Sand Lake Merchant and Sand Lake Center for the Arts in Averill Park for their Spring Merchant Market.

MONDAY

🏳️‍🌈 Get to Nine Pin for its Pride Drag Show, with a portion of the proceeds donated to LGBTQIA+ non-profit organizations in the Capital Region and Hudson Valley.

🎸 An Evening With Cake at SPAC brings the Sacramento-based band known for their unique blend of funk, country, mariachi, jazz, and folk influences.

ON VIEW

• threads: weaving an intricate banner | Albany Center Gallery

• LIGHT EATERS by Gracelee Lawrence | Collar Works

• Inked: Stigma, Otherness, and Art | Tang Teaching Museum

• All These Growing Things | Tang Teaching Museum | Ends July 19

• Richard Deon Woodcuts | Hyde Collection | Ends July 26

• Blanche Lazzell: Becoming an American Modernist and A Life in Bloom: The Floral Paintings of Julia McEntee Dillon 

Our music listings are now published separately on The 518 website. Click here.

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Our rolling deadline is the Saturday before your event!

 💌 GET IN TOUCH!

Got an awesome business, event or personality we should feature? Let us know! Contact: phat@the518.com

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Our rolling deadline is the Saturday before your event!

Hey 518 readers, the Memorial Day weekend is nearly upon us. Don’t let the cloudy skies and cooler temps dampen your celebration. Check out The 518 Weekender to make the most of the long weekend 🇺🇲 🌭 🍔 

🍸️ We’re gearing up for tonight’s 518 Dinner Club in Albany’s Warehouse District. We’ll see you at the secret afterparty location! Couldn’t make this dinner? Get on the list for next month’s gathering.

👉️ More than a hundred new subscribers have joined us just in the last 24 hours. Welcome to the coolest club in the Capital Region! Be sure to check out Tuesday’s newsletter on the Jive Hive Live—it’s a banger.

🖼️ At noon TODAY! Hop on Zoom for a lunchtime chat featuring 8 amazing artists from “Americana/ble: The Big Group Show” at Kiddie Pool. Moderated by our own Karley!

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

Griyo is a signature pork dish in Haiti. Try it at the Albany Haitian Flag Day!

⭐️ = Top 5 Staff Picks

⭐️ 🇭🇹 We’re excited for the first annual Albany Haitian Flag Day at the Washington Park Lake House. Along with dance and music, the festival will feature Haitian food, known for its soulful mix of African, French, and Caribbean influences built around bright herbs, slow-cooked meats, rice, beans, plantains, peppers, and citrusy marinades. Yum! Sat, 12-6p, free.

⭐️ 🏡 Discover Troy’s secret green spaces on the Troy Hidden Garden Tour, a self-guided stroll through private gardens, tucked-away courtyards, and blooming backyard escapes. Rain or shine, expect an evening of beauty, inspiration, and hidden gems in the heart of Troy. Thurs, 4-7:30p, $25 for day-of tickets. From 3-4 pm, the Troy Public Library is also offering a free workshop on the layered shade garden.

⭐️ 🦉 With the Lupine Fest happening all month, it’s a good time to visit the Albany Pine Bush Preserve. This Thursday, get to the Discovery Center for Science Symposium, a special evening event. Meet the researchers studying this rare ecosystem, learn about bird banding and and local butterfly populations, enjoy light bites and drinks from Date & Olive Grazing Co. Thurs, 7-8:30p, free.

⭐️ 🇺🇲 Memorial Day: The Capital Region has a full lineup of parades, ceremonies, and community observances honoring those who lost their lives in military service. Albany.com has compiled a good list of events across the area. Albany’s Memorial Day parade steps off at 9:30 am., at the corner of Ontario Street and Central Avenue, ending at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Lafayette Park. Monday, various times, free.

⭐️ Sawyer Fredericks brings soulful, roots-driven Americana to the legendary Caffè Lena stage with honest songwriting, powerful vocals, and a sound shaped by farm life, folk-rock grit, and deep connection to the land. Since winning The Voice at 16, he’s forged an independent path with heartfelt songs that feel raw and intimate. Friday’s show is SOLD OUT, but there are a few tickets left for Sat, 8p. Tix: $49.09 general admission.

Honorable mention this week:

⭐️ 📜 The free Pinkster Celebration at Schuyler Mansion features musical performances, dancing, and mansion tours. Once a colonial Dutch holiday, Pinkster has become a celebration of African American culture. Sat, 11a-4p, free.

👀 Keep reading to see more notable events in “What’s Happening.”

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🐢 There might be a happy twist to this turtle tragedy

A 30-pound snapping turtle estimated to be around 70 years old was found earlier this week on Methodist Farm Road in Sand Lake. It was badly injured, most likely from being run over by a vehicle.

Rensselaer County sheriff’s deputies responded to the call and they sent the turtle, dubbed Sarge by rescuers, for treatment at the Berkshire County Turtle Rescue in Pittsfield, MA. Sadly, the animal perished on Tuesday night from its injuries.

But there’s a twist. Turns out Sarge was a female Eastern painted turtle and she was carrying eggs. They’re now safely tucked in an incubator while staffers wait to see if they will hatch in about 50-70 days. You can read about Sarge on the turtle rescue’s Facebook: here and here. The Times Union had the initial story.

This is a reminder to watch out for wildlife while you’re driving, especially near wetlands and during the May-June nesting season for these native turtles. It takes an Eastern painted turtle 6 to 10 years just to mature and lay her first eggs. Losing a single female means losing generations of offspring.

THURSDAY

🏃‍♂️ The 2026 CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge is the biggest running event in the CR. Even if you’re not running or spectating, be prepared for closed roads around the Empire State Plaza.

FRIDAY

🪕 The GottaGetGon Festival is a huge family-friendly folk music event that takes place every Memorial Day Weekend at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds.

🌔 Want to take a stroll on the world's longest elevated pedestrian bridge on a moonlit evening? The next Walkway At Night is this Friday night at the Walkway Over the Hudson.

🇰🇷 One of our favorite spots, Sunhee’s in Troy celebrates their 10th anniversary with a patio party, specials and giveaways. Fri-Sat.

🍀 The East Durham Irish Festival kicks off on Friday and goes through the long weekend.

SATURDAY

🦞 It’s all you can eat at Ilium Brewing’s 2nd annual Crawfish Boil!

🍕 DeFazio’s Pizza Garden opens for the season at Indian Ladder Farms. Through Memorial Day.

🍷 Sip, sample, and shop your way through the Hudson-Berkshire Wine & Food Spring Festival, at the Columbia County Fairgrounds in Chatham.

🎞️ “Georgia O’Keeffe, The Brightness of Light" screens at the Hyde Museum.

🍸️ The Rensselaerville Public Library’s Cocktail Party is at the beautiful Hilltown Commons, with music by Moonshine Mule.

🐦️ This seems oddly specific but pretty cool at the same time. Tiny Bird Book Contemplative invites you to create a tiny accordion-style book filled with beautiful bird images and thoughtful quotes.

💃 Get to Albany’s Riilaxx Tavern for a thumpin’ Day Party with DJs King Bully and Young Wise on the turntables.

👩‍🌾 You really can’t beat a day at the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market when it’s warm and sunny (although this Sat will be on the chillier side). There’s also the cannabis-friendly 4th Street Farmers Market. And while you’re in Troy, we highly recommend you stop into Pizzeria Mari 🍕 You can thank us later.

🏮The Asian Business Vendor Fair in Saratoga brings together dozens of Asian businesses across the CR showing off their beautiful wares.

SUNDAY

🦸‍♂️ Dive into the world of comics, cosplay, and cool collectibles at Albany ComicCon.

🥾 Wild Ones Capital Region invites you to their Meet & Hike in Hillsdale, where you’ll be taken on dreamy moss-covered trails winding through a bright new-growth forest. Count us in!

MONDAY

🇺🇲 It’s Memorial Day! Albany.com has a list of the major celebrations across the Capital Region. Try this slow-cooker pulled pork for a delicious take on your Memorial Day grill out. Or send us your favorite recipe!

🦞 Hattie’s in Saratoga throws their annual Crawfish Festival with DJ Trumaster throwing down the beats.

UPCOMING

5/28: Druthers Annual Albany Block Party
5/30: Spontaneous Broadway returns to Mopco
6/4: Alive at Five R&B Night (first concert of the season)
6/5-7: Cambridge Valley Balloon Festival
6/6: Albany Vintage Bound
6/7: Full Out Fest in Troy
6/13-14: NY Capital District Renaissance Faire (also 6/20-21)
6/14: Capital Pride 2026
6/20: Whitman Fantasy Faire
6/21: Dadfest 2026
6/27-28: Saratoga Jazz Festival

Our music listings are now published separately on The 518 website. Click here.

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Our rolling deadline is the Saturday before your event!

 💌 GET IN TOUCH!

Got an awesome business, event or personality we should feature? Let us know! Contact: phat@the518.com

Hey 518 readers! Today, we’re introducing you to one of the best musical experiences in the Capital Region—the Jive Hive Live in Albany. Although it’s not exactly open to the public, we absolutely love what founder Tom O’Connor is doing here for the local music scene. Keep reading to learn how you can score an invite!

🎟️ Last call for the next 518 Dinner Club! Bookings close at 6:30 pm TONIGHT. Save your seat now or get on the list for next month.

🎭️ A special shoutout: Led by Patrick White, the Harbinger Theatre is coming off an exceptionally strong year where three of its shows received Best of the Year awards from Berkshire On Stage, The Daily Gazette, The Saratogian & The Troy Record. Its next production is “Ladies’ Day,” by Amanda Whittington, directed by Rachel Stewart.

The show revolves around four fish-filleting friends who spend an unforgettable day at the races, running June 12-19 at the James L. Meader Little Theatre at Russell Sage in Troy. Get tickets now!

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

The Jive Hive Live; the Amy Ryan Band performing at the Jive Hive 📷️ Phat X. Chiem

🎸 Inside Jive Hive Live: Albany’s invite-only music hideaway

The Jive Hive Live is one of the coolest places to hear music in the Capital Region.

Most people have never seen a show here.

That’s because you need to know founder/owner Tom O’Connor or know someone who knows him or one of the bands that play this invite-only venue.

Tom keeps it on the lowdown to avoid upsetting the neighbors.

You see, Jive Hive is run out of a renovated carriage house on a sprawling two-acre property that dates back to 1830. We can’t reveal the location, but we can tell you that it’s very close to UAlbany.

Here, Tom and a tight crew of musicians, engineers and friends have built something that behaves less like a music venue and more like a gift economy. 

Bands come in and play. Jive Hive records the whole thing with professional-quality audio, cameras and lights. A small audience is treated to an intimate live performance. You can also see all of their shows on YouTube.

Then the artists leave with raw material that they can turn into promo reels, a live album recording, or social media content.

Jive Hive doesn’t charge the artists for this. Given the pro-level recording studio at Jive Hive, Tom estimates that each recording session would cost from $5,000 to $10,000 in fees anywhere else. Since 2021, hundreds of bands have recorded there, equating to millions of dollars in donated studio time.

“The local music scene in the Capital Region is incredibly awesome,” says Tom, during a break from a live recording with Jak Lizard. “Our mission is to help everyone kick it up a level.”

Everyone in the music scene knows about Tom and his recording studio. At the recent Eddies Awards, which celebrates music talent in the CR, you heard a lot of appreciation for the Jive Hive.

“The number of people who mentioned the Jive Hive in their thank yous was incredibly gratifying,” Tom says.

None of this is surprising. Tom is a musician’s musician. You might know him from The NoLaNaughts, the 10-piece New Orleans funk band that frequently plays around the Capital Region.

Mikey Baish, leader of The Sugar Hold, which just played the Albany Tulip Festival, is a prime example of the Jive Hive network in action. His band recorded there in their early days.

“That kind of kick started everything,” he says.

Since then, he’s become part of the Jive Hive’s inner machinery, helping coordinate bands and fill in on video.

“What makes the Jive Hive so special is that everybody’s doing it for the love of the music, the love of the community,” Mikey says. “Nobody’s getting paid.”

Along with Mikey, the regular crew includes Alec Lewis of the Alec Lewis Group, Mikey’s brother, Nick Baish, and other folks who have a talent to share.

Shows happen almost weekly. The genre can swing wildly: from blues rock to R&B soul funk to emo pop punk. Pink Floyd tribute band Run Rabbit Run played there early on. Eric Jon Tasker brought his musical project there.

So how do you actually get invited to a show? Follow Jive Hive Live on Instagram, where they sometimes post about upcoming shows. Better yet, message them to say that you’re a subscriber to The 518 Newsletter! That should open some doors.

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🥡 Ocean Palace, the cult favorite Chinese restaurant on Central Avenue in Albany, is closing after 30 years in business. Get there for tasty dim sum before the end of the month. [Times Union]

🥙 Alaturco Gyro Mediterranean Restaurant is opening a second location in the former Gershon’s Deli space at 1600 Union Street in Schenectady. Yay, more delicious shawarma wraps and gyros for everyone! [News10]

🍣 We love a good izakaya! From the folks behind Jack’s Oyster House comes two new restaurants, opening this week: Izakaya Kinko and The Vault, a tapas-style wine bar. And the spaces look gorgeous! [The Dishing]

🛒 The Trader Joe’s on Wolf Road is demolishing the Honey Baked Ham store next door to make way for more parking. This is a trade we can approve. [Albany Business Review]

🗳️ Do you know Orlondo Hundley, the young upstart politician making a run for mayor of Schenectady? He’s been making waves with a big social media presence. Orlondo is officially launching his campaign on June 27 at Tacos & Margaritas in Schenectady.

65 Manning Boulevard, Albany, NY 12203

This stunning 1910 home on graceful Manning Boulevard in Albany has pristine hardwood floors, sky high ceilings, a grand foyer, lots of light due to its southern exposure, and tasteful fixtures throughout the place. Chef it up in the renovated kitchen with French doors opening to the upper deck, and sprawl out over five grand bedrooms, 2.5 baths, first-floor laundry, and a beautifully designed private third-floor suite with its own kitchenette.

Double decks look out over a big grassy backyard for summer fun or winter merrymaking. Pair the easy, elegant style with modern upgrades like a heat pump, mini-splits, and tankless water heater for efficiency and ease. Walk to St. Peter's, excellent restaurants, and your favorite neighborhood spots.

The deets: 5 bd, 3 ba, 2918 sf. Asking: $489,000. Days on market: 4. See the full listing here.

Note: The 518 Weekender now publishes on Thursdays. Watch your inboxes!

WEDNESDAY

📍 The Historic Albany Foundation invites you to a special trolley tour through the historic district of North Albany.

💙 Lupine Fest goes all month long at the Albany Pine Bush Preserve.

🎡 The Rotterdam Carnival is happening all week. Admission is free; unlimited ride wristbands are $30.

🎭️ Opera Saratoga’s 2026 Summer Festival opens on Wednesday and runs through June 28.

💀 Union College’s Theater Department presents “Hamlet.”

🎭️ Tony Award-winning musical “The Outsiders” plays at Proctors through May 24.

THURSDAY

🍽️ The 518 Dinner Club is headed to Albany’s Warehouse District. Hurry to save your seat—bookings close on Tuesday at 6:30 pm.

🏃‍♂️ The 2026 CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge is the biggest running event in the CR. If you’re running or spectating, be prepared for closed roads.

🦉 Get to the Albany Pine Bush Preserve’s Discovery Center for a special evening event, Science Symposium.

☠️ Kulture Klub – New Wave & Punk Dance Night – All Vinyl! at No Fun

⭐️ Hop on Zoom for a lunchtime panel discussion featuring 8 artists from “Americana/ble: The Big Group Show” at Kiddie Pool. Moderated by Karley.

FRIDAY

🪕 The GottaGetGon Festival is a huge family-friendly folk music event that takes place every Memorial Day Weekend at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds.

🌔 Want to take a stroll on the world's longest elevated pedestrian bridge on a moonlit evening? The next Walkway At Night is this Friday at the Walkway Over the Hudson.

SATURDAY

🇭🇹 Get a taste of Haiti at the first annual Albany Haitian Flag Day at the Washington Park Lake House.

🦞 It’s all you can eat at Ilium Brewing’s 2nd annual Crawfish Boil!

🎞️ “Georgia O’Keeffe, The Brightness of Light" screens at the Hyde Museum

📜 The free Pinkster Celebration at Schuyler Mansion features musical performances, dancing, and mansion tours.

🍸️ The Rensselaerville Public Library’s Cocktail Party is at the beautiful Hilltown Commons, with music by Moonshine Mule.

🐦️ This seems oddly specific but pretty cool at the same time. Tiny Bird Book Contemplative invites you to create a tiny accordion-style book filled with beautiful bird images and thoughtful quotes.

🌿 The Chronic Dispensary celebrates its grand opening with food trucks and free ice cream.

MONDAY

🇺🇲 It’s Memorial Day! Albany.com has a list of the major celebrations across the Capital Region.

ON VIEW

• threads: weaving an intricate banner | Albany Center Gallery

• LIGHT EATERS by Gracelee Lawrence | Collar Works

• Inked: Stigma, Otherness, and Art | Tang Teaching Museum

• Designing Power: The Black Panther Party | Tang Teaching Museum | Ends May 31

• All These Growing Things | Tang Teaching Museum | Ends July 19

• Richard Deon Woodcuts | Hyde Collection | Ends July 26

• Blanche Lazzell: Becoming an American Modernist and A Life in Bloom: The Floral Paintings of Julia McEntee Dillon | Your Friend, Frederic E. Church (opening June 6) Albany Institute of History & Art

Our music listings are now published separately on The 518 website. Click here.

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Our rolling deadline is the Saturday before your event!

 💌 GET IN TOUCH!

Got an awesome business, event or personality we should feature? Let us know! Contact: phat@the518.com

Samantha Fish plays the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Thursday with Paper Doll

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Our rolling deadline is the Saturday before your event!

In partnership with

Hey 518 readers, this week we’ve got a few fun nighttime events—Painting the Night in downtown Albany, and the Nightmare Market and Art Night in Schenectady. The Albany Greek Festival, Sing in the Streets and the ginormous Tap NY Craft Brew Festival round out our weekend picks!

It’s starting to feel like summer with all of these outdoor festivals. Get out there and enjoy the weekend!

🎟️ Btw, we’re now up to 30 guests for the next 518 Dinner Club. Save your seat now! Here’s how the dinner club works.

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

⭐️ = Top 5 Staff Picks

⭐️ 🇬🇷 The Albany Greek Festival at St. Sophia is always a delicious affair. Homemade Greek food is the biggest draw for attendees across the Capital Region. Expect favorites like gyros, souvlaki, spanakopita, moussaka, and all kinds of honey-soaked baked goods. Fri-Sun. Presale tix are $4 through Thursday. Regular admission is $5 per day. Get tix here.

⭐️🎨 Albany boasts some of the best murals in the CR. Painting the Night at Quackenbush Square celebrates a decade of game-changing downtown murals. Watch live mural painting, roaming circus acts, and fire dancers. Albany Center Gallery and Albany Barn will be hosting popups, and DJ King Bully will be laying down the beats. Sat, 5-9p, free.

⭐️💀 At exactly the same time & day, The Nightmare Market, the Capital Region’s best night market, takes over Jay Street in Schenectady. Expect 70+ alternative vendors, oddities, food trucks, themed beverages, tarot readers, live music and more. And yes, despite its name, it’s all family friendly. Sat, 5-9p, free.

⭐️🎸Sing in the Streets returns to downtown Saratoga Springs for its 5th year (not 66th, as we noted in Tuesday’s newsletter—that’s how long the iconic Caffè Lena has been around). Whichever year it is, be prepared for a musical extravaganza with 23 acts across 10 stages, spanning folk, blues, jazz, country, and soul. Sun, 12-5p, rain or shine, free.

⭐️🍺 The Tap New York Craft Brew Festival moves to a new location this year, to the Blackthorne Resort in East Durham. With more than 100,000 people attending, the two-day event is one of the largest craft brew festivals in the country. Friday kicks off with a brew pairing dinner; Sat is “bacon, brews & BBQ” and Sunday focuses on brunch. Fri-Sun, $44-$213. Get tix here.

Honorable mentions this week…

⭐️ 📚️ Americana/ble: The Big Group Show continues with Belonging to the Air with author Avery Irons, who will read from her new novel at Kiddie Pool. Doors open at 12 pm for public viewing of the “Americana/ble” exhibition. Also, you’ll get to meet the folks behind this newsletter!

⭐️🏃‍♂️ 518 Day is a full-day celebration of the Capital Region taking place in downtown Albany, featuring a 5.18K race and Melba Madness (a tasting of Albany’s signature raspberry sauce at 14 hotspots). Both events are ticketed. Even if you’re not racing, you can take in the bands for free at the Clinton Market Collective—Caity Gallagher, Ky McClinton Band, Girl Blue & Super 400 are on the bill. Sat, 8:30a-4p.

👀 Keep reading to see more notable events in “What’s Happening.”

A word from our sponsor

Spontaneous Broadway: The All-Improvised Musical Comedy Sensation at Mopco!

Read our coverage of the show and get tickets for this limited run (May 16, May 30, and June 6) before they sell out!

🦜 Visit our feathered friends at Rensselaer Bird Center

Did you know that parrots are the most given-up pet in America, due to their long lifespans, complex diets, and constant need for intellectual stimulation and attention?

For decades, the Rensselaer Bird Center has been a cornerstone of the Capital Region parrot community, selling hand-tamed exotic birds. They also accept rescue parrots, which they rehome to forever families.

Dia Krylova, an undergrad at Cornell University who's from Albany (she went to Emma Willard) and studying to become an avian veterinarian, reached out to us to say that the business has been struggling since the owner was diagnosed with cancer.

“I am eternally grateful for this establishment. I have seen so many birds be saved from cruelty and neglect,” Dia says. “Without this store, I would have never volunteered at a place with parrots, never fallen in love with these beautiful creatures, and decided to dedicate my future to their medicine and care.”

Be sure to visit the RBC at 63 Washington St, Rensselaer, and follow them on Instagram.

THURSDAY

If you haven’t been to Gloversville lately, the Downtown Art Walk (2-6p) is a perfect excuse to experience its small-town charm and industrial past. As its name suggests, Gloversville was once a glove-making powerhouse.

🚲️ The Albany Social Club meets tonight at the Washington Park Playhouse for a rainy day ride—the best kind!

FRIDAY

🖼️ Get to Opalka Gallery for PechaKucha Night. What’s a PechaKucha? Short talks by interesting people.

🤣 Nate Bargatze brings his hugely popular deadpan humor to the MVP Arena.

🎬️ The first Movie Under the Stars of the season screens “Zootopia 2” in Washington Park.

🎨 Art Night Schenectady is back. Highlights: The 2nd annual Trash Parade and The Mohawk Valley Art Shoppe’s grand reopening and art exhibition benefiting Kitten Angels.

🇬🇳 Guinean singer and songwriter Natu Camara brings her West African rock and soul to The Sanctuary for Independent Media.

🎸 Pint Sized by Dive in Saratoga is hosting a SPAC Happy Hour featuring drink specials, ticket giveaways, and a sneak peak at the upcoming season.

SATURDAY

🎭️ Mopco has brought back Spontaneous Broadway, a fully improvised musical conceived and performed right in front of you in an intimate theater setting. Get your tix before they sell out!

🖼️ The 2026 Spring Art in the Park brings together over 70 artists in Saratoga’s Congress Park.

🌷 The annual Tulip Dig in Washington Park is your chance to bring home some of the bulbs that are the star of the Tulip Fest.

🔈️ Get to Mt. Ida Preservation Hall for All Nite Soul: An Evening of Experimental Music, Improvisation, and Sonic Exploration.

🌿 The Sanctuary for Independent Media invites you to its Plant Swap 2026, in its Collar City Garden. Also happening Saturday, the annual Thacher Native Plant Sale organized by Wild Ones—if you go, be sure to get there at 10 am sharp (trust us on this).

SUNDAY

🏳️‍🌈 A Big Gay Market heads to Glens Falls.

🍺 Brewing It Forward at Wolf Hollow Brewing Co. features live music, raffles, and family fun, all in support of cancer research.

🐈️ 🧘 Get your yoga and yearning for feline cuddles at Mohawk Hudson Humane Society’s Yoga with Kittens!

🦎 The Capital District Reptile Expo slithers into the Albany Capital Center.

🧀 🐝 Join Helderberg Meadworks and The Cheese Traveler for a mead & cheese pairing!

🍏 Nine Pin hosts the 2nd annual Wild Cider Cup, benefiting local conservancies. Remember that 518 subscribers (that’s you!) always get 10% off all cider pours at Nine Pin. Just mention “The 518 Crew.”

MONDAY

🍸️ Reports of Larkin Hi-Fi closing have been exaggerated apparently. Get there for Martini Mondays.

🔭 Observatory Night at Moreau Lake State Park—volunteer astronomers will guide you to see the stars.

🎸 Desperate Annie’s in Saratoga invites you to Super Dark Mondays.

UPCOMING

5/21: The 518 Dinner Club
5/31: Albany ComicCon
6/4: Alive at Five R&B Night
6/6: Albany Vintage Bound
6/14: Capital Pride 2026
6/20: Whitman Fantasy Faire
6/21: Dadfest 2026
6/27-28: Saratoga Jazz Festival

Our music listings are now published separately on The 518 website. Click here.

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Our rolling deadline is the Saturday before your event!

 💌 GET IN TOUCH!

Got an awesome business, event or personality we should feature? Let us know! Contact: phat@the518.com

In partnership with

On Sunday night, we found ourselves at The Egg for the sold-out Iron & Wine show. It was a wonderful reminder that Albany and the greater Capital Region is blessed with so many incredible performance venues.

One of those gems, the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, is getting its moment in the spotlight with a forthcoming documentary. Today, we meet up with Matthew Rogowicz, the WHMT producer of that doc, to learn more about the hall’s remarkable history and legacy.

🍽️ Saved your seat for the next 518 Dinner Club yet? Generously sponsored by Lost & Found Bar + Kitchen, our next dinner is in Albany’s Warehouse District on Thursday, May 21, at 6:30 pm. So far, we have 25+ guests, half of whom are returning from our first dinner!

🛍️ Do you own a small business in the 518? Get a booth at the 518 Business Expo. Mention The 518 Newsletter when you sign up to get $100 off your fee! Ask for Mary Tizzone.

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

How Troy became home to one of America’s great music halls

The wildest thing about the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall is not that it has survived for 150 years.

It’s surprising that it exists at all. 

Considered one of the most acoustically perfect performance venues in the country, the Troy Music Hall is literally built on top of a bank in downtown Troy. 

In 1875, Troy was booming with money from iron, manufacturing and the collar industry. The Troy Savings Bank needed a new headquarters. When the bank erected the new building, it also added something extraordinary upstairs: a music hall for the city, and for the ages.

“They decided, as a gift to the city, to build a music hall on top of their bank,” says WMHT producer Matthew Rogowicz. “I mean, would that happen today? No.”

The music hall became one of the country’s must-play music venues, attracting the likes of Sergei Rachmaninoff, Vladimir Horowitz, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck, and Yo-Yo Ma.

That improbable origin story is at the center of WMHT’s new documentary, The Music Hall | Troy NY’s Monument to Sound, screening Tuesday, May 19, at a premiere event at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. The half-hour film explores the hall’s history, legendary sound and next chapter.

While the hall’s architecture is awe-inspiring, the sound is the thing.

Matt describes the hall as “world renowned for its acoustics” and says, simply, “This is the place to see and hear music in the Capital Region.”

The secret is partly in what has not changed: the shoebox shape, the height, the materials, the old bones of the grand room. “It’s been relatively unchanged throughout time, so it’s still original, and it still sounds amazing,” Matt says.

But the building has needed modern upgrades. A major renovation started last year is bringing air conditioning, allowing the venue to expand beyond its traditional October-to-mid-May season, and transforming the former bank space below the hall into the Capital Region Music Hub, with classrooms, teaching spaces, a recording studio and an event space for up to 175 people.

The project also preserves pieces of the old bank, including material from the former teller line. The hall was last used as a bank in 2012, ending 140 years of banking in that building.

We lost the bank but kept the music, which seems like an excellent trade-off.

The deets: The documentary premiere takes place at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Tuesday, May 19, at 7 pm. The evening includes the screening, followed by a panel discussion. Tickets are $20. The full doc will air the next day on WMHT at 7:30 pm. Preview the documentary here.

A word from our sponsor

Spontaneous Broadway: The All-Improvised Musical Comedy Sensation at Mopco!

Read our coverage of the show and get tickets for this limited run (May 16, May 30, and June 6) before they sell out!

😱 Is this the Albany version of the Loch Ness? Mysterious black bubbles have formed in the reflecting pools at the Empire State Plaza. The TU has the photos and the explanation. [Times Union]

🎆 Get to the 45th annual Niska-Day on Saturday for a day-long celebration with a parade, rides, food, and vendors, all followed by a fireworks show. [News10]

🌷 Albany Mayor Dorsey Applyrs announced Iteashia Turner as the 2026 Capital Region's Best Mom. Congrats Iteashia! [CBS6]

🔥 Hot on Reddit: How far Market32/Price Chopper has fallen

🎸 The Alive at Five lineup has been announced!

👗 The Bevy Vintage Collection in Albany has opened a 2nd location in Troy, at 14 Second St. [Albany Business Review]

187 Lake Road, Berne, NY 12023

Anything with a 3-story spiral staircase and acreage turns our heads right away. This Lake Onderdonk compound is full of light and air and is cozy as can be. The spiral staircase leads up to a round room ringed with windows and swan dives beautifully into a fully finished basement that invites big projects. A large detached garage with a completely renovated second-floor apartment space is ideal for an in-law suite, guest house, or rental income. This versatile structure significantly increases the value of an already gorgeous property.

Additional highlights include an outdoor shower for post-lake rinses, and two separate heating systems, offering all-season energy efficiency and functionality.

The deets: 4 bd, 3 ba, 2584 sf., 3.4 acres. $7 a month HOA fees (that’s not a typo, we don’t think). Asking: $489,000. Days on market: 4. See the full listing here.

Note: The 518 Weekender now publishes on Thursdays. Watch your inboxes!

WEDNESDAY

🎻 Join Musicians of Ma'alwyck as they perform works of George Frederic Handel, Thomas Arne, James Oswald by candlelight at the inaugural musical event at 60 State Street.

🇺🇲 The Memorial Concert Band of Colonie performs a free concert, “An American Roadtrip.”

🎸 Byrdhouse Records x Save The Cat presents Blvck Hippie (w/ Grocer, Xavier Ayy, Mall Goth) at No Fun.

THURSDAY

🎸 The Dive presents “They Are Gutting a Body of Water” at the Hangar on The Hudson. Vibe is shoegaze / drum & bass / alternative.

FRIDAY

🇬🇷 The Albany Greek Festival at St. Sophia is always a delicious affair. All weekend.

🖼️ Get to Opalka Gallery for its always interesting PechaKucha night. What’s a PechaKucha? Short talks by interesting people.

🤣 Nate Bargatze brings his hugely popular deadpan humor to the MVP Arena.

🇬🇳 Guinean singer and songwriter Natu Camara brings her West African rock and soul to The Sanctuary for Independent Media.

🎬️ The first Movie Under the Stars of the season screens “Zootopia 2” in Washington Park.

SATURDAY

🏃‍♂️ 518 Day is a full-day, family-friendly celebration of the Capital Region taking place in downtown Albany, featuring a 5.18K race and Melba Madness (a tasting of Albany’s signature raspberry sauce at 14 participating restaurants).

💀 The Nightmare Market, the Capital Region’s best night market, takes over Jay Street in Schenectady.

🎨 Painting the Night at Quackenbush Square celebrates the artists and art that has made Albany a one-of-a-kind destination for public art.

🖼️ The 2026 Spring Art in the Park brings over 70 artists to Congress Park in Saratoga.

🔈️ Get to Mt. Ida Preservation Hall for All Nite Soul: An Evening of Experimental Music, Improvisation, and Sonic Exploration.

🌿 The Sanctuary for Independent Media invites you to its Plant Swap 2026, in its Collar City Garden. Also happening Saturday, the annual Thacher Native Plant Sale organized by Wild Ones—if you go, be sure to get there at 10 am sharp (trust us on this).

SUNDAY

📚️ Americana/ble: The Big Group Show continues with Belonging to the Air with author Avery Irons, who will read from her new novel at Kiddie Pool. Doors open at 12 pm for “Americana/ble” public viewing.

🎸 Sing in the Streets returns to downtown Saratoga Springs for the 66th year, organized by the legendary Caffè Lena.

🏳️‍🌈 A Big Gay Market heads to Glens Falls.

🍺 Brewing It Forward at Wolf Hollow Brewing Co. features live music, raffles, and family fun, all in support of cancer research.

🐈️ 🧘 Get your yoga and yearning for feline cuddles at Mohawk Hudson Humane Society’s Yoga with Kittens!

🦎 The Capital District Reptile Expo slithers into the Albany Capital Center.

🧀 🐝 Join Helderberg Meadworks and The Cheese Traveler for a mead & cheese pairing!

🍏 Nine Pin hosts the 2nd annual Wild Cider Cup, benefiting local conservancies. Remember that 518 subscribers (that’s you!) always get 10% off all cider pours at Nine Pin. Just mention “The 518 Crew.”

MONDAY

🍸️ Reports of Larkin Hi-Fi closing have been exaggerated apparently. Get there for Martini Mondays!

🎸 Desperate Annie’s in Saratoga invites you to Super Dark Mondays.

ON VIEW

• LIGHT EATERS | Collar Works

• threads: weaving an intricate banner | Albany Center Gallery

• Richard Deon Woodcuts | Hyde Collection

• Designing Power: The Black Panther Party | Inked: Stigma, Otherness, and Art | All These Growing Things | Tang Teaching Museum

• Blanche Lazzell: Becoming an American Modernist and A Life in Bloom: The Floral Paintings of Julia McEntee Dillon | Albany Institute of History & Art

Our music listings are now published separately on The 518 website. Click here.

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Our rolling deadline is the Saturday before your event!

 💌 GET IN TOUCH!

Got an awesome business, event or personality we should feature? Let us know! Contact: phat@the518.com

Natu Camara brings her blend of West African rock and soul to the Sanctuary for Independent Media on Friday

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Our rolling deadline is the Saturday before your event!

In partnership with

Hey 518 readers, it’s Tulip Festival Weekend! Of course, we’re all heading over to Washington Park to check out the gorgeous bulbs, catch local bands like Tops of Trees, and indulge in some greasy street food. But there’s plenty of other events this packed weekend. Let’s hope the rain gods hold off!

The next 518 Dinner Club is Thursday, May 21. This time, we’re headed to Albany’s hoppin’ Warehouse District.

Here’s what Swapnil, one of our inaugural guests said about our Lark Street dinner: “What a night it was—good food, great laughs, and even better company!”

Be sure to save your seat for the next one!

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

⭐️ = Top 5 Staff Picks

⭐️ 🌷 The city’s marquee event, the Albany Tulip Festival takes over Washington Park this weekend. With two music stages, a kid’s zone, a wellness stage, free yoga, tons of food and vendor booths, and more than 140,000 beautiful bulbs, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Expect hordes of crowds, a bit of wet weather, and parking hassles. Sat-Sun, various times, free.

⭐️ 🎭️ At Mopco Improv Theatre, Spontaneous Broadway turns audience-made song titles into a full musical created on the spot, complete with costumes, sets, and musical numbers. It’s smart, silly, nerve-wracking theater where the audience helps build the show and then watches the impossible come together. The limited run opens this Saturday. Read our profile of the show, and get tickets at Mopco.org. Sat, 8-10p, $19 GA and $10 discounted tix.

⭐️ 🇯🇵 We’re super excited for this one: Ebisu Life Store, the rapidly growing Japanese chain, is opening its Albany outpost at 20 B Wolf Road on Saturday morning. Think Japanese snacks, household gadgets, J-beauty, Hello Kitty, Pokémon, Kirby, so many plushies, and everything cute and Asian you’d want under one roof. Opening day will feature free prizes and special discounts! Sat, 11 am, free.

⭐️ 🕰️ The Basilica Farm & Flea Spring Market leans into the season of growth with garden plants and supplies, green cleaning products, fresh cut flowers, discount books, and all sorts of vintage finds. This would be a fun event to go with mom, and then treat her to lunch in Hudson. Sat-Sun, 10a-5p, $5 per day or $7 for both (free for kids under 12).

⭐️ 🖼️ There’s a plethora of vintage markets these days (see above), but the Vintage Roundup distinguishes itself by having a thoughtful selection of vendors. Also, it’s right here in Albany, in the Warehouse District, so you can really make a day of it. The market features more than 60 local vendors and food popups, plus live music. WEATHER UPDATE: This event has been moved to Sun, 11a-5p, free.

👀 Keep reading to see more notable events in “What’s Happening,” including Mother’s Day picks. 👇️

A word from our sponsor

Spontaneous Broadway: The All-Improvised Musical Comedy Sensation at Mopco!

Read our coverage of the show and get tickets for this limited run before they sell out!

🐈️ Whiskers: No-kill cat shelter seeking to build future home

Whiskers is a 100% volunteer-run, no-kill shelter for cats that’s going through a transformative stage. In 2025, after 40 years in the Capital Region, the organization raised enough money to purchase a 13,218-square-foot facility on Albany Shaker Road in Latham. It now needs another $2 million for renovations. Whiskers specializes in taking in abused and abandoned felines; last year, they rescued more than 400 cats.

Whiskers held its annual gala tonight at Albany’s Italian American Community Center. If you didn’t make it, they would appreciate any support you can offer!

Also on Saturday, there’s the Cars & Canines fundraiser in Mechanicville to benefit the Animal Protective Foundation.

FRIDAY

🎸 The Monkey and the Crowbar bring their unique blend of Americana to Wolf Hollow Brewing Company.

💜 The Albany Pine Bush Preserve invites you to Lupine Fest, a monthlong celebration of these dramatic fragrant flowers.

SATURDAY

💀 The Twilight Market is back at Quackenbush Square!

🎻 The Albany Symphony pays homepage to arguably the most famous living composer with “Star Wars & More: The Music of John Williams.”

🇵🇭 The Dishing (former TU critic Susie Davidson Powell’s new venture) is teaming up with Chee-bog to offer Sit With Us, a family-style Filipino kamayan (meaning to eat with your hands), timed as a leisurely lunch after the Troy Farmers Market.

🔨 Habitat for Humanity puts on its Hammer & Ales fundraiser in Schenectady, featuring craft brews and yummy bites.

🏡 The Saratoga Historic Homes Tour gives you an inside look at some of the city’s most architecturally significant homes.

🖼️ LIGHT EATERS, a new public art installation by Gracelee Lawrence reimagines plant life in the hardscape of Troy, NY. Opening reception at Collar Works.

🌿 The Delmar Farmers Market hosts a Mothers Day Planting.

🧳 Join Curated Travel Magazine for an immersive, come‑as‑you‑wish walkthrough of the May/June issue, The Art of Taste. At the Troy Public Library.

🎬️ The Glimmerglass Festival comes to the Clark Institute with performances of the opera, “Happy End,” a satire of big business and big religion set in a smoky speakeasy.

🖼️ The Zonta Arts, Crafts & Curiosities Faire takes over Glens Falls City Park this weekend.

🌲 It’s opening weekend at WildPlay Thacher.

SUNDAY

🎙️ Iron & Wine, one of our all-time favorite singer-songwriters, performs at The Egg.

🌺 MOTHER’S DAY PICKS

• The Albany Tulip Festival is always a festive option if mama isn’t turned off by big crowds

• Dutch Apple Cruises has several departures planned for Mother’s Day

• The folks at Albany.com have compiled a list of dining options for the big day

• Indian Ladder Farms and June Farms are both hosting Mother’s Day events

• Context Collective is hosting a Mother’s Day Pottery Brunch

• Bard & Baker brings in Typhoid Mary for a Mother’s Day Slay

• Ilium Brewing just added a Mother’s Day Brunch with mimosa pitchers

• Stuyvesant Plaza is putting on a Mother’s Day Social

• Proctor’s brings in gospel singers and soul food from Allie B’s for its Soul Food Gospel Mother’s Day Brunch.

• Allied Brewing is doing a Blooms & Brews event featuring a build-your-own-bouquet bar

• Mt. Ida Preservation Hall invites you to their Mother's Day Brunch Grand Buffet, prepared by chef Larry Schepici

• Wolf Hollow Brewing Company puts on a Mother's Day Brunch—with a complimentary first drink for mom!

• Get crafting with mom at Nine Pin’s Craft & Sip: Suncatchers. Mention “The 518 Crew” for 10% off all cider drinks!

• Mohawk Golf Club invites you to their Mother’s Day Brunch

• The Queensbury is putting out an elegant brunch buffet for mom in their lovely Adirondack Ballroom

Our music listings are now published separately on The 518 website. Click here.

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Our rolling deadline is the Saturday before your event!

 💌 GET IN TOUCH!

Got an awesome business, event or personality we should feature? Let us know! Contact: phat@the518.com

Hey 518 readers, we’ve been meaning to visit Mopco for a while now. The homegrown improv theater recently celebrated its 30th year in the Capital Region. This Saturday, Mopco is bringing back Spontaneous Broadway, in which a whole musical is conceived and performed, with suggestions from the audience! Keep reading to learn more…

🖼️ In the rush to put on opening night for Kiddie Pool’s “Americana/ble” group show last week, we totally omitted the opening reception for Albany Center Gallery’s newest exhibition—”threads: weaving an intricate banner.” In partnership with Asian Arts New York (AANY) and 518sian, the show features the work of 13 local and regional artists. Please do check it out!

🍏 Finally, The 518 Happy Hour returns to Nine Pin tomorrow, May 6, from 6 to 8 pm. Get to the Tasting Room to meet our awesome community of subscribers and enjoy 10% off all cider pours—mention The 518 Crew! Look for the table with the beavers 🦫 See you there!

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

Mopco’s Spontaneous Broadway is a full-on improvised musical 📷️ Courtesy of Mopco

Mopco’s Spontaneous Broadway is a high-wire act with show tunes

At Mopco Improv Theatre, the curtain rises before the show even exists.

That’s the magic trick behind Spontaneous Broadway, the returning concept at Schenectady’s homegrown improv theater. 

Mopco, which recently celebrated its 30th year, has been making the Capital Region laugh for decades. In its intimate Jay Street theater where there are only four rows of seats, the audience is close enough to feel like part of the cast. Which is kind of the point. 

The setup is deliciously ridiculous: The audience writes down fake song titles. Performers pull them from a hat. Act One becomes a “backers audition,” with snippets from imaginary musicals. Then the audience votes. After a 15-minute intermission, the cast returns with a full-on, 45-minute musical based on the winning suggestion. Complete with costumes and sets.

No script. No safety net. No room for even one rehearsal.

For the actors, it’s terrifying. For the audience, it’s exhilarating to see the creative process up close and personal.

Kat Koppett, Mopco’s co-director and Spontaneous co-creator with NYC’s Freestyle Rep Theatre, says the performers don’t disappear backstage to write the show. They simply ask, “What did we say in the setup?” Then they choose where to begin, who starts, and let the rest unfold.

“We are spontaneously co-creating the songs with our musician, and the improvisors,” Kat says. “You get to help create and then witness the making of a musical. It’s really something to see.”

Mopco founder and theater director Michael Burns calls it “a high wire improv act,” and he is not exaggerating. This is not just cracking jokes in show-tune form. It takes improvisors who are singers and storytellers, as well as a brilliant accompanist, costumes, sets, and a cast with nerves of steel.

Michael puts it another way: “It is completely impossible, like much of theater, but somehow it all comes together.”

That’s the thrill. Every night is different. So different, Kat says, that even seasoned Mopco audiences sometimes come back, just to test the actors: “You really did improvise that!”

Spontaneous Broadway also hits the sweet spot Mopco has always aimed for: live theater that is smart, silly, risky, and affordable. As Michael says, “You can actually go to the theater and be involved.”

The deets: Spontaneous Broadway launches this Saturday for a very limited run. Additional shows on May 16, May 30, and June 6. Tickets are $19 for general admission; and $10 for students, seniors, active military, vets, and first responders. Get tickets at Mopco.org.

🥞 The Times Union is out with its Best of the Capital Region winners for 2026. It’s essentially a popularity contest, so there’s bound to be some head scratchers on this annual list. There are several new categories this year, including Best Bar (Ryan’s Wake) and Best Upscale Dining (677 Prime). [Times Union]

🇮🇹 After some high-profile deli closures (Genoa’s Importing and Gershon’s Deli), it’s nice to know that Ragonese Italian Imports is holding strong. “If something works for us, we don’t change,” John Ragonese tells the Albany Business Review.

🎸 Schenectady has just announced a new summer concert series. Kicking off on May 28, the Electric City SummerFest will be held at Broadway and Liberty Street, and feature original bands and tribute acts from rock and funk to blues and country. [News10]

🥓 The TU’s Steve Barnes pays homage to the bacon egg cheese sammie at Eggy’s in Albany, which just opened for the season. [Times Union]

16 Garnsey Road, Rexford, NY 12148

A rare passive solar home designed by renowned local architect/engineer Bruce Brownell, this cedar-built sanctuary in Rexford blends self-regulating energy efficiency with striking architectural character. Sun-filled southern glazing, a multi-level open layout, loft spaces, a gallery lounge, and an elevated deck create a home that feels both imaginative and deeply connected to nature. Recent upgrades—including high-end appliances, updated electrical, and a new boiler—add modern comfort without compromising its one-of-a-kind spirit. Set on 6+ acres with established edible gardens, stone walls, magnolias, and private walking trails, this whimsical retreat is unlike anything else on the market.

You know what else is in Rexford? The Vischer Ferry General Store, which we’ve been dying to visit for awhile now.

The deets: 2 bd, 2 ba, 1423 sf., 6.2 acres. Asking: $420,000. Days on market: 4. See the full listing here.

Note: The 518 Weekender now publishes on Thursdays. Watch your inboxes!

TUESDAY

Get to the NYS Writers Institute at UAlbany for a discussion on “Responsibility, Power and Justice in the Age of AI.”

🥕 Join The Vegetable Project tonight at Albany School for the Humanities for its annual fundraiser, An Evening in the Garden.

WEDNESDAY

🎷 The Capital Jazz Collective drops into Dove & Deer for a groovy session. On Friday, they’re also at the New Scotland Tasting Room for a night of jazz, funk & good vibes.

👟 Join the Historic Albany Foundation for its Pine Hills Architectural Walking Tour.

🌹 Here’s something you can’t refuse: Get to Indian Ladder Farms for a screening of The Godfather with live commentary and a spaghetti dinner from DeFazio’s.

THURSDAY

🗽 Kiddie Pool’s “Americana/ble” show continues with a Monuments Walking Tour, hosted by Alexis Bhagat. Discover the stories behind some of the capital city’s most interesting monuments.

🍷 The Troy Wine Co. invites you to find that perfect bottle for mama at FOR THE MOMS in-store wine tasting and class.

🌼 The Artfully Unique Gallery is hosting a Pressed Flower Bookmark-making workshop for a $5 donation.

📚️ Join two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist David Nasaw in conversation about the trauma behind America’s "Greatest Generation.”

FRIDAY

🎸 The Monkey and the Crowbar bring their unique blend of Americana to Wolf Hollow Brewing Company.

SATURDAY

🌷 The Albany Tulip Festival—the city’s marquee event—takes over Washington Park this weekend.

🇯🇵 We’re super excited for this one: Ebisu, billed as “Albany’s biggest Japanese store,” is opening it doors on Wolf Road for the first time.

🕰️ The Basilica Farm & Flea Spring Market is a great way to spend some time with Mom.

💀 The Twilight Market is back at Quackenbush Square!

🎻 The Albany Symphony pays homepage to arguably the most famous living composer with “Star Wars & More: The Music of John Williams.”

🖼️ LIGHT EATERS, a new public art installation by Gracelee Lawrence reimagines plant life in the hardscape of Troy, NY. Opening reception at Collar Works.

🌿 The Delmar Farmers Market hosts a Mothers Day Planting.

🧳 Join Curated Travel Magazine for an immersive, come‑as‑you‑wish walkthrough of the May/June issue, The Art of Taste. At the Troy Public Library.

🌲 It’s opening weekend at WildPlay Thacher.

SUNDAY

🎙️ Iron & Wine, one of our all-time favorite singer-songwriters, performs at The Egg.

🌺 NOTABLE EVENTS — MOTHER’S DAY EDITION

• The Albany Tulip Festival is always a festive option if mama isn’t turned off by big crowds

• The Vintage Roundup is a great place to bring Mom if she loves thrifting

• Dutch Apple Cruises has several departures planned for Mother’s Day

• The folks at Albany.com have compiled a list of dining options for the big day

• Indian Ladder Farms and June Farms are both hosting Mother’s Day events

• Context Collective is hosting a Mother’s Day Pottery Brunch

• Bard & Baker brings in Typhoid Mary for a Mother’s Day Slay

• Ilium Brewing just added a Mother’s Day Brunch with mimosa pitchers

• Stuyvesant Plaza is putting on a Mother’s Day Social

• Allied Brewing is doing a Blooms & Brews event featuring a build-your-own-bouquet bar

• Mt. Ida Preservation Hall invites you to their Mother's Day Brunch Grand Buffet, prepared by chef Larry Schepici

• Wolf Hollow Brewing Company puts on a Mother's Day Brunch—with a complimentary first drink for mom!

• Get crafting with mom at Nine Pin’s Craft & Sip: Suncatchers. Mention “The 518 Crew” for 10% off all cider drinks!

ART ON VIEW

• threads: weaving an intricate banner | Albany Center Gallery

• Countenance: The Contemporary Portrait | Pine Hills Branch of the Albany Public Library | Ends May 9

• Richard Deon Woodcuts | Hyde Collection

• Designing Power: The Black Panther Party | Inked: Stigma, Otherness, and Art | All These Growing Things | Tang Teaching Museum

• Blanche Lazzell: Becoming an American Modernist and A Life in Bloom: The Floral Paintings of Julia McEntee Dillon | Albany Institute of History & Art

• LIGHT EATERS | Collar Works

Our music listings are now published separately on The 518 website. Click here.

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Our rolling deadline is the Saturday before your event!

 💌 GET IN TOUCH!

Got an awesome business, event or personality we should feature? Let us know! Contact: phat@the518.com

Iron & Wine brings his distinctly cinematic songs to The Egg on Sunday

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Our rolling deadline is the Saturday before your event!