🚣 Can Albany be the Venice of the Northeast?

Today in The 518

• Albany Waterway Canal: Aspirational or delusional? 🧜🏼

• Candlelight vigil for civil rights champion Alice Green 🕯️

• LatinFest leads off a packed weekend in the Cap District 💃 

Can Albany be the ‘Venice of the Northeast’?

We used to live in Venice, California—famous for Muscle Beach (where Arnold Schwarzenegger trained long before he became a star) and the Venice Canals. Fashioned after the canals in Venice, Italy, these charming waterways (now lined with expensive homes) were the singular vision of Abbot Kinney, a developer in the late 1800s who wanted to create the “Venice of America.”

A similar vision is taking shape for Albany. The Albany Waterway Canal is a transformative project that would bring a large canal through the downtown area. Under this plan, Lock One of the Erie Canal would be dug up and brought from the Warehouse District all the way down Broadway. A boat marina would be established in front of the historic Delaware and Hudson Building (now known as the SUNY Plaza). You can see plans and renditions of the project here.

Unlike other ideas for reimagining the Albany waterfront, this plan operates on the concept that “if you can’t bring the city to the river, bring the river to the city.” It’s a big, bold vision that would inevitably involve a huge budget and years of massive reconstruction.

But Albany Waterway Inc., the group spearheading the project, is undeterred. In fact, it raised $100,000 in the span of two weeks earlier this year, and is applying for a NYS Planning Grant to continue the project, according to co-founder BJ Costello.

The group says it already has the one crucial component it needs to be successful—access to the Hudson River. It will need that and the unwavering determination of what Steve Jobs once called “the crazy ones”—the visionaries who won’t take no for an answer.

“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers… the ones who see things differently. You can disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things.” —Steve Jobs, Apple commercial, 1997

Warm days and cooler nights are in store for the weekend with little chance of rain.

🍆 🍑 September 28th is your last chance to be Naked in a Cave! Apparently, Howe Caverns has grown tired of shrinkage jokes as this will be the final year for the popular self-guided, birthday-suited cave tour. Reserve your robe before it’s gone for good. [Times Union]

🕯️A candlelight vigil will be held Friday at 7:30 pm to honor the life and legacy of Albany civil rights champion Alice Green, who died Tuesday at age 84. The vigil begins at the Center for Law and Justice in Albany, which she founded. [News 10]

💸 Surprisingly, the city of Saratoga Springs says it may only see a small profit, if any at all, from the Belmont on Broadway festival held in June, even though the event attracted more than 25,000 people. It looks like sales tax revenue fell short compared to the overtime costs for city workers. [Daily Gazette]

⭐️ LatinFest is back at Albany’s Washington Park this Saturday for its 27th year. Expect big crowds, performers, music, dancing, and a delicious variety of Latino cuisine—yum! 11a-6p, free.

⭐️ Planetarium Week at miSci goes through Friday. Enjoy half-priced admission to the newly updated planetarium, plus see Leonardo da Vinci: Machines in Motion. Tickets to the “Mesmerica” immersive show are sold separately. 12p, 1p & 3p each day.

⭐️ Mabee Farm Arts & Crafts Festival brings together some of the Capital District’s best handcrafted goods from more than 85 vendors. Admission to this fundraiser for Mabee Farms is $10 per car. 10a-2:30p, Sat.

⭐️ Porchfest 3 in Troy brings together five bands playing throughout the afternoon on Joseph Street, starting at 2 pm on Saturday. Find the full lineup here. Make it a day and drop by the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market in the morning.

⭐️ The 21st Annual Dr. Pamela J. Harper Community Block Party is named for the first lady of Albany’s New Jerusalem Home of the Saved Church who passed away in 2022. Her legacy continues with this free event featuring food, DJs, school supplies, health screenings and more. 11a-2p, Sat.

🐎 MORE AWESOME EVENTS

TODAY

👑 It’s the fourth Thursday of the month, so get to Drag Me to Nine Pin, a monthly rotating drag show hosted by Typhoid Mary. Nine Pin Ciderworks, 6:30p, free.

🎡 The Washington County Fair and the Dutchess County Fair both run through the weekend. Get tips for making the most of your visit with our Guide to the Capital District’s County Fairs.

FRIDAY

Renowned guitarist Dweezil Zappa brings the aptly named “Rox-Postrophy” Tour to Albany’s Palace Theatre. 8p. Tickets from $29.50.

What better place to see a visually stunning flick like “Romulus,” the new Alien movie, than at Hollywood Drive-in Theatre? Fri-Sun, 10p, $12.

Utica ZooMobile | 1p, free. Canajoharie Library. Get an up-close meet-and-greet with a bunch of cool animals! Free but registration is requested.

Back to School Sale at the Saratoga Library offers children and young adult books for 25% off, plus all teachers get a 50% discount. Fri-Sun, during library hours.

Mobile Blood Drive with the American Red Cross at Honest Weight Food Co-op. Be part of something big. Call 1-800-REDCROSS or visit redcross.org to make an appointment. 11:30a-5:30p.

SATURDAY

Enough, New Work by Mary Barringer opens this Saturday at the Saratoga Springs Clay Arts Center. Mary Barringer’s soft-spoken works have been breathing life into clay for over 50 years. 5-7p, free.

Open Stable Day at Peaceful Acres Horse Sanctuary in Pattersonville is your ticket to serenity. Chill with senior, retired and special needs horses as they relax in their forever home. Every Sat. 1p. Free.

End of Summer Party at Lionheart on the Green in Albany | Starts at 1p. Drink specials, giveaways and live music.

Chris Thomas & His Smoke Dancers perform the Smoke Dance, a traditional social dance of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Presented by the World Awareness Children’s Museum. 2p. $7-$8.

Women & Music: Concert & Women's History Talk includes an outdoors concert with flutist Melanie Chirignan and pianist Melinda Faylor. 3:30p, free. Ten Broeck Mansion. Don’t miss the Flower Sale from 1-4p.

Will Kempe's Players Present ‘Midsummer Madness’ | 4-6p, $22. The Linda.

Back to School Supply Drive | Organized by Joseph’s House & Shelter, at Jo’s Joint. 7-9p, $5 off any tab of $25 or more for customers bringing in school supplies.

DraftKings Travers at Saratoga Race Course | Starts at 7a. The 155th running of the Grade 1 features 14 races.

2nd Annual Southern Saratoga Arts, Crafts & Vendor Fair | 10a-4p, free. Quick Response in Round Lake.

Retro Rides Car Show | 10a-2p, free, Napa Auto Parts in Ballston Spa.

SUNDAY

Upstate Punk Rock Flea Market | 11a-5p. Empire Live. This free event features vendors showcasing all kinds of oddities, vintage items, apparel, jewelry and art.

End of Summer Clam Steam | 12-5p, reservations required, $55 for adults; $25 for kids. Daley’s on Crooked Lake. Last chance for the best clam steam around.

Classic Car & Truck Meet | 9a-2p, free. Lakeside Farms Cider Mill, Ballston Lake.

Albany County Farmers Market | 10a-2p, free and Snap recipients get 2x benefits. Shop the best in produce, flowers and more at the MVP Arena.