Buying with purpose at Honest Weight Food Co-op

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Happy Thursday, Capital Region! Today, we’re introducing (or re-introducing) you to Honest Weight Food Co-op, where someone in the bulk bins will surely give you an astrology reading, whether you want it or not. It’s part grocery store, part community hub, and 100% Albany weird—in the best possible way✌️

Plus, don’t even think about heading out this weekend without our exhaustive events guide!

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

Local gem: Buying with purpose at Honest Weight Co-op 🥑🍅 🥕 

Next year, Honest Weight Food Co-op will mark its 50th year in Albany. It’s one of our all-time favorite things about the city, yet it still somehow flies under the radar. 

Some people don’t even know it exists. If they do, they don’t know that it’s run as a cooperative grocery—or what that means exactly. Which means they don’t know about all of the discounts you can get, up to 24% off!

We’re going to break it all down for you. We don’t just shop there; we’re also what Honest Weight calls “member owners.” (And by “we,” we mean Phat 🙂)

Founded in 1976 as a scrappy buying club, Honest Weight grew out of a simple idea: Food should be local, ethical, and accessible. A half century later, it still retains much of its hippy vibes. Shopping there can sometimes feel like stepping into an episode of “Portlandia.” 

So what makes it a co-op?

As a consumer cooperative, Honest Weight is literally owned by the people who shop there. Shoppers can become member-owners by purchasing a $100 equity share (payable all at once or in installments). That one-time investment gives you voting rights, access to discounts, and the ability to help decide how the store is run, like what it can and cannot sell. 

Fun fact: In the early days, Honest Weight refused to sell chocolate because it couldn’t find a chocolate purveyor that it felt treated farmers fairly enough (long before “fair trade” became a thing).

Anyone can shop at Honest Weight, non-members included. But to get the biggest discounts, you need to contribute some of your time. You can help stock shelves, work the front registers, help with marketing, or spend time in any of the departments. For example, Phat has been working at the meat counter—say 👋 if you see him!

You can also teach a class. Did you know that Honest Weight has a packed calendar of classes and events every month—everything from astrology to Zumba? Most classes are free or ask for a nominal fee ($5). It’s a lot more than just a grocery store.

As part of his time investment, Phat has signed up to teach Vietnamese cooking classes. His next class is Tuesday, Oct. 14. Unfortunately, it’s already sold out 😭 

Here’s the best part: For investing as little as three hours per month, member-owners bump their standard 2% discount to 8%. Contribute 12 hours a month, and you get a 24% discount on most everything (it’s the same discount store employees get).

Btw, seniors get an 8% discount on Wednesdays, and students get an 8% discount on Sundays. No membership required. Details here.

With Honest Weight’s top-quality produce, meats, and local products, expect prices to be on par with natural food stores like Whole Foods. But here’s the difference: When you invest your time and unlock the full 24% discount, the value is unbeatable. In this economy, that’s something to celebrate.

The local co-op movement is growing. Electric City Food Co-op is going up in downtown Schenectady by mid-2026. The Niskayuna Co-op has been operating in its current location since 1947.

Every dollar you spend is a vote for the kind of food system—and community—you want. If you haven’t discovered Honest Weight or been meaning to become a member, take this as your sign!

The deets: Honest Weight Food Co-op, 100 Watervliet Ave, Albany. Open 8a-9p daily. Here’s how to become a member. Be sure to check out all of the great classes and events on the calendar.

Pro tip: The grocery department keeps a “cull” bin of items that are past their peak but usually still perfectly good to eat. They’re free for anyone to grab. Tell your cashier it’s a culled item.

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🚧 The TU sent a photographer out to capture the progress being made on the incoming Costco in Guilderland. Read our story on the Capital Region finally getting its first Costco. [Times Union]

☕️ Qahwah House, a Yemeni coffee chain, is opening a location at 650 Troy-Schenectady Road in Latham. Yemeni coffee has one of the most distinct and complex flavor profiles in the world. Famous for its bright, tangy acidity, the coffee often has notes of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and dried fruit. We can’t wait to try this! [Albany Business Review]

🥟 We’ve mentioned this trending food truck previously, but the Daily Gazette did a full writeup this week of the Dumpling Wagon permanently parked at Wayward Lane Brewing in Schoharie. Has anyone tried it? Give us the lowdown! [Daily Gazette]

⭐️ New York State International Film Festival: For two days, watch 29 short films across a variety of genres, meet filmmakers in lively Q&As, and connect with the Capital Region’s indie film-loving crowd. Among the highlights are two important documentaries made by Albany area filmmakers: “Hilda O. vs The State of New York” and “Reviving the Legend.” At Steamer 10 Theatre, Fri & Sat, $20–$45. Get tix here. Read our writeup of NYSIFF here.

⭐️ 📐Starting this week: Archtober is a month-long celebration of architecture and design in Troy, led locally by TAP Inc. and inspired by NYC’s month-long architecture festival. Celebrate the collaboration, craft, and buildings that shape our daily lives. See the full schedule of events. The Archtober launch party is tonight!

⭐️ 🥕 Get your veg on at the Albany VegFest at the Albany Capital Center. Taste delicious plant-based bites, explore eco-friendly products, and connect with folks who value compassionate living. Bring the kids and celebrate sustainability, health, and good eats. Sun, 11a–4p, free.

⭐️ 📚️ If you missed the Albany Book Festival last weekend, the Saratoga Book Festival brings dozens of literary and genre writers to downtown Saratoga Thur-Sun. Headliners include Ruth Reichl, Amity Gaige, Chris Bohjalian, and Kate DiCamillo & Sophie Blackall. Browse the literary marketplace and discover new reads. There’s something for every book lover. And it’s all free!

⭐️ 🎸 The popular Caffè Lena @ SPAC festival returns with a free day-long concert. This year’s lineup features five bands that explore roots, global, bluegrass, pop, and indie-folk music: Misty Blues, Tom Chapin, Chatham County Line, Farah Siraj, and Aleksi Campagne. Sat, begins at noon, free.

Honorable mention: First Friday Albany is back tomorrow night with a full lineup of mostly free events around the city. We love this event because Albany is cooler than you think.

🎟️ MORE WEEKEND EVENTS

TODAY

🖼️ Opalka Gallery welcomes performances by multimedia artists Kyle Turgeon and Adam Tinkle, director of the MDOCS program at Skidmore College.

FRIDAY

🏳️‍🌈 Collar City Pride Festival is kicking off its events this week with the Haunted Upstate Ghost Tour at 6:30p, followed by the opening night party at The Pickle.

🧰 If you’re up for the drive, the World’s Largest Garage Sale is happening all weekend in Warrensburg.

🌗 Moonlit Maze at Engelke Farm in Troy invites you to get lost in the cornfields under the harvest moon.

🎞️ Chill out at the beautiful Hilltown Commons with a free screening of I LIKE IT HERE: Ralph Arlyck’s warm and quietly profound meditation on aging, memory, and the passage of time. Plus, the Pub will be open with awesome food & drink.

🐾 Bring your bestie (or a photo of a loved one gone over the rainbow bridge) for a non-denominational Blessing of the Animals in the lovely St. Francis Garden, hosted by the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society.

🎷 Jazz sax star Sarah Hanahan performs at SUNY Schenectady. Read about Sarah in the TU.

🎸 You can still get tix to see 90s alt rockers Toad the Wet Sprocket (with KT Tunstall and Vertical Horizon) at the Palace Theatre.

SATURDAY

🎃 Get a spooky season pumpkin for just $4 (while they last) at the Capital District Regional Market Pumpkin Harvest Fest. $1 of each purchase goes to support the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society.

📷️ The Tang Museum puts on Memorial, Memory & Meaning: A Performance with Artist Carrie Mae Weems, one of the most lauded photographers of our era.

🏞️ Pitch in for Parks Day overlaps with NYS Wildlife Day, volunteer at Thacher State Park!

Come say hello to Council member Owusu Anane at the Fall Frolic Pine Hills. Stop by, have a candy, and learn about state & local resources.

🍺 The Real McCoy Beer Co. in Ballston Spa invites you to its Oktoberfest.

🍎 🍩 Hard cider & doughnuts? Count us in! The Night Owl hosts the Saratoga Hard Cider & Doughnut Fest.

🍕Anthony’s by Romo in Voorheesville is putting on its Fall Fest with live music, food specials, and a bounce house for the kids.

🖼️ The Malta Cultural Arts Festival features a variety of artists and food vendors.

🚲️ The Saratoga Cycling Club hosts its Octoberfest Ride!

🚗 The Mayfield Historical Society hosts its Annual Fall Harvest Cruise-In at the Rice Homestead in Gloversville.

🎃 This sounds like a fun way to see the fall foliage: Hop aboard the Pumpkin Picker, a vintage train headed to a secret pumpkin patch in Corinth, NY. Sat-Sun (also happening Oct. 18-19).

🍁West Mountain Fall Fest in Queensbury will feature tastings, live music, scenic chairlift and hay wagon rides, aerial treetop adventure tours, pony rides, and more. Sat & Sun.

🏃🏻‍♀️October is Domestic Violence Month. Move your feet to raise awareness and show support at the 11th annual Domestic Violence Awareness 5K Run/Walk, taking off from Jennings Landing.

🏠️ The first weekend of the Saratoga Showcase of Homes is Sat-Sun.

SUNDAY

🦉🍻 Feathers & Fermentation is your chance to join a guided walk with experts from Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club, followed by a refreshing beverage with the Warbler Brewery inside the Pine Hollow Arboretum’s historic mid-century house.

🏳️‍🌈 Catch a Big Gay Community Craft Day at Troy’s Context Collective.

📔 Love a good zine? Drop by the 518 Zine Fest, hosted by Nine Pin Cider.

👻 The Spook Out Cancer 5K takes you through the beautiful Saratoga Spa State Park.

🎸 GO TO THE LIST

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

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