- The 518
- Posts
- 😎 The coolest things made in the Capital District
😎 The coolest things made in the Capital District
Plus, your full weekend guide + Feel Good Friday🍦
Phat Chiem
August 02, 2024
Sponsored by
Happy Friday, Capital District! Today, we’re taking a look at the coolest things made in New York State. Plus, First Friday Albany leads off a packed weekend, and find out where to get $1 kiddie cones🍦 this weekend!
Let’s dive in.
—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan
Today in The 518
The coolest things made right here in the 518 🏄♂️
Albany takes aim at vape & tobacco shops 💨
Mega Kone opens in Rensselaer 🍦🍨
First Friday Albany and all the best weekend events 🎪
📣 TALK OF THE TOWN
Cohoes-based EpicSurf makes deep-water stationary surf pools.
The coolest things made in the Capital District
What’s the best thing you can think of that’s made right here in New York State?
That’s the aim of a cool new contest (The Coolest Thing Made in New York) from the Business Council of New York State, which represents mostly small businesses.
Finding the “coolest” thing in New York is no easy task. Can you nominate a sandwich? This Albany craft beer, named one of the best in the world? The ginormous Walmart in Albany, the largest in America?
Based on popular voting, the Business Council has narrowed the choices down to 45 nominees from across the state. Here are the four nominees in the Capital Region:
Stewart’s Shops Ice Cream (Ballston Spa): OK, this first one needs no introduction. Stewart’s has been making its own ice cream for more than a century—some 4 million gallons every year!
Aquatic Development Group - EpicSurf (Cohoes): This one is very cool. ADG is one of the world’s premier builders of water parks and its subsidiary, EpicSurf, specializes in deep-water stationary surf pools. It promises to make “real surfing possible anytime, anywhere.”
Energy Catalyst Technologies - Double Hybrid Heat Pump (Troy): Energy Catalyst makes ground source heat pumps that use geothermal technology to heat and cool homes. It has developed a heat pump that’s designed to work especially well with the existing heating and cooling systems found in many upstate homes. Guess the Business Council read our profile of Energy Catalyst a few weeks ago 😆
Scarano Boat Building (Albany): Scarano Boat builds power vessels and custom-designed sailboats, and is known for its modern wooden construction. Some of its most magnificent builds are replicas of historic tall ships.
What’s your pick for the coolest thing made in the Capital District? You have until Sunday to vote on the first round of nominees. The final winners will be decided over the next few weeks in a bracket-style competition.
What's the coolest thing made in the Capital District? |
🌞 WEATHER WATCH
“Summer’s lease hath all too short a date.” —William Shakespeare
Starting off with a heat advisory today, the weekend is gonna hot, humid & wet. Plan accordingly 😎
🌤️ Friday 91°/72° 💧 44% 🌥️ Saturday 87°/71° 💧 88% 🌥️ Sunday 88°/68° 💧 88% |
A word from our sponsor 🦻
OTC Hearing Aids For Just $189/Pair
Meet Audien Hearing: the company making hearing affordable for everyone.
Audien Hearing aids work right out of the box. No hearing test needed.
Rated by USA Today one of the "best hearing aids of 2024", Audien's Atom™ 2 Series starts at just $189/pair.
It has amazing new features:
✅ 4 hearing modes
✅ 2 in 1 UV cleaning case
✅ Nearly invisible design
✅ Feedback cancellation
Audien offers a 45 day risk free trial, lifetime support, and free shipping! Don't wait. Try the Atom™ 2 Series risk free NOW!
🗞️ CAPITAL DISTRICT DIGEST
Albany looks at vape shops 💨
At its Monday meeting, Albany Common Council will scrutinize the number of new vape and tobacco stores in the city, part of a larger conversation about retail smoke shops. You can view the proposed ordinance here. [Spectrum News]
More flights to Florida, Vegas
Wanna get out of Dodge for the winter? Two airlines are making it easier with new nonstop flights to two vacation hotspots. Starting Dec. 19, JetBlue will add a nonstop flight to Fort Lauderdale. On Monday, Southwest begins nonstop flights to Las Vegas, departing on Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. [Times Union]
Capital District improvements
Troy has broken ground on $960,000 upgrades for Prospect Park. Also in Troy, three concepts were presented for revitalizing the Congress Street and Ferry Street corridor. Schenectady’s Museum of Innovation and Science’s (miSci) is moving ahead with major renovations made possible by $10 million in state funding. Albany has completed three downtown revitalization projects totaling $6.6 million. And a 60-unit apartment complex is being proposed for Glens Falls.
🎟️ FULL WEEKEND ROUNDUP
⭐️ = The 518 Staff Picks
FRIDAY
⭐️ The Egg Presents: Open House | 6-10p, Fri. Free with RSVP. The Egg joins the First Friday Albany party with live music by Ghost-Note, a screening of “Black Panther,” DJ set by Intell Hayesfield, projections by B.A. Miale, art activities with the Albany Barn and Albany Public Library, and free books from The RED Bookshelf.
Be sure to check out all of the other great events for First Friday Albany!
⭐️ 2024 Lake George Art and Craft Festival | 10a-5p, Fri-Sun. General admission is $8; children 14 and under are free. Over 100 artists and artisans selling their handmade creations in a beautiful outdoor setting, plus tons of food and music.
⭐️ Black Arts & Cultural Festival | 5-8p, Fri-Sat; 1:30-2:30p Sun. Free. Empire State Plaza. A three-day celebration of art, community, history, music, and dance. Featuring a teen night, gospel night, health & wellness fair, and concert finale.
⭐️ Summerfest in Averill Park: 5-10p, Fri. Noon-10p, Sat-Sun. Free. Butler Park, Gettle Rd, Averill Park. Rides, food, great bands, a Blackhawk visit, a tennis tournament, a pickleball round robin tournament and the famous Saturday evening fireworks. $25 ride wristbands.
Do Portugal Circus | 8p, Fri. 2p, 5p and 8p, Sat. 2p and 5p, Sun. $30 adults, $20 kids (2-12). Via Port Rotterdam, 93 W Campbell Rd, Rotterdam. The family-friendly circus featuring jugglers, aerial artists, clowns and other performers. Through Aug. 11.
Animal Track Adventures | 2-5p, free. 2 Erie Blvd, Canajoharie. The Arkell Museum and Canajoharie Library is putting on a free talk for kids and tweens with naturalist George Steele.
Angélique Kidjo’s African Symphony with the Philadelphia Orchestra | 7:30p. Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Ticket prices vary. GRAMMY-winning music icon Angélique Kidjo joins The Philadelphia Orchestra in an all-new program featuring a mix of popular African songs and original works.
SATURDAY
⭐️ Myanmar Heritage Spectacle | 2-6p, Sat, free. Experience the vibrant culture of Myanmar (also known as Burma). Multiethnic performances will transport you to the heart of Myanmar Thingyan (Water Festival). Of course, there will be plenty of traditional Burmese foods to try!
⭐️ ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ in Concert | 7:30p, Sat. Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Ticket prices vary. Watch the movie displayed on a giant screen in high-definition and accompanied by The Philadelphia Orchestra.
Mead Weekend 2024 | Starts at noon. Free. 6274 State Highway 30, Esperance. Helderberg Meadworks hosts this mead-focused festival with food trucks, vendors, balloons and magic for the kids, axe throwing and archery.
Whitney Day | 11 am. Saratoga Race Course hosts the $1 million Whitney Day, which includes a Best in Pink fashion photo contest (1-3p).
State Street Yoga | 10a, Sat, free. SUNY Plaza, Albany. Join an all-levels yoga class on the beautiful lawn at SUNY Plaza, led by instructors from Hot Yoga Spot.
SUNDAY
Sweet Heat Drag Brunch | 12-3p, $23.18. Nanola, 2639 U.S. 9, Malta. Come see the fabulous Katarina Mirage, Jianna Romano, Ms. Kitten Kaboddle and Heath Barr, with DJ Ricki Wheeler on the beats.
Albany County Farmer’s Market | 10a-2p, free. In front of MVP Arena. A vibrant, open-air market series with fresh, high-quality food and artisan goods sourced from local farmers and producers.
Save the date!
The Tanglewood Music Center’s Fromm Quartet will present Storytelling and Memory at RPI’s EMPAC on Friday, Aug. 2 at 7 pm. ‘Storytelling and Memory’ features music inspired by Alzheimer’s disease, and includes a short discussion featuring a leading Alzheimer’s researcher. Admission is free with RSVP.
🍦 FEEL GOOD FRIDAY
Mega Kone is now open in Rensselaer 📷️ Mega Kone Facebook
$1 kiddie cones at Mega Kone in Rensselaer
What’s better than a giant ice cream cone on a sweltering summer day?
Mega Kone is celebrating its grand opening in Rensselaer this weekend by giving out $1 kiddie cones, plus a chance to win store swag and gift certificates. Mega Kone is located at 141 Broadway.
Come out to support this new small business! And don’t miss our Guide to the Hidden Gems of Rensselaer.
🎸 LIVE MUSIC ROUNDUP
Friday 8/2 | The Emo Night Tour | Empire Live King 810 | Empire Underground Happy Hour with Monkey the Crowbar (free show) | The Eleven at Lark Hall Speakeasy Friday | The Ladies Playground Brandon Santini | The Linda First Friday: Ghost Note | The Egg |
Saturday 8/3 | Dueling Pianos: Shake, Rattle and Roll | Lark Street Tavern TV Doctors (free show) | Eleven at Lark Hall Revival of Thingyan Myanmar Water Festival | Jennings Landing Little Folk Series: Jamcrackers | Caffe Lena Embe Esti | Wolf Hollow Brewing Company Days Between with the Deadbeats | Lark Hall |
Sunday 8/4 | Anat Cohen Quartetinho | Music Haven |
🫵 HEY YOU, ADVERTISE WITH US
Love what we’re doing? Own a business or got a special event to promote? Get in front of our highly engaged (and super rad) audience! Reach out to [email protected] to ask about our very reasonable advertising rates.
Reply