First Friday Albany is your ticket to an awesome weekend

Today in The 518

• First Friday Albany is catching its post-pandemic stride 🎨 

• The circus is coming to town, in Troy and Rotterdam 🎪 

• Watch ‘Harry Potter’ live in concert and more Top 5 Weekend Picks! 🧙 

Soak up the best of the city at First Friday Albany

Often when people complain that “there’s nothing to do in Albany,” they’re not looking in the right places. There’s always something going on—you just need to know where to go (subscribing to The 518 is a great start!)

First Friday Albany makes it easy by dedicating the first Friday of every month for cool events (mostly free) at venues across Albany. After a brief intermission during the pandemic, the monthly series is back better than ever.

This Friday, The Egg is hosting a spectacular open house with a DJ set by Intell Hayesfield and music by Ghost-Note, the funk band headed by the multi-Grammy-winning percussion duo of Robert “Sput” Searight and Nate Werth. Come for the music, stay for the art activities, “Black Panther” screening, and free book giveaway. This event is free but you need to RSVP for tickets. Seating is first come, first serve.

Also happening this Friday:

• Bourbon & Blues brings its signature blend of acoustic blues, swing, jazz and light rock to Albany Elks Lodge

• Albany Center Gallery opens its doors for its latest exhibit, “From This to That”

• Illustrator Ottavia Huang will be on hand in the Albany City Hall Rotunda to show off her watercolor and ink sketches

• Em is showing her landscape photography and portraits at Common Roots Albany Outpost

• Albany County Historian Jack McEneny will lead a tour of historic Quackenbush Square

• The Underground Railroad Education Center is putting on its seriously fun Game Night

• Everyone is invited to a community drum circle on Lark Street (at Lancaster)

• And, as always, the State Capitol and the Van Ostrande-Radliff House will be open for tours

For full details and times, click here. Got a great event to make First Friday even better? Submit your event to be part of the monthly promotion.

As the media sponsor for First Friday Albany, The 518 will be out and about this Friday—say 👋 if you see us!

“Well, summer slipped us underneath her tongue / Our days and nights are perfumed with obsession” — Lorde, “The Louvre”

Watch out for thunderstorms in an otherwise splendid summer week ahead 😎 

More museums, please 🙏 

In Monday’s newsletter (“NYS Museum needs a serious makeover”), we asked: What new museum would you most like to see in the Capital Region?

It was a tight race, but a new science and natural history museum won the straw vote! While we appreciate Schenectady’s miSci, it’s also long overdue for a major refresh. The museum has received $10 million in state funding for improvements 👏 But a new science museum closer to Albany would be amazing, especially to keep the kiddos busy during those frigid winter weekends.

Buca di Beppo closes in Colonie

After 24 years on Wolf Road, the family-style Italian restaurant has closed for good. The closure was part of the casual dining chain’s plan to shutter 13 underperforming restaurants across the country. They were struggling due to pandemic shutdowns and other market pressures. The chain is left with only 44 locations nationwide, and none in New York.

Btw, the Ninety Nine Restaurant & Pub at 107 Wolf Road in Colonie is also closing on Aug. 11.

Checks coming for low-income families

NY State is giving over a million families as much as $330 per child through the beefed-up Empire State Child Credit. Anyone who got at least $100 from the child credit on their 2023 return will get a check in the mail, starting the first week in August. Click here to see if you qualify and estimate your check amount.

Big Top ‘Circus in the Park’ returning to Troy

The Big Top is coming back to Troy. Contemporary Circus and Immersive Arts Center (CCIAC) is presenting eight days of circus events under a 34-foot tent in Prospect Park. Taking place Aug. 10-17, the event includes family-friendly performances, a Montreal troupe fundraiser, a youth camp, and a free family day. Tickets for the Aug. 10 fundraiser are discounted until this Friday, and group discounts are also available. Request discounts via email: [email protected]. Mark your calendar for the Free Family Circus Day on Sat, Aug. 17. Seating is first come, first serve. More details here.

Peacock survives tornado to reach new heights of fame

An eight-year-old peacock named Niles has captivated the Great Sacandaga Lake community since wandering off from his Edinburg home on June 14. Since then, he has traveled over 10 miles, evading capture and becoming a local celebrity along the way. Niles has inspired social media posts, memes, and even a tribute song. His fame grew after he survived a tornado in mid-July, with fans sharing sightings and stories on the Great Sacandaga Lake Life FB page. [Daily Gazette]