The 518 Weekender: Wing Fest, Tater Trot, Night at the Brewseum

April 23, 2026

In partnership with

Hello beautiful people of the Capital Region. We’re still coming off the high of our first 518 Dinner Club last night on Lark Street. We loved seeing everyone at the afterparty, exchanging contacts and making new friends. Here’s what one guest, Naomi Stryker, had to say:

“THE GIRLS WERE SO LOVELY! Honestly we got along so well and the only silence you really heard was when we were eating. This is why I signed up for the next one before I reviewed last night as I’m so excited to do this again. I can absolutely see myself hanging with these queens once more."

Generously sponsored by Lost & Found Bar and Kitchen, our next dinner is in Albany’s hoppin’ Warehouse District on Thursday, May 21. Grab your spot!

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

Night at the Brewseum in Saratoga offers an elevated take on the brewfest

⭐️ = Top 5 Staff Picks

⭐️ 🍗 More than a dozen downtown restaurants are competing in the annual Glens Falls Wing Fest—and tastings are just $1 each. Also, at 2 pm, get to Davidson Brothers for the 5th Annual Mike Dubray Inferno Wing Eating Contest. Sat, 12-3p, free. Meanwhile, over in Schenectady, the 2026 Tater Trot returns after a hiatus in 2025 to crown the next spuds champ. Sat, 11a-3p, free ($1 samples).

⭐️ 🍺 Night at the Newseum is a craft beer, wine and food tasting held inside the historic Saratoga Springs History Museum at the Canfield Casino. The organizers promise that it’s “not your standard brew fest,” meaning the tastings will be elevated—and the ticket price reflects it! Fri, 5-9p, $62.20 for GA and $77.50 for VIP.

⭐️⛴️ There ought to be more cool cruises like this. Should we organize one for The 518 Crew? Created by Metroland photographer Kiki Vassilakis and presented by Empire Standard, the Canna Cruise is billed as a “curated cannabis-friendly social experience set against the scenic backdrop of the Hudson River.” Which we think means you’ll be cruisin’ for a good time on the water, with tunes compliments of DJ Harlan. Fri, 6-8p, $33.85.

⭐️ 🌳 Troy Botanical Garden’s Spring Fest features pony rides, petting zoo, live music, local vendors, and a spring buffet. Bring the kids along, and discover whimsical miniature sculptures tucked among the blooms. The garden should be bursting with springtime splendor. Note that the buffet is actually priced separately and requires a reservation! Sat-Sun, 10a-3p, $7 for garden admission.

⭐️ 👁️ The Corpus Festival at EMPAC explores how bodies create meaning and shape social experience through movement, performance and participation. Across performances, installations, talks, and video works, artists transform EMPAC into a shared space for reflection, connection, and community, inviting audiences to notice the hidden structures of power, identity, and collective life. Read more about it here. Thur-Sat, 9a-5p, free.

Honorable mention:

⭐️ 🍁 The Schoharie County Maple Festival features fresh maple products, local crafters, live entertainment, kids activities, demonstrations, pancake breakfast and other maple themed foods. Sat, 9a-4p, free.

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

 🐕️ Would you look at that face!

Mookie is a house-trained, 8-year-old pug/beagle mix available for adoption from the H.O.P.E. Pet Adoption Center at the Wilton Mall in Saratoga. Here’s what they had to say about this little fellow: “Mookie is a one-of-a-kind little guy with a huge personality and an even bigger heart. He loves nothing more than snuggling under the blankets, giving lots of kisses, and being close to his person.” Full details here.

A word from our sponsor

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FRIDAY

🎤 Ice Spice headlines the UAlbany Student Association’s annual Parkfest at the MVP Arena.

🎷 The Arch Stanton Quartet puts on a free jazz performance inspired by Paul Bowles’ The Sheltering Sky, at the Altamont Library

🍕 Did you know that it’s buy-one-get-one-free pizza at City Beer Hall for all of April, and Fridays are $5 all-you-can-eat focaccia nights?

👩‍🎨 Context Collective hosts an Artist Moms Meetup because parents of artists need all the support they can get. 😆 

🔏 Get inked at the Saratoga Tattoo Expo!

SATURDAY

📚️ Get to The Book Hive’s A Bookish Market at Common Roots Albany Outpost for discount books and author signings.

🎤 Salon Salvage at Upstairs Arts Collective in Troy is back for another excellent evening of readings, featuring visiting and local writers Diana Arterian, Safa Khatib, Hoora Mirabzadeh & Natalya Sukhonos.

🖼️ Deborah Masters Studio in Chatham presents “Shifted Ground: Reflections on a New Landscape.”

🚒 The Children’s Museum in Saratoga brings in the big wheels for its beloved Big Truck Day.

🧘‍♂️ Good Karma Studio invites you to their Silent Disco Yoga Flow!

🚣 Rowers from all over the East Coast will converge at the Saratoga Invitational Regatta, a 10-lane, 1500-meter event running all day Sat & Sun.

📷️ Learn the basics of cyanotype with local artist Amanda Lane at Create Community Studios.

🦙 Visit alpacas, bunnies, goats, sheep and lambs, llamas, and more at the Washington County Fiber Tour!

🍷 Stable Gate Winery throws opens its doors for a reopening party this weekend.

🌸 Have you checked out the new Riilaxx Tavern in the former Ama Cocina space? Their Spring Day Party is a good reason to drop in!

🧪 miSci hosts its annual Magic of Science family day featuring activities on zoology, astronomy, herbology and more.

📚️ Black Walnut Books celebrates Indie Bookstore Day at the Shirt Factory in Glens Falls.

🥘 This might be worth the drive to Kingston if you love Indian food: Heartland Masala Chaat Party—a mostly demo class with the authors of “Heartland Masala.”

SUNDAY

🏳️‍🌈 The first A Big Gay Market of the year is in Washington Park, Knox Street Mall.

👄 Spring Through the Decades: Drag Brunch features fierce queens serving up looks and lip-syncs inspired by the 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s.

🎶 The Albany Record Riot takes over the Polish Community Center.

🎻 The Empire State Youth Orchestra performs Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 and more at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.

UPCOMING

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

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