Top 5 Weekend: Albany Food & Wine Fest, Craft Brewers Fest, and more!

Happy Thursday, happy readers! First, we’d like to welcome the hundreds of new subscribers we’ve gotten in the past few weeks. Congrats—you’ve discovered the Capital Region’s best-kept secret 🤫 

🍺🍷 This weekend is shaping up to be a big ol’ party for grown-up palates: the NYS Craft Brewers Festival brings unlimited sips to town just as the Albany Chef’s Food & Wine Fest uncorks its finest pours. And with the return of the region’s frosty-fun ice bars, you’ve got a weekend made for toasting. Not into the boozy scene? We’ve got you covered with the rest of our packed weekend guide.

🌨️ But watch the weather: Starting Sunday and into Monday, the Capital Region is staring down a potential 18 inches of snow, falling at a rate of an inch per hour, according to the pros at the National Weather Service. Buckle up—or better yet, stay home and make this incredible Mexican hot chocolate.

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

⭐️ 🍺 Some 50 breweries from across our great state will be represented at the 11th Annual New York State Craft Brewers Festival in Albany. Back by popular demand this year is a VIP beer & cheese tasting hosted by our friend, Mary Rizzo at The Cheese Traveler (whom we profiled in December). Sat, various times, $20-111.

⭐️ 🏒 Watch the Union and RPI hockey teams battle it out at the 2026 Capital District Mayor’s Cup. RPI is looking to bring the trophy back to Troy this year, while Union hopes to keep their streak alive. At the MVP Arena. Sat, 3p women, 6p men. Various ticket prices.

⭐️ 🍷 There’s a plethora of tasting events planned around the annual extravaganza known as the Albany Chef’s Food & Wine Festival. Through Saturday. Key events include the Mayor’s Reception, the Slider Slam, Battle of the Bartenders, and the Grand Gala Disco Ball. Thur-Sat, various times & admission.

⭐️ 🎬 Hosted at Putnum Place and the newly renovated Saratoga Arts, the 2026 Saratoga Film Showcase is back for Year 2 with double the number of short films and a focus on special effects—Cherry Valley-based SFX make-up artist RJ Young will put on a live demo on Saturday. Friday’s Opening Night features a performance by Caity & the Gallaghers. Fri-Sun, sliding scale donation (pay what you can).

⭐️ 🧊 This is the kind of ice we can get behind. It’s that time of the year when ice bars pop up across the Capital Region and the Adirondacks. Take your pick this weekend: Funky Ice Fest at the Adirondack Brewery | Fire & Ice Bar at Fort William Henry | Sagamore Resort’s Glacier Ice Bar. Here’s a good list of ice bars in Lake George.

THURSDAY

🍏 Drag Me to Nine Pin returns with the fabulous Forrest Fleur. There’s also a giveaway for tix to the Albany Chef’s Food & Wine Fest!

🦉Join Dr. Jeremy J. Kirchman at Common Roots Albany Outpost for History & Hops. Tonight’s topic: Exploring how cutting-edge DNA research is reshaping our understanding of bird evolution and revealing surprising connections hidden in their genomes.

🥪 Sadly, this is the last week for Mallo’s in Troy. Grab one of their delicious sammies before the curtain closes.

🥃 Come for the Spirits Tasting at The Pickle, and stay late for A Neptune Night, featuring sonic selections from maestros Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo.

🎨 Get your crit fix at Artist Session Series at the Art Center for the Capital Region with our friend, Taliesin Thomas, roving art critic for Hyperallergic and others.

🪼 Settle in for sumptuous strangeness at ICFS presents David Lynch’s Blue Velvet (1986) at Proctors.

🧚🏻 Catch some fairy dust at A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Classic Theatre Guild in Niskayuna. Through Sunday.

🦦 Union College Theater & Dance Department presents Myth and Memory a Winter Studio Residency with PaperHand Puppet Project. Through Sunday.

⚪️ Get to Troy’s Illium Brewing for their fun Bingo Night. 

🍷 Toni’s Wine Bar in downtown Schenectady celebrates its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

FRIDAY

🔥 Torch the remains of the holiday season at Wolf Hollow’s Xmas Tree Bonfire or check out the popular Grown-up Book Fair on Saturday.

🎤 Love Broadway musicals? Get to Lost & Found Bar & Kitchen for the Once Upon a Stage Sing-a-Long.

🍕Get to City Beer Hall in Albany for All-You-Can-Eat Focaccia Fridays for just $5. And don’t sleep on the handcrafted pizzas from Blu Pizza while you’re there.

🎻 Celebrate the opening of “Barbara Todd: Undoings” at Opalka Gallery, with music by Michael Century on piano and accordion, and Chris Fisher-Lockhead on viola.

SATURDAY

🐈 The cat’s meow is back! Check out one of our favorite events of the year, the New York Cat Film Festival 2026, at Proctors.

🎸 Calling all Swifties, the Empire Underground is hosting the Taylor Party this evening.

🍤 Saratoga’s Mouzon House is hosting its monthly Supper Club featuring a 5-course dinner inspired by the foods of New Orleans.

🥣 Come hungry as Ballston Spa VFW Post 358 puts on its annual Chowderfest.

SUNDAY

🌶️ Lost & Found Bar & Kitchen hosts its 5th annual Chili Cookoff!

👩🏼‍🎤 Fall down the rabbit hole at Albany Record Riot featuring some 60 tables of music on vinyl. [This event has been postponed due to the expected storm. New date is Jan. 31.]

🕰️ The 49th Annual Antique & Artisan Show sets up shop at Shenendehowa High School East in Clifton Park.

🎙️ A Sherlock Holmes-inspired opera? This should be interesting. The Schenectady-Saratoga Symphony Orchestra presents “The Game is Afoot.”

LOOKING AHEAD

💘 Do it differently: 10 ways to ditch the pricey Valentine’s Day dinner

Jan. 31: Schenectady Soup Stroll
Feb. 7: Saratoga Chowderfest
Feb. 13-15: Flurry Festival
Feb. 14: Wine & Chocolate Festival
Feb. 21: Saratoga Beer Summit
March 14: The Egg’s Open House

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

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