Your marching orders: Report to the Veterans Day Ruck March 🥾

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Happy Monday! Today, we’re chatting with our friend, Jesse Sommer, who does a lot of things around town, including organizing the 4th annual Veterans Day Ruck March… and mounting a rather interesting write-in campaign for president of the Albany Common Council (you’ll hear about that next week).

And apologies for the late send today. This being Indigenous Peoples Day, it seemed like a day for slowing down and reflecting. Here’s a cool interactive map called Native Land Digital that allows you to enter your address to see which native land you’re on.

Also, the first person to reply with the correct answer to this question (How do you say ‘fish sauce’ in Vietnamese?) will get free admission to Phat’s sold-out Intro to Vietnamese Cooking class, happening 5:15-7:45 pm this Tuesday night. Good luck!

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

Embrace the suck: Marching 6.8 miles for vets & others in need

The Veterans Day Ruck March has become a tradition in Voorheesville—a spirited, sweaty, and purposeful event that brings hundreds of people together to walk 6.8 miles with a load on their backs and service in their hearts.

Conceived by Jesse Sommer, founder of New Scotland Spirits and a 10-year Army vet, the march combines community, charity, and a bit of Army grit—and ends with a whiskey chaser.

Now in its fourth year, the Ruck March on Saturday, Aug. 8, raises money for three nonprofits serving veterans and first responders: Hidden Battles Foundation, Boot Campaign, and the Capital Region Veterans Memorial. The event also collects thousands of pounds of nonperishable items and toiletries for food pantries across the Capital Region. It’s grown by a thousand pounds each year, with more than 3,000 pounds of food collected in 2024.

“Memorial Day honors those who have fallen,” Jesse says. “Veterans Day honors those who made it home. And it's amazing to see that the people who made it home are willing to come out on a Saturday to ‘embrace the suck’ together, as we say in the Army, to help organizations helping the ones who raised their hand and served.”

A “ruck” is military slang for a loaded-up backpack. Soldiers are prepared to carry everything they need to survive in a combat zone on their backs. Participants who want the full experience can fill their pack with 35 pounds of goods, Army-style, and donate them at the finish. But Jesse is quick to point out: You can jog, stroll, or bike during the march, with a loaded pack or not.

“The important part is being involved,” Jesse says. “You don’t need a rucksack to make a difference.”

The event’s 6.8-mile distance along the Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail is not random. Combat medics in the U.S. Army are referred to as "68 Whiskey.” It’s also the name of New Scotland Spirits’ signature corn whiskey. Fittingly, 68% of the whiskey’s profits go to the Hidden Battles Foundation, which helps veterans and first responders battling PTSD and addiction.

A big part of the event is the camaraderie of marching alongside other like-minded participants. Everyone gathers at the finishers’ reception, hosted by Northern Barrell, for free food and drinks. 

“It’s so heartwarming to see everyone at the end of the march, all sweaty and gross, but nonetheless smiling,” Jesse says. “For me, it’s one of the best days of the year.”

The deets: Veterans Day Ruck March, Saturday, Nov. 8, begins at 1330 hours (1:30 pm). Starting location: The American Legion Post 1493, 31 Voorheesville Ave, Voorheesville. Step-off is at 3 pm. Finishers’ reception is at Northern Barrell, 10 N. Main St, Voorheesville. The fee is $30 per participant. Pro tip: Register by Oct. 20 to get a free Ruck March event shirt.

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🥣 We made it out to the Chowderfest in Troy yesterday, but came away pretty disappointed. Most of what we tried was thin, watery, and not what we would call a proper “chowder.” Plus, the lines were hella long. Anyone else have the same experience? Anyway, here are the winners of the Chowderfest. And pics from the event.

🛒 The TU is out with an interesting tool that lets you track how grocery prices have changed in the Capital Region. You can drill down to see price trends for certain categories like eggs or meat. It probably doesn’t come as a shock that prices overall have surged 32.8% since 2019 😬 [Times Union]

🚢 In celebration of the Erie Canal’s bicentennial, the Seneca Chief—a full-scale replica of the very first canal boat to travel the historic route—is scheduled to arrive at Mohawk Harbor at 3 pm on Tuesday, followed by a welcome ceremony at 3:30 pm. The event is free and open to the public, with guided boat tours available from 4-6:30 pm. Details here.

This lovingly crafted artist’s compound includes three structures on an acre of land just outside of Catskill. The structures include an authentically restored 1890s Dutch farmhouse, an income-generating guest cabin, and a spacious barn-turned-artist studio. A sculptor’s touch is evident in every thoughtful detail of the renovation, although we couldn’t track down which local artist had their hands all over this one. Whoever it is, they’ve got a great eye and an enviable art collection. If you know who created this compound, let us know!

The three-bedroom, 1.5-bath farmhouse includes hand-hewn beams, exposed brick, wide plank floors, painted plaster walls, and six mini-split units. The guest cabin has vaulted ceilings, radiant bathroom floors, a private porch, and its own septic system. The bright, airy studio barn is the cherry on top with its rainbow-blocked entryway, historic mortise-and-tenon joints, and floor-to-ceiling windows that let in all the light.

The deets: 3 bd, 3 ba, 1914 sf. Asking: $685,000. Days on market: 5. See the full listing here

Every Monday, we pick out a wide selection of events that sound interesting. Every Thursday, we feature the very best events for the weekend.

✏️ Archtober is a month-long celebration of architecture and design in Troy, led locally by TAP Inc. and inspired by NYC’s own architecture festival.

👶 On Tues & Wed, join The Perfect Storm Workshop to learn parenting strategies that embrace neurological challenges such as autism, ADHD, and more.

👻 Wednesday through Friday, step into the spirit world with Manifestations: A Shaker Ghost Tour, where the real ghosts of Shaker history come to life.

🍝 You won’t feel like an impasta in the kitchen after Thursday’s Fresh Pasta Making Class with Danny Loves Pasta.

🖼️ On Friday, stroll around Art Night Schenectady, a celebration of local and regional creatives in downtown Schenectady on the 3rd Friday of every month.

🍷 Also Friday, say goodbye to the work week and pour yourself into the Wine + Cheese Club with Curate518.

🍸️ The Albany Barn’s annual “anti-fundraiser” this Friday—Fusion 2025—features the fusion of art and technology.

💆‍♂️ Get cured with by-donation community acupuncture, herbal apothecary remedies, and bodywork at the first of several monthly Healing Days at the Sanctuary for Independent Media’s main space, this Friday.

🎃 On Saturday, the Trick or Treat Nature Trail at Grafton Lakes State Park invites you to discover wonderful forest friends along an illuminated trail, with a bonfire and other treats thrown in.

🥣 The 15th Annual Regional Food Bank Mac-N-Cheese Bowl takes over Remsen Street in downtown Cohoes on Saturday.

🍗 If you missed the Schenectady Wing Walk, you may actually be able to get tix to the Saratoga Wing Off on Saturday.

🧙‍♀️ Wings and witches? The 4th Annual Witch Walk & Dance in downtown Saratoga raises cackles (and money) for a good cause.

🎵 On Sunday, spin out at the Saratoga Record Riot at Saratoga Springs City Center.

🚢 Also Sunday, the Albany Historic Foundation puts on the Matthew Bender IV Annual Lecture: ‘200 Years of the Erie Canal.’

🥾 The Eldridge Research Center at Huyck Preserve invites you to a reading and a hike on Sunday. This month, the book is Playing Possum: How Animals Understand Death by Susana Monso. The group hike includes stops along the way to discuss ecology and humanity’s relationship with nature.

Art on View

• Chris Duncan: Beats and Riffs, Union College Feigenbaum Center for Visual Arts, Mon-Sat, 9a–5p.

• Art at APL: Sight Specific, at the Pine Hills Branch of Albany Public Library. Curated by Opalka Gallery. Closes Nov. 8.

• Liberation and For Life celebrates 50 years of Black Dimensions in Art, showcasing 90+ artists and 100+ works that will blow your mind | Albany Institute of History & Art.

• Up to Us highlights BDA’s powerful legacy with archival materials spanning 1975 to the future | The Tang Museum

• Noel W Anderson: Black Excellence and Romare Bearden & Ralph Ellison: From the Archive | UAlbany Art Museum

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

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