It's Daylight Saving Time weekend. Clocks will fall back by one hour at 2 a.m. Sunday, giving you an extra hour of weekend time. Here are some suggestions for having fun in the Capital Region and Hudson Valley, and the weather report to help with planning.
The Borscht Belt Film Fest
The first annual Borscht Belt Film Festival at Shadowland Stages in Ellenville starts Friday and runs through Sunday with a fantastic collection of movies.
Ang Lee will be in attendance for a post-screening discussion of Taking Woodstock (2009). Also featured are a live event with Judd Hirsch, and screenings of The Catskills (2024), The Dancing Man: Peg Leg Bates (1993), a documentary about a one-legged tap dancer who opened a Black Catskills resort, and several more.
The Borscht Belt Film Fest is presented by the Catskills Borscht Belt Museum, which is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Borscht Belt resort era in the Hudson Valley, "and celebrating its history as a refuge from bigotry, the cradle of stand-up comedy and a cultural catalyst that left deep imprints on America." (In this recent piece, we looked at how the Catskills became comedy’s fertile crescent, and how humor that tackles social issues has evolved.)
For the full lineup of films, tickets and more, click here.
Pumpkin Smashing
Grow Amsterdam is holding its sixth Pumpkin Smash from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Veterans Park in Amsterdam. It’s a signature event for Compost Works, the food scrap composting initiative of Grow Amsterdam.
“Full-on smashing” occurs in Veterans Park. There will be four smashing stations and a variety of implements to choose from, including wooden mauls and handheld dead blow hammers.
According to the USDA in 2020, 975 million pounds, or 65% of pumpkins grown in the United States, wind up in landfills. For the second year, pumpkins will be diverted and feed pigs and cows at Tylutki Family Farms.
Residents who don’t want to smash pumpkins can drop them off starting at 9 a.m. in the parking lot.
See more about the event here.
The third annual Schenectady Pumpkin Smash event is 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday in the fields behind Schenectady High School. See more here:
Troy is hosting an inaugural “Don’t Trash it, Smash It” event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Students with the HVCC STEM program will display two catapults they built. Children can then have their pumpkins launched into the sky. See more here:
Troy Glow 2024
Produced by the Arts Center of the Capital Region, the free 10-day festival in Troy starts Friday. Visitors can experience 10 light art installations while strolling through downtown.
An Opening Night Reception is from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday at The Tavern Bar, 217 Broadway; the "Troyful Glow: Downtown Stroll" is 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday; and there will be a Block Party from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday in Franklin Alley.
On nights without public events, tours will be offered starting at 6 p.m. from the Arts Center of the Capital Region, 265 River St., Troy.
For information about events, schedule times and more, click here.
Albany Auto Show
The Albany Auto Show cruises into the MVP Arena in Albany this weekend from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
The new car show features more than 25 automotive brands and models and exhibitor booths featuring auto-related products and services. There is also a classic car display.
For more information, cost of admission, parking information, click here.
Adirondack Sports Winter Expo
Located across the way from the MVP Arena, the Winter Expo takes place this year from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday in the Albany Capital Center.
The event helps you prepare for the upcoming season. It features more than 100 exhibitors with ski and snowboard gear, outerwear, cross country skis and snowshoes, health/fitness professionals, travel destinations and more.
The show returns under the leadership of Darryl Caron of Adirondack Sports magazine, based in Clifton Park. For exhibitors and attendee information, visit here.
The Miss Firecracker Contest
The Playhouse presents Beth Henley’s comedy “The Miss Firecracker Contest” at 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at 1010 Route 17M, Monroe, Orange County.
“Carnelle is an irrepressible young woman who thinks that winning the local beauty contest will restore her soiled reputation and make her somebody in her small Mississippi community. The family and friends who help her along the way are a dysfunctional bunch who tackle life in their own peculiar ways.”
For information about additional showings and tickets, click here.
Big Eddy Brewing Co. grand opening
There will be a ribbon-cutting, open house and all-day party for the Big Eddy Brewing Company’s grand opening at 1 p.m. Saturday at 93 Main St., Narrowsburg in Sullivan County.
Big Eddy Brewing serves BBQ by Smōkd, traditional craft beer varieties and New York-made cider, wine, sour ales, seltzer and canned cocktails.
Lighting Ceremony
The public is welcome to attend "Harmony of Light: A Beacon of Unity for Our Community," a special lighting ceremony of the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse to close its 150th Anniversary Celebration.
The event is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Henry Hudson Riverfront Park, 1 Water Street Road, Hudson.
The Hudson Community Choir will perform during the ceremony.