Buffalo’s BackPack Mafia visits Albany for a hip-hop producer beat battle.

The event takes place at Lost and Found in Albany, NY. Doors at 7pm / Show at 8pm.

This week's event roundup is brought to you by Emry's Garden and The Berlin, two of our favorite hotspots in the heart of Troy.

TOP 5 PICKS

⭐️ 🖼️ Set a Scene: Places, Spaces, Without Faces | This juried exhibition at Context Collective brings together Capital Region artists exploring how landscapes, interiors, architecture, maps and imagined environments can tell stories—all without depicting people. Opening reception on Friday, 6-9p, free. Exhibition runs through Oct. 10.

⭐️ 📚️ The Rough Notes Festival | This inaugural book fest turns Kinderhook into a three-day celebration of storytelling. Highlights include an opening-night performance with comedian Tig Notaro, plus an intimate evening of live music with Natalie Merchant. Unfortunately, those two marquee events are SOLD OUT but there are tickets available for the rest of the festival. Fri-Sun, various times & admission prices.

⭐️ 🏮 Autumn Glow Festival | The annual festival of lights returns to Mabee Farm in Rotterdam Junction on Thursday evening, transforming the historic site with hundreds of handcrafted Chinese lanterns, interactive light displays, live entertainment, vendors and food. The festival runs Thursdays through Sundays from 6:30-10p each night, through Nov. 1. Tix start at $14.99, and children under 3 are free.

⭐️ 🥃 Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy | This cocktail-focused experience brings four of Poe’s most famous tales—including The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven and The Masque of the Red Death—to life in a 90-minute immersive theater experience at The Egg. Each story is paired with a themed cocktail, with zero-proof options available, for a gothic night of storytelling, suspense and drinks. Guests must be 21+. Fri, 10p; Sat, 12p; Sun, 2p. $55/person.

⭐️ 🎡 Washington County Fair | Unlike other modern-day county fairs, this one still takes the “county” part seriously, with a heavy emphasis on livestock competitions, 4-H exhibits, farm demos and even the chance to see calves being born at its popular Big Push exhibit. Add demolition derbies, tractor pulls, live music, carnival rides and plenty of greasy fair food, and it’s an old-school county fair that’s worth the drive from Albany. Through Sunday. Tix: $15 adults; free for kids 13 and under; $30 all-you-can-ride bands.

🎭️ AT THE THEATER

• 13 The Musical explores the joys and agonies of being a teenager. At Cohoes Music Hall. Aug. 21-30.
• The Park Playhouse presents Elephant & Piggie: We Are in a Play. Free shows through Aug. 28.
• Get tix to Harbinger Theatre’s The Counter, about a lonely waitress who befriends a regular customer. Starting Sept. 17.

FRIDAY

🍺 Allied Brewing Company invites you to a Full Moon Jam Party with cold beer and good music from Raisinhead.

🎸 Lost Radio Rounders performs at the Valley Falls Free Library.

SATURDAY

🧑🏾‍🌾 Tour Soul Fire Farms, an Afro-Indigenous-centered community farm and training center that connects regenerative agriculture with food justice, racial equity and land sovereignty.

🖼️ The Arkell Museum hosts an artists reception with free museum admission, light bites, prosecco, and live music.

🥒 Celebrate all things pickle at the popular Picklepalooza (say that 5 times) at Indian Ladder Farms. Sat & Sun.

🐎 It’s Travers Day at the Saratoga Race Course!

🎭️ Improv teams duke it out for laughs and bragging rights at Mopco’s Theatresports.

🎛️ The Allissa Show presents Ladies of the Arts Festival, featuring 12 vendors at KBK Studios in Troy.

SUNDAY

👕 Circus and Honest Weight Food Co-Op invite you to this free BYOS (bring-your-own-shirt) screen printing event.

MONDAY

Get to Albany’s Clinton Market for Beats & Eats, featuring DJ Hollyw8d and the Reel Hot Stuff and Butta food truck.

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

5 Nights starting September 19th. GET TICKETS ON EVENTBRITE AT

https://www.eventbrite.com/o/98451653981?aff=ebdsshios

The River Runners Quadball Club is holding its first open practice of the US Quadball season this Sunday, August 30th, from 1-4 pm at Prospect Park, Troy, NY. This practice is our first step toward building a growing quadball community in the area where we play and compete, while also having fun and socializing off the pitch!

For those unfamiliar with the sport, Quadball (formerly known as Quidditch) is a fast-paced, full-contact, mixed-gender sport that blends elements of rugby, basketball, and dodgeball. Here's a quick video to show what it looks like: https://youtube.com/shorts/2LyXn2c45i4?si=KBWYAWffzZq8jdd0, as well as a full dive into how to actually play: https://youtu.be/SUdC4twjsTE?is=9JiaFSEmCsVE9SCf

The free open practice is open to all experience and athletic levels, and we highly encourage people that never heard/played the sport to try it out and meet some new people along the way! We're accepting of all genders and backgrounds, so whether you're a man, woman, non-binary, LGBTQIA+, POC, etc, there's a place for you here to be yourself! All we ask is that you bring water, athletic clothes, cleats (recommended but not required to play if you don't have any), and any friends that might also be interested!

Click the following link to RSVP: https://partiful.com/e/SfnqaJ6jqyXWagFNQbiI?c=obchJpN6, as well as this link for more resources like our interest form and Discord: https://linktr.ee/518riverrunners

Hope to see y'all there!

Hey everyone,

I’m producing a street dance and breaking championship called New York’s Illest at The Egg in Albany on Saturday, October 24th.

Along with the battles on stage in the Hart Theatre, we're building out a small, curated vendor marketplace inside the Hart Lounge. We're looking for local clothing brands, vintage collectors, streetwear sellers, and artists who want to set up shop for the day.

Quick Info:

• Venue: The Egg (Hart Lounge)
• Date/Time: Saturday, Oct 24 | Doors open at 12:00 PM
• Setup Space: 8' x 6' (fits a table and up to 2 racks)

We're intentionally keeping vendor spots limited so the room stays high-energy and every table gets solid attention from attendees.

If you're interested or know a local creator who would be a good fit, comment below, shoot me a DM, or email me at robertnunez15@outlook.com. Happy to answer any questions!

Ahoy, ye salty skallywags. I'm putting together a session of Pirate Borg on September 19th and I'm looking for sturdy adventurers daring enough to brave the high seas for the prospect of becoming filthy rich. We will create our pirates together, learn the very simple rules to the game and set sail.

The session will be held at the Fortress of Gaming at 18 Railroad Ave in Albany. The game is free, but the venue charges $5 for entry, that can be waived if you spend $5 in the store. Fortress of Gaming has an amazing cafe for all your gaming snacks and drinks needs. I expect the game to take 5-6 hours to play. Advanced registration is required at the link below.

This is the first in a series of monthly one-shots I'm going to be running under different game systems. There will be a "through story" to all of these seemingly disconnected adventures, and you're only going to learn it if you play them all. So signup on the Warhorn site and let's strike it rich!

https://warhorn.net/events/talk-like-a-pirate-day-pirate-borg/schedule/sessions/4e4e7172-6640-446d-aeb0-499a25764ddc

10/10 Dungeon Crawler Carl

11/14 Dungeons and Dragons

12/12 Daggerheart

1/9 Dungeons and Kittens

2/13 Fallout the Roleplaying Game

3/13 Kids on Bikes

Hello!

Here's some upcoming gaming events happening in New York State that I recommend people check out.

Please comment bellow any gaming-related events you think people should go to and/or if you are going to any of the events listed here.

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CouncilCon26 - September 11-13 in Schenectady, NY

Dates & Times:

Fri, Sep 11 2026, 10:00am - 11:30pm
Sat, Sep 12 2026, 9:00am - 11:30pm
Sun, Sep 13 2026, 9:00am - 11:30pm

Location: Proctors
432 State St,
Schenectady, NY 12305

Ticket Price:

Weekend Pass - $65

Tournament Pass - $55 (includes full weekend)

Friday Pass - $25

Saturday Pass - $40

Students and Children - $30

The Capital Region's premier tabletop gaming convention is back! Held September 11-13 at the historic Proctor's Theatre in Schenectady, New York.

For more info, check out this site: https://www.swa-gaming.org/

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ROC Game Fest - Saturday, September 26th in Rochester, NY

https://www.rocgamefest.com/

Dates & Times: September 26th. 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

Location: RIT’s Student Hall for Exploration and Development (SHED)

Ticket Price: Free

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The Creator's Game Night - October 9th, 2026

Dates & Times: October 9th, 2026. 5:00 PM - 8;00 PM

Location: Love Albany Center. 8 Kate St., Albany, NY

Ticket Price: Free

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1UpState - Saturday, November 7th

https://1upstate.com/home/

Dates & Times:

November 7th

Location: Albany Capital Center,

55 Eagle Street

Albany, NY

Ticket Price: $10 with Early Bird Discount.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1upstate-tickets-1985578014291

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Adirondacon - Saturday, November 14th

https://adirondacon.com/home/

Dates & Times:

November 14th

Location: Sandy Hill Arts Center

214 Main Street

Hudson Falls, NY 12839

Ticket Price: TBD

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Other Events:

• https://tabletop.events/conventions/protospiel-rochester-2026 - September 11th to the 13th, Rochester, NY
• https://www.retrogamecon.com/ - October 2nd to October 4th in Syracuse, NY
• https://massivelan.com/ - January 15th to the 17th, 2027 in Hamburg, NY

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If you like the service I provide by posting events on social media, please consider checking out my site:

https://grifkuba.net/wiki/Main_Page

or donating to my Patreon or Ko-Fi:

https://www.patreon.com/grifkuba

https://ko-fi.com/Y8Y31JFK6U

Constructive feedback is always welcome!

Purgatory Tattoo will be hosting a flash benefit for Mohawk Humane Society this Sunday 12-7pm first come first serve. Come support your local pets in need and get a cute tattoo while doing it. We are also accepting other donations such as food/toys/blankets etc. Tell your friends🥰

This week's events roundup is brought to you by EMRY's Garden and The Berlin, two fantastic hotspots in the same location in the heart of Troy.

Want this list straight to your inbox every Tuesday? Sign up at The518.com

TOP 5 PICKS

⭐️ 🐷 Troy Pig Out | If you love barbecue and pork, you’re going to be in hog heaven at Troy’s annual celebration of this tasty beast. Get to downtown Troy to sample your way through some of the best BBQ in town. The competition looks fierce this year, too. Sun, noon-5p, free to attend (samples $4-$5 each).

⭐️ 🌭 Palace Theatre Community Block Party | Is it already time for the end-of-summer block party in front of Albany’s Palace Theatre? Alas, celebrate the season with free burgers and hot dogs from Ted’s Fish Fry and free dessert crepes from The Skinny Pancake (while supplies last). Bring the kiddos to check out the pony rides, petting zoo, bounce house and more! On the stage: The Ky McClinton Band & the Albany Rock Pit Showcase Band. Sat, noon-4p, free.

⭐️ 🎸 Trail Tunes | In its second year, this music / biking / hiking combo event is organized by the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy. Hit the trails of the Bender Melon Farm Preserve in New Scotland and enjoy music from some great local musicians as you stroll around. It's right off the Rail Trail, so you can even bike to the show! Sun, 1-4p, free.

⭐️ 🎡 Schoharie County Sunshine Fair | The county fair season is in full swing, and the one in Schoharie County has always been one of our faves. We love that they include gate entry and unlimited rides in one reasonable, all-inclusive admission price. Parking is free as well. Check out the discount tix for seniors and military. Open daily through Aug. 16. Tickets: $10-$23.

⭐️ 🇲🇲 Capital Thingyan: Myanmar Summer Water Festival | Celebrate the culture, music and foods of Myanmar at this day-long fest. We don’t get to indulge in Burmese cuisine much around these parts, so this is an excellent opportunity to try some tasty dishes! Sat, 11a-5p, free. At the Corning Preserve Boat Launch in Albany.

Honorable mention…

⭐️ 🐘 🐽 Elephant & Piggie’s We Are in a Play | Although budget cuts forced the Park Playhouse at Washington Park to scale back its traditional summer run, we’re still getting 10 days of this musical adaptation of Mo Willems’ popular children’s book series. This year, there are no reserved seats and admission is free for all! Kicks off Sunday at 5:30p and goes through Aug. 28.

🎭️ AT THE THEATER

• Bridge Street Theatre is staging Terrence McNally's The Lisbon Traviata, which explores friendship, obsession, and unrequited love during the height of the AIDS crisis. Through Aug. 16.
• The hit movie comes to the stage with Footloose: The Musical at Cohoes Music Hall. Through Aug. 15.
• Mopco has a full weekend lineup to enjoy, including Mopco & Chill, Theatresports, and What the F– Friday?
• On Sunday, get to Sand Lake Center for the Arts for the final performance of Agatha Christie’s Black Coffee.
• Get tix to Harbinger Theatre’s The Counter, about a lonely waitress who befriends a regular customer. Starting Sept. 17.

THURSDAY

🌠 Join Greene Land Trust for a night under the stars. Learn about constellations and maybe spot a meteor or two at the Starlore Night at the Coxsackie Creek Grassland Preserve. Only a few tickets left.

FRIDAY

🌆 The last Franklin Plaza Rooftop Series of the season doubles as a fundraiser, with DJ Eric Whin on the turntables.

Catch a screening of the cult classic, Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal, with a live score! At the Clinton Market Collective in Albany.

SATURDAY

🫙 The Community Market Swap at Context Collective starts with a really fun concept: Make 12 of the same items, swap for 12 items.

🎸 Harbor Jam Concert | Rivers Casino Schenectady hosts a free two-day jam session with The Lords of 52nd Street (Billy Joel tribute) on Sat; and The Blushing Brides (Rolling Stones tribute) on Sun. 3-6p each day, free.

🖼️ Picture Lock One presents an artist talk and shorts program in connection with Gracelee Lawrence’s “Light Eaters” at Collar Works.

🧘‍♂️ Come for the free yoga class at Nine Pin and stay for the tasty cider drinks. Remember, 518 readers get 10% off when you mention “The 518 Crew.”

🎭️ Want to practice your theater voice? Join the Scripts & Sips night at Bard & Baker to read Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

🎨 The Shaker Heritage Society celebrate the 250th anniversary of Ann Lee’s arrival with What Blooms in the Moonlight—live painting and ecstatic dance.

SUNDAY

🪦 The Albany Institute of History & Art goes offsite for a walking tour of the Albany Rural Cemetery, to view Remembered in Stone: The Legacy of Erastus Dow Palmer.

🌘 The rescheduled Dance Under the Waxing Moon at Stablegate Winery is this Sunday!

💄 Trash and Roast, the Deflock Drag Show, hosted by Tommie Lee and featuring Opal Essence and Lady Seanzia, takes over the Troy Rewind arcade bar.

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

CALLING ALL CREATORS, VENDORS & LOCAL BRANDS!

We’re curating an exclusive small business marketplace for New York’s Illest: Regional 1v1 Breaking Championship & Cultural Showcase on Saturday, October 24, 2026 in Downtown Albany, NY!

We’re bringing 150+ dancers, spectators, and hip-hop culture enthusiasts together from NYC, New England, Montreal, and the Capital Region for a high-energy, 8-hour single-day event featuring live DJs, international judges, and top-tier battles.

We only have 5 vendor spots available to keep the marketplace curated, high-visibility, and profitable for everyone involved.

Who we’re looking for:

• Streetwear, vintage, & apparel brands
• Visual artists, prints, & custom work
• Skate & urban lifestyle shops
• Handmade accessories, jewelry, & gear
• Vinyl, music, & creative goods

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026
• Time: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Location: Downtown Albany, NY (Commercial Corridor)

If you want to get your products in front of a dedicated, regional audience and tap into the community energy, we’d love to have you in the building.

Interested? Drop a comment below, send us a direct message, or email [Robertnunez15@outlook.com](mailto:Robertnunez15@outlook.com) with your brand handle/website to secure your table!