‘Festival Weekend’ offers something for everyone
SARATOGASPRINGS, N.Y. » It’s the weekend that I like to call “Festival Weekend.” There are events filled with good food, good beverages and good times. There’s also lots of music available, and it’s free.
The Saratoga Wine and Food Festival is at Saratoga Performing Arts Center for the entire weekend. Meanwhile in Schenectady, there are Greek and Italian Festivals and the Riverfront Jazz Fest takes place on Saturday in the Corning Preserve in Albany. Though it doesn’t have festival in its name, the Tugboat Round-up in Waterford is a festival of tugboats.
With some planning you can do them all. While the SPAC event takes place over three days, Friday to Sunday, the main event is the Grand Tasting on Saturday. The focus of the day is tasting of wine, spirits and gourmet food. It takes place from noon to 4 p.m. There are displays of luxury automobiles and cooking contests on the main stage.
Should you be hungry after the event you can shoot over to Schenectady where two food festivals are taking place. On N. Jay Street, the Italian Street Festival goes on between noon and 9 p.m. There is live music at two stages and in-between them there will be food vendors offering treats like sausage and peppers, ravioli and of course, pizza, as well as other Italian specialties. If you have a sweet tooth, it will be satisfied with a cannoli, a zeppole or an Italian ice.
There is food diversity throughout Schenectady. St. George’s Greek Festival celebrates its 28th year, by not changing anything that works. It’s a traditional Greek celebration at which you’ll find every type of Greek food imaginable.
If you can’t imagine, think spinach pies, stuffed grape leaves, gyros and moussaka — to name a few. I don’t even want to start naming the Greek pastries.
Food is available for on premise consumption or take out. If you eat on the premises, you will be entertained by traditional Greek dancing accompanied by the musical sounds of Prometheus. Most of it takes place inside or under a large tent — so it’s happening rain or shine.
The hours are Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. It’s at the St. George Hellenic Center, 510 Liberty Street.
There will be food vendors at the Waterford Visitors’ Center on the river, but the main attraction is the 30 or so tugboats that dock along the river.
They arrive on Friday as they Parade up the Hudson from Albany to Waterford between 5- 5:45 p.m.
The rest of Friday evening, Saturday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m.3:30 p.m. visitors will be able to board the tugs, learn about them, watch them compete and talk to the crew, who just might spin a few yarns,
Food and music is available throughout the weekend, as is family entertainment. On Saturday the day ends with a giant fireworks display at 8:30 p.m.
If you just want to spend a day listening to great music, find your way to Jennings Landing in Albany’s Corning Preserve. That’s the day of the Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival. It starts at 1 p.m. and continues through the day ending at 9 p.m.
Headlining the festival is trumpeter-com- poser Maurice “Mobetter” Brown. Brown is noted for his way with contemporary jazz infused with a touch of the blues that sometimes veers into some hip-hop. It promises to be a great set, that is scheduled to start at 7:15 p.m.
Also on the bill is Mike Stern (5:30- 6:45 p.m.), a disciple of Miles Davis who has been a headliner since 1985 specializing in bebop-blues, played with the passion of a rock star.
It promises to be a great day within an amazing weekend.