#ItsHereInRensselaer
It’s been quite the ride we’ve been on over the past 4 months. Now with things clearing up a little, it’s time to get a bit of normalcy back and enjoy our summer, and our lives’ again. For those of you itching to get out of the house, events are now happening throughout Rensselaer County for you to enjoy. And for those wondering, safety measures have been put into place with each event, to ensure that you and your family feel secure in coming out. Here are the new rules to follow if you’re planning on attending. *When walking through the event, mask must be worn, so please plan on bringing one. You will not be required to wear a mask when sitting at your seat, or in your standing place. *Hand sanitizer will be made available, and we ask that it be used. *Crowd size will be limited, so plan on getting there early. *If you are coughing, have a temperature, or are not feeling well, please do not attend. *No pets will be allowed.
Several weekly concerts have already begun, with a couple more slated to kick off in August. Here’s the schedule, of where you can go for live music this summer in Rensselaer County;
Schaghticoke: July 23/ Whiskey Highway, July 30/ Skeeter Creek, August 6/ Dashboard Anthem, August 13/ Back40 Band, August 20/ Papa Squat, August 27/ The Refrigerators, with special guest Moriah Formica. All shows, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at Schaghticoke Town Hall
North Greenbush: July 19/ Matt Mirabile Band, July 26/ Broken Hearted (Tom Petty Tribute), August 2/ MP3, August 9/ Scrapper Tuesday, August 16/ River Junction. All shows, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at North Greenbush Town Hall
Brunswick: July 21/ Tichy Boys, July 28/ Lustre Kings, August 4/ Get Up Jack, August 11/ Oldies Show, August 18/ Broken Hearted, August 25/ Legend, September 1/ Whiskey Highway All shows, 6:30 – 8:00p.m. at the Brunswick Community Center. For those not feeling safe being in a crowd just yet, you can just park your car, and tune your radio to 89.9FM to hear the concert.
East Greenbush: August 4/ Dealt the Blues, August 11/ Gone Gray, August 18/ Roxy & the Road Kings, August 25/ the Schmooze. All shows, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Onderdonk Memorial Park
Powers Park: August 1/ Johnny Rabb Big Band, August 8/ Soul Serenade (Allman Brothers Tribute), August 15/ The Refrigerators, August 22/ Mike & the Monsters, August 29/ Beatin the Odds. August shows, 6:00 – 8:30p.m. September 5/ Legend, September 12/ Whiskey Highway. September shows, 5:00 – 7:30pm
Rensselaer: July 21/ Winchester & Young, July 28/ Night Shift, August 4th/ Donny Elvis (Show dedicated in memory of Wayne Simmons) All shows, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Rensselaer Riverfront Park.
Troy: July 22 thru September 9. Summer Square is LIVE with music and arts entertainment throughout downtown Troy! Rockin’ on the River has transitioned into Rockin’ at Sage Park for a small scale concert series with local performers. With regulations on event size, attendance will be limited to 40 individuals with free tickets “sold” online. Physically distanced circles will be available in the grass for seating with your family unit. Bring your picnic blanket or lounge chair and order takeout from your favorite downtown restaurants to enjoy alongside live music each week.
Troy: July 31 thru August 2. Troy River Fest is back this year with a three day long physically distanced ramble! Spread throughout downtown Troy you can shop, eat, drink, and explore downtown Troy with twilight shopping, a downtown-wide sidewalk sale and family friendly activities.
For those of you who have asked, the Schaghticoke Fair, like every other fair in New York State, will not be happening. To see this event, which had entertained generations of county residents, being cancelled, is heartbreaking to say the least. Families count on, and look forward to these types of events. This is why the six communities within Rensselaer County who are providing weekly concerts, are stepping up to the plate to give you, the taxpayer, with something fun to do with your family this summer. Over the first few weeks of the currently running events, it’s been encouraging to see families coming out, complying with the new rules, and still having a great time. Together, we can do this safely. Life has an expiration date on it folks, don’t let it pass you by.
Vito Ciccarelli is the Rensselaer County Director of Tourism & Special Events.