Calendar

EDITOR’S NOTE: This calendar is being regularly updated to reflect all event cancellations and postponements. However, it is recommended that readers contact event organizers before they attend. For the most updated version of the calendar, please visit or troyrecord.com.

Sunday, Dec. 6 STROLL SEASON: The Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce announced their plans for the 38th Annual Troy Victorian Stroll Season. Poised to look and feel different from past years, the 2020 ‘Stroll Season’ will officially kick-off on Sunday, December 6and create a festive atmosphere to encourage supporting local shops and restaurants in downtown Troy throughout the holiday season. The Chamber and City of Troy are focusing on creating an ongoing festive atmosphere in downtown Troy, including decorated storefronts, piped-in holiday music, a ‘Stroll Season Bingo’ card for patrons to complete throughout the month of December, and more. In an effort to mitigate crowds and adhere to COVID-19safety guidelines, this year’s Troy Victorian Stroll will feature significantly fewer entertainers and street performers than usual. A major component of that festive atmosphere will be the return of the Stroll’s window decorating contest. The theme for this year’s window decorating contest is ‘Merry and Bright,’ and businesses are encouraged to have their storefronts decorated beginning on Friday, December 4. Participating businesses will receive posters from the Chamber that will direct patrons to an online poll to vote for their favorite window displays via a QR Code. Voting will take place December 4 -28, and winners will be announced on December 30. An application for businesses to complete for this year’s window decorating contest will be available on VictorianStroll. com beginning on Friday, November 13. VictorianStroll.com will also feature a comprehensive list of promotions, specials and holiday offerings from local downtown businesses throughout Stroll Season. Businesses are encouraged to submit their plans for Stroll Season to VictorianStroll.com/ attractions. Additionally, a ‘Stroll Season Bingo’ card will be available for download on VictorianStroll.com beginning on Friday, December 4. The bingo card will feature a variety of activities and plans families can make to enjoy Stroll Season throughout the entire month of December. Completed bingo cards will be

entered to win a holiday prize package complete with gift cards and holiday products from Troy businesses. For more information on the 38th Annual Troy Victorian Stroll, visit VictorianStroll.com. WINTERTIME WONDERLAND: New holiday attraction Wintertime Wonderland is now open. This holidaythemed, family-friendly attraction, billed as the Capital Region’s largest indoor Christmas event, is located at 195Troy Schenectady Rd. in Colonie, in the former Kmart store next to Vent Fitness. Set at the North Pole, the walk-through experience features a frosty ice maze, a post office and train station, a lifesize snowglobe and gingerbread house, a whimsical light show on Candy Cane Alley, Christmas Village and Santa’s Workshop, where children will have the chance to meet Santa himself. Other characters that visitors will encounter along the way include an ice princess, snowmen, gingerbread men, carolers, reindeer, elves and Mrs. Claus. Attendees will have the option to take photographs with actors either close together or in a socially distanced pose with scenery in the space between. Kids will receive a greeting card, coloring book and letter to Santa with activities for throughout the attraction and at home. After exploring the displays, guests can enjoy refreshments, do some holiday shopping with local vendors, support area nonprofits, enter a raffle for a brand new car, view and purchase photos from the event and pick up a Christmas tree. The event’s COVID-19 protocols include temperature checks upon arrival, occupancy limits, frequent cleaning, social distancing and mask wearing at all times. Tickets, which can be reserved online, are $20per person. Children age two and younger are free. The wheelchair accessible event’s hours are 3to 9p.m. on Thursday and Friday, 9a.m. to 9p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 8p.m. on Sunday, with expanded hours anticipated in the days right before Christmas. More information about Wintertime Wonderland is available online at wintertimewonderland.com.

POP-UP PORCH SALE: New this year at the Ten Broeck Mansion in Albany is a Pop-up Porch Sale, featuring wreaths designed and made by local garden clubs and artisans. All proceeds support the Albany

County Historical Association’s education programming. Locally-made artisanal gifts and ornaments and new historic embroidery kits available. Pop-up Porch Sale hours are Fridays-Sundays, noon-3 pm, December 4-20. For more information visit www. tenbroeckmansion.org.

TEN BROECK MANSION HOLIDAY HOUSE:

The Ten Broeck Mansion, home of the Albany County Historical Association, announces its Holiday House 2020schedule. Shimmering lights, festive trees and bright garlands inside and out set the scene at the Ten Broeck Mansion, a historic house museum which welcomes the community as a place to make family memories today. Tours with timed tickets are on Saturdays and Sundays from noon until 2:30pm from December 5-20. For the health and safety of all visitors, indoor admission is by timed tickets, advance purchase only. Tickets are available via the ACHA’s website www.tenbroeckmansion.org, Eventbrite, or Facebook. Walk-through tours of groups of 5or less feature docents to share information about holidays in the past, and the history of the Ten Broeck Mansion. Adults $5. Children and ACHA members free. SINTERKLAAS EVENT: On Sunday December 6and 13 from noon-2:30pmat Ten Broeck Mansion in Albany, “Sinterklaas” the Dutch St. Nicholas and the patron saint of children is available for free family photos outdoors on the Mansion’s decorated porch. Learn about Dutch and other cultural traditions for the holidays. Children must be accompanied by an adult and wear facemasks. Free and open to families. For more information visit www. tenbroeckmansion.org BLOOD DRIVE: An American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held from 7a.m. to 3p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6at the Everett Road Blood Donation Center, located at 33Everett Rd. in Albany. More information is available online at www.redcrossblood.org.

RUDOLPH’S MOVIE EXPERIENCE & PYROTECHNICS SHOW: Ellms Christmas Trees, located at 468Charlton Rd. in Ballston Spa, recently announced a new 2020holiday season event called Rudolph’s Movie Experience and Pyrotechnics Show. Each show will kick off with a Rudolph trivia video, followed by Rudolph’s Movie Experience which is a special, abbreviated 11-minute version of the stop motion animation classic projected onto a giant screen. At the end of the movie experience, guests will enjoy a musical pyrotechnic, special effects and laser show, designed to dazzle and create exciting family traditions and memories. Rudolph’s Movie Experience, an all-ages event, runs every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Dec. 22, with three shows each night. Multiple packages offering holiday-themed food and beverage treats will be available as well, along with the opportunity to purchase Rudolph memorabilia on site. Upon arrival to the 240-acre tree farm, guests will be greeted by the masked Farm Team Elves who will direct guests to park and get ready for the experience to begin. Visitors can stand outside of their vehicles, but must remain at their vehicle the entire time. Masks will be required at all times if attendees are outside of their vehicle. Tickets to Rudolph’s Movie Experience and Pyrotechnics Show are currently on sale on the Ellms Farms website, www.ellmsfarms.com.

FILM DISCUSSION: Saratoga Jewish Community Arts, with a generous grant from the Jewish Federation of Northeastern NY, presents the Zoom panel discussion of Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story on December 6, 2020, at 7p.m. Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story is available for rental or viewing on most major video platforms and will be discussed on Dec. 6at 7 p.m. Registration is required at email address sjca.sjcf@gmail. com for the Zoom link. Follow www.saratogajewishculturalfestival.org; Facebook and www.saratogasinai.org. ARTISAN MARKET: The beloved “Artisan Market” at Brookside Museum will be returning in 2020, running from “Small Business Saturday” Nov. 28through Dec. 24at 6 Charlton St. in Ballston Spa. The market will feature only handcrafted products created by local artisans. Everything from natural soaps and lotions to unique ornaments and jewelry to scrumptious syrups and eatables – quite simply the best our community has to offer. The 2020hours are noon to 4p.m. on Thursdays, 11a.m. to 6p.m. on Fridays, 11a.m. to 5p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 4p.m. on Sundays. All money raised by the Artisan Market will fund Saratoga County History Center public programming and collection maintenance, ensuring that future generations of Saratogians, as well as people from around the world, will be able to learn about and enjoy our amazing, historic region. Monday, Dec. 7 BLOOD DRIVE: An American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held from 1:30to 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 7at the Rensselaer Elks, located at 683Columbia Tpke in East Greenbush. More information is available online at www. redcrossblood.org.

BLOOD DRIVE: An American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held from 7a.m. to 3p.m. on Monday, Dec. 7at the Everett Road Blood Donation Center, located at 33Everett Rd. in Albany. More information is available online at www.redcrossblood.org.

FESTIVAL OF TREES: Catholic Charities of Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties invites the local community to unwrap the magic of the holiday season at their 25th annual fundraiser - The Festival of Trees - on Wednesday, Dec. 2through Sunday, Dec. 6, at the Saratoga Springs City Center. With COVID-19precautions in place, the Festival will once again showcase beautifully decorated trees, wreaths and other holiday and gift items for purchase. Festival proceeds will benefit the programs of Catholic Charities of Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties. New this year, the community will also be able to view and purchase trees online at https://give.classy. org/festivaltrees. Hours vary as follows: Wednesday 5-7pm; Thursday 4-9pm; Friday 2-6pm; Saturday 12-6pm; and Sunday 11-2pm. Tickets are $8per person, $5for Seniors, $3for ages 10-18and free for anyone 10and under when accompanied by an adult. The Festival will go on without traditional group activities, such as Breakfast with Santa. Instead, various “Santa Experiences” are available for interested families. Children will receive a letter or video call from Santa or parents can purchase a DIY Christmas Cookie Kit to decorate at home. Anyone interested in a Santa Experience can visit https:// give.classy.org/festivaltrees to purchase. Further details for this year’s Festival, including guidelines for the virtual sale and hours for in person viewing, can be found by calling 518-587-5000. All attendees will be asked to wear a mask and socially distance, with limited numbers safely allowed in the Tree Display Room at one time.