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, Jan. 3, 2021
BLOOD DRIVE: An American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held from 7a.m. to 3p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 3at the Everett Road Blood Donation Center, located at 33Everett Rd. in Albany. More information is available online at www. redcrossblood.org.
Monday, Jan. 4, 2021
BLOOD DRIVE: An American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held from 7a.m. to 3p.m. on Monday, Jan. 4at the Everett Road Blood Donation Center, located at 33Everett Rd. in Albany. More information is available online at www. redcrossblood.org.
BLOOD DRIVE: An American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held from 9a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 4at the American Red Cross of Eastern New York, located at 33Everett Rd. in Albany. More information is available online at www.redcrossblood.org.
BLOOD DRIVE: An American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held from noon to 6p.m. on Monday, Jan. 4at Proctors, located at 432State St. in Schenectady. More information is available online at www.redcrossblood.org.
MINDFULNESS MEDITATION: This five-week course (noon to 1p.m. on Mondays: Jan 4, 11, 25and Feb. 1and 8- skipping MLK day) with Susan Meyer will provide practical support for developing or fine-tuning a daily meditation practice that’s appropriate for you, cultivating basic mindfulness skills and applying those skills to meeting life’s challenges so you can respond wisely instead of reactively. You’ll learn strategies to awaken to mindfulness and compassion when you’re in the thick of difficulty and dramatically shift the experience of your life, the people in it, and the world itself. Each class will include instruction, guided practice, Q& A, and followup resources. Registration required. This program is offered through Zoom videoconferencing. In advance of the first class, we will send an email to you containing an invitation and link to join the Zoom meeting. Please see the Zoom instructions for joining a meeting if you have any questions. More information about this Saratoga Springs Public Library program is available online at www.sspl.org.
Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021
LITERACY VOLUNTEERS INFORMATION SESSION: Make a Difference in the New Year: Be a Literacy Volunteer in Rensselaer or Albany County - Would you like to help someone learn to read, write, or speak English? Would you like to become a more engaged member of your own community? We can train you! Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County (LVORC) is actively seeking volunteers. Please join us to find out more at our next Volunteer Opportunities Information Session, Tuesday, January 5, 12:00-1:00p.m. via Zoom. We are looking for tutors to be paired with adult English Language and Basic Literacy learners, as well as math and computer tutors. As a volunteer you can develop new skills, make friends, and see how your efforts make a difference in your community. To register for the information session, contact mhellerlvorc@aol.com. To learn more about LVORC, visit www.lvorc.org or call 518244-4650.
BLOOD DRIVE: An American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held from 10a.m. to 4p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 5at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites, located at 400Old Loudon Rd. in Latham. More information is available online at www.redcrossblood.org. BLOOD DRIVE: An American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held from 8a.m. to 6p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 5at the Marriott Courtyard, located at 11Excelsior Ave in Saratoga Springs. More information is available online at www. redcrossblood.org.
BLOOD DRIVE: An American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held from 11:30a.m. to 7:30p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 5at the Everett Road Blood Donation Center, located at 33Everett Rd. in Albany. More information is available online at www.redcrossblood.org.
GIFTS OF IMPERFECTION CLASS: The Gifts of Imperfection Class – six Tuesdays, beginning January 5, 6:30-8:30p.m. Engage, experience, and evolve—take your reading from theory to practice in this interactive class that explores Brené Brown’s book, “The Gifts of Imperfection.” Be challenged to cultivate the courage, compassion, and divine connection it takes to embrace your “imperfections’’ and recognize that you are always enough. Suggested do-nation: $20per class. Hosted by Albany-Saratoga Spiritual Adventures via Zoom. For more information, visit our meetup.com group Albany-Saratoga Spiritual Adventures, call (518) 366-9918, or visit www.newthoughtnewyork.org.
WARM UP AMERICA KNIT ALONG: Tuesday, January 5noon to 1p.m. If you are looking to learn something new in the new year, join us for this knit along for a good cause! Each week, we will learn how to make a new knitted block for a Warm Up America blanket. All you need is a ball of yarn, size 7 or 8needles, and knowledge of some basic knit stitches*. Want to learn more about Warm Up America? Visit their website here: Warm Up America. Join us for one week or all four! Register here. If you are new to knitting and still want to join us, email jogrodowski@sals.edu for some tutorials to try to get you up to speed for this series! This online program uses the Zoom livestreaming platform. It will require access to a computer, mobile device with the Zoom app installed, and/or a phone for audio-only access. Registration with an email is required in order to receive information on how to connect. The email will be sent three (3) hours prior to the scheduled start time of the program. More information about this Saratoga Springs Public Library program is available online at www.sspl.org.
ONLINE KNITTING & HANDCRAFTING MEET UP: Join our informal online knitting and handcrafting meet up 9:30am - 10:30am on Tuesdays. This online gathering is a perfect opportunity to knit, embroider or do other handwork while chatting companionably with others who are working on their own projects. There will be no instruction, but we welcome the opportunity to show and share our creations. New members welcome. Please register online. This online program uses the Zoom livestreaming platform.
It will require access to a computer, mobile device with the Zoom app installed, and/ or a phone for audio-only access. Registration with an email is required in order to receive information on how to connect. The email will be sent three (3) hours prior to the scheduled start time of the program. Please see the Zoom instructions for joining a meeting if you have any questions. More information about this Saratoga Springs Public Library program is available online at www.sspl. org.
Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021
TWELFTH NIGHT: Virtual Twelfth Night Celebration at Schuyler Mansion and Crailo. On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, Schuyler Mansion and Crailo State Historic sites invite you to join us for “Salutations of the Season!,” a virtual Twelfth Night celebration! From 6:00to 8:00p.m., the event will be available across multiple social media platforms and will feature festive traditions of the 17th and 18th century. Join us as we share holiday preparations, food and other demonstrations, performances and selecting the Twelfth Night King! And you are to be a big part of the celebration! Because this year we cannot gather together at the mansion or Crailo, we encourage you to hold your own Twelfth Night party and share it with us. Purchase a “Take-Home Twelfth Night” kit ($20), which will be available at the Fort Orange General Store in January, and revel in this feast day as the Schuyler and Van Rensselaer families did! Be sure to upload photos of your celebration (@Schuyler Mansion and/ or @Crailo) so that we may all share the final day of the holiday season together. The virtual merriment begins on Tuesday, January 5th , when “how to” demonstrations will be available to help you prepare for your Twelfth Night celebration. Revelry and wassail toasts begin on Wednesday, Jan 6th with music performance and more (schedule to be found on the sites’ websites) and of course, your photo contributions. We look forward to celebrating with you! Schuyler Mansion is located at 32Catherine Street in Albany’s historic South End, (518) 434-0834, while Crailo is located at 9-1⁄2 Riverside Ave. in Rensselaer, (518) 463-8738. For further information about this event, please contact either site, visit: parks.ny.gov or find us on social media. Twelfth Night, or the Feast of Epiphany, was one of the traditional holidays celebrated by the Dutch and English of 17th and 18th century New York. Falling on January 6th , Twelfth Night was the final holiday of the season, marked by unsurpassed feasting and revelry. Come and celebrate with us! BLOOD DRIVE: An American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held from 7:30a.m. to 1p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 6at the Empire State Plaza Concourse in Albany. More information is available online at www.redcrossblood.org.
BLOOD DRIVE: An American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held from 11:30a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 6 at the Everett Road Blood Donation Center, located at 33Everett Rd. in Albany. More information is available online at www.redcrossblood.org.
ZOOM PRACTICE SESSION: 11:00am - 11:40am on Wednesday, January 6. Are you new to the Zoom online meeting platform, and looking for a no-pressure environment to learn some basic Zoom functions before attending your next meeting? Look no further! In this half-hour group session, you will have the opportunity to get more comfortable with Zoom, and ask any questions you may have. You are welcome to join the meeting using your PC, Mac/iOS, or Android devices. Please register online. This online program uses the Zoom livestreaming platform. It will require access to a computer, mobile device with the Zoom app installed, and/or a phone for audio-only access. Registration with an email is required in order to receive information on how to connect. The email will be sent three (3) hours prior to the scheduled start time of the program. More information about this Saratoga Springs Public Library program is available online at www.sspl.org.
STUFFED SHELLS DINNER: Saratoga – Wilton Elks Lodge #161presents a Stuffed Shells Dinner for curbside pick up Wednesday, Jan. 6, 4:30-6pm. Call 518-584-2585Monday or Tuesday between 10amnoon to place an order. Menu includes Stuffed Shells, Meatballs, Sweet Sausage, Tossed Salad, Garlic Toast. Dinner for 2is $25. Cash only.
Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021 CITY COUNCIL MEETING: Troy City Council meetings are held on the first Thursday of every month at 7p.m. They typically take place in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 433River St, Troy, but are currently being held virtually via Zoom. Committee meetings are scheduled on a regular basis. Agendas and minutes for meetings are posted on the city’s website. All meetings are open to the public. At monthly regular meetings, Troy residents can discuss any issue related to the City of Troy. The city is currently live-streaming Council meetings on the Troy City Council YouTube page at www.youtube.com/troycitycouncil.