WE RECOMMEND...

VISUAL ARTS

If it’s Columbus Day weekend, kids will be building something with Legos at the Albany Institute of History & Art. It’s the institute’s annual fall Lego Building Challenge, where teams of youngsters use their imaginations to build something original out of Legos to match a yearly theme. This year’s theme is animals, real or pretend. Kids can bring their own Legos if they want; commercially sold kids or published designs aren’t allowed. The institute also has Legos that kids can use to take part in the event. 1 p.m. Sunday; 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday. $5. Albany Institute of History & Art, 125 Washington Ave., Albany. 518463-4478; albanyinstitute.org

LECTURE

Mona Haydar and Ibtihaj Muhammad are two Muslim women with stories to tell. Haydar, a Syrian-american rapper, wrote the protest song “Hijabi” (“Wrap My Hijab”), which Billboard dubbed one of “the top 25 feminist anthems of all time.” Muhammad, a fencer, is the first hijab-wearing Muslim to compete for the U.S. in the Olympic Games and the first Muslim-american to win an Olympic medal. Time included her in the magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list, and she’s written a memoir, “Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream.” The women will share their experiences this week at a

New York State Writers Institute-sponsored lecture, “Muslim Women in 21st Century America.” 4:15 p.m. craft talk; 7 p.m. lecture; Wednesday. Free. Recital Hall, Ualbany Performing Arts Center, Ualbany Washington Avenue Uptown campus, Albany. 518-442-5620; albany.edu/pac