Happy New Year! 2025 brings us halfway through the decade, but Albany County is just getting started with an exciting lineup of events, exhibits, attraction upgrades and more. Whether you're a sports fanatic, a live music lover, museum enthusiast, or on the search for unique festivals, this year in Albany promises something for everyone. Scroll on for a look ahead at 2025 in Albany County.  

Sports | Shopping | Travel | Exhibits | Famous Faces | Events | Hotels

Sports 

2025 promises an exciting year for sports in Albany! In August, the 2025 CrossFit Games will take place at the MVP Arena. This fierce competition brings the world's top athletes and their fans under one roof to grant the title of Fittest on Earth. This world-renowned event pushes athletes to their greatest strengths in a series of events including weightlifting, gymnastics, racing and more. 

Throughout the year, make sure to root for Albany's home teams! Albany's own National Lacrosse League team, the Albany FireWolves have already started their season with home games taking place at the MVP Arena. Starting late February, make sure to score some tickets for an Albany Patroons professional basketball game, played at the Washington Avenue Armory. In March, Albany's professional arena football league, the Albany Firebirds kick-off another great season. Home games take place at the MVP Arena.

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Shopping 

Stuyvesant Plaza will undergo a series of upgrades in the coming year! Peaches Café is planned for a full renovation. Guests can visit the café now through February before the business takes a brief hiatus to enhance the space. The café is planned to reopen in April.

5th Corner Goods & Gifts plans to open in a new spot by the end of January. The local shop will open its doors between Penzeys Spices and Ta-Da!

By the end of the year, Kendra Scott & Rowan and Anthropologie are set to open shop at the plaza. Kendra Scott offers a signature jewelry line featuring natural gemstones and precious metals, while Rowan is a mom-founded, mom-lead ear piercing and hypoallergenic jewelry brand with ear piercings offered by licensed nurses. The first and only Anthropologie location in the region, shop exclusive and unique signature products including clothing, accessories, gifts and home décor.

There's plenty of places to shop til' you drop in 2025. Crossgates Mall celebrated 40 years in 2024. Start celebrating the next 40 by visiting some newly opened shops, dining establishments, and entertainment venues. Pay a visit to Colonie Center in 2025, expected to open a new Fun City Adventure Park later in the year.

Sports enthusiasts! If you haven't gotten the chance to visit the newly opened Dick's House of Sport in Latham, take the chance to visit this year. Take on the rock-climbing wall, try out the multi-sport cage, and find your fit for new sporting gear. 

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Travel   

The Albany International Airport continues to make headway this year in their construction plans for taking the airport to new heights! The airport is rolling out a series of enhancements to make traveling to and from the county, easy, comfortable, and convenient. This year's projected timeline includes a new sensory room, children's play area, and business center to be completed by spring. Ticket area upgrades should be finished by summer. And new security checkpoints are planned for fall.

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Exhibits 

Make sure to visit Albany's museums and heritage sites this year!

Historic Cherry Hill opens with the exhibition "The World of James Knapp." William James "Jimmy" Knapp was a member of Albany's Black community in the 19th century and a member of the Cherry Hill household where he was raised as a butler. Historic Cherry Hill is dedicated to telling Knapp's story beyond his role at Cherry Hill, offering a more inclusive and fuller narrative of Albany's history. This exhibition is presented in collaboration with the Underground Railroad Education Center and Albany Barn.

This winter, The Opalka Gallery celebrates 10 years of their “Screenprint Biennial.” On display January 24 through March 1, the gallery invites artists who have showcased work in the Screenprint Biennial before to present their work again. Pieces range from colorful, to political, to loud, to contemplative. All reflect the past 10 years of the project and the story of screen printing in art.

"Light Within Layers" is on display from January 28 to February 28 at the Albany Center Gallery. This exhibition “delves into the subconscious, shedding light on existence, layer by layer,” with artists using various forms of media to tell personal stories.

Exhibits on display this year at the Albany Institute of History & Art include:

  • “Americans Who Tell the Truth,” showcasing portraits by Robert Shetterly. The individuals featured in this exhibit “exemplify courageous citizenship and democratic ideals,” each a leader in civil rights, social justice, the arts, or the humanities (February 1 to July 20).

  • On the Road to Cragsmoor with Charles Courtney Curran,” is a visual journey through the entire career of American artist Charles Courtney Curran, from his early portraits to his better-known impressionist paintings created during his time in Cragsmoor (March 22 to October 13).

  • "Black Dimensions in Art," is a 50th-anniversary celebration of the region's Black Dimensions in Art (BDA) organization, which showcases emerging and renowned African American artists (August 23 to December 31).

  • Starting in the fall, the Albany Institute will present works by Jacob Lawrence, one of the best-known 20th-century African American artists. His illustrations depict everyday life and notable African American historical figures (September 1 to December 31).

The Institute's final exhibit for 2025 is "From the Hudson to the Nile: Dow Dunham, Archaeologist," highlighting the life and work of one of the greatest archaeologists in Egypt's Nile Valley. Born in Irvington, New York, in 1890, Dunham's contributions to archaeology will be on display from November 8 to March 29, 2026.

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Famous Faces 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by MVP Arena (@themvparena)

Every year, exciting big names come to Albany to perform for fans of all ages. Make sure to stay tuned for concert, show, lecture, and event announcements from MVP Arena, The Egg, The Palace, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Empire Live and more. Famous faces already announced for 2025 include Blake Shelton, Melissa Etheridge & Joss Stone, Kathy Griffin, and Lynn Nottage. As the year continues, keep your eye out for headliner announcements for Albany's major music events. This includes The Tulip Festival, Alive at Five, New York State's Fourth of July Celebration, PearlPalooza and more. 

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Events   

Don't miss Albany's exciting annual events in 2025!  This year will be the 77th Annual Tulip Festival on Mother’s Day weekend. Summer is always sensational for getting out and about from Alive at Five, to the Capital Pride Parade & Festival, to New York State’s 4th of July Celebration, and the Altamont Fair! This fall you won’t want to miss the Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival, PearlPalooza and NYS Writer's Institute's Albany Book Festival. During October, get ready for chills and thrills during Albany's 3rd annual, month-long All-Hallow E'en Festival.

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Hotels 

When you visit Albany in 2025, book a stay in The Clocktower Hotel at Century House. The newly re-branded property hosted a grand opening early this year on January 15. Part of the Ascend Hotel Collection and a sister property to the Century House, this boutique hotel offers a comfortable and cozy stay in Colonie. 

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