
This December, our gift to you is this list of free and frugal events for each week of the month. Take a break from all that holiday spending and take a peak at some ways to celebrate the season with little-to-no cost events.
- Week One: December 1 to December 8
- Week Two: December 9 to December 15
- Week Three: December 16 to December 22
- Week Four: December 23 to December 31
- Ongoing Events
Week One: December 1 to December 8
Holiday Express Gift Show
Location: Colonie Center Mall
Date: November 30 & December 1
Time: 11 AM to 6 PM
Price: Free
Museum Store Sunday 2024
Location: Pine Bush Preserve
Date: December 1
Time: 10 AM to 4 PM
Price: Free
Wings & Tales: A Storytime Adventure!
Location: New York State Museum
Date: December 1
Time: 11 AM to 12 PM
Price: Free
Kendall Crolius “Knitting with Dog Hair” Therapy Dog Meet & Greet, Demonstration and Conversation
Presented by: New York State Writer’s Institute
Location: University at Albany
Date: December 3
Time: 2 PM
Price: Free
Nine PINGO
Location: Nine Pin
Date: December 3
Time: 6 PM to 8 PM
Price: Free
Good Books for Good Works
Presented by: Woman’s Club of Albany
Location: Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza
Date: December 5
Time: 4 PM to 7 PM
Price: Free
2024 City of Albany Tree Lighting
Presented by: City of Albany Office of Cultural Affairs
Location: Academy Park
Date: December 5
Time: 5 PM to 7 PM
Price: Free
First Friday at the Albany Institute
Location: Albany Institute of History & Art
Date: December 6
Time: 5 PM to 7 PM
Price: Free
First Friday Winter Wonders Market
Presented by: Lark Street BID
Location: Lark Street
Date: December 6
Time: 5 PM to 9 PM
Price: Free
First Friday Capitol Tours
Location: New York State Capitol
Date: December 6
Time: 5:30 PM
Price: Free
The Life and Times of Martin Van Buren – Talk by James M. Bradley with Akum Norder
Location: Albany Institute of History & Art
Date: December 6
Time: 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Price: Free
FIRST FRIDAY- Open Gallery
Location: Opalka Gallery
Date: December 6
Time: 6 PM to 8 PM
Price: Free
Gifted Winter Market
Location: Albany Barn
Date: December 6
Time: 6 PM to 9 PM
Price: Free
Holiday Market at Union Station
Presented by: Downtown Albany BID
Location: Union Station
Date: December 6 & December 7
Time: Varies
Price: Free
Holiday Open House
Location: Pruyn House
Date: December 6 & December 7
Time: Varies
Price: Free
Music in the Mansion: A Holiday Harp Concert at the Ten Broeck Mansion
Location: Ten Broeck Mansion
Date: December 7
Time: 11 AM to 11:45 AM
Price: Free
A Big Gay Market Holiday Pop-Up
Location: Common Roots Brewing Company
Date: December 7
Time: 11 AM to 3 PM
Price: Free
St. Nicholas Day Celebration at Crailo State Historic Site!
Location: Crailo State Historic Site
Date: December 7
Time: 11 AM to 3 PM
Price: Free
Wild Tea Party
Location: Pine Hollow Arboretum
Date: December 7
Time: 2 PM to 3 PM
Price: $10
City of Watervliet Annual Tree Lighting
Location: Veterans Memorial Park
Date: December 7
Time: 5 PM to 6:30 PM
Price: Free
City of Cohoes Tree Lighting Ceremony
Location: Silliman Park
Date: December 7
Time: 5 PM to 7 PM
Price: Free
Winter Bazaar
Location: Thacher Park
Date: December 7 & December 8
Time: Varies
Price: Free
Sensory Santa Sessions
Location: Stuyvesant Plaza
Date: December 8
Time: 12 PM to 3 PM
Price: Free
New York State Holiday Tree Lighting
Location: Empire State Plaza
Date: December 8
Time: 12 PM to 8 PM
Price: Free
Great Train Extravaganza
Location: Empire State Plaza Convention Center
Date: December 8
Time: 10 AM to 4 PM
Price: $10 for adults, children 12 and under are free
Week Two: December 9 to December 15
Holiday Movie Series: Home Alone
Location: The Palace
Date: December 9
Time: 7 PM to 9 PM
Price: Free
Documenting Untold Stories: Stories from Historic Handwriting & Grant Work
Presented by: Ten Broeck Mansion
Location: Online
Date: December 10
Time: Varies
Price: Free
Historic Cherry Hill Additional Tour Experience
Location: Historic Cherry Hill
Date: December 12
Time: 4 PM to 6 PM
Price: Pay what you will
Art for All – Bubble Wrap Snow Scene inspired by Walter Launt Palmer’s Winte Scenes
Location: Albany Institute of History & Art
Date: December 14
Time: 10 AM to 4 PM
Price: Free with museum admission
Each One, Feed One Holiday Harvest
Presented by: 8 Count Kitchen
Location: The Palace
Date: December 14
Time: 1 PM to 5 PM
Price: Free
Rudolph’s Runway Holiday Show
Location: Colonie Center Mall
Date: December 14 & December 15
Time: 11 AM to 6 PM
Price: Free
Albany Twilight Market
Location: Washington Park Lakehouse
Date: December 14
Time: 5 PM to 9 PM
Price: Free
A Big Gay Market
Location: Washington Park Lakehouse
Date: December 15
Time: 10 AM to 3 PM
Price: Free
Bilingual Story Hour
Location: Emma Treadwell Thacher Nature Center
Date: December 15
Time: 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Price: Free
Finding Christmas: An Old Fashioned Rock ‘n Roll Holiday
Location: The Palace
Date: December 15
Time: 2 PM
Price: $20 for adults, $10 for children
Week Three: December 16 to December 22
Holiday Movie Series: A Christmas Story
Location: The Palace
Date: December 16
Time: 7 PM to 9 PM
Price: Free
Gallery Tour of Margery Ryerson: Art is Contagious
Location: New York State Museum
Date: December 17
Time: 12 PM
Price: Free
Holiday Movie Series: It’s A Wonderful Life
Location: The Palace
Date: December 20
Time: 7 PM to 10 PM
Price: Free
Sinterklaas Story Hour
Location: Ten Broeck
Date: December 21
Time: 11 AM to 12 PM
Price: Free
The Great Gingerbread Build-Off
Location: Nine Pin
Date: December 21
Time: 12 PM to 2 PM
Price: $13
Shop Til You Drop Vendor Markets
Location: Colonie Center Mall
Date: December 20 through December 22
Time: 11 AM to 7 PM
Price: Free
Week 4: December 24 to December 31
Drag Me to Nine Pin
Location: Nine Pin
Date: December 26
Time: 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Price: Free
Drag Me to Nine Pin
Location: Nine Pin
Date: December 26
Time: 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Price: Free
Wildlife Slumber Party
Location: Emma Treadwell Thacher Nature Center
Date: December 28
Time: 11 AM to 2 PM
Price: Free
Holiday Movie Series: Aladdin
Location: The Palace
Date: December 28
Time: 1 PM to 3 PM
Price: Free
Opal Essence’s NYE Dragtacular!
Location: Capital Repertory Theatre
Date: December 31
Time: 8 PM to 10 PM
Price: $22.50 General Admission
Ongoing Events
“The Voracious Eye”
Location: Opalka Gallery, Russel Sage College
Dates: Tuesdays through Saturdays, November 1 to December 7
Time: 10 AM to 4 PM
Price: Free
2024 Shaker Holiday Market
Location: Shaker Heritage Society
Dates: Tuesdays through Sundays, October 9 to December 15
Time: 10 AM to 4 PM
Price: Free
Holiday Strolls at Stuyvesant Plaza
Location: Stuyvesant Plaza
Dates: Sundays, November 24 to December 22
Time: 12 PM to 3 PM
Price: Free
The Empire State Plaza Ice Rink
Location: Empire State Plaza Ice Rink
Dates: Tuesdays through Sundays, December 6 through March
Time: 10 AM to 6 PM
Price: Free | $5 Skate Rentals (free skate rentals Saturdays)
Downtown Decorating Contest
Presented by: Downtown Albany BID
Location: Downtown Albany
Dates: Through January 2
Evening Capitol Tours for the Holidays
Location: New York State Capitol
Dates: Fridays, December 6 to December 27
Time: 5:30 PM
Price: Free
Ten Broeck Mansion Holiday House 2024: Special Tours
Location: Ten Broeck Mansion
Dates: Fridays, December 6 to December 20
Time: Varies
Price: $10. Children and ACHA members free
Ten Broeck Mansion Holiday House 2024: Walk-Through Tours
Location: Ten Broeck Mansion
Dates: Saturdays & Sundays, December 7 to December 22
Time: Varies
Price: Free