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 

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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