Spring flowers are blooming and the county is booming with free and low-cost events this May! Scroll through this blog to find ways to enjoy the beautiful weather, or ways to spend Mother's Day and Memorial Day weekend. Plus, May brings exciting largescale festivals back to Albany County. Enjoy events leading up to The 76th Tulip Festival and celebrate spring at the free festival over Mother's Day weekend. Take in the magic of the Pine Bush Preserve this May at the preserve's month-long Lupine Festival. The festival features a series of events surrounding the rare ecosystem, lupine flowers, and fluttering karner blue butterflies. Scroll on to see what free and low-cost events are in store throughout Albany County this month!
Week One: May 1 to May 5
Tulip Tours
Location: Washington Park
Date: May 1, May 2 & May 3
Times: Vary
Price: Free
Peter and the Wolf: Tiny Tots in Albany
Presented by: Albany Symphony Orchestra
Location: Congregation Beth Emeth
Date: April 30 & May 1
Times: Vary
Price: $5
New York State Capitol Tour: Albany First Fridays
Location: New York State Capitol
Date: May 3
Time: 5:30 PM
Price: Free
PB&J: Pine Bush and Jammies with the Lupine Lady
Location: Pine Bush Preserve
Date: May 3
Time: 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Price: Suggested donation $5
Whooo's That? Live Local Wildlife with the Southern VT Natural History Museum
Location: Pine Bush Preserve
Date: May 4
Times: 11 AM to 12 PM & 1 PM to 2 PM
Price: Suggested donation $5
Albany Institute Gallery Tour
Location: Albany Institute of History & Art
Date: May 4
Time: 2 PM to 3 PM
Price: Free with museum admission
Frogs of the Pine Hollow Arboretum
Location: Pine Hollow Arboretum
Date: May 4
Time: 7 PM to 8 PM
Price: Suggested donation $5
Albany Patroons Basketball VS Tristate Admirals
Location: Washington Avenue Armory
Date: May 4
Time: 7 PM to 10 PM
Price: $15.00 Adults $10.00 Military, Seniors, Students Children 12 and under Free
Cinco De Mayo at Nine Pin
Location: Nine Pin
Date: May 5
Time: 11 AM to 7 PM
Price: Free
Hawks and Owls Aerial Acrobats
Location: Pine Bush Preserve
Date: May 5
Times: 11 AM
Price: Suggested donation $5
The 25th Annual Albany History Fair: “400 Years of Going Dutch!”
Location: Historic Cherry Hill
Date: May 5
Time: 12 PM to 4 PM
Price: Free
Week Two: May 6 to May 12
County Barn Dance featuring Line Dancing
Location: Lakota's Farm
Date: May 6
Time: 6 PM to 8:30 PM
Price: $10 online, $15 at the door. Children 13 and under are free.
Story Hour at the Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza
Location: Stuyvesant Plaza
Date: May 8
Time: 10 AM to 11 AM
Price: Free. Recommended for ages 0 to 4 years old
Clothing Swap at Nine Pin
Location: Nine Pin
Date: May 9
Time: 6 PM to 8 PM
Price: Free w/ cider purchase
Friends of the Pine Bush Community Book Club
Presented by: Pine Bush Preserve
Location: Online
Date: May 9
Time: 7 PM
Price: Free
Street Scrubbing
Presented by: City of Albany Office of Cultural Affairs
Location: State Street & Lodge Street
Date: May 10
Time: 12 PM
Price: Free
Fort Orange Garden Club Annual Plant Sale
Presented by: Fort Orange Garden Club
Location: Pruyn House
Dates: May 10 & May 11
Times: 3 PM to 5 PM on May 10 | 9 AM to 1 PM on May 11
Price: Free
Nature Night Out
Location: Pine Bush Preserve
Date: May 10
Time: 4 PM to 7:30 PM
Price: Free
Opening Reception: Catharsis Cathedral
Location: Albany Barn
Date: May 10
Time: 6 PM to 8:30 PM
Price: Free
Cars and Coffee at The Old Stone Fort
Location: Old Stone Fort Museum
Date: May 11
Time: 9 AM to 12 PM
Price: Free
Albany Institute Art for All
Location: Albany Institute of History & Art
Date: May 11
Time: 10 AM to 4 PM
Price: Free with museum admission
Neighbors for Neighbors’ Story Hour at theREP
Location: Capital Repertory Theatre
Date: May 11
Time: 11 AM
Price: Free
76th Annual Tulip Festival
Presented by: City of Albany Office of Cultural Affairs
Location: Washington Park
Dates: May 11 & May 12
Time: 11 AM to 6 PM
Price: Free
Mother’s Day Show
Location: Colonie Center Mall
Dates: May 11 & May 12
Time: Open mall hours
Price: Free
Mother’s Day aboard SLATER
Location: USS SLATER
Date: May 12
Time: 10 AM to 4 PM
Price: Moms tour free. $12 for adults, $8 for Veterans & Seniors, $8 for Children 6-17, Children under 5 are free.
Week Three: May 13 to May 19
Lupine and Karner Blue Hike
Location: Pine Bush Preserve
Date: May 14
Time: 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Price: Suggested donation $5
Pine Bush Pups: A Perfect Match, Karner Blue Butterflies and Wild Blue Lupine
Location: Pine Bush Preserve
Date: May 15
Time: 10 AM
Price: Suggested donation $5
Nine Pin Yarn Swap
Location: Nine Pin
Date: May 16
Time: 6 PM to 8 PM
Price: Free
Loving Your Land Workshop Session 2: Techniques in action
Presented by: Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy
Location: Bender Melon Farm Preserve
Date: May 17
Time: 10 AM to 12 PM
Price: Free
St. Sophia Greek Festival
Location: St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church
Date: May 17, May 18 & May 19
Time: 6 PM to 10 PM on Friday, 12 PM to 10 PM on Saturday, 12 PM to 6 PM on Sunday
Price: $5
Albany Patroons Basketball VS Jamestown Jackals
Location: Washington Avenue Armory
Date: May 17
Time: 7 PM to 10:30 PM
Price: $15.00 Adults $10.00 Military, Seniors, Students Children 12 and under Free
Forest Bathing
Presented by: Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy
Location: Fox Preserve
Date: May 18
Time: 10 AM to 12 PM
Price: Free
Native Plant Sale
Location: Pine Bush Preserve
Date: May 18
Time: 10 AM to 12 PM
Price: Free
Utopian Dream? Tour of the Shaker Site
Location: Shaker Heritage Society
Date: May 18
Time: 10:30 AM to 12 PM
Price: $5. Free for SHS Members
Pinkster Celebration
Location: Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site
Date: May 18
Time: 11 AM to 4 PM
Price: Free
Nine Pin Punch Prom
Location: Nine Pin
Date: May 18
Time: 7 PM to 11 PM
Price: $12
Albany Patroons Basketball VS Connecticut Crusaders
Location: Washington Avenue Armory
Date: May 18
Time: 7 PM to 10 PM
Price: $15.00 Adults $10.00 Military, Seniors, Students Children 12 and under Free
Capital District Reptile Expo
Location: Albany Capital Center
Date: May 19
Time: 10 AM
Price: Adults $10, children (ages 6 to 13) $5, 5 years and under free.
Picturing Nature: Creating Memorable Photos of this Special Place
Location: Pine Bush Preserve
Date: May 19
Time: 1 PM to 4 PM
Price: Suggested donation $5
Spring Birding Walk
Presented by: Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy
Location: Bender Melon Farm Preserve
Date: May 19
Time: 7 AM to 10 AM
Price: Free
Week Four: May 20 to May 26
Story Hour at the Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza
Location: Stuyvesant Plaza
Date: May 22
Time: 10 AM to 11 AM
Price: Free. Recommended for ages 0 to 4 years old
Valley of the Dunes Hike
Location: Pine Bush Preserve
Date: May 22
Time: 6 PM to 7 PM
Price: Suggested donation $5
Drag Me to Nine Pin
Location: Nine Pin
Date: May 23
Time: 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Price: Free
Stream Sampling
Presented by: Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy
Location: Hollyhock Hollow Sanctuary
Date: May 25
Time: 10 AM to 12 PM
Price: Free
Wildflower Hike
Location: Huyck Preserve
Date: May 25
Time: 10 AM to 12 PM
Price: Suggested donation $5; members and children under 5 are free
Page Turner’s Club
Location: Stuyvesant Plaza
Date: May 26
Time: 11 AM
Price: Free. For ages 8 to 12
Albany Patroons Basketball VS Flying Cows
Location: Washington Avenue Armory
Date: May 26
Time: 3 PM
Price: $15.00 Adults $10.00 Military, Seniors, Students Children 12 and under Free
Magnolia Melodies: Acoustic Concert with Ryan Leddic
Location: Pine Hollow Arboretum
Date: May 26
Time: 6 PM
Price: $10
Week Five: May 27 to May 31
SLATER Open on Memorial Day
Location: USS SLATER
Date: May 27
Time: 10 AM to 4 PM
Price: $12 for adults, $10 for veterans & seniors, $8 for children 6 to 17, children under 5 are free
Participatory Science is for Everyone
Location: Pine Bush Preserve
Date: May 27
Time: 11 AM to 12:30 PM
Price: Suggested donation $5
Themed Trivia at Nine Pin
Location: Nine Pin
Date: May 28
Time: 6 PM to 8 PM
Price: Free
Ongoing Events
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Presented by: Confetti Stage
Location: Shaker Heritage Society
Dates: May 9 to May 19
Times: Vary
Price: $15 general admission, $10 for students, $8 per person in groups of 8 or more.
threads Exhibition
A celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Location: Albany Center Gallery
Dates: Tuesday through Saturday
Time: 12 PM to 5 PM
Price: Free
100 Years: We’ll See You Out There
Location: New York State Capitol
Dates: Monday through Friday
Time: 7 AM to 7 PM
Price: Free
