With sunny skies and warm air expected, you may be thinking of getting outside this weekend for a late-summer excursion. Here are some good bets for weekend fun on Sept. 14-15 in the Capital Region and Hudson Valley.
Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival
Sounds of jazz will fill the Albany Riverfront for the city’s 22nd free Jazz Festival, taking place from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday at Jennings Landing.
This year’s fest is headlined by Nate Smith, Matthew Whitaker, Snacktime and Melanie Charles & Bright Dog Red. The event also features the presentation of the Henry Johnson Award for Distinguished Community Service at 4:30 p.m., and concludes with a fireworks display.
Cheese Festival
The Village of Monroe Cheese Festival is 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday at Lake Street and Millpond Parkway in Monroe, Orange County.
RPI Bicentennial Community Carnival
Capital Region residents are invited to the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) campus for a community carnival celebrating the school’s bicentennial from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday.
The carnival will feature a large Ferris wheel invented by George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr., who graduated from RPI in 1881 with a degree in civil engineering. Ferris’s creation was reportedly inspired by Troy’s Burden water wheel.
The Ferris wheel made its debut in 1893 during the World’s Fair and is now be found worldwide.
The carnival will also include food trucks, lawn games and more. Admission is free.
Moon Festival
The annual Moon Festival, the largest Asian culture and food festival in the Hudson Valley, will be held from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at 517 Neversink Drive, Port Jervis, Orange County.
The event celebrates one of Asia’s most revered holidays with music, activities for kids, moon cakes, cuisine from regions in China, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan.
The Moon Festival last year attracted more than 15,000 visitors and 230 vendors. This year marks the event’s ninth year.
The Ukrainian Festival
The Ukrainian Festival at the Polish Community Center in Albany will help provide humanitarian aid for Ukraine. Folk dancers, music, arts, crafts and traditional Ukrainian food will be available from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday at 225 Washington Ave. Ext. Admission is $15.
2024 Shaker Harvest Craft Fair
The Shaker Heritage Society's 2024 Harvest Craft Fair is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The event will be held at Shaker Heritage Society, 25 Meeting House Road, Albany.
Visitors can enjoy a petting zoo, sheep shearing, tours, live music, food, dozens of vendors and a tool and lumber auction held on Saturday.
Admission is by donation.