weekend: things to do

Random things to do this weekend:

1. Like folk music? Think Indigo Girls, Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie (and his daughter, Sarah).
Check out Troy's own Folk Festival Saturday from noon to 5:30-ish on River Street. (No, none of the artists listed above will be there.)

2. March for peace (there's always someone holding a peace sign near the Uncle Sam monument in Troy on Saturdays around noon). Better yet, pray for shalom. True shalom, in which it's not just about peace but also about community, God's kingdom-building, jubilee, no more debt or slavery (yes, there is still slavery today. join a non-profit like International Justice Mission to learn more), and a balancing of wealth.

3. See the ValleyCats play (baseball) at The Joe Bruno Stadium in Troy. Fireworks after the show EVERY Friday night, I hear, and tickets start at $5.

4. Go to a drive-in. I forget: When does "Superman Returns" open? In the meantime, there are more movies to be seen. If, like me, your car radio doesn't work, check out fine films at Spectrum Theatre on Delaware Ave. in Albany.

5. Blues Festival today and tomorrow in Albany at the Empire State Plaza. Good music, and I'd be looking for some blooming onions or fried dough. What's a festival without those munchies?

6. Run in a sprinkler at Prospect Park or Frear Park in Troy, swim in the pool at Central Park in Schenectady, walk your dog in Washington Park in Albany.

7. Eat! Buy in-season produce, fruit, pure milk and even organic or pasture-raised meat from local farmers at the farmers' market (every Saturday at the Troy Marina from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.).

8. If you're into Yo-Yo Ma rather than other sorts of stringed music, check out the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood (click on bso.org for a full summer schedule). Bring wine and dine in the park.

9. Stroll Broadway in Saratoga before the racing season begins (or, has it already?)... Jog along the Avenue of the Pines, then stay the night and have Sunday brunch at the Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga State Park.

10. See art (and be seen) at the UAG opening reception tonight from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The Upstate Artists Guild is on Lark Street in Albany.

11. Write a book review, travel review, movie review, art review, etc. and send it my way: artsblog@terranovachurch.org