PREVIEW: Inaugural 518 Day Announcement!
On Saturday, May 16, a new tradition will begin in Albany as the first annual 518 Day Celebration begins. 518 Day is a collaborative effort between Downtown Albany BID, the City of Albany, Cap City Runners, Common Roots Brewing Company, Metroland Now, and The City Beer Hall and will feature vendors, a road race, a “melba madness” stroll, live music and more.
The day will begin with a couple of road races. First, there will be a kids 1K race at 8:30, followed by a 5.18K race at 9:00. This race — named of course for our area code which has become sort of a “catch all” phrase when referring to our music, arts, and culture scene — will begin at Broadway and Hudson Ave. From there, it will cross the skyway, and follow along the Mohawk-Hudson trail, before finishing up at Quackenbush Square. Any pre-registered kids for the race will receive a commemorative t-shirt and medal, while pre-registered adults get a t-shirt and a drink ticket thanks to Common Roots Brewing Company.
The medal ceremony for all age groups will happen at 10 a.m.
Then, the day is open to explore. There will be a youth chalk-drawing competition at 10, and the vendors will open for business at the 518 Vendor Village at Clinton Market Collective and Quackenbush Square. Carefully curated to reflect a focus on items with a distinctly “518” theme, the vendor village will have plenty of local and regional flair on display.
From noon to 4 will be Albany’s first Melba Madness Stroll. Similar to the popular Hot Chocolate Stroll in the winter, the Melba Madness Stroll will see local Restaurants, Sports Bars and Pubs sampling out dishes with Albany’s favorite condiment, Melba sauce. Attendees will have a card that will be stamped at each location they visit, and if they amass enough stops, they will be entered to win a pair of tickets to this year's Hot Chocolate Stroll. Participating vendors will be judged for a chance to be crowned the Melba Champion.
In addition to all of the above, 518 Day will also be packed with live music, from some of the most talented artists that call the 518 home, as Metroland Now presents our first ever 518 Day Local Music Showcase. Caity Gallagher will be starting off the day at 11 a.m., followed by Ky McClinton Band at noon, Girl Blue at 1:00 p.m., and Super 400 closing out the day at 2:30.