PREVIEW: Capital Region Holiday Wrap-Up: Strolls, Races and More
Hear ye, hear ye: Metroland Now is calling all elves, reindeer, and candy cane-crazed Capital Region holiday lovers to prepare with us for this year’s festivities! Regardless of what you celebrate this holiday season, the Capital Region is abundant with opportunities to celebrate with your loved ones, as well as share this special season with your neighbors and community members.
For the holly jolly joggers and walkers who want to get their steps in this season, it’d be wise to check out some of the strolls, 5ks, and other races hitting the scene. Naturally, Troy’s Victorian Stroll continues to be a truly traditional hit and this year’s 43rd edition will take place on Sunday December 7 from 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Eat, shop, and don’t forget to vote in their Window Decorating Contest!
Up in Schenectady is the Stockade Stroll from December 17-20 at 5:30 p.m., a $15 ticketed walking tour around the historic district that will be both beautiful and educational. Guests will be welcome to warm drinks and a stroll around the Festival of Trees before or after the tour. Within the Festival of Trees, you can find the Chocolate Haus: Holiday Edition on December 19 and 20 at 6 p.m. and 5 p.m., respectively. For $35, you can step into a recreated 18th century chocolate house in which historians will regale you with stories of the treats tasted by English kings and middle-class settlers of the Mohawk and Hudson Valley as you drink three types of historic hot chocolates.
Canojoharie is hosting a plethora of holiday events on their Elves Day Out on December 7, including a character breakfast at the VanAlystyne Homestead at 9 a.m. and an Ugly Sweater 5k at 10 a.m. Though, maybe don’t mix those two if you’re going to be feasting like Buddy the Elf. There will be village-wide crafts, activities, and vendors from 12-4 p.m., followed by the Parade of Lights at 5:30 p.m., with the fire department hosting a (weather-dependent) bonfire at Riverfront Park.
And, of course, it wouldn’t be a true holiday wrap-up without mentioning Albany’s 20th annual Santa Speedo Sprint down Lark Street, happening at 2 p.m. on December 13, though events will be occurring throughout the area from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. The second oldest of its kind in the country, I can faithfully say this is a one-of-a-kind after experiencing it myself (from the sidelines) for the first time last year. The 800-meter run will be raising money for the Albany Damien Center and HIV/Aids program at Albany Medical Center and is being put on by The Albany Society for the Advancement of Philanthropy (ASAP), in association with the Albany All-Stars and the Hellions of Troy. Running or not, you can still enjoy the chowder, chili, and spirit of helping our community all along Lark Street.
Photo from 2024’s Event by Elissa Ebersold
To enjoy the snowy scenery without all the sweat, perhaps a lights show, Christmas tree farm, or a Christmas-themed outdoor attraction is your calling. Bob’s Tree Farm in Galway and Ellms Family Farm in Ballston Spa offer visits with Santa, sweet treats, and furry friends as you select the perfect pine to place in your living room.
For Santa, snacks, sleigh rides, and crafts like cookie and ornament decorating, Christmas Land in Altamont (3068 Furbeck Road) has you covered on Saturdays and Sundays from November 29 to December 21, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. While you may want to beware of their Grinch House, Christmas Land offers opportunities for Capital Region locals to find and give support during this holiday season. At their Post Office you can pen a letter to a veteran, elderly folk, or to someone who will need to spend their Christmas in the hospital. Meanwhile, at their Christmas Closet, children and families in need can shop – at no charge – for clothing that they need this winter. Anyone is welcome in the store, however, and any proceeds made will be donated to Seeds of Endless Hope, the nonprofit organization associated with Christmas Land.
For either a drive-thru experience to briefly avoid the frosty air, check out Quick Response Restoration’s 25th annual Christmas lights display. These Santa’s Playland Christmas lights will be located at Quick Response’s Round Lake location, Wednesdays through Sundays from 5 p.m.-11 p.m. until January 4. If you’d rather see your lights on a tree, then you can attend the Albany Holiday Tree Lighting on December 5 at 5 p.m., complete with live performances from the Albanettes and Troubadours.
In case you missed it, don’t forget to also check out our wrap-up of Films and Musicals as well as Live Music now. We’ll see you out and about, donning our gay apparel and fa-la-la-ing through the Capital Region!
