Up Next : 10 Capital Region Happenings

BY NATALIE MOORE

MARCH 18 & 19

ADIRONDACK SPORTS SUMMER EXPO Saratoga City Center

The largest outdoor sports, health and fitness expo in the northeast returns to the Saratoga City Center, where 10,000 attendees will be able to visit 200 exhibitors in the industry. In addition to shopping, the two-day festival will feature training runs, disc golf, ergometer paddling machine demos, club signups and, oh yeah, Oboys from Saratoga’s Esperanto. adksports.com

MARCH 24-26

Capital Region Flower And Garden Expo

Hudson Valley Community College

Kick off the spring season at the Capital Region Flower and Garden Expo, where floral creations, garden exhibits, seminars and demonstrations meet New York wine, cider and spirit tastings. Ticket sales for the event, which has been going on since 1988, help support Wildwood, an organization dedicated to helping people living with autism and developmental disabilities. flowerandgardenexpo.com

MARCH 25

THE REGIONAL FOOD BANK’S MAC-N-CHEESE BOWL

Downtown Cohoes

Capital Region comfort food lovers will once again descend on Remsen Street for the one-day-only Mac-n-Cheese Bowl, an outdoor festival featuring more than two dozen restaurants, booths and food trucks serving up samples of the stuff. General admission tickets are $35 (proceeds go to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York) and get you tastings of at least 30 mac-n-cheeses. At the end of the day, vote for your favorite! regionalfoodbank.net

MARCH 27

Capital Region Thomas Edison Hall Of Fame Ceremony

Universal Preservation Hall

The biggest night in Capital Region music returns to UPH in Saratoga for an evening honoring eight legends of the local music scene. The “Eddies,” as the annual induction ceremony has come to be known, will feature live music, a brief video about each of this year’s inductees, acceptance speeches and more. theeddiesawards.com

APRIL 1

Hoops And Hops

Putnam Place

While you can catch rounds one and two of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in person at the MVP Arena on March 17 and 19, CRL sister mag saratoga living is hosting a first-of-its-kind Final Four viewing party in Saratoga. Watch the big games on Putnam Place’s huge screen while enjoying game-day food and beer specials, plus bracket-esque games for prizes throughout the night. Putnam has a full bar for the adults, but basketball lovers of all ages are invited. putnamplace.com

April 14

OLD DOMINION’S NO BAD VIBES TOUR MVP Arena

Eight years after the release of their debut album, Meat and Candy, Old Dominion, a group of songwriters and musicians who cut their teeth performing on small stages and writing songs for country’s big names, has skyrocketed to the top of the country charts, notching eight No. 1 singles to date. Catch hits like “One Man Band” and “Written in the Sand” at the band’s 2023 tour, which will swing through Albany this April. mvparena.com

APRIL 21

ARLO GUTHRIE: WHAT’S LEFT OF ME The Egg

After putting a stop to live concerts in 2020, Arlo Guthrie has confessed that “retirement was fun while it lasted” but is ready to return to the stage with a spoken word show called “What’s Left of Me.” The show, which will stop at The Egg in Albany this spring, will be moderated by author and music historian Bob Santelli and feature rarely seen footage as well as an audience Q&A. theegg.org

APRIL 22

CAPITAL WINE FESTIVAL Albany Capital Center

Looking for your next favorite glass of vino? Head directly to the Capital Wine Festival, an afternoon of unlimited wine and spirit samples at the Capital Center. In addition to the sampling (every attendee will get a branded wine glass to carry around for the day), wine lovers can shop for full bottles, participate in a self-guided paint-and-sip activity, and take to the dance floor after a few of those samples have kicked in. empirestatewineevents.com

APRIL 4 & 5

BLUEY’S BIG PLAY Proctors

Can your little ones not get enough of the show Bluey and its eponymous canine heroine? Take them to see the lovable puppy and all her friends on stage at Proctors. Bluey’s Big Play is a theatrical adaptation of the Emmy award-winning TV series, with an original story by the show’s creator, Joe Brumm. Upgrade to the VIP package for a Bluey lanyard, gift and an opportunity to take a photo with a character from the show. proctors.org

APRIL 7

THE MOTH MAINSTAGE Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

Since its launch in 1997, traveling storytelling series The Moth has celebrated the ability of stories to honor both the diversity and commonalities that come with being human. Now’s your chance to experience the magic: The Moth will bring the voices of recognized storytellers among established and emerging writers, performers and artists to the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall stage this April. troymusichall.org