Events & Calendar

Grafton Lakes State Park programs

Year-round · register at 518-279-1155

Grafton Lakes State Park, 254 Grafton Lakes State Park Way, Grafton

The nearest state park to the hamlet runs a full program calendar: free toddler nature hours, guided full-moon hikes, movie nights under the stars in summer, and more through the seasons. Most programs require registration by phone at 518-279-1155. Coming up:

• Aug 27 Forest Friends Tot Time: Trees · 10–11 AM · free, ages 2–6 · program tent at the beach
• Aug 28 Kayak & Coffee Friday · 9 AM at the boathouse · $10 rental
• Aug 28 Full Moon Hike (Sturgeon Moon) · 7:30 PM at the Welcome Center · ages 12+, $5 · registration mandatory
• Sep 2 Walk on Wednesday: volunteer-led hike · call for time
• Sep 3 Forest Friends Tot Time: Nature Boats · free, ages 2–6 · program tent at the beach · call for time
• Sep 4 Sunset Paddle · Fri · $10 · call for time
• Sep 5 Sunset Paddle · Sat · $10 · call for time
• Sep 7 Cemetery Hike (Ramble program) · Labor Day Mon · call for time
• Sep 8 Fall birding program · Welcome Center · call for time
• Sep 11 Coffee & Kayaking · 9 AM at the boathouse · $10 rental
• Sep 11 Star Party · free · Deerfield Pavilion · call for time
• Sep 17 Forest Friends Tot Time: Animals of the Park · free, ages 2–6 · program tent at the beach · call for time
• Sep 18 Coffee & Kayaking · 9 AM at the boathouse · $10 rental
• Sep 18 Star Party · free · Deerfield Pavilion · call for time
• Sep 20 Log Flippin' (Ramble program) · call for time
• Sep 25 Coffee & Kayaking · 9 AM at the boathouse · $10 rental
• Sep 26 Park Hiking Challenge: Second Pond · call for time
• Sep 27 Fall Fairy House Workshop · pay-what-you-want · registration required

Schaghticoke Fair

September 2–7, 2026 (through Labor Day)

Schaghticoke Fair Grounds, 69 Stillwater Bridge Road

The town’s big annual agricultural fair, a tradition since 1819 — barns and 4-H exhibits, the Dreamland Amusements midway, live music, grandstand shows, and fair food of every description. Kids 13 and under get in free all week; opening day (Wed, Sept 2) is $2-ride day with a 10-ride minimum, gates 10 AM–10 PM. New for 2026, free with admission: Circus Murcia (a big-top circus) and a Live Reptile Adventure Show (a late substitution — the sea lion act cancelled after a road accident; the animals are fine and expected in 2027). The grandstand headliners:

• Sep 2 Pickup Truck Pull · Grandstand
• Sep 2 The Hard Luck Souls · Park Stage, 7 & 8:30 PM
• Sep 3 Military Appreciation Day & Senior Day · free admission with military ID · seniors $5 · buy-one-get-one ride wristbands from noon
• Sep 3 Double Figure-8 Demolition · Grandstand
• Sep 4 Farm Tractor Pulls · Grandstand, 11 AM & 6 PM
• Sep 4 Chris Cagle · Park Stage · Play It Loud 25th Anniversary Tour
• Sep 5 Monster Truck Freestyle · Grandstand, 2 & 7 PM, free with admission · Powerwheels demo derby 3 PM
• Sep 5 Braxton Keith · Park Stage
• Sep 5 Fireworks
• Sep 6 NYTPA Tractor Pulls · Grandstand, noon & 6:30 PM
• Sep 6 StonesAlive · Park Stage, 5 & 8 PM (Rolling Stones tribute)
• Sep 7 Stoney Roberts Demolition Derby · 1 & 6 PM
• Sep 7 Larger Than Life: boy-band experience · Park Stage

Live Music at the Rustic Barn Pub

Open mic Thursdays 6 PM · bands Fri & Sat · bluegrass 2nd Sundays

Rustic Barn Pub, 150 Speigletown Road, Troy

Right here in Speigletown — one of the Capital District’s best-loved live-music rooms. A guest-hosted open mic every Thursday at 6 PM (full backline provided; ask the bartender for the sign-up sheet), live bands Friday and Saturday nights (7–8 PM, Sept–mid-June), and a Second Sunday Bluegrass Jam at 5:30 PM (Sept–June), hosted round-robin by Jeff Wasbes and Zack Cohen. The booked schedule, through Halloween:

• Aug 27 Matt Mirabile · Open mic
• Sep 3 Evan Lewis · Open mic
• Sep 10 The Goldman Boys · Open mic
• Sep 11 Sophia Bisceglia · Fri, 6 PM
• Sep 12 Brian Kane and The Beginning · Sat, 8 PM
• Sep 17 Jeff Grippin · Open mic
• Sep 18 Harmonic Duo · Fri, 7 PM
• Sep 19 Whiskey Highway · Sat, 6 PM
• Sep 24 Matt Mirabile · Open mic
• Sep 25 Mixtape Revival · Fri, 8 PM
• Sep 26 Shannon Roy · Sat, 7 PM
• Oct 1 Are.Sham.Bow · Open mic
• Oct 2 Jeff Grippin · Fri, 7 PM
• Oct 3 Country Converts · Sat, 6 PM
• Oct 8 Stone Break · Open mic
• Oct 9 Ted Poley w/s/g On The Edge · Ticketed show, 8 PM
• Oct 10 Moonboot Lover · Sat, 8 PM
• Oct 15 Matty D · Open mic
• Oct 16 Mike McMann and The Underdawgs · Fri, 7 PM
• Oct 17 Soul Provider · Sat, 7 PM
• Oct 22 Blank Slate · Open mic
• Oct 23 The Deadbeats · Fri, 8 PM
• Oct 24 Psycho Mutton Chops · Sat, 8 PM
• Oct 29 Matt Mirabile · Open mic
• Oct 30 Harmonic Duo · Fri, 7 PM
• Oct 31 Halloween Party: Brian Kane and The Beginning · 8 PM, late night with DJ FOOL

Hike with the Grafton Historical Society

Second Wednesdays at 2:00 PM · May–October 2026

Various trailheads around Grafton (see each date)

Six informative hikes through the town of Grafton with the Grafton Historical Society, taking in local history while enjoying the scenery. Ask questions, share stories, and meet others with similar interests. All are welcome. Each hike meets at 2 PM; see each date for the trailhead and distance.

• May 13 West Cemetery · 2 mi · Grafton Lakes State Park Welcome Center lot
• Jun 10 Mill Pond · 2 mi · Mill Pond lot off Long Pond Rd
• Jul 8 Boehme Legacy Forest · 2 mi · lot off Jay Hakes Rd
• Aug 12 Dunham Reservoir · 4 mi · Double Bit Path Trailhead
• Sep 9 Dickson Hill Fire Tower · 3 mi · Long Pond North Boat Launch lot
• Oct 14 Valentino Family Community Forest · 3 mi · lot off Stuffle St

Tugboat Roundup

Friday–Sunday, September 11–13, 2026

Waterford Harbor Visitor Center, Waterford, NY (across the Hudson from Speigletown)

A gathering of tugboats, workboats, and barges celebrating the maritime heritage of the Northeast's inland waterways, held annually the weekend after Labor Day at the Waterford harbor where the Erie and Champlain canals meet the Hudson. The festival features a tug parade, tug tours, boat rides, tug talks, competitions, fireworks, children's activities, vendors, and food.

Downtown Troy Chowderfest

Sunday, October 11, 2026 · Downtown Troy

Downtown Troy, NY

Downtown Troy’s most delicious fall tradition: sample your way through downtown with $2, 4-oz cups of chowder from local restaurants and food vendors, with live music, local shopping, and a People’s Choice award voted by the crowd — 5,000-plus attendees expected, starting at noon. And if you run a restaurant, food truck, or craft business: the Downtown Troy BID is taking participant applications now, due Friday, September 18 — the sign-up form and vendor requirements are on the BID’s Chowderfest page (link below).

• Sep 18 Participant applications due · restaurants, food vendors, makers & businesses — sign-up form on the BID’s Chowderfest page
• Oct 11 Chowderfest · Downtown Troy, from noon · $2 chowder cups

Rett Fest

Saturday, September 19, 2026 · 11 AM–5 PM

Speigletown firehouse, 146 Speigletown Road (Route 40), Troy

The hamlet's beloved fall fundraiser for Rett Syndrome research, back at the firehouse with a new name — formerly the Reverse Rett Fall Festival, now run by the newly formed Barrett D. Otis Charitable Fund, a registered 501(c)(3). Live music, food & drink, raffles, a 50/50, kids' activities, a motorcycle ride, the cornhole tournament, and the dunk tank. Over four years the event has raised nearly $1.2 million for research.

• Sep 19 Live music · food · raffles · kids’ activities · motorcycle ride · cornhole · dunk tank

Speigletown Fire Company Golf Scramble

Saturday, September 26, 2026 · Check-in 8:00 AM, shotgun start 9:00 AM

Frear Park Municipal Golf Course, 2701 Lavin Ct, Troy, NY 12180

The Speigletown District Volunteer Fire Company's annual golf classic: 18 holes with a cart, lunch at the turn, and dinner with an awards presentation. $150 per player or $600 for a team of four; dinner-only guests and sponsorships (from $200 course signs up to a $1,500 corporate foursome) are welcome. This year's proceeds support refurbishment of the company's 1936 American LaFrance fire truck.

• Sep 26 Shotgun start — 18 holes w/ cart, lunch & dinner

Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Fall Workshop

Friday–Sunday, October 2–4, 2026 · registration lottery July 21–30

Silver Bay YMCA, Hague, NY (Lake George, Warren County)

New York's Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) program — a weekend of hands-on outdoor-skills classes for women 18 and older, on the shore of Lake George. $450 covers seven meals, two nights' lodging, instruction in four classes (each about 3½ hours), and use of equipment and materials. Registration is a lottery, open July 21–30, 2026; 125 participants are drawn at random, with results by email within a week and payment due within 48 hours of selection. A limited number of partial scholarships are available. BOW is a cooperative venture of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and New York Outdoors Women, Inc.

• Jul 30 Registration lottery closes
• Oct 2 Workshop weekend (through Oct 4)

Speigletown Fire Chicken BBQ

Saturday, October 24, 2026 · pre-order by October 16

Speigletown firehouse, 146 Speigletown Road (Route 40), Troy

The Speigletown District Volunteer Fire Company's Chicken BBQ returns, cooked by Dottie Lou's BBQ, with proceeds going toward a rehab of the company's 1936 American LaFrance fire engine. Dinners are $18 (half chicken, mac & cheese, coleslaw, baked potato, dinner roll) and are pre-order only, by October 16. Order via the QR code on the flyer or by email at chickendinner@speigletownfire.org, or pick up a paper form at the firehouse any Thursday between 7 and 9 PM. Cash, check, and Venmo accepted.

• Oct 16 Pre-order deadline
• Oct 24 Dinner

Troy Victorian Stroll

Sunday, December 6, 2026 · 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Downtown Troy

For 40 years, the Troy Victorian Stroll has transformed the streets of historic downtown Troy into a bygone Victorian era, complete with visitors in Victorian dress strolling the city. A beloved regional holiday tradition, a short drive down Route 40.

• Dec 6 Victorian Stroll

Speiglelders Community Group

2nd & 4th Wednesdays of the month · 12:30 PM

Faith Lutheran Church, 50 Leversee Road (corner of Route 142), Troy

A community group that gathers for fellowship at Faith Lutheran Church on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 12:30 PM. All are welcome; call the church for details.

Thursday Evening Concert Series

Thursdays, 6:30–8:30 PM · June 18 – August 20, 2026

Town Hall grounds, 290 Northline Drive, Melrose

The Schaghticoke Entertainment Committee’s free summer concerts — now in their 19th year (the county guide bills them as the "Schaghticoke Summers Eve Concerts"). A different act every Thursday night, plus themed evenings: Christmas in July (July 30), a Car Show (Aug 13), and a Fireworks Show to close the season (Aug 20).

• Jun 18 Brian Kane & the Beginning
• Jun 25 Tame the Rooster
• Jul 2 Diamond Cut Horns · Fireworks Show
• Jul 9 Soul Provider
• Jul 16 Joe Adee & The Lugnuts
• Jul 23 Head First Band
• Jul 30 Cancelled Accents · Christmas in July — no reschedule announced
• Aug 6 The Zookeepers
• Aug 13 Nostalgia · Car Show
• Aug 20 Big Sky Country · Fireworks Show

Knickerbocker Mansion Tours

Sundays, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM · May through October

Knickerbocker Historical Society, 132 Knickerbocker Road, Schaghticoke

Tour the historic Knickerbocker Mansion, home of the Knickerbocker Historical Society, on Sunday afternoons through the warm-weather season.

Strawberry Festival

Annually in mid-June (June 20 in 2026), 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Schaghticoke Fair Grounds

A day in the Village of Schaghticoke with vendors, live music, food, and children’s activities — strawberries very much included.

Harvest Festival & Melrose Mile

Annually in late September (September 26 in 2026), 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Schaghticoke Town Hall, 290 Northline Drive, Melrose

The Hoosic Valley Community Partners’ fall festival — crafters, live music, entertainment, children’s activities, vendors of handmade and homemade goods, and food. Bring a lawn chair. It’s paired with the Melrose Mile fun run around the town-hall property: free registration at 11:00 AM, race at noon, prizes for top finishers, open to all ages.

Capital Region Flower & Garden Expo

Annually in late March at HVCC (March 27–29 in 2026)

Hudson Valley Community College, Troy

The region's big spring flower and garden show, and a first sign of spring for nearly 17,000 visitors. Large-scale garden displays, 160-plus flower and garden vendors in the Marketplace, tastings from NYS wineries and distilleries, and dozens of seminars and demonstrations. Children under 10 and parking are free, and a portion of ticket sales benefits Wildwood.