Capital Wine Festival

Sample a variety of wines from over twenty vineyards, try some food, enjoy a paint and sip, and more at the Capital Wine Festival!

Capital Wine Festival

The Capital Wine Festival is a one-day event in Albany, New York at the Albany Capital Center. The festival features an incredible lineup of wines, spirits, specialty foods, and other products for sampling and purchasing opportunities! There will be over 20 vendors, the majority of which are wineries from around the capital area, but others feature gourmet chocolates, specialty pesto, pickles, liquor, and more!

Of course, the festival would not be complete without ample opportunity to sample the incredible New York-made products! Attendees have the chance to sample wines, spirits, and quality foods. Anything you love when sampling can be purchased and held in the Wine and Spirits Holding Area so you can continue to peruse the rest of the festival’s offerings without lugging them around!

Despite the name, the festival has more than just wine sampling to offer. Attendees can enjoy a DJ and photo booth courtesy of Capital Region Entertainment. A variety of board games will be spread out across tables for those who enjoy a more laid-back and relaxed sampling experience. Enjoy a game of checkers while you sip on some of New York’s finest wines! Also included in a ticket is the Paint ‘N Sip, a self-guided opportunity in which you can grab a seat and find all the materials you’ll need to indulge in your creativity. For those who really want to relax, Capital District Massage will be present offering a massage for $1 per minute!

Photo courtesy of facebook.com/capitalwinefestivalalbany

Attending the Capital Wine Festival

The festival has two different sessions available and a VIP ticket option. 

Session 1 is $30.00 and will take place from 1:00 – 4:00 pm. Session 2 is $35.00 and will be from 6:00 – 9:00 pm. The VIP option is $40.00 and allows entrance to Session 2 an hour in advance, at 5:00 pm meaning a longer amount of time in the festival and shorter lines during this first hour.

Additionally, Designated Drivers can purchase tickets for $10.00 at the door. This ticket allows DDs to have all the fun of food samples, paint ‘n sip, games, the photo booth, and DJ, without the wine samples.

Purchase tickets here

Photo courtesy of facebook.com/capitalwinefestivalalbany

Participating in the Capital Wine Festival

The festival is meant for people who are over the age of 21, so make sure to bring your IDs! All guests, regardless of age will be proofed at the door. Visitors do not need to sign up in advance because there is the opportunity to pay at the door, but the top tier of tickets must be purchased ahead of time. 

Take Amtrak to the Capital Wine Festival

Attend the Capital Wine Festival via Amtrak to the Albany-Rensselaer Station—Don’t forget to use the Amtrak See New York and Save 15% discount! The station is 1.8 miles away from the event and the new Flex+ service makes stops at the Albany Capital Center costing only $3.00 each way, making it an easy and convenient option to get there.

Albany Tulip Festival

Spend your weekend surrounded by the bright colors and festive activities of the Albany Tulip Festival.

A Historic Day

The historic Albany Tulip Festival will be held in Washington Park on Saturday, May 11 and Sunday, May 12, 2024. The festival is Albany’s signature spring event, celebrating Albany’s heritage as the oldest Dutch settlement in America.

Nearly one hundred artisans selling their handmade crafts, a fine arts show, delicious food, the KidZone, two stages of world-class live entertainment and more than 140,000 tulips in 150 different varieties, make the Tulip Festival fun for everyone.

Schedule of Events

On Friday May, 10 there will be some special preparatory events you won’t want to miss!

The Carillon Concert will take place outside Albany City Hall at 11:30am. Amy Heebner will perform a specal Tulip Festival themese music program on the city hall’s historic carillon from 1927. The carillon is an instrument like one you’ve never seen before, consisting of 49 bells ranging in size from 27 to 11,200 pounds!

There was also be street scrubbing at 12:00 pm, a traditional Ductch ceremony in which the streets are cleaned before a big celebration and will kickoff the start of the festival. Stick around to hear Mayor Kathy Sheehan’s opening proclamation. Following this will be a luncheon at the Blake Annex for a farewell celebration of the 2023 tulip queen and their court.

Then, on Saturday, May 11 the festival really kicks off.

There are all sorts if opporunities for activities and performances. Practice some yoga to start your day or listen to the Mendelssohn Club, a local esteemed all male chorus – the longest continuously perofrming arts group in the Capital Region. Then at 11:45 am the Tulip Queen Procession will take the street, the 2023 Tulip Queen and Mayor Sheehan will lead the 2024 finalists to the Lakehouse Stage where at 12:00 pm the 2024 Tulip Queen will be crowned!

That night head to the Royal Tulip Ball for its 76th year! The ball is held in honor of the newly coronated Tulip Queen and court. Enjoy fine dining and dancing with live entertainment. To purchase tickets, contact tulipball@albanyny.gov.

On Sunday, May 12 enjoy a variety of activites. The KISS 102.3 Wellness Stage will host a variety of free classes on both days from salsa to zumba! The tulip sale will begin at 9:00am, and will be first come first serve so head over to the Lakehouse to make sure you can bring a piece of this tradition home with you.

The Kidzone will be open with pony rides, rock climbing, bouncy house, games, and more on both days of the festival.

How to Get to The Tulip Festival

Experience the festival via Amtrak to Albany-Rensselaer Station in the Capital-Saratoga region. Don’t forget to use the Amtrak See New York and Save 15% discount!

Rent a car from Enterprise at Albany-Rensselaer Station. Click here to reserve your car or call the Albany-Rensselaer office today at: 518-427-3893.