Rensselaer County Tourism

Rensselaer County Tourism Whatever you may be looking for, is easy to find in Rensselaer County. Rensselaer County is filled with wonderful contradictions and juxtapositions.

Whether it be historic sites, great restaurants, pristine lakes, scenic trails, minor league baseball, or a vibrant nightlife, It's a special place where rural charm meets urban delights, where cultural opportunities and pastoral pastimes happily coexist, and where American heritage meets cutting-edge technology. Stretching thirty miles along the Hudson River, it offers thousa

nds of acres of parks, miles of trails, and more than 500 lakes, ponds, and even championship golf courses! So what are you waiting for, come visit us!

PACK THE CAR — The Schaghticoke Fair IS BACK! September 2–7.Looking for one last great summer road trip before somebody ...
09/01/2026

PACK THE CAR — The Schaghticoke Fair IS BACK!
September 2–7.
Looking for one last great summer road trip before somebody starts putting pumpkin spice in absolutely everything?
Point the GPS toward Rensselaer County, roll down the windows, and follow the unmistakable scent of fried dough, french fries, livestock, diesel fuel and poor dietary decisions straight to the 2026 Schaghticoke Fair!
From Wednesday, September 2 through Labor Day, Monday, September 7, one of the Capital Region’s great agricultural traditions returns with six days of rides, animals, horse shows, tractor pulls, demolition derbies, live music, exhibits, competitions, family activities and enough fair food to make your bathroom scale file a missing-person report.

MAKE IT A RENSSELAER COUNTY ROAD TRIP!
The Schaghticoke Fair isn’t something you simply “stop by.” This is an experience.
Come early. Stay late. Wander the midway. Visit the barns. Watch the competitions. Grab something fried that probably has no business being fried. Then grab another one because you’re at the fair and normal nutritional laws have been temporarily suspended.
This year’s schedule is absolutely packed.

HORSES, HORSES & MORE HORSES!
If you love horses, you’ve picked the right weekend.
There are horse activities throughout the fair, including the 4-H Horse Show, horse demonstrations and the Open Horse Show on Sunday, September 6 beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Sunday’s show features everything from Western and Ranch Showmanship to horsemanship, pleasure, equitation, huntseat and disciplined rail classes, with divisions for adults and youth.
And on Saturday, September 5, things get a little faster with the Open Gymkhana, featuring dash, flag, keyhole, pole bending, barrel racing, figure eight, relay racing and more.
Translation for those of us who don't ride horses:
Horse goes fast.
Horse turns quickly.
Crowd cheers.
You stay safely behind the fence.

THIS IS A REAL AGRICULTURAL FAIR
The Schaghticoke Fair has never forgotten its roots.
Throughout the week you'll find dairy shows, sheep shows, goat shows, oxen demonstrations, poultry events, gardening exhibits, 4-H activities and agricultural competitions showcasing the people, animals and traditions that have helped define this part of Rensselaer County for generations.
Bring the kids through the barns and introduce them to cows, goats, sheep, horses and other animals.
And remember: if your child asks, “Can we get one?”
The correct response is:
“Ask your mother.”

TRACTOR PULLS & DEMOLITION DERBIES!
Prefer your entertainment with horsepower of a slightly more mechanical variety?
The Grandstand will be busy all week with some classic fair favorites, including tractor pulls, truck events and demolition derbies.
There is something deeply satisfying about watching perfectly usable automobiles intentionally smash into one another while several thousand people cheer.
You can't get that at the mall.

LIVE MUSIC EVERYWHERE!
The fair also brings plenty of live entertainment to the grounds.
Across the week you'll find performances from acts including The Hard Luck Souls, Donny Elvis, Stones Alive, Nashville Country Artist, Chris Cagle, Braxton Keith, and more.
That means you can go from petting a goat…
…to watching a tractor pull…
…to eating fried dough…
…to hearing live music…
…without ever moving your car.
Now that's efficient vacation planning.

AND THAT'S STILL NOT EVERYTHING.
There are magic shows, circus entertainment, family performances, pie-eating contests, costume contests, food demonstrations, gardening programs, youth activities, educational exhibits, agricultural displays and plenty of surprises tucked throughout the fairgrounds.
And, of course…
THE MIDWAY!
You haven't truly experienced a county fair until you've eaten something enormous and fried and then immediately climbed aboard a ride that spins you upside down.
It's tradition.
Possibly a questionable tradition.
But tradition nonetheless.

COME HUNGRY. VERY HUNGRY.
Let's address the elephant ear in the room.
Fair food.
This is not the weekend for counting calories.
This is the weekend for fried dough, sausage and peppers, burgers, fries, ice cream, cotton candy, lemonade and whatever glorious culinary invention someone has managed to put on a stick this year.
Your diet will still be there Tuesday.
Probably judging you.
But it'll be there.

MAKE LABOR DAY WEEKEND A RENSSELAER COUNTY GETAWAY
The Schaghticoke Fair is more than rides and food. It's one of those wonderful traditions where agriculture, small-town America, family entertainment and generations of memories all come together in one place.
Bring the kids.
Bring Grandma and Grandpa.
Bring your friends.
Bring that relative who claims they “don't like fairs.”
We'll check back with them after the tractor pull and their second fried dough.
Whether you're coming from across the Capital Region, western Massachusetts, southern Vermont or farther down the road, make Schaghticoke and Rensselaer County part of your Labor Day weekend travels.
Wednesday, September 2 – Monday, September 7, 2026
Schaghticoke Fairgrounds
Six days.
One legendary fair.
Countless animals.
Plenty of horsepower.
Music, rides, agriculture, competitions, demolition derbies and enough food to make your cardiologist suddenly sense a disturbance.
Come make some memories at the 2026 Schaghticoke Fair — and discover another reason why a great road trip doesn't have to take you far from home.
We'll see you at the Fair!
Giving you another perfect reason to cross the river, and pay a visit to Rensselaer County

OPENING DAY AT The Schaghticoke Fair — WHERE TWO BUCKS CAN STILL GET YOU SOMEWHERE! If you’ve been waiting all summer fo...
08/31/2026

OPENING DAY AT The Schaghticoke Fair — WHERE TWO BUCKS CAN STILL GET YOU SOMEWHERE!
If you’ve been waiting all summer for an excuse to eat a c***r donut, ride something that spins you upside down, listen to live music, and then finish the evening watching pickup trucks attempt to pull things that pickup trucks probably shouldn’t be pulling… Wednesday, September 2 is your day.

The Schaghticoke Fair is back for Labor Day Weekend, and Opening Day is kicking things off with one of the best bargains around:
TWO DOLLAR DAY!
That’s right. $2 admission. $2 rides. $2 food specials. In 2026, two dollars barely gets you a stern look from a vending machine — but at the Schaghticoke Fair, it gets you into one of Rensselaer County’s great Labor Day Weekend traditions!
Gates open at 10 a.m.
The carnival opens at noon.
Rides are just $2 each with a minimum purchase of 10
And once you’re through the gates, there’s plenty happening all day long.
*CIRCUS MURICA!
Performances are scheduled for 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Expect high-flying circus entertainment and the kind of acts that make you say, “That’s incredible!” followed immediately by, “There is absolutely no chance I’m trying that at home.”

*GRANDSTAND ENTERTAINMENT — PICKUP TRUCK PULLS!
At 6 p.m., the horsepower takes over with the Pickup Truck Pulls. Big trucks. Big engines. Big noise. Basically, subtlety has the evening off.

*LIVE MUSIC AROUND THE FAIRGROUNDS!
Horace performs at 2:30 and 4 p.m., followed by The Hard Luck Souls at 7 and 8:30 p.m.

And now we arrive at a subject very near and dear to all of us…
THE $2 FOOD!
Opening Day features a HUGE selection of $2 food specials from vendors throughout the fairgrounds.
We’re talking French fries, hot dogs, mac & cheese bites, popcorn, cotton candy, cookies, iced coffee, funnel cake, grilled cheese, fried Oreos, kettle corn, c***r donuts, strawberry shortcake, beef patties, mango punch, corn nuggets, pulled pork sliders, candy bacon and plenty more.
There are even two bottles of water for $2 at the HV Booster Club.
Yes, hydration has somehow become a bargain.

*And somebody please explain Miller’s BBQ’s $2 Moink Balls to us. We don’t know exactly where the “moo” ends and the “oink” begins, but for two bucks, we’re willing to conduct the necessary research.

*The $2 Day Menu includes specials from Sack O’ Spuds, Las Poblanas Deli and Fruit, Johnsonville Fire Company, Nico’s, Steve & Al's Steakout, Paolo Lombardi's Ristorante, Sam’s Snack Shack, Grab N Go, Black Sheep Honey, Kona Ice, Fire It Up Concessions, Miller’s BBQ, Hick’s Orchard and many more.
In other words, you could spend half the day walking around saying:
“It’s only two bucks. Get one.”
That is also how you eventually end up carrying three fried Oreos, a grilled cheese, kettle corn, c***r donuts and a funnel cake while insisting you’re “just having a snack.”

The Schaghticoke Fair is more than rides and fair food. It’s one of those wonderful traditions that signals the unofficial grand finale of summer in Rensselaer County — a place for families, friends, farmers, fair lovers and anyone who believes Labor Day Weekend should involve livestock, carnival lights, live entertainment and at least one food item that probably shouldn't be deep-fried…but absolutely is.
Opening Day: Wednesday, September 2
Gates open: 10 a.m.
Carnival opens: Noon
Admission: $2
Rides: $2 each — minimum purchase of 10
Select food items: $2
Schaghticoke Fairgrounds
69 Stillwater Bridge Road, Schaghticoke.

So grab the family, bring your appetite, loosen the belt a notch and come spend Opening Day at the Schaghticoke Fair!
Because where else can you, see a circus, hear live music, watch pickup trucks pull large inanimate objects, ride the midway and eat your body weight in fair food — while repeatedly saying, “Hey, it’s only two bucks!”
Come for the $2 admission. Stay for the fair. Leave wondering how you ate $34 worth of $2 food.
It’s Opening Day at the Schaghticoke Fair — and it’s right here in Rensselaer County!
Giving you the perfect reason to pay us a visit.

ONE LAST BIG SUMMER WEEKEND AT “THE JOE!” If you’re wondering what’s happening this weekend in Rensselaer County, the be...
08/27/2026

ONE LAST BIG SUMMER WEEKEND AT “THE JOE!”
If you’re wondering what’s happening this weekend in Rensselaer County, the better question might be: What ISN’T happening at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium?

The Tri-City ValleyCats are wrapping up their 2026 home schedule with three straight days of baseball, live music, theme nights, family fun, fireworks and enough entertainment to make your couch wonder if you’ve moved out.
The Cats will take on the Down East Bird Dawgs all weekend long — and “The Joe” is going out with a bang. Actually, several bangs. There are fireworks involved.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 28 — ITALIAN NIGHT + ’80s NIGHT + LIVE MUSIC + FIREWORKS!
Gates open early at 5:00 p.m., and before the first pitch, head over to the pavilion/Top of the Hill and catch One18, will be performing live as part of the final SunCruiser Music Series show of the season!
They’ll be cranking out hits from the 1980s, which means this is your opportunity to relive the decade of big hair, MTV, cassette tapes, Walkmans, questionable fashion decisions and songs that somehow still sound great 40 years later.
Come early, grab something cold, find a spot under the pavilion and enjoy some live music before the baseball begins.

Then things get even more interesting.
ITALIAN NIGHT -- Friday also serves as the rescheduled Italian Night celebration. So bring your Italian pride, your appetite and that one relative who believes every disagreement can be settled by loudly saying, “What are you talking about?”

’80s NIGHT & BACK TO THE FUTURE ANNIVERSARY!
The ValleyCats will also celebrate the 1980s and the anniversary of Back to the Future.
No word on whether a DeLorean traveling 88 mph will be circling the warning track, but if Doc Brown shows up in Section 104, we’re asking questions.
ValleyCats vs. Down East Bird Dawgs — 6:30 p.m.
And when the baseball is finished...
POSTGAME FIREWORKS!
Because nothing says, “That was a pretty good Friday night” like baseball, Italian Night, ’80s music and blowing colorful things up in the sky.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 29 — SHREK NIGHT & SCOUT NIGHT!
Saturday brings the final Saturday home game of the 2026 season, and apparently The Joe is turning into a swamp.
It’s SHREK NIGHT! Bring the kids, bring your fellow Shrek fans and remember: ogres are like onions. They have layers.
Hopefully the ValleyCats lineup has a few layers too — preferably several involving runs.

Saturday is also SCOUT NIGHT, welcoming area Scouts to the ballpark for a special evening of baseball and fun.
ValleyCats vs. Down East Bird Dawgs — 6:30 p.m.
It’s the final Saturday night of ValleyCats baseball at The Joe this season, so if you’ve been saying, “We’ve got to get to a game this summer,” your procrastination window is officially closing.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 30 — THE FINAL HOME GAME OF 2026!
All good things must come to an end — even summer nights at The Joe.
Sunday is the FINAL ValleyCats home game of the 2026 season, and they’re packing plenty into the farewell.
It’s Fans for Life Night and Sunday Funday, presented by Highmark BSNENY.
Gates open at 3:30 p.m.
Families can arrive early for a pregame catch on the field and a chance to read a book with ValleyCats players.
First pitch is at 5:00 p.m. as the ValleyCats battle the Down East Bird Dawgs one last time in Troy this season.

But don't head for the parking lot after the final out!
Kids can stick around and RUN THE BASES after the game!
And then...
ONE FINAL POSTGAME FIREWORKS SHOW!
The ValleyCats will send the 2026 home season off properly with fireworks lighting up the sky over Joseph L. Bruno Stadium.

So there you have it:
*Live ’80s music from ONE 18
*Italian Night
*80s Night
*Back to the Future
*Fireworks
*Shrek Night
*Scout Night
*Three days of ValleyCats baseball
*Sunday Funday
*Reading with ValleyCats players
*Pregame catch on the field
*Running the bases
*And one final fireworks farewell!

Summer isn't quite finished yet, folks.
Grab the family, grab some friends and make your way to Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in Troy for one final BIG weekend at The Joe.
Because baseball season eventually ends...…but there's no rule saying we have to go quietly. We hope to see you at The Joe!

Giving you plenty of great reasons to cross the river, and pay a visit to Rensselaer County --

08/27/2026

Coming to Rensselaer County, Sept. 2 - 7. Come pay us a visit at The Schaghticoke Fair.

08/26/2026

Here's a fantastic reason to cross the river, and pay a visit to Rensselaer County -- where the fun never stops!
The Schaghticoke Fair

MAKE IT A WEEKEND IN RENSSELAER COUNTY!Why settle for one event when you can turn the entire weekend into a Rensselaer C...
08/26/2026

MAKE IT A WEEKEND IN RENSSELAER COUNTY!
Why settle for one event when you can turn the entire weekend into a Rensselaer County adventure?
This weekend we've got live music along the Hudson, a Friday night celebration throughout Downtown Troy, one of the best farmers markets around, and a Saturday evening filled with Celtic music. In other words, your recliner is going to have to learn how to cope without you.

FRIDAY — FIREHOUSE FRIDAY AT SCHODACK ISLAND STATE PARK!
Start the weekend on Friday at 5:00 PM at beautiful Schodack Island State Park, where guitarist/vocalist Eric Peter will provide the soundtrack to a relaxing summer evening along the Hudson River.
There’s something special about wrapping up the workweek surrounded by trees, water and fresh air while listening to live music. No fluorescent office lights. No conference calls. No one asking, “Did you see my email?” Just a lawn chair, some great music and the realization that Friday has finally arrived.
Bring a chair, bring some friends and enjoy one of Rensselaer County's most beautiful outdoor destinations.
Firehouse Friday
Schodack Island State Park
Friday
Eric Peter — 5:00 PM

FRIDAY — TROY NIGHT OUT!
If you're looking for something with a little more hustle and bustle, Downtown Troy is ready for you!
From 5:00–9:00 PM, it's Troy Night Out, when Downtown Troy turns Friday evening into a neighborhood-wide celebration.
Wander through the Downtown Troy Business Improvement District and discover Troy's eclectic collection of locally owned shops, restaurants, galleries, bars and other businesses. Troy Night Out is a great excuse to stroll the historic streets, do a little shopping, grab dinner or a cocktail, check out some art and see what surprises you find along the way.
It's less of a "go to one place and sit there" event and more of a choose-your-own-adventure through Downtown Troy.
*See something interesting? Go inside.
*Smell something delicious? Follow your nose.
*See a store you've walked past 47 times and always wondered about? Tonight's the night.
Troy Night Out
Downtown Troy Business District
Friday
5:00–9:00 PM
And once Friday is in the books, get some sleep, drink some water and prepare yourself — because Saturday starts early!

SATURDAY — TROY WATERFRONT FARMERS MARKET!
Start Saturday morning in Downtown Troy at the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market, happening from 9:00 AM–2:00 PM.

If you've never experienced the market, this is one of those Rensselaer County Saturday traditions that deserves a spot on your summer bucket list.
Spend the morning strolling through Downtown Troy while browsing an incredible selection of local farmers, bakers, makers, food producers and artisans. Pick up some fresh produce, find something homemade that you absolutely did not know you needed until five seconds ago, grab breakfast or lunch, and enjoy the energy of Downtown Troy on a Saturday morning.
And here's an important farmers market rule:
Calories consumed while walking between vendors do not count.
We're pretty sure that's settled science.
The market is also the perfect starting point for a full day in Troy. Browse the vendors, explore the surrounding shops, grab something to eat and spend a little time admiring the architecture and history of one of the Capital Region's great downtowns.
Troy Waterfront Farmers Market
Downtown Troy
Saturday
9:00 AM–2:00 PM
But don't head home yet...

SATURDAY EVENING — SUMMER SQUARE WITH TRISKELE!
After your morning at the Farmers Market and an afternoon exploring Troy, make your way to the courtyard at the historic Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, where Triskele takes the stage beginning at 6:00 PM as part of the Summer Square series.
If Celtic music gets your toes tapping, Triskele is ready to bring a little taste of Ireland to Downtown Troy. And don't worry — you don't need to know how to Irish dance. Enthusiastic foot tapping and occasionally yelling “Sláinte!” should get you through the evening just fine.
Summer Square is one of those wonderful summertime experiences that makes Troy worth exploring. You've got historic architecture, great restaurants, pubs and shops all within walking distance — and live music tucked into the courtyard of one of the Capital Region's most iconic music venues.
Summer Square
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall Courtyard, Downtown Troy
Saturday
Triskele — 6:00 PM

So, here's your final Rensselaer County weekend game plan:
FRIDAY: Start along the Hudson at Schodack Island State Park with Eric Peter MUSIC at 5 PM, or head into Downtown Troy for Troy Night Out from 5–9 PM — or get ambitious and enjoy a little of both!
SATURDAY: Start at the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market from 9 AM–2 PM, spend the afternoon exploring Downtown Troy, grab dinner at one of our local restaurants, and then finish the day with Triskele at Summer Square at 6 PM.
That's not just a weekend. That's a Rensselaer County getaway without having to pack a suitcase.
Come for the music. Come for the market. Come for the food, shops, scenery, history and great local businesses.
And come discover why sometimes the best weekend road trip is closer than you think.

Summer weekends don't last forever, folks.

The couch will still be there Sunday.

Address

99 Troy Road
East Greenbush, NY
12061

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+15182702673

Website

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