Festival Fever: Albany Tulip Festival Line-up of Bands

Ah yes, spring has finally sprung.

The 63rd annual Albany Tulip Festival takes over Albany’s Washington Park from 11am-6pm on Saturday & Sunday, May 7 & 8, with arts & crafts, food vendors, lots of continuous music on two stages, and plenty of tulips in bloom, too. And, of course, admission is free.

NOTE: One big change from years past is that the open container law will be enforced – meaning that drinking alcoholic beverages outside of the designated beer gardens will NOT be allowed.

Here’s the line-up of entertainment:

SATURDAY, MAY 7
MAIN STAGE:
1pm: Dan Mangan, Canadian indie folkster
2:30pm: The Sam Roberts Band, Canadian rockers
4pm: Cold War Kids, Long Beach, California rockers (read our recent concert review & photos)
AMPHITHEATER STAGE:
11am: The Mendelssohn Club, men’s choral group
11:30am: The Sweet Adelines, women’s choral group
12noon: Tulip Queen coronation
1pm: They Might Be Gypsies, Gypsy jazz duo
2:15pm: Teagan & the Tweeds, Rochester country-blues-folk sextet
3:30pm: Matthew Carefully, mandolin-meets-electronics
4:45pm: Patti Rothberg & Wet Paint, pop-rock singer-songwriter and her band

SUNDAY, MAY 8
MAIN STAGE:
1:30pm: Blotto, reunion of Nippertown pop-rockers
3:30pm: Marrakesh Express, tribute to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
AMPHITHEATER STAGE:
12noon: Mother of the Year ceremony
1pm: Bryan Thomas, super soul-rocker
2:15pm: The Rodeo Barons, Saratoga country-rockers
3:30pm: Black Mountain Symphony, progressive-roots band
4:45pm: Sgt. Dunbar & the Hobo Banned, Albany’s own indie folk-rock collective

MORE UPCOMING FESTIVALS FOR 2011:
Mountain Jam @ Hunter Mountain, Hunter, June 2-5
Rhythm On the Ridge @ Maple Ski Ridge, Rotterdam, June 11
Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival @ MASS MoCA, North Adams, June 24-26
Old Songs Festival of Traditional Music and Dance @ Altamont Fairgrounds, Altamont, June 24-26
Freihofer’s Jazz Festival @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, June 25-26
The WGNA CountryFest @ the Altamont Fairgrounds, Altamont, July 9
Green River Festival @ Greenfield Community College, Greenfield, July 16-17
The Big Up @ Sunnyview Farm, Ghent, July 28-30
Bluestock Music Festival @ Hunter Mountain, Hunter, August 26-28