Find Out What's Happening Locally In Our Albany NY News Roundup

Downtown Schenectady Launches Downtown Dollars Digital Gift Card

The Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corporation announced Downtown Dollars on August 4, a new digital gift card program for the downtown business district. The card works through tap-to-pay technology and stays stored directly in a phone wallet.

Downtown Dollars gives shoppers one digital card to spend at nearly 50 businesses across Downtown Schenectady, including restaurants, bars, boutiques, and salons. Recipients no longer need separate gift cards for each favorite stop.

Participating merchants include Proctors, Frog Alley Brewing, Vice and Virtue Restaurant and Cocktail Bar, and Open Door Bookstore, along with dozens of other local shops and eateries. The full directory is available on the DSIC website, with new merchants added regularly.

The program gives residents and visitors an easy way to support small businesses while exploring the downtown district. It also works well as a flexible gift for anyone looking to introduce someone to the area's dining, shopping, and entertainment scene.

Downtown Dollars gift cards can be purchased and sent directly through schenectady.yiftee.com. Anyone interested in browsing participating merchants or checking current offers can find the full list on the same site.

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Costco Opening Day Is Almost Here in Guilderland

The wait is nearly over for Capital Region shoppers. Costco has announced that its first location in the Albany area will officially open on Thursday, August 6, near Crossgates in Guilderland.

The new warehouse club on Western Avenue spans 163,000 square feet and features 18 gas pumps, 770 parking spaces, and a wide selection of groceries, household essentials, electronics, pharmacy services, and more. The store is expected to employ about 200 people, with hiring still underway for dozens of positions.

Shoppers can sign up for memberships before opening day at Costco’s temporary Recruitment & Membership storefront on the upper level of Crossgates near Macy’s. The storefront is open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The upcoming opening marks a major retail addition for the Capital Region and gives local residents their first Costco without traveling to neighboring markets. With opening day just weeks away, excitement is continuing to build for one of the area's most anticipated new stores.

Source: Albany Business Review

$1 Summer Movies Return to Regal Theaters Across the Region

Summer break is almost here, and Regal Cinemas is bringing back a budget-friendly tradition for families across the Capital Region. Through the Summer Movie Express program, select family-friendly films will be shown for just $1 per ticket on weekday mornings throughout the summer.

For Albany-area moviegoers, Regal Crossgates is among the participating theaters. Nearby locations will also offer the discounted screenings beginning June 1.

Movies will play Monday through Thursday at 11 a.m., with a different lineup featured each week through mid-August. This year's schedule includes favorites such as Sing, Kung Fu Panda 4, The Wild Robot, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Paddington in Peru, and Despicable Me 4.

The annual program has been a Regal tradition since 1991 and supports the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, with a portion of ticket sales benefiting the organization. Families can also save on concessions with discounted snack packs and Dippin' Dots offers available during the promotion.

Advance tickets are on sale now through Regal's website, mobile app, and participating theater box offices. For families looking for affordable summer activities, the return of $1 movies is welcome news.

Cool Off at Troy's New Knickerbacker Aquatic Center

The Knickerbacker Aquatic Center at Knickerbacker Park has been open for about a month now, giving Troy families a new place to cool off this summer. The facility held its grand opening in early July, replacing the original Knickerbacker Pool, which had sat closed since 2016.

The new complex features an eight-lane Olympic-size pool, three splash pads, a zero-depth entry for accessibility, and a pool house with locker rooms, showers, and restrooms. City officials marked the opening with a ribbon cutting and community celebration nearly a decade after the previous pool closed.

Admission is free for Troy residents, and the facility is open to Troy residents only, with registration required for entry. The Knickerbacker Aquatic Center is open daily from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and is staffed by lifeguards from the Boys & Girls Club of the Capital Area in partnership with the City of Troy.

With a capacity of 460 people, the pool offers plenty of room for laps, splash time, or relaxing on the deck. Now that it's settled into its first full month of operation, it's become a steady summer destination for Troy residents looking to beat the heat.

Sources: News10, Troyny.gov

Shake Shack Opens at Stuyvesant Plaza on August 6

Shake Shack is bringing its first year-round Capital Region location to Stuyvesant Plaza in Guilderland. The grand opening is set for Thursday, August 6, with a ribbon cutting at 9:30 a.m. and doors opening at 10 a.m.

The new restaurant sits in the plaza's corner building near the Western Avenue entrance. Shake Shack is known for its 100% Angus beef burgers, crispy chicken, Crinkle Cut fries and hand-spun milkshakes, and the Capital Region has been asking for a full-scale location for years.

The first guests in line on opening day will receive Shake Shack tote bags while supplies last. Shake Shack will also donate $1 from every sandwich sold that day to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, a Latham-based organization that supplies food to nearly 1,000 charitable agencies across 23 counties.

Shake Shack got its start as a hot dog cart in New York City's Madison Square Park more than two decades ago, created to help fund a public art project. It has since grown into a nationally recognized brand known for community partnerships and local sourcing.

The addition rounds out an already busy dining lineup at Stuyvesant Plaza. Shoppers can also visit Simone's Kitchen, Josie's Table, Jacob & Anthony's Italian and the newly renovated Peaches Café, with Bar Calvin from Ziemann Hospitality Group slated to open in 2027.