We have a new calendar! We’re experimenting with including free cultural and educational events at other local and regional libraries, museums, and non-profits. We hope a compilation of these great events will be a valuable resource for our community. Click on the categories above the calendar to limit the results by drive time from the Bolton Free Library. Be sure to check the hosting organization’s website for schedule changes and cancellations. Note that some of the events at and within 10 minutes of our library are not free; these are denoted with a “($)” and costs are included in those descriptions.
Check back often for updates and let us know what you think!
Events in March 2026
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March 1, 2026(1 event) – Celebrate Women’s History Month with an afternoon of extraordinary music performed by talented women musicians from our community. This year’s Classical Music Showcase features three unique ensembles, each performing compositions written by women, highlighting the creativity, skill, and artistry of female composers across eras. Audiences of all ages are invited to enjoy this vibrant musical program. This event is made possible through the generosity of the Albany Musicians’ Association, Local 14 of the American Federation of Musicians and The Music Performance Trust Fund whose support ensures that local professional musicians can share their passion and talent with the public. |
March 2, 2026
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March 3, 2026
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March 4, 2026
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March 5, 2026(4 events) Curious about New York's past? Come uncover the stories behind the state's history— one document at a time! Join us every Thursday at 11:00 a.m. for "Ask an Archivist" at the New York Museum. Each session offers a peek into New York State’s rich and surprising history through carefully chosen original documents, photographs, and videos. An expert archivist will be on hand to share stories, answer your questions, and reveal how we uncover and preserve the past. You never know what fascinating piece of history you’ll discover! March 5: Women, Words, and the Written Record: Exploring the NYS Archives’ Collections. March 12: Women, Words, and the Written Record: Exploring the NYS Archives’ Collections. March 19: Women, Words, and the Written Record: Exploring the NYS Archives’ Collections. March 26: Sojourner Truth Fights For Her Family. – Registration required: hosted by Adirondack Explorer at The Wild Center Discussing our changing climate and the road ahead with a NASA scientist, Department of Environmental leaders and researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, City University of New York, Yale and the Ausable Freshwater Center. This Adirondack Explorer event, in partnership with the Adirondack Earth-to-Sky program, will examine what we can learn about the Adirondack Park’s changing climate from the union of satellite data and boots-on-the-ground field work, with an update on the latest from the Study of Climate and Adirondack Lake Ecosystems. We’ll also explore what role leaders can play in understanding, communicating and mitigating the local harms of climate change. Join us for a community discussion on the path forward to protecting the sensitive Adirondack communities and landscapes we all cherish. Speakers include:
– hosted by Adirondack Sky Center and Observatory at Raquette River Brewing Join us for a fun night of space stories. This will feature short, accessible talks on a range of topics in astronomy. Drink, laugh, and learn something cool! Free and open to all. Hosted by the Adirondack Sky Center and Observatory and NASA Earth to Sky Adirondack. Speakers inlcude:
– at the Adirondack Sky Center and Observatory Public star gazing party at 178 Big Wolf Road. Join us for stargazing, viewing deep-space objects, and more! Free and open to all. Hosted by the Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory at their Roll Off Roof Observatory. This event is weather dependent and may have to be canceled if there are not clear observing conditions. |
March 6, 2026(2 events) – Registration required: Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) Join Champlain Area Trails and the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) for a hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) educational hike and volunteer Forest Pest Hunter survey training along the Spirit Sanctuary and Black Kettle trails in Westport, NY. Winter traction like spikes or snowshoes are recommended for this 2-mile moderate outing. We will cover hemlock and HWA identification, and how to report invasive species observations using the iMapInvasives app. We look forward to working with you to help protect Adirondack forests and communities from the threats of emerging invasive species like HWA. Discover the hidden world of freshwater mussels with Dr. Denise Mayer. Learn how scientists determine their age, track populations, and uncover what mussels reveal about the health of our rivers and lakes. Explore the methods, data, and insights behind mussel research and the vital role these creatures play in freshwater ecosystems. |
March 7, 2026(1 event) Join a museum educator for an engaging gallery tour of “A Small Fort, Which Our People Call Fort Orange,” and uncover the story of New Netherland’s first permanent Dutch settlement. Explore the fort’s evolution—from a bustling trading post in 1624 to a vanished landmark rediscovered through remarkable archaeological work in the 1970s. Examine artifacts, historical renderings, and film footage that reveal daily life at Fort Orange and its enduring impact on Albany, New York State, and the nation. This tour brings history to life, connecting 400-year-old discoveries to the vibrant story of the region today. |
March 8, 2026
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March 9, 2026
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March 10, 2026(1 event) Join us for a special screening of WPBS's documentary Trailblaze a Path Through History: Central New York, as we uncover the stories of innovation, reform, and resilience across Madison, Oswego, Cortland, Cayuga, and Onondaga counties. From the Erie Canal to suffragists, abolitionists, and wartime heroes, discover the rich history that shaped New York State! |
March 11, 2026
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March 12, 2026(1 event) Curious about New York's past? Come uncover the stories behind the state's history— one document at a time! Join us every Thursday at 11:00 a.m. for "Ask an Archivist" at the New York Museum. Each session offers a peek into New York State’s rich and surprising history through carefully chosen original documents, photographs, and videos. An expert archivist will be on hand to share stories, answer your questions, and reveal how we uncover and preserve the past. You never know what fascinating piece of history you’ll discover! March 5: Women, Words, and the Written Record: Exploring the NYS Archives’ Collections. March 12: Women, Words, and the Written Record: Exploring the NYS Archives’ Collections. March 19: Women, Words, and the Written Record: Exploring the NYS Archives’ Collections. March 26: Sojourner Truth Fights For Her Family. |
March 13, 2026(2 events) Join Ashley Hopkins-Benton, Senior Historian and Curator of Social History, for a special Lunchtime Lecture exploring the remarkable Shaker women who helped shape the New York State Museum’s renowned Shaker Collection. Beginning in 1926, as Shaker communities at Watervliet and Mount Lebanon faced closure and decline, devoted members worked closely with Museum curators to preserve their material culture and document their communal way of life. Without their conviction and careful stewardship, much of what we know about the Shakers today would have been lost. This talk highlights the women whose foresight ensured the survival of thousands of objects—from iconic oval boxes, furniture, and textiles to tools, seed packaging, bonnet molds, and even the only surviving Shaker fountain stone. Through their collaboration, everyday objects of work, worship, and domestic life became an enduring record of a community rooted in faith, industry, and shared purpose. – This is a second performance of the band with the support of our partner site in nearby Washington County: the Historic Salem Courthouse, Salem, NY. Kalos is drawn to water. Every performance is like stepping into a river - they never play a song the same twice. They make music inspired by the maritime traditions of Scotland, Ireland, Scandinavia and North America. Their album titles - Harbour and Headland - honor the meeting point between the land and the sea and they sing songs about shorelines, seafarers and drowning. They revel in the driving danceability of Irish tunes, but also take inspiration from the pastoral melodies and naturalistic metaphors of Scottish music. But while the music they write is forged in tradition, it is nonetheless cast and tempered in new and unexpected ways. The trio spans three generations, three cities and two countries. Ryan McKasson (violin, viola, voice), Eric McDonald (guitar, mandolin, voice) and Jeremiah McLane (accordion, piano, voice) met over the years at highland games, contra dances and fiddle camps across North America. They made their first recording in 2016 and have been touring together since 2019. Kalos prizes the magic of live performance—breathing, dancing and weaving together like high-wire acrobats. They are as generous as they are virtuosic. Like nature itself, their music is full of chaos and chance yet always feels spacious and balanced. Their concerts are more an exposé than a performance—they are immersive, trance-inducing experiences. Live! Folklife Concerts are hosted and produced by the Folklife Center at Crandall Public Library, and made possible by a grant to the Folklife Center from the New York State Council on the Arts supported by the Governor's Office and the New York State Legislature. Concerts are filmed on Thursdays at Crandall Public Library with excerpts edited and posted on our YouTube page http://www.youtube.com/thefolklifecenteratcrandallpublliclibrary. |
March 14, 2026(2 events) – Camp Santanoni Winter Weekends invite visitors to enjoy winter recreation and exclusive winter access to the preserved buildings of the former Adirondack Great Camp. Camp Santanoni provides a 9.8-mile round trip cross-country ski excursion. The trail traverses from the Gate Lodge Complex (map PDF), past the Farm Complex (map PDF), to the remote lakeside Main Camp Complex (map PDF), providing a moderate ski and a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. Skiers and snowshoers are welcome to recreate on the trail and surrounding DEC lands on any day during the winter. During the Winter Weekend events cross-country skiers and snowshoers are invited to visit the Main Lodge of Camp Santanoni, view displays about the great camp and take interpretive tours with Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH) volunteers. The Gate Lodge vestibule will also be open for visitors. The Artist's Studio, a stone building near the main lodge on the shores of Newcomb Lake, is open as a warming hut from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays of each Winter Weekend. Visitors can reheat by the woodstove before heading back outdoors for their return trip. Beginning at 9 a.m. on event days, the AIC will loan out complimentary snowshoes for anyone without their own at Newcomb Pines, located across the road from the Santanoni Preserve at 5699 Route 28N. Unplug, slow down, and engage with the collections in a new way. Join us for a self-guided sketching experience in the galleries as part of a new museum initiative to foster creativity, mindfulness, and deeper observation. On select Saturdays, visitors are invited to pick up a sketch pad and pencil, find an easel in the designated gallery, and spend time drawing the exhibits that inspire them. Whether you’re an experienced artist or trying sketching for the first time, this relaxed, interactive program offers a new lens through which to connect with the Museum’s collections. Upcoming Sessions: All materials are provided, and no registration is required. Just drop in, draw, and enjoy. |
March 15, 2026(2 events) – Camp Santanoni Winter Weekends invite visitors to enjoy winter recreation and exclusive winter access to the preserved buildings of the former Adirondack Great Camp. Camp Santanoni provides a 9.8-mile round trip cross-country ski excursion. The trail traverses from the Gate Lodge Complex (map PDF), past the Farm Complex (map PDF), to the remote lakeside Main Camp Complex (map PDF), providing a moderate ski and a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. Skiers and snowshoers are welcome to recreate on the trail and surrounding DEC lands on any day during the winter. During the Winter Weekend events cross-country skiers and snowshoers are invited to visit the Main Lodge of Camp Santanoni, view displays about the great camp and take interpretive tours with Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH) volunteers. The Gate Lodge vestibule will also be open for visitors. The Artist's Studio, a stone building near the main lodge on the shores of Newcomb Lake, is open as a warming hut from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays of each Winter Weekend. Visitors can reheat by the woodstove before heading back outdoors for their return trip. Beginning at 9 a.m. on event days, the AIC will loan out complimentary snowshoes for anyone without their own at Newcomb Pines, located across the road from the Santanoni Preserve at 5699 Route 28N. – Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a lively performance by Toss the Feathers, a band known for traditional Irish music and songs. Experience the magic of traditional jigs, reels, and ballads, bringing the heart of Ireland to the Museum. Between songs, the band will share fascinating stories about the history of Irish music and the Irish community in the Albany area, offering insight into how these cultural traditions have shaped the local landscape. It’s an unforgettable way to immerse yourself in Irish heritage and enjoy the festive spirit of the season! |
March 16, 2026
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March 17, 2026
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March 18, 2026
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March 19, 2026(1 event) Curious about New York's past? Come uncover the stories behind the state's history— one document at a time! Join us every Thursday at 11:00 a.m. for "Ask an Archivist" at the New York Museum. Each session offers a peek into New York State’s rich and surprising history through carefully chosen original documents, photographs, and videos. An expert archivist will be on hand to share stories, answer your questions, and reveal how we uncover and preserve the past. You never know what fascinating piece of history you’ll discover! March 5: Women, Words, and the Written Record: Exploring the NYS Archives’ Collections. March 12: Women, Words, and the Written Record: Exploring the NYS Archives’ Collections. March 19: Women, Words, and the Written Record: Exploring the NYS Archives’ Collections. March 26: Sojourner Truth Fights For Her Family. |
March 20, 2026(2 events) Join Dr. Gwendolyn Saul, Curator of Ethnography at the New York State Museum, for an engaging exploration of five remarkable Mohican and Haudenosaunee women artists whose work speaks powerfully to Indigenous experiences, histories, and creativity rooted in their homeland territories in what is now New York State. Beginning with Six Nations artist Shelley Niro, whose work is currently on view at the NYSM, Dr. Saul will introduce artists whose practices reflect distinct cultural traditions, materials, and contemporary expressions connected to their communities. Participants will have the opportunity to view artworks from the Museum’s collections, including a sneak peek at two recent acquisitions! This in-person talk invites visitors to deepen their understanding of Indigenous art, sovereignty, and storytelling through the voices of women shaping the present and future of their communities. – This is second performance of the band thanks to the support of our partner site in nearby Washington County - the Historic Salem Courthouse, Salem, NY. A contemporary collage of Scottish and American traditional music, Hildaland is a duo that approaches geographic borders as markers of exploration rather than boundaries to be wary of. Fiddle player Louise Bichan, originally from Orkney, Scotland, and mandolinist Ethan Setiawan, originally from Goshen, Indiana, have taken their duo from traditional Scottish roots through to progressive bluegrass and jazz, with music inspired largely by places and the journeys between them, both physical and musical. While Hildaland currently call New England home, they maintain a strong connection to the music scene in Glasgow. “We have been lucky to be able to travel back to Scotland fairly often in the past couple of years and plan to continue doing so. We often find ourselves in the Glasgow pubs playing Scottish, Irish, Scandinavian, and even old-time with friends old and new,” says Bichan. Regardless of their physical or musical location, the duo has an unmistakable sound. In defining their goal within traditional music and refining the scope of their musical territory, Hildaland has honed in on a specific, innovative, and beautiful voice as a band. Live! Folklife Concerts are hosted and produced by the Folklife Center at Crandall Public Library thanks to a grant to the Folklife Center from the New York State Council on the Arts supported by the Governor's Office and the New York State Legislature. Concerts are filmed on Thursdays at Crandall with excerpts edited and posted on our YouTube page http://www.youtube.com/thefolklifecenteratcrandallpubliclibrary. |
March 21, 2026(2 events) – Join us for Women of Science, a free, family-friendly event celebrating female scientists and their contributions to a wide range of scientific fields. Visitors of all ages will have the opportunity to meet inspiring women scientists from the New York State Museum’s Division of Research and Collections and other local scientists, learning about their disciplines, current research projects, and collections. The day’s schedule features hands-on educational activities, tabling activities with participating scientists, brief science talks, and several interactive “Ask a Scientist” panels for families with younger children, teens, and adults. Don't miss this chance to discover the exciting world of science and gain insight from the women shaping its future! – Registration required: Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation ACLC is pleased to hold its first Tackle Box Ambassador Training on Saturday, March 21 from 11 am - 1 pm in Saranac Lake (venue being confirmed). Lunch will be provided. Free t-shirt and supplies! ACLC will be partnering with Woods & Waters Sport Shop to educate participants about lead tackle, how to identity it, and how to help other anglers make the switch to lead-free alternatives. Ambassadors will be equipped with the knowledge, materials and resources necessary to talk to anglers in their own communities about the threats of lead fishing tackle to wildlife and conduct tackle box inventories with interested community members. To learn more, read about the training here, and read more about the Tackle Box Ambassador Program here. |
March 22, 2026(1 event) – Experience an afternoon of bold, imaginative jazz with the James Fernando Trio, a forward-thinking piano trio known for its deep musicality and genre-blurring improvisation. This special performance pays tribute to New York State’s rich musical legacy, highlighting iconic composers and jazz legends with strong ties to the Empire State. The program will feature music by Sonny Rollins and Bud Powell, both born in New York, as well as fresh interpretations of Great American Songbook classics by fellow New York-born composers Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, and George Gershwin. Blending tradition with innovation, the James Fernando Trio breathes new life into timeless works in a celebration of New York’s cultural and musical history. |
March 23, 2026
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March 24, 2026
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March 25, 2026
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March 26, 2026(1 event) Curious about New York's past? Come uncover the stories behind the state's history— one document at a time! Join us every Thursday at 11:00 a.m. for "Ask an Archivist" at the New York Museum. Each session offers a peek into New York State’s rich and surprising history through carefully chosen original documents, photographs, and videos. An expert archivist will be on hand to share stories, answer your questions, and reveal how we uncover and preserve the past. You never know what fascinating piece of history you’ll discover! March 5: Women, Words, and the Written Record: Exploring the NYS Archives’ Collections. March 12: Women, Words, and the Written Record: Exploring the NYS Archives’ Collections. March 19: Women, Words, and the Written Record: Exploring the NYS Archives’ Collections. March 26: Sojourner Truth Fights For Her Family. |
March 27, 2026(2 events) Registration required: New York State Museum Step behind the scenes of the New York State Museum for an exclusive tour of the Paleontology Collection with Dr. Lisa Amati, State Paleontologist and Curator of Paleontology. Discover the fascinating world of ancient sea creatures like trilobites and crinoids and experience specimens of the unique fossil plants from the world's oldest fossil forests! Explore fossilized evidence of life that predates the dinosaurs and learn how these specimens help scientists piece together Earth’s deep past. Perfect for curious minds ages 6 and up. – This is a second performance by the group thanks to the support of our partner site, the Historic Salem Courthouse, Salem, NY in nearby Washington County. Tim O’Shea brings his songs and tunes from the stunning southwest of Ireland, famed area, steeped in the Irish Folk Tradition. A native of Killarney, Co. Kerry, southwest Ireland. He has travelled worldwide playing and performing for over 30 years. He just recently finished a wildly successful 27 date Tour of Germany. “It’s real music as it should be played- real music by real people” Irish Examiner. Tim is joined both nights by Dublin native Pádraig Timoney. Pádraig is a multi-instrumentalist and will play fiddle, guitar and sing a song or two. Pádraig was reared in the urban Irish Folk Tradition, especially the folk songs of his native Dublin City. Expect songs from the Dubliners and Clancy brothers, as well as fiddle dance tunes from all over Ireland. For the Glens Falls show, we are very excited to have the great button Irish accordion player John Nolan joining us. John is an Irish American and the first non-Irish resident to win the All Ireland Button Accordion Competition at the “The Fleadh”, (the Super Bowl of accordion playing). Also, a regular with well-known Irish Americans, Andy Cooney and Don Meade. For the Salem show, we are very excited to have Tim Wechgelaer joining us. Tim W. is a very experienced folk musician from Long Island and long-time resident of Saratoga. A multi-instrumentalist, he will put his Irish hat on and joins Tim O’ and Paudy for Irish songs and tunes on mandolin, fiddle, vocals and guitar. Live! Folklife Concerts are hosted and produced by the Folklife Center at Crandall Public Library and made possible by a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor's office and the New York State Legislature. Concerts are filmed with excerpts edited and posted on our YouTube page http://www.youtube.com/thefolklifecenteratcrandallpubliclibrary. |
March 28, 2026(1 event) Join Schuyler Mansion and Johnson Hall New York State Historic Sites for a compelling exploration of women in Revolutionary New York. In the spring of 1776, a dramatic arrest and an uneasy imprisonment placed two prominent women on opposite sides of the conflict and at the heart of a growing political storm. Through two engaging talks, discover how status, loyalty, family ties, and personal conviction shaped their choices during the early days of the Revolution, and consider how their actions may have carried consequences far beyond what appears in the traditional historical record. |
March 29, 2026(2 events) Join us for a special screening of WCNY's documentary Floating Ideas: How the Erie Canal Helped Shape America, as we examine the spread of ideas along the Erie Canal, with an emphasis on women’s rights, suffrage, and the quest for social justice. Step back into a time when Albany was a pivotal hub in the struggle for American independence. Historian Liz Covart, Ph.D., host of Ben Franklin’s World, an award-winning podcast exploring early American history, will guide you through how Albany served as the nerve center for the Northern Campaign and a revolutionary stronghold surrounded by counties with divided loyalties. Hear the high-stakes stories of military supply, regional rivalries, and the tensions that nearly changed the course of the Battle of Saratoga. Through engaging storytelling, Liz reveals how the decisions, conflicts, and alliances forged in and around Albany helped shape the young nation. |
March 30, 2026
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April 1, 2026
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April 3, 2026
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April 4, 2026
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