The City of Albany is hosting the 76th Annual Albany Tulip Festival presented by KeyBank on Saturday, May 11, and Sunday, May 12 in Washington Park.
The Albany Tulip Festivalis Albany’s signature spring event, featuringnearly one hundred artisans selling their handmade crafts, a fine arts show, delicious food trucks, the KidZone family fun destination, three world-class live entertainment stages, a brand new wellness stage with free dance classes, Yogafest, and more than 100,000 tulips can be admired in the historic Washington Park. The festival will bring many genres from across the state and beyond performing on multiple stages for the many people that attend.
Since Mayor Erastus Corning II read the first Tulip Festival Proclamation on May 14, 1949, the Mother’s Day weekend celebration has become one of the Northeast’s biggest and most beloved yearly events. Featuring area vendors, businesses, community organizations, and original local artists on every stage the Tulip Festival honors Albany’s four centuries of history while looking ahead to its future. As always, this event is free and open to the public.
For more information about the 2024 Albany Tulip Festival, visit here.
SATURDAY, MAY 11, 2024
HOT YOGA SPOT’S “YOGAFEST”
Washington Park Parade Grounds
9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
TULIP QUEEN CORONATION CEREMONY
Washington Park Lakehouse Stage
Nominations are accepted through April 19th.NOMINATE HERE!
11:30 a.m. –The Mendelssohn Club(Lakehouse Stage)
A local institution for over a century, this acclaimed male chorus is the longest-continuously performing arts group in the Capital Region.
11:45 a.m. –Tulip Queen Procession(Begins at formal Tulip Beds by Moses Statue)
The 2023 Tulip Queen Olivia Owens, Mayor Kathy Sheehan, and the Dutch Settlers Society lead the 2024 Tulip Queen finalists to the Lakehouse Stage.
Noon –Tulip Queen Coronation(Lakehouse Stage)
Mayor Sheehan and MC Chad O’Hara of B95.5 crown the 76thAlbany Tulip Queen in this traditional highlight of Tulip Fest weekend.
PARKALBANY’S MAIN STAGE
Washington Park Parade Grounds
1:30 p.m. –OF THE ATLAS:Catskill NY-based songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist Jay Woodruff has led the alternative rock band Of The Atlas through a range of styles and incarnations. Initially, it was a solo act by the enthusiastic and longtime member of the thriving and diverse regional underground rock community, Woodruff fleshed the group out into a powerful blend of introspective indie, vibrant art rock, and infectious power pop. Now joined by Ethan Klee and Kenny Rowe.
3:00 p.m. –PRINCE DADDY & THE HYENA:Prince Daddy & the Hyena is an American punk rock band from Albany formed in 2014. They have released three full-length albums and four extended plays.
4:30 p.m. –THE FRONT BOTTOMS:When you turn on a record from The Front Bottoms, you hear the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of two lifelong friends who stare down personal tragedy and the madness of a world gone haywire by simply playing a little louder together. The New Jersey natives went from playing in the woods to performing in high school bands. After the lead singer finished college, The Front Bottoms officially formed – creating their 2011 self-titled independent debut.
A whirlwind of prolific output and countless gigs followed. The Front Bottoms reached a critical peak with 2017’s Going Grey. It received praise from The FADER, Stereogum, VICE, A.V. Club, and more. Along the way, the band performed on Late Night with Seth Meyers and NPR’s “Tiny Desk,” graced the stages of Coachella, Austin City Limits, and Bonnaroo, and toured with the likes of Blink-182, Manchester Orchestra, tallied nearly 100 million streams, sold over 500,000 album equivalents, and launched the annual holiday festival Champagne Jam, which expands year over year at an unprecedented rate.
WEXT’S 518 STAGE
Washington Park Lakehouse Stage
1:00 p.m.–SIDE B:Four-piece alternative rock band from Upstate New York consisting of drummer Dylan Travison, bassist Eric Mitchell, guitarist AJ Horton, and vocalist Ian Justino. Their debut release The Low Budget Romance EP is out now.
2:15 p.m.–SOFIA CORTS:“Sofia Corts is an 18-year-old singer-songwriter from the Albany area on the cusp of a national breakout. Self-taught on guitar and keyboards, her songwriting effortlessly blends genres, pop, R&B, and a hint of jazz, while generating infectious, memorable melodic hooks.
3:30p.m –CAMTRON5000:Camtron5000, a rapper from Albany, has been creating alternative hip-hop music since 2016. He hopes to break the stereotypes of what it means to be a rapper. Channeling a dynamic yet playful energy with his skilled lyricism, and sporting a logo crafted from his gapped smile, Camtron5000 is a musical personality unlike any other.
4:45 p.m.–THE INSOLENT WILLIES:The Insolent Willies is an upstate New York-based roots-rock band known for their hip-shaking mix of quirky, clever original songs and unpredictable interpretations of tunes from all over the musical map. The band consists of Bill Ackerbauer (acoustic guitar, harmonica, mandolin, vocals), Frank DeVer Pullen (bass, banjo, vocals), Paul Gavry (accordion, fiddle, vocals) and Evan Gavry (guitars, percussion, vocals).
SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2024
PARKALBANY’S MAIN STAGE
Washington Park Parade Grounds
1:00 p.m. –OFF THE RECORD:Off The Record Trio is the Capital District’s only 1960’s rock and roll lounge band. Awarded an “Eddie” for Best Capital District Party Cover Band two years in a row, the trio plays 60’s vintage tunes and some hidden nuggets with a modern twist. It is led by the dynamic and engaging Joanna Palladino on vocals with local favorite Geo on guitar/vocals along with Bob Resnick splashing rock and roll rhythms on a minimalist drum set.
2:30 p.m. –FUNK EVOLUTION: Formed in 2010, Funk Evolution has been bringing top-shelf entertainment to the Northeast for 14 years and features a who’s who of musicians from New York and Massachusetts. They are best known for their high-energy delivery and unique arrangements; epic mashups of classic R&B with modern Top 40, 15-minute mega-medleys, and their legendary ‘Sax Battle’ featuring original 14-year member, Justin Godlewski on Alto saxophone. Funk Evolution is one of the most diverse entertainment groups in the region and has been recognized internationally as one of the top entertainment groups in the nation.
4:30 p.m. –NEW YORK PLAYERS:New York Players are New York’s Dance Party Experts, an entertainment powerhouse with a focus on corporate and private events, nightclubs, concerts, and festivals.
WEXT’S 518 STAGE
Washington Park LakehouseStage
1:00 p.m. –GIRL LOVE: Girl Love is the Albany-based, folk project of award-winning poet and songwriter, Laura Beth Johnson. She is known for her dark blend of story and soul – awarded the Lucy Monro Brooker Poetry Prize from the University of Indianapolis in 2017. In 2019, she received the Songwriting Scholarship by Image Magazine and a Poetry Scholarship from the Hudson Valley Writers Guild in 2022. In 2023, Girl Love was nominated for two Eddies.
2:15 p.m. –THE E-BLOCK:The E-Block is a five-piece indie R&B band based in Upstate New York, blending the acoustic warmth of singer-songwriter music with an ice-cold rhythm section informed by modern R&B.
3:30 p.m. –REESE FULMER & THE CARRIAGE HOUSE BAND: “Reese Fulmer & The Carriage House Band challenge the traditional relationship of a songwriter and his band, with a fluidly rotating cast of top-notch players and a flair for experimentation that combine for a unique and mesmerizing live performance. Add to that a keen lyricism that explores the human experience with a patient and poetic touch.
4:45 p.m. –OOBLECK: Oobleck, founded in 2008, is an original, analog funk band out of the Capital Region. Known regionally for inciting dance parties wherever they land, they boast a big, in-your-face sound inspired by New Orleans street music. It’s a melee of horns, super heavy drums and bass, and your favorite type of chunky guitar riffing that leaves your bum shaking and your face grinning.
