The Beat

Approximately 6,000 Square Feet of New Departure Hall To Open for Public Use for the First Time Today 

$100 Million Airport Project Provided With $60 Million From Governor’s Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Competition

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a major milestone in the $100 million project to revitalize Albany International Airport.  Beginning later today, 6,000 square feet of the new Departure Hall will open for public use, which will include a direct connection to the TSA checkpoint on the second floor and four new escalators connecting the first floor to the new space.  Once complete, the 14,000-square-foot Departure Hall will house the TSA checkpoint and queuing area, new restrooms, Dunkin’, a direct connection to the North Parking Garage, and a signature art installation by Hudson Valley artist Jean Shin. The new space is designed to create a more efficient, comfortable, and welcoming experience for travelers.

Saranac Lake, NY (April 23, 2026) - Celebrate Paddling ADK, the Adirondacks’ annual festival honoring the region’s vibrant paddling culture, will return in May 2026 for its 10th anniversary. Beginning in early May and extending throughout the summer, the festival invites locals and visitors alike to experience more than two months of on-the-water adventures, educational clinics, community service opportunities, and outdoor exploration throughout Saranac Lake. All programming is rooted in a shared commitment to giving back to the paddling community and protecting the waterways that define the Adirondacks.

Plattsburgh, N.Y. – This year, the entire country is celebrating “America250,” a national commemoration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, on July 4, 1776.  To educate students and their parents and teachers about our beginnings as a country, the Clinton County Historical Association (CCHA) has published a book, “The American Revolution in the Champlain Valley, from A to Z,” to be distributed to all fourth and fifth graders in the Clinton, Essex, Franklin County area, free of charge.

Attendance grew 105% in a year, and opening day of Stories and Set Designs for the Sopranos on February 14, 2026, marked highest single-day attendance in the Museum’s history

Astoria, New York, April 23, 2026 — Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) announces record attendance, with a total of 311,000 visitors in 2025. Not only does that figure exceed pre-pandemic numbers, but it also reflects a 105% increase from 2024 and a 147% increase from 2023. Based on a visitor experience analysis conducted by Coda Societies in conjunction with MoMI, New York City residents make up 61.4% of general admission, 89.6% of film program attendees, 89.5% of Museum members, and 78.9% of family visitors.

Glens Falls, N.Y. - The Park Theater Foundation presents a variety of shows at The Park Theater throughout May and June 2026. 

05/01/26:

The Park Theater presents indie-folk/americana ensemble, Reese Fulmer & The Carriage House Band, live on May 1st, 2026.

July 20–August 16 at AMT Theater in the Theater District

New York, N.Y. - AI replaces every human job overnight. A queer musician is trapped in his childhood home in Tennessee during the pandemic. And a FDNY lieutenant spends Christmas Eve at Ground Zero, looking for the remains of his fallen brother at the 2026 Broadway Bound Theatre Festival (BBTF). In this bold and eclectic lineup, the human condition is on full display as a dynamic mix of new plays and musicals light up the stage.

New York, NY) Thursday, April 23rd, 2026 — Following sold-out performances and five-star acclaim at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, comedian, actor, and writer Liz Coin brings her internationally celebrated solo show Lizzy Sunshine back to New York for a limited engagement at SoHo Playhouse from May 6–16.

Arriving in NYC during Mental Health Awareness Month, Lizzy Sunshine is a fast-paced, interactive comedy that explores a rarely discussed perspective: what it means to love someone struggling with addiction—and the emotional coping mechanisms that come with it.

For the New York City Ballet & The Philadelphia Orchestra, Co-sponsored by the Times Union and Skidmore College

Honoring SPAC’s Opening in 1966 - Celebrating 60 Years of Art, Nature & Community

Saratoga Springs, NY (April 23, 2026) – As part of its 60^th anniversary celebrations, Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) today announced a special $19.66 Anniversary Lawn Ticket promotion for most performances by New York City Ballet and The Philadelphia Orchestra this summer. Co-sponsored by the Times Union and Skidmore College, this initiative honors SPAC’s founding year—1966—while advancing its mission to make world-class performing arts accessible to all, inviting new audiences and longtime supporters alike to experience performances in its iconic outdoor setting.

Limited-Time Offer Grants Kids Ages 3—5 Free, Unlimited Park Visits for the Entire Season at Participating Parks

Darien Center, N.Y. (April 22, 2026) – Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (NYSE: FUN) invites families with young children to kick off summer early with a limited-time, free Pre‑K Pass offering children ages 3 to 5 free admission for the entire season at 22 parks across North America including Six Flags Darien Lake in Darien Center.