518 day

Downtown Albany

A Celebration of the Capital Region in Downtown Albany

Get ready for a day full of family-friendly fun, from a first-of-its-kind road race and live local music to a 518-themed Vendor Village, Melba Madness Stroll, and more. This event brings the community together to celebrate everything that makes this region of New York special. Don’t miss out!

518 Day events include:

1k Kids Race | 8:30 AM Get tickets
📍Start line at the Skyway entrance • near 683 Broadway
5.18k Road Race | 9:00 AM Get tickets
📍Start line near Liberty Park • 30 Hudson Ave
Awards Ceremony & Social Hour with DJ Intell Hayesfield | 9:15 AM (Awards at 9:45)
📍Quackenbush Sq Courtyard • near 19 Quackenbush Sq
After the race: Kid-friendly activities near the start line | 10:00 AM
📍Albany Firefighters Museum, Van Ostrande-Radliff House, The Vandy (see below for details)
518 Vendor Village | 10:00 AM-3:00 PM (Open to the public)
📍Clinton Market Collective • 11 Clinton Ave
Live Music | 10:00 AM-4:00 PM (Open to the public)
Metroland Now presents a Local Artist Showcase for 518 Day! Lineup below.
📍Clinton Market Collective • 11 Clinton Ave
Melba Madness | 12:00 PM-4:00 PM Get tickets
Enjoy delicious bites from 14 local restaurants featuring the Capital Region's signature raspberry sauce
📍Check-in at the Downtown Albany BID's tent in Clinton Market Collective

518 Day 5.18K I 8:30 AM-10:00 AM

Registration tent & start: Liberty Park (30 Hudson Ave.) in downtown Albany

Download Race Participant Handbook

View 5.18k Racecourse

Nothing says hometown pride quite like a road race. We’re taking it a step further with a 5.18K through downtown Albany—a nod to the Capital Region’s 518 roots (and area code). Join us on Saturday, May 16 (since May 18 falls on a Monday, and nobody wants that) and help us kick off a new community tradition celebrating everything that makes our region of New York State special, co-produced by the Downtown Albany BID, Cap City Runners, and Common Roots Brewing Company.

Registration: Get ready to celebrate the 518! Click here to register today.

Runners who register in advance will receive a commemorative T-shirt and a ticket for one free beer courtesy of Common Roots Brewing Company. (Must be 21+ with a valid ID. T-shirts are first-come, first-served.) Kids who are registered in advance will receive a commemorative T-shirt and a medal! (T-shirts are first-come, first-served.)

$25 Adults I $10 Kids Early Bird Registration: Register by Saturday, April 17
$30 Adults I $12 Kids Regular Registration: Register by Wednesday, May 15
$40 Adults I $15 Kids In-Person Registration: Register in person on May 16

Racecourse: An original 5.18K (just over 3.2 miles) honoring the Capital Region and our 518 zip code! Click here to explore the race route or preview below.

Download Racecourse hi-res PDF

5.18k Race Course

Packet Pickup

Friday, May 15 from 12:00 PM-7:00 PM
📍 Fort Orange General Store, 412 Broadway

Last chance bib pickup
Saturday, May 16 (race day), 7:30 AM
📍Registration table at Liberty Park (30 Hudson Ave)

What's included? Your packet will include your BIB for either the 5.18K or the Kids 1K (or both), a 5.18K T-shirt, and a coupon for one free drink at Common Roots Brewing Co., 19 Quackenbush Square. This coupon will be attached to the 5.18K BIB.
More details: We encourage everyone to pick up your BIB + T-shirt on Friday, May 15, between 12:00 PM and 7:00 PM, at the Fort Orange General Store, located at 412 Broadway in downtown Albany. If you can’t pick up prior to the event, you can get your bib at the registration booth at Liberty Park (30 Hudson Ave) on the day of the race, between 7:30 AM and 8:15 AM (for the Kids 1K) or 7:30-8:45 AM (for the 5.18K). *If you pick up at this time, your packet will ONLY include your bib--on race day, t-shirts must be picked up at the Downtown Albany BID's booth near the finish line, after the race.

Race-Day Parking

Metered parking spaces Downtown are free all day on weekends. We suggest arriving early, parking on Clinton Avenue, Broadway, and N Pearl, near the Palace Theatre and Olde English Pub, and walking to the starting line at Broadway and Hudson Ave.

Flat-rate event parking will be available in 3 ParkAlbany garages on race day, May 16, for a flat rate of $6, courtesy of our partners.

Quackenbush Garage (25 Orange St.) is located near the finish line and closest to the 518 Day Celebration post-race activities.

Riverfront Garage (2 Columbia St.) is centrally located and closest to the Hudson River and Empire Trail, so may be convenient for spectators.
Please note, the entrance to Quackenbush and Riverfront garages will be closed from ~8:45 AM-9:30 AM as they fall within the 5.18k race course, so we recommend parking early.

Green-Hudson Garage (45 Hudson Ave.) is located near the starting line. If you are running late, we highly recommend using this option! There is also plentiful street parking on State Street, between Eagle Street and Broadway.

Street closures will begin at ~8:45 AM and will be made available here ahead of the race. Please consider this when making your parking and navigation plans. For more on parking Downtown, click here.

Kid-friendly activities after the race

Van Ostrande-Radliff House Tours I 10:00 AM-2:00 PM | 48 Hudson Ave

📍Historic Albany Foundation at 48 Hudson Ave

Visit this 18th-century home with tours by the Historic Albany Foundation, showcasing recent preservation updates that honor its history.

Touch a Firetruck | 10:00 AM-12:00 PM

📍Albany Firefighters Museum at 384 Broadway

Explore a real Fire Truck with the Albany Fire Department and the Albany Firefighter's Museum! The Museum will be open for tours as well.

Visit The Vandy Thrift Shoppe!

📍The Vandy Thrift Shoppe | 11:00 AM-4:00 PM

The Vandy will be welcoming event-goers and giving out free cookies and water bottles for kids and adults alike!

518 Vendor Village I 10:00 AM-3:00 PM

📍 11 Clinton Ave, Clinton Market Collective & 19 Quackenbush Square, Courtyard

Enjoy a market filled with vendors selling 518-themed gifts and goods at Clinton Market Collective and Quackenbush Square.

518-themed Merchandise:

Compas Life | Upstate of Mind | Upstate New York themed apparel and home goods featuring artwork and designs from Capital Region-based artists.
courtney v photography | Matted photo prints, handmade cards and magnets featuring Capital Region landscapes and architecture.
Downtown Albany BID | Limited edition Downtown Albany-themed merchandise.
Hudson River Shop | Hudson River, Erie Canal, & Capital Region-inspired merch and apparel.
Kara’s Shop of Pretty Things | 518 and Upstate-themed jewelry boxes, stickers, and New York-themed earrings.
New Scotland Spirits | Locally distilled gin, vodka, rye, whiskey, and bourbon.
Phoenix’s Artwork | Original paintings featuring 518 area landmarks and scenery.
Purple Line Studio | Albany skyline and neighborhood prints, watercolor prints featuring Nipper.
S&H Homemade Kitchen Kitchen | 518-themed sourdough bakes.
Wright Cellars | Melba sauce by the jar, plus other jams, jellies & preserves.

Beer, food & Ice cream:

Celebrations of Albany | Capital Region-style mini hot dogs!
Common Roots Brewing Company | Beer, cider, NA beverages, & more, all crafted in the 518.
Emack & Bolio's | Handcrafted ice cream cones and cups.

Community partners:

Live Music | 10:00 AM-4:00 PM

This Local Artist Showcase is presented by Metroland Now for 518 Day

📍11 Clinton Ave, Clinton Market Collective

Get ready to rock! The Local Music Showcase by Metroland Now will highlight a variety of regional talent at the Clinton Market Collective. The fun starts at 10:00 AM with a live stream of the all new Metroland Radio, curated by Andy Scullin.

♪ Caity Gallagher I 11:00 AM

♪ Ky McClinton Band I 12:00 PM

♪ Girl Blue I 1:00 PM

♪ Super 400 I 2:30 PM

Melba Madness I 12:00 PM-4:00 PM

📍Check-in at Clinton Market Collective (11 Clinton Ave), stroll 14 participating locations listed below

Buy Tickets

Sample small bites featuring Albany’s signature Melba sauce—a sweet, tangy raspberry staple often paired with mozzarella sticks across the Capital Region. This competition spans 14 downtown restaurants, each serving a small plate with their own take on Melba sauce.

At every location, collect a stamp or unique mark on your passport. Gather 10 or more to be entered into a random drawing to win a pair of tickets to the Hot Chocolate Stroll on Saturday, December 5, 2026 (a $50+ value). Five winners will be selected and contacted by Wednesday, May 27.

Tickets

$30 in advance I $40 day of

Check in at Clinton Market Collective (11 Clinton Ave.)

Get your tickets today!

Participating businesses

A Slice Of That | 123 Madison Ave: Square pizza bites with melba- and bacon-bits base, topped with mozzarella, raspberries, candied pecans and finished with a melba-caramel drizzle
Banh Mi 47 | 74 N Pearl St: Fried Vietnamese spring rolls with housemade melba
Jack's Oyster House | 42 State St: Pan-fried duck dumpling with melba teriyaki
Hilton Albany | 40 Lodge St: Candied Pistachio Panna Cotta | Silky pistachio panna cotta topped with Melba sauce, or;
"Peanut, Butter & Jelly Crostini" | Crisp crostini with foie gras pâté, Melba gelée, and Marcona almond
Loch & Quay | 414 Broadway: Monte Cristo with melba
Ophelia's on Broadway | 388 Broadway: Mini corn dog with melba
RiiLaxx Tavern | 4 Sheridan Ave: Fried salmon bites with melba
Stacks Espresso Bar | 488 Broadway: Melba cream cold brew with a melba cream truffle
The City Beer Hall | 42 Howard St: Mozzarella triangles with melba dipping sauce
The Excelsior Pub | 54 Philip St (Opens at 3:00 PM): Chicken wings tossed in Melba-Buffalo sauce. Note: Opens at 3 p.m.
The Hollow Bar + Kitchen | 79 N Pearl St: Traditional or vegan sausage-cream cheese-stuffed jalapeno with blackberry-melba sauce
The Yard: Sports Bar & Hatchet House | 16 Sheridan Ave: Melba Mule (NA cocktail): shot of Melba, lime juice, and ginger beer
Viva Empanadas Latin Kitchen | 90 N Pearl St: Cassava-mozzarella empanaditas with guava melba
Wellington's | 144 State St: Signature Peach Melba: Layered poundcake with custard and bourbon peaches finished Melba sauce and whipped cream.

Painting the Night I 5:00 PM-9:00 PM

19 Quackenbush Square, Courtyard

Celebrate 10 years of public art with ParkAlbany, Albany Barn, and Albany Center Gallery! After 518 Day wraps up, head to Quackenbush Square and experience an energetic and artistic evening in Downtown, filled with amazing art, artists, and featuring:

Live Mural Painting: Downtown Albany’s newest murals will come to life during the event as muralists work their artistic magic on the walls of the Quackenbush Garage.
Albany Barn Inc’s Artist Alley: Take a stroll through Quackenbush Square and explore a selection of local artists demonstrating and/or selling their art. Artist announcements coming soon!
Unveiling of New Up-Cycled Parking Meters: A yearly project that began in 2023, in coordination with ParkAlbany and the Albany Barn, where local artists bring new life to decommissioned parking meters by transforming them into public art.
Live Fire Dancing: The “Danger Dame of the Flame” Opal Raven will ignite the night with two high-octane performances.
Roaming Circus Performances: The Chalk Gremlin Circus Company will bring their “mildly chaotic but always entertaining” energy to Quackenbush Square.
Plus: Live music, photo ops, free popcorn and more!

Get all the details here.

518 Day

May 16 I All Day