Soco Music Experience

It’s like a hipster’s wet dream. This Saturday, the Soco Music Experience, a music festival presented by Southern Comfort, lands at the Altamont Fairgrounds. And it’s free. Totally freakin’ free.

Heading up the main stage are Justice (pictured), the Grammy-nominated French electro duo behind last year’s dance-tacular album †. Another highlight: Brooklyn band MGMT, whose single “Time to Pretend” has been just about everywhere this year. Also on the main stage are instrumental jam-prog act Lotus, garage-rockers the Heartless Bastards, and Athens, Ga., rockers the Whigs.

If that wasn’t enough to justify the ticket price, the show will also feature a local-music stage sponsored by WEQX. The Crayons, the Erotics, Skadee, Disasters of Hollywood, and Severe Severe are all scheduled to perform.

The Soco Music Experience lands at the Altamont Fairgrounds (Route 146, Altamont) this Saturday (Sept. 13). Admission is free—but open only to those 21 and over. (Sorry kids. Call your local Congressman.) Music begins at 2 PM. For more information, visit southerncomfort.com/scmxny.

30th Annual Carrot Festival

Carrot cake. Carrot muffins. Carrot cookies. Carrot tzimmes. You know you want them, and this Sunday, you can get them at the 30th Annual Carrot Festival at Congregation Agudat Achim in Niskayuna.

This year’s festival has everything you’ve come to love: arts and crafts, family fun, fresh produce from Schoharie county, tasty Kosher foods and “delicious foods and baked goods.” And there’s something else this year: the McKrells. Those estimable performers of Irish music will be the featured musical act of this year’s fest.

The 30th Annual Carrot Festival will be held Sunday (Sept.14) from 10 AM-4:30 PM at Congregation Agudat Achim (2117 Union St., Niskayuna). Admission is free. For more info, call 393-9211.

It Came From Schenectady Film Festival

So the folks at Proctors are trying their hand at a little something known in the PR world as “niche programming.” Basically: Sci-fi movies may not be your life’s great passion, but if they are, well OMFG is this for you!

They’re pulling out all the stops this weekend with a 24-hour sci-fi movie marathon dubbed It Came From Schenectady, after Barry Longyear’s collection of short stories. The old vaudeville theater and its new GE Theatre addition will become a temporary oasis for sci-fi lovers. To date, the screening list (which currently features nine movies with more to come) includes the restored 50th anniversary edition of Forbidden Planet, along with Blade Runner: The Final Cut, Barbarella, Tokyo Gore Police, a short film collection, and more.

In addition to the films, the festival features Q&A sessions with It Came From Schenectady author Longyear himself and Star Crash producer Edie Meyers.

So zip up your Yoda footy pajamas, grab your plush Tribble and a pack of red vines, and settle in for 24 non-stop hours of geektacular entertainment.

It Came From Schenectady kicks off at Proctor’s (432 State St., Schenectady) with Forbidden Planet at noon on Saturday (Sept. 13) and runs till noon on Sunday (like we said, 24 hours). Full festival passes are $35 in advance, $45 at the door. Block passes, available for $20, provide admission for one of three specific 8-hour festival blocks. Only 400 event passes are available, so call ahead for reservations (346-6204) or visit itcamefromschenectady.com for tickets, screening schedules, and to vote for the viewers’ choice film.