Best Of Albany Saratoga Area

It's a beautiful time of year, and many Upstate New Yorkers are getting their fresh-cut Christmas trees. If you plan on getting yours or you already have it in your home, you may want to inspect it a little more closely.

The Royal C. Peabody Estate was built for the founder of Brooklyn Edison (Con Edison) in 1905. It is a two-and-a-half-story lakefront estate that sits overlooking Lake George. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. The estate consists of 31.29 Acres and 470 feet of lakefront property on Lake George. The mansion has been restored with modern amenities and the look of the early 1900s. The mansion boasts intricate woodwork and a stone basement with a brick wine cellar.

As we gear up for holiday travel, here's something to keep in mind. Traveling always has some stress involved, but a study was done that identified the most stressful airports in the United States. Two New York airports made the list but surprisingly this Upstate New York airport landed at #1!

Greenwich held its 10th annual Holiday Lighted Tractor Parade. It was a spectacular display of lights, tractors, floats, and holiday spirit. Check out the dazzling photos of this annual tradition throughout the years.

How would you like to help the big guy this Christmas? Santa Claus gets inundated with letters during the Christmas season and he would love your help to get through them all. The United States Postal Service Operation Santa is underway and here's how you can make it a special holiday for underprivileged kids in New York.

Here are a few ways to make sure your beautiful New York fresh-cut Christmas tree stays healthy and vibrant throughout the holiday season.

It had been three years since the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train rolled through the Capital Region. It made three stops; Mechanicville, Saratoga Springs, and Fort Edward. The first was Mechanicville on a rainy Sunday night. This is where I enjoyed the festive holiday train. They are traveling across the country to 106 stops. At each stop, they play live music and collect donations for the local food banks. Country Artist Lindsay Ell was the musical entertainment and she was awesome. The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train also presented the Mechanicville Community Center with a check for $3500 to help restock the food bank. Even though the weather wasn't ideal, a couple of hundred families joined the fun.

It's back again this year! The home at 29 Walden Circle in Saratoga Springs in the Town of Stillwater is all decked out in over 15,000 LED lights and synchronized to holiday music. You can come and enjoy this show for free but if you wish to make a donation to a children's charity, you can do so HERE. This is truly a labor of love for these homeowners. This spectacular show runs through the new year. Check out the schedule HERE.

The old Kmart building on Watervliet Shaker Road in Latham is becoming an entertainment and sports destination. The Scarlet Knife, an upscale restaurant just recently opened and more construction is on the way including a new sports complex.

It is the return of the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train! It has been three years since it traveled through the Capital Region making stops in certain towns and cities. It's back and there will be some country artists to help with the festivities.

Each year Wreaths Across America places wreaths on veterans' graves. This includes Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetary. They need your help and donations so that these soldiers can be honored.

It is one of the most anticipated events of the holiday season. Lake George will "Lite Up The Village" this Saturday, November 26th starting at 5:30. The village will have live music, parades, fireworks, and more.