Fourth annual Hannaford MAAC-n-Cheese Fest to be held on Monday, March 11
Women’s College Basketball Fan Fest to be held on Friday, March 29
ALBANY, NY; – Capital Region sports fans will celebrate the return of championship collegiate basketball with two exciting fan festivals in downtown Albany this March: the Hannaford MAAC-n-Cheese Fest and the Women’s College Basketball Fan Fest.
Hannaford MAAC-n-Cheese Fest on Monday, March 11
The fourth annual Hannaford MAAC-n-Cheese Fest, the official fan festival of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, will take place on Monday, March 11 at the Albany Capital Center from 4 to 8 p.m.
The event, which invites fans to enjoy gourmet mac-n-cheese tastings from local restaurants and craft beer and wine at the Saratoga Eagle Craft Beer Garden, will be part of Championship Monday. It will follow the MAAC Women’s Basketball Championship at 2:30 p.m. and take place prior to the MAAC Men’s Basketball Championship which tips off at 9 p.m. Both games will be held at the Times Union Center, which is connected by walkway to the Albany Capital Center.
“Hannaford is excited to once again be a part of this outstanding event, which serves as the signature fan attraction of the MAAC Basketball Championships in downtown Albany,” said Hannaford Supermarkets Community Relations Specialist Brian Fabre. “We encourage both basketball and mac-n-cheese fans to save the date for a fun evening to kick off the tournament.”
Tickets for the Hannaford MAAC-n-Cheese Fest will be available beginning Friday, February 15 at www.albanyfanfest.com. Fans can save $2 per set of sampling tickets with advance purchase. Tickets purchased in advance are $8 and entitle guests to five samples of mac-n-cheese. Tasting tickets will also be available at the door for $10 (cash only).
Craft beer and wine tasting tickets will be $5 for three samples and are available exclusively at the event (cash only; must be at least 21 years old with a valid ID).
The 2019 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will take place Thursday, March 7 through Monday, March 11. The tournament champions each earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships.
All-session and individual session passes are currently on-sale for the MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships. Flex ticket packages may also be purchased at the arena box office, charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000 and online at www.timesunioncenter-albany.com.
Women’s College Basketball Fan Fest on Friday, March 29
The basketball madness will continue with the Women’s College Basketball Fan Fest on Friday, March 29 at the Albany Capital Center from 3 to 6:30 p.m. The event will be held in conjunction with the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Albany Regional, which will include some of the best collegiate women’s basketball teams in the country at the Times Union Center.
The signature element of the Women’s College Basketball Fan Fest is the all-new Taste of Albany, featuring approximately one dozen local restaurants serving their top creations. The afternoon will also offer local beer, wine, cider and spirits for sampling from Saratoga Eagle.
The NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Albany Regional will get underway on Friday, March 29 with matchups at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. The winners will face each other in the Albany Regional Final on Sunday, March 31 at noon. The winner of the Albany Regional will advance to the Final Four of the women’s division.
Tickets to the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Albany Regional can be purchased online by visiting ncaa.com/WBBTickets.
Both the Hannaford MAAC-n-Cheese Fest and the Women’s College Basketball Fan Fest will feature free family-friendly activities and entertainment, including face painting, balloon artists, inflatables and music from a DJ.
Sponsors of the Hannaford MAAC-n-Cheese Fest and Women’s College Basketball Fan Fest include Hannaford Supermarkets, the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, SEFCU, Saratoga Eagle, Dunkin’, AYCO and Pioneer Bank.
For more information about the Hannaford MAAC-n-Cheese Fest and the Women’s College Basketball Fan Fest, visit www.albanyfanfest.com.