Music fans prepare for a summer concert at the Dancing Grain Farm Brewery in 2025. Photos by Jonathon Norcross.
BALLSTON SPA — The Real McCoy Beer Co.’s Ballston Spa location, the historic former home of Civil War General Abner Doubleday, closed on Dec. 29 after six years in business, but also announced that it would soon reopen in partnership with another brewery.
“We have found a new brewery to partner with for 2026,” Real McCoy said on its social media pages. “We will be shut down for a few weeks at the beginning of the year to prepare for our reopening. Stay tuned to this page for more info.”
The Real McCoy Beer Co.’s Ballston Spa location, the historic former home of Civil War General Abner Doubleday.
Meanwhile, the Dancing Grain Farm Brewery in Gansevoort—known for its sunflower fields, scenic vistas, and live music events—shared on Dec. 23 a video of a new barn-like structure being built on its property with the caption, “A new place for you to gather coming 2026!”
The family-owned Dancing Grain hosts a number of seasonal events at its farm/brewery, including concerts, Buffalo Bills watch parties, trivia nights, and an upcoming “Disco Inferno” Christmas tree bonfire fundraiser on Jan. 10.
The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the newly-opened AC Hotel Saratoga Springs on Dec. 19.
The bar/lounge area near the front entrance of the hotel. Photos by Jonathon Norcross.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The AC Hotel Saratoga Springs at 176 South Broadway (the former site of the Turf & Spa Motel) welcomed its first official guests on Dec. 16 before hosting a grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 19.
The 120-room hotel features a European-style breakfast in its kitchen, coffee and lattes at its cafe, and drinks and tapas in its Spanish-inspired lounge.
“This is an investment,” said Discover Saratoga President Darryl Leggieri at the ribbon cutting. “This is an investment for, obviously, for larger hospitality, but also for Saratoga Springs and for Saratoga County. This is going to attract leisure travelers, corporate travelers, meeting attendees, and that’s going to drive economic impact. I think the AC brand is a perfect fit for Saratoga Springs.”
Keuka Spring Vineyards’ bottle shop, located inside the winery’s new location on Spring Street in Saratoga Springs. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Shimmering riesling, citrusy gewurztraminer, and sweet vignoles filled the empty glasses of red-clad revelers a week before Christmas, which was the soft opening of Keuka Spring Vineyards’ new tasting room and bottle shop on Saratoga’s Spring Street.
The Finger Lakes-based winery initially opened a smaller outpost inside the Saratoga Marketplace last year before deciding to upgrade to a larger space; one more suitable for wine tastings, camaraderie, and group events.
“When we originally moved here, there was really nothing available, so we took that lease in the Marketplace,” said Autumn Manning, Keuka’s East New York regional manager. “It was 300 square feet. We didn’t even have plumbing, so we only offered $15 wine tastings in a plastic cup.”
Despite its constricting former digs, Keuka managed to acquire more than 200 wine club members, Manning said. But much has changed. Take-home cups have been replaced with proper glassware. A cooler is stocked with local cheeses and meats. Fresh bread, baked by the Saratoga-based Bread Basket, is available. A back room is lined, practically floor to ceiling, with bottles that surround a glass table supported by wine barrels. (This bottle shop can host as many as 17 people and be reserved for celebratory events like bachelorette parties.) Also, the bar top in the front tasting room was made from trees cut down at the vineyard’s Finger Lakes location, where it served as the winery’s bar top for decades before moving to its new Spa City home.
Keuka was enticed to enter the Saratoga market due to a combination of factors, Manning said: The vineyard’s license allows it to have up to seven tasting rooms in New York State, Keuka was already collaborating with the Saratoga Eagle distribution company, and the New York Racing Association was interested in having Keuka pour its wines at the Saratoga Race Course. Thus, the winery’s array of award-winning wines found its way to the Spa City.
Keuka Spring Vineyards’ Saratoga location is now open seven days a week. A $15 tasting allows patrons to sample five different wine varietals (an additional “welcome” pour unofficially brings the total to six).
The tasting room and bottle shop is located at 15 Spring Street, the former home of Red Wolf.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was hosted by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce at The Divot Bar and Grille on Dec. 8. Photo via the chamber.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The former Brick At 2 West location on the west side of Saratoga has reopened as The Divot, a golf-themed bar and grill run by the previous owners’ daughter.
Erika Schreifels and a silent partner/golf enthusiast rebranded the eatery with the aim of both appealing to sports fans and making their mark (or “divot”) on the Spa City.
“It’s definitely not just like The Bunker,” Schreifels told Saratoga TODAY, referring to the popular spot downtown that has seven golf simulator bays. “It’s more of a family restaurant. We like to do events and catering.”
The Divot’s menu is expansive, offering everything from chicken wings to pizzas and burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, tacos, and salads. It also serves brunch every day, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.
One special menu item is The Glizzy, which The Divot describes as a four-ounce Duroc and Wagyu hot dog stuffed with cheese, wrapped in cocoa rubbed bacon, topped with warm beer cheese, and finished with a “bright snap” of spicy pickles. The Glizzy’s ingredients are something of a nod to horse racing. The Duroc pig is said to be named after a racehorse called Duroc (who was, in turn, named after Géraud Duroc, a close friend of Napoleon Bonaparte).
Schreifels, who previously served as the general manager of Brick At 2 West for 15 years, also said that a putting green simulator was due to arrive at The Divot around mid-February.
The Divot is open Monday through Sunday. The kitchen is open from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. and the bar serves drinks from 9 a.m. until 11 p.m.
Photo of Stella Cole via the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Stella Cole, a 26-year-old jazz singer, heaped praise onto the Spa City while performing here as part of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s “Sounds of the Season” series.
In between her renditions of jazz standards and Christmas tunes, the New York City-based Cole said she’d been to Saratoga before during the summer months. “I love Saratoga,” she said. “It’s the best.” But her Dec. 14 concert at Skidmore College’s Arthur Zankel Music Center marked her first time here outside of the busy tourist season. “Do you guys know you live in a Hallmark movie?” she asked the audience, gesturing towards the snowy trees seen through the stage window.
Cole has been a rapidly rising star after attracting attention on TikTok with her version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” She performed the song in Saratoga as well, somehow making one of the world’s most recognizable melodies sound fresh. Called a “powerhouse rivaling Judy Garland and Rosemary Clooney” by People, Cole has released a trio of albums since acquiring millions of social media followers. This year, she released “It’s Magic,” a record produced by Grammy winner Matt Pierson that features Cole’s signature blend of songs made famous by movies and entries from the Great American Songbook.
Cole’s performance took place at the Zankel Music Center due to the renovation of the Spa Little Theater, where SPAC typically holds its indoor concerts. “Christmas Dreaming with Stella Cole” was SPAC’s final show of 2025.
The Spa Little Theater interior as it appeared on Dec. 11, 2025. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — $12 million will be poured into the renovation of Spa Little Theater, which in recent years has hosted much of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s year-round programming.
To celebrate the project, an official groundbreaking ceremony was held last Thursday in one of the theater’s rooms, where paint was peeling off the walls and a noticeable hole in the ceiling offered proof that the venue built in 1935 could use a facelift.
“We are here to say that we stand on the threshold of the most ambitious and significant project SPAC has undertaken since it opened in 1966,” said Elizabeth Sobol, CEO of SPAC, at the groundbreaking ceremony. “The revitalized theater will expand artistic and educational and community experiences that connect people to the arts, to nature, and to one another year-round. Today’s groundbreaking represents far more than just the beginning of a construction project. It is a powerful investment in the future of SPAC and in the cultural vibrancy and economic health of this city, this county, and this region—transformation through restoration.”
A rendering of the Spa Little Theater interior as it’s expected to appear once renovations are completed. Image via Phinney Design Group/SPAC.
Since taking over operations of the 500-seat Spa Little Theater in 2022, SPAC has presented more than 100 events at the venue, welcomed more than 35,000 guests, and expanded the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s season to a year-round residency. Part of the goal of the theater’s renovation/restoration is to “really solidify ourselves as a year-round presenter,” said Christopher Shiley, president of SPAC.
More than 17,00 square feet of the building (which was originally designed to be a lecture hall, not a theater) will be renovated, including, among other things: a new bar/cafe, a new artist suite and dressing rooms, updated theater seats, a new stage floor, a new lobby layout with more restrooms, an updated box office, a multipurpose community room with an adjacent outdoor patio, and a new Spa State Park-inspired mural on the walls of the theater.
Despite all these changes, SPAC wants to preserve the theater’s “charm” and “wonderful intimacy,” said Shiley. The front facade of the building will appear mostly the same post-renovation, although the stone steps will be restored, and a redesigned accessible entryway will be added. Inside the theater, the original color palette of cream and burgundy will be reinstated, while the seating and balcony will remain mostly the same.
Nods to the venue’s past speak to the reverence many feel for a theater that’s hosted legendary performers such as Groucho and Chico Marx, Kevin Kline, Patti Lupone, Gloria Swanson, Shirley Booth, and Vivian Vance (rumors that Robin Williams also graced the stage appear to be unsubstantiated).
According to the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation’s Dec. 2 virtual presentation, “Healing Water to the Arts: The Story of the Spa Little Theater,” a number of performing arts groups have passed through the venue, including both theater companies (Abbey Theater of Ireland, the Circle Repertory Company, and the Empire State Youth Theater Institute) and dance companies (Jose Limon, Pilobolus, Ellen Sinopoli, and Mark Morris).
During World War II, the theater was partly used to entertain soldiers. After the war and throughout the 1950s, it became known as the Spa Summer Theater and hosted a number of the aforementioned legendary performers. In the 1960s, it staged Broadway musicals such as “The King and I,” “South Pacific,” “Finian’s Rainbow,” and “Show Boat.” In the 1970s, John Houseman, an Oscar winner who worked with Orson Welles, brought his City Center Acting Company to the theater, staging as many as four plays in six-week increments. From 1985 to 2020, the Home Made Theater called the venue home, producing more than 175 plays there.
“I’ve heard many memories from individuals who have been impacted by this [theater] one way or the other over its many decades in the park,” Shiley said. “It’s been a real treat for me personally to work in the Spa Little Theater for the last three years producing SPAC’s year-round programming and getting to know more about what this building and this space have meant to the community for so many years.”
The historic Spa Little Theater will enter its next phase sometime around the end of 2026, when renovation work is expected to be completed.
Photo via the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.
WILTON — The Saratoga Food & Dessert Bar recently opened at the Wilton Mall, adding a robust selection of cookies, cakes, ice cream, grilled cheeses, and breakfast items to the food court.
The bakery celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce on Dec. 16.
Although the business initially started out only offering dessert items, it has “naturally evolved,” it said, due to its food court location. Sourdough grilled cheese with scratch tomato soup has become one of the bar’s top-selling items.
The Saratoga Food & Dessert Bar is open Monday through Sunday. It also accepts online orders for pickup or delivery.
The Grinch and Santa Claus compete in an exhibition harness race on Dec. 14. Screenshot of the race via the Saratoga Casino Hotel.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — In an annual tradition that perhaps foretells whether this Christmas will be a jolly or mean one, Santa Claus and The Grinch aired their grievances with a feat of strength: a harness race at the Saratoga Casino Hotel.
The mile-long race on Dec. 14 circled several inches of packed snow. The Grinch opened up an early lead, bursting ahead of Claus at the start of the contest. Claus was stuck on the inside, trailing by about two-and-a-half lengths as the foes entered the backstretch. Santa kept his cool, biding his time for a comeback as children across Saratoga feared their presents might be stolen by a victorious Mean One. The anxiety heightened as The Grinch expanded his lead to three lengths. As the ill-tempered, pot-bellied Christmas ruiner passed the grandstands in the stretch, he seemed to be almost taunting those in attendance.
But then, The Grinch went wide on a turn, opening up space on the inside. Claus attempted to squeeze into the gap as if it was a chimney, but The Mean One kept him at bay. Still, St. Nick gained ground and cut his enemy’s lead to about two lengths. Sensing that his chance of victory was narrowing, Santa snapped the reins as he does every Christmas when beckoning his reindeer toward the heavens. With that, Santa’s horse came so close to the reclining Grinch that the Mean One could’ve kissed its nose.
But as they entered the final stretch, centuries of a milk-and-cookies diet seemed to slow down St. Nick. The mean Green One insulted Claus and all of polite society as he cruised across the finish line with a commanding four-length victory.
It was the second-straight year that The Grinch defeated Santa in Saratoga. In 2024, The Grinch won by an inch.
Saratoga Racers guard Juwan Malone in a Dec. 7 game against the Herkimer Originals in Mechanicville. Malone has emerged as one of Saratoga’s top scoring threats this season. Photo via the Saratoga Racers.
MECHANICVILLE — The Saratoga Racers entered their sophomore season with new ownership and a new home court, ready to capitalize on their 13-7 inaugural year that ended in the American Basketball Association’s (ABA) playoff semifinals.
On Dec. 7, the Racers put on a show at Mechanicville’s Riverside Center. It was their second regular season contest played at their new home base. In that game against the Herkimer Originals, whom the Racers previously defeated by just one point on Nov. 9, new standouts emerged amongst a roster populated with familiar faces.
Saratoga entered the contest 3-1, having won three straight after a season-opening loss to the New England Lightning in Rhode Island on Nov. 2. The first two stanzas were evenly matched, with the score tied 64 to 64 as the decisive second half began.
In a nod to the Saratoga Race Course, the third quarter started with a “call to post” bugle sound effect—and they were off. Guard Juwan Malone impressed early, draining a three before grabbing a quick steal and easy layup. His teammates followed suit, pressuring Herkimer relentlessly on defense and racking up a series of interceptions and quick buckets. The points soon piled on, with Saratoga taking an 84 to 71 lead with 8 minutes remaining in the quarter.
The Racers moved the ball efficiently on offense, creating open looks for practically everyone donning one of the team’s redesigned minimalist, red-and-white uniforms. With a healthy double-digit lead deep in the third quarter, Saratoga slowed down the game’s pace before erupting with two triples to end the stanza. After three, it was Racers 109, Herkimer 92. (Seemingly in a celebratory mood, a couple Racers danced to “Cotton-Eyed Joe” on the sideline prior to the fourth quarter).
In the final quarter, Saratoga steamrolled the opposition with a pretty swish from beyond the arc by forward John Ryals, who was one of the top scorers on last year’s squad. But Herkimer didn’t relent, narrowing the lead to just 8 points with around 9 minutes left in the game. Saratoga countered by doing what they did well throughout the contest: draining triples and forcing turnovers.
RJ Rosa, another returning standout, had a series of big moments in the closing minutes. Both last season and against Herkimer, Rosa consistently demonstrated high basketball IQ, making smart plays and getting open looks at the basket. Malone joined with Rosa to help seal the deal in the game’s final moments, hitting a big three-pointer to grow Saratoga’s lead back up to 13 points. As Herkimer scrambled for a last-minute comeback, Rosa and company remained disciplined, keeping Toga on top to secure a 147-136 victory. The win was Saratoga’s fourth in a row.
Malone led all Racers with 29 points, though six of his teammates finished with double digits: Donavan Williams (22), Rosa (21), Ryals (20), Cam Thomas (15), Isaiah Grandison (13) and Tyler Mithell (10). Forward Joey Harden led his squad in both rebounds (12) and assists (6). Rosa added 4 steals.
Malone, who has also played for the Albany Patroons, has emerged as one of Saratoga’s most lethal offensive weapons this season. In the Racers’ first game against Herkimer in November, he racked up 27 points. The team has also been bolstered by impressive offensive outputs from Tobias Holmes, Harden, and Rosa.
Collectively, Saratoga has excelled from beyond the arc, shooting 17 for 32 (53%) in the first game against Herkimer and hitting 19 of 44 triples (43%) against the Vermont Coyotes on Nov. 23.
The Racers will return to the Riverside Center in Mechanicville on Jan. 24, which will be the first of six straight games played at home.
Prior to the start of this season, former Racers owner Keith Harrington sold the team to an ownership group led by Frank Polsinello, a Mechanicville native who relocated the team from its former home court at Saratoga Central Catholic.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — New Yorkers for Harness Racing, a harness racing education and advocacy organization, recently announced the launch of its website, www.newyorkersforharnessracing.com.
The site highlights harness racing’s economic impact on New York State, which currently hosts seven racetracks, including the one at the Saratoga Casino Hotel.
According to the organization, harness racing supports thousands of jobs and a statewide network of more than 100 breeding farms, training centers, and boarding facilities. A 2024 economic impact study by the Empire State Harness Horse Alliance estimates that the harness racing industry generates more than $400 million in economic activity for New York State annually. Some of these funds, the organization said, flow into local communities and thus benefit the agriculture, farm equipment, construction, animal health services, and tourism industries.
The Saratoga Casino Hotel is currently in the midst of its 84th season of live harness racing.
