Mike Farris performs at The Parting Glass in Saratoga Springs on Nov. 14 as part of a co-headling “Heavyweights of Soul” show with Sugaray Rayford. Photo by Stefanie Waldek.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Mike Farris, who won a Grammy Award in 2014 for Best Roots Gospel Album, sung SPAC’s praises last Friday night during a performance at The Parting Glass.
“[The Saratoga Performing Arts Center] may be the most beautiful amphitheater in the country—in the world,” Farris said on stage.
The founder and lead singer of the Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies also shared amusing stories of his life on the road with the Allman Brothers and Meatloaf.
Once when he was a young musician opening for the Allmans, Farris eagerly waited around prior to a show to hear the legendary group’s sound check.
“Finally, I couldn’t wait any longer so I walked up to the stage and there were several roadies standing there,” Farris said. “And I go, ‘Hey, so are you guys gonna sound check?’ And they were like, ‘We don’t sound check, man.’ And he handed me a joint, and I was like, ‘This is paradise.’”
Farris co-headlined at Parting Glass with Sugaray Rayford, whose 2019 album, “Somebody Save Me,” was nominated for a Best Contemporary Blues Album Grammy.
Farris’ latest album, “The Sound of Muscle Shoals,” was released earlier this year.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Three new artists have been added to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s 2026 lineup: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Foreigner, and Parker McCollum.
Skynyrd and Foreigner will perform together as part of their “Double Trouble Vision” tour. Six Gun Sally, a Southern rock band, will open for the co-headliners on Aug. 23.
Skynyrd is a legendary Southern rock group known for their classics “Free Bird” and “Sweet Home Alabama.” Ronnie Van Zant, the group’s lead singer and songwriter, was tragically killed in a plane crash in 1977. After a decade-long hiatus, the band reformed with Van Zant’s younger brother Johnny taking over vocal duties. Since then, the rockers have been touring off and on, playing at the New York State Fair in Syracuse as recently as Aug. 28, 2025.
Foreigner ranks as one of the best-selling groups of all time, having moved at least 50 million certified units in their nearly 50-year career. The power ballads “I Want to Know What Love Is” and “Waiting for a Girl Like You” are among the best-known songs of the 1980s.
McCollum is a rising country artist who won New Male Artist of the Year from the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2022. His latest eponymous album, released in June 2025, has been regarded as the most personal and introspective of his career thus far. He’ll hit the SPAC stage on Sept. 5.
The poster for Saratoga New Year’s Eve 2026 is unveiled during a press event at the Universal Preservation Hall on Nov. 18. The poster was designed by Rebecca Vickery. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Allman Betts Band will headline Saratoga’s 2026 New Year’s Eve festivities as part of an all-night music lineup spread across three venues.
The largest venue, the Saratoga Springs City Center, will host Allman Betts (a Southern rock group that includes the sons of three members of the Allman Brothers Band), Ally the Piper (an internet-famous bagpipe player), Kieran Rhodes (a singer/pianist featured on “America’s Got Talent”), Doc Horton (a Capital Region pop-soul performer), Heard (a world music/jazz collective), Glass Pony (a “psychedelic groove circus” group from Albany), and Maggie Doherty (a Saratoga-based singer/songwriter).
Indie pop band the Nicotine Dolls will play at the Universal Preservation Hall, with Troy-based act The Belle Curves opening.
At Caffe Lena, indie-folk/Americana ensemble Reese Fulmer and the Carriage House Band will take the stage. The caffe’s Executive Director Sarah Craig described the group as a younger, up-and-coming version of the Allman Betts Band.
In addition to a full night of music, Saratoga’s New Year’s Eve festivities will launch (literally and figuratively) with a fireworks display at the City Center accompanied by DJ RVMBA outside on Ellsworth Jones Place. This portion of the event, held from 5 to 6:30 p.m., is family friendly and free to attend.
The ‘Toga party will wrap up on the morning of New Year’s Day with the Saratoga First Day 5K at 11 a.m. Participants can run and/or walk through Broadway, the city’s residential East Side, and the Spring Run Trail.
“From the festive fireworks to the First Day 5K – and a whole lot of outstanding entertainment options in between, Saratoga New Year’s Eve offers an incredible New Year’s celebration with something for everyone,” said Todd Shimkus, president of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. “We hope folks will join us to ring in 2026 by partaking in this beloved Saratoga tradition.”
“Since moving the fireworks earlier, the New Year’s celebration accommodates both families as well as nightlife revelers to the wonderful hometown feel of our beautiful downtown,” said Saratoga Springs Mayor John Safford. “Come early or late; you will find New Year’s Eve in Saratoga Springs to be a singular unique experience.”
Tickets for the music acts are now on sale at www.saratoganye.com. Additional information, including a full entertainment schedule, is also available on the website.
Early online registration for the 5K is encouraged and available at fc4events.com. The registration fee includes an event shirt and competitive awards. Late registration opportunities will be available on the day of the race.
Photo of the exterior of the forthcoming AC Hotel by Marriott Saratoga Springs via the company.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The AC Hotel by Marriott Saratoga Springs will officially open in December.
A series of social media posts by the hotel indicated the opening timeline, although a specific date has not yet been publicly announced.
According to the hotel’s website, the location will include a meeting space, fitness center, lounge, and coffee house.
The AC Hotel is located at the former site of the Turf & Spa Motel on South Broadway. In February of 2024, Bonacio Construction broke ground on the project.
The four-story hotel will feature 120 rooms and underground parking.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The bar Pint Sized by Dive officially opened its new location on Nov. 13 at 33 Phila Street, the former home of Mittler’s.
Pint Sized’s original location at 489 Broadway will remain open until the end of this year.
The new location on Phila is open seven days a week and includes a Herbie’s Burgers location, pool table, dart board, six arcade cabinets, and lots of TVs. A dance party with 1960’s soul, Motown, ska, and R&B tunes is already scheduled for New Year’s Eve.
“With so much extra space, our focus was on how to make the place as fun as possible,” said August Rosa, owner of Pint Sized. “I opted for games and ideas that would engage guests. I wanted to keep the space as open as possible, fostering the congregation that you would see in a classic pub.”
Herbie’s is a fast-growing smash burger chain founded in Albany in 2021. The company has seven locations outside of Saratoga, including three in Albany and one in Clifton Park.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Nov. 13, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that Regeneron Pharmaceuticals—a biotechnology company that invents, develops, and manufactures medicines—will create 1,000 new jobs as part of a $2 billion investment in its facility in Saratoga Springs.
Last year, Regeneron purchased the former Quad Graphics printing facility at 56 Duplainville Road. The more than one-million-square-foot property will be repurposed, with potential for additional expansion, the governor said in a press release. Quad Graphics closed its facility in May of 2024.
“For decades, Regeneron has been one of our great success stories — now, they are doubling down by creating 1,000 good paying jobs and expanding the biotech industry that transforms lives across the world,” Governor Hochul said. “Regeneron’s choice to once again invest in New York State is proof that our continued commitment to innovation and talent is working. New Yorkers deserve the incredible momentum we are seeing in advanced manufacturing and life sciences.”
According to a corporate fact sheet, Regeneron has more than 15,000 employees worldwide. The company has offices scattered across the globe, including its headquarters in Tarrytown and an industrial operations and product supply facility in Rensselaer.
The company’s new facility in Saratoga will allow it to nearly double its existing manufacturing capacity in New York State, the governor said. The project is expected to support approximately 500 short-term design and construction jobs, and create at least 1,000 full-time, permanent jobs.
“This is incredibly exciting news for Saratoga Springs and the entire Capital Region,” said Saratoga Springs Mayor John Safford. “Regeneron’s decision to invest here underscores the strength of our community, our workforce, and the county’s growing reputation as a hub for innovation and advanced manufacturing. A project of this scale will not only create good-paying jobs but also generate significant economic opportunity for local businesses and residents. We look forward to working with Regeneron and our county and state partners to ensure this investment brings long-term benefits to Saratoga Springs and the region.”
“The Regeneron new investment in Saratoga County will be among the largest commercial investments, both in money and job creation, in Saratoga County history, surpassed only by the GlobalFoundries investment of $15 billion dollars in the Towns of Malta and Stillwater,” added Saratoga Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Greg Connors.
Regeneron has been expanding its presence in the Capital Region. In addition to news of its investment in the new Saratoga facility, the company also received the Foundation Leadership Award from Hudson Valley Community College on Nov. 12. Some of the company’s staffers also helped build and mark trails at Saratoga PLAN’s recently-opened Curtis Preserve in Corinth as part of Regeneron’s “Day for Doing Good,” an annual global volunteer event.
In 2020, Regeneron made national headlines when it signed a $450 million contract with the U.S. government to manufacture and supply REGN-COV2, a double-antibody cocktail designed to combat the coronavirus. The cocktail was administered to President Donald Trump when he was infected with COVID-19 in Oct. 2020.
The firm has received a number of accolades, including Time Magazine’s “World’s Most Sustainable Companies,” and U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Companies to Work For.”
Saratoga Springs girls varsity swim and dive seniors pose with the Section 2 championship plaque. Photo provided by Joshua Muldner.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — In the career of an athlete or coach, moments of pure ecstasy can be few and far between, if indeed they happen at all. Perhaps someone who has devoted much of their life to baseball will experience the otherworldly sensation of a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth of a championship game. Maybe a football star will feel the thrill of catching a game-winning Hail Mary pass in the endzone as the final seconds of the fourth quarter tick off the clock. For many, these are just dreams. But for the Saratoga Springs girls swim and dive team, the fantasies have been fulfilled.
“There were points where we questioned whether we’d ever be able to bring home a championship for Saratoga,” said the team’s Head Coach Joshua Muldner. “Many of us were pretty teary after that… It was really, really emotional.”
The seemingly impossible moment arrived last weekend, when the swim and dive squad won its first Section 2 championship in 23 years after an undefeated regular season. The Blue Streaks defeated Niskayuna with a total score of 434, 70 points better than the runners-up. After securing the title, Muldner and his staff of volunteer coaches lept into the pool to join their victorious athletes.
It was the culmination of a season that opened with back-to-back victories against Niskayuna and Shenendehowa, two schools that historically have been tough challengers for Saratoga. Throughout the year, records were shattered and names were added to the history books, with eight athletes making the list of all-time top times.
“This was a magical team season,” Muldner said in a statement. “Although there are a lot of individual and relay highlights, I really believe the biggest accomplishment was getting contributions from every team member. We don’t beat Shen or Nisky in dual meets or at sectionals without extraordinary contributions from each member of the team. We did not focus on going undefeated or winning a sectional title. In fact, we never spoke about these things as a group. Instead, these athletes zeroed in on what they could control. They trusted the process, focusing on the little things, and the results followed.”
At sectionals, the Blue Streaks earned state-qualifying times in the 200-yard medley relay, the 100 backstroke, the 100 breaststroke, and diving. Victoria Lill will head to states after finishing second in the backstroke with a time of 58.95 seconds. Saturn Cogan will also make the trip to the state championship thanks to her 100-breaststroke time of 1:08.51. The medley relay team of Lill, Cogan, Cadhla Weil, and Catherine Kim also qualified. These four athletes joined divers Gianna DiMaggio and Amelia Covey in qualifying for the New York State Championship meet scheduled to take place on Nov. 21 and 22. (The last time Saratoga sent two divers to states was in 2019.)
Also at the sectional meet, senior DiMaggio scored a 531.70 at the 11-dive, which was more than 45 points higher than the diver who finished second. Covey scored an impressive 465.25, earning fifth place.
During the regular season, DiMaggio broke school records at both Schenectady (6-dive meet) and Bethlehem (11-dive meet). This is in addition to her shattering her own Saratoga Springs High School record. DiMaggio is now ranked 4th in the state for 6-dives and tied for 7th in New York for 11-dives. She has been recruited by the University of Richmond, where she will continue her diving career next fall as part of a Division 1 NCAA program.
“It’s funny, there weren’t as many nerves as I thought there would be with a brand new group of girls,” Muldner said. “They really stepped up. I think they were excited. I think they trusted each other.”
Trust is a crucial part of Muldner’s program, and his mantra is “trust the process.” He credited this “positive and team-oriented mindset” with helping the Blue Streaks acquire both their undefeated season and a sectional title.
“Throughout this season, the coaching staff was continually impressed by our team’s exceptional work ethic, their ability to listen and learn, and their willingness to trust the process,” Muldner said. “This was one of the most fun and rewarding teams [the coaches] ever had the privilege to coach.”
Muldner added: “The 2025 season will be remembered by coaches, athletes, and families as one of the most extraordinary in Saratoga Springs swim and dive history. A dynamic blend of experienced, high-performing veterans and a talented group of new athletes came together to form a unified, driven, and record-breaking team—one that truly embodies the best of what high school student athletics can be.”
Highlights from the 2025 swim and dive season included:
5 new freshman records
200 Medley Relay: 10/11/25 at Albany – Time: 1:59.64
Victoria Lill: 29.19
Skylar Panetta: 34.93
Catherine Kim: 28.87
Maeve Moynahan: 26.65
200 Free Relay – 09/30/25 at Skidmore – Time 1:48.16
Victoria Lill – 26.41
Maeve Moynahan – 27.38
Skylar Panetta – 28.01
Catherin Kim – 26.36
400 Medley Relay – 10/8/2025 at Schenectady – Time: 3:57.31
Skylar Panetta – 1:00.27
Victoria Lill – 59.32
Catherine Kim – 59.39
Maeve Moynahan – 58.33
100 Backstroke – 11/8/25 at Shen – Time: 58.95
200 IM – Skylar Panetta – 11/7/25 at Shen – Time: 2:15.29
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The short days and long nights of autumn have arrived, but a dream of spring persists: A heap of artists have joined the Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s 2026 lineup.
The acts, favorites among Gen X-ers and Millenials, include summer concert specialists O.A.R., laid-back singer-songwriter Jack Johnson, pop-rockers Train, and alternative group Barenaked Ladies.
Johnson will perform (with opener Hermanos Gutiérrez) on Jun. 24; Train and Barenaked Ladies will hit the SPAC stage on Jul. 22; and O.A.R.’s “Three Decades Tour” will arrive on Sept. 19 with Gavin DeGraw and KT Tunstall opening.
The acts joined Cake, another Gen X and Millennial favorite, in SPAC’s spring/summer lineup, which now includes a total of five announced shows.
The crowd at the sold-out 2024 McKrells Christmas show at the Parting Glass in Saratoga Springs. Photos provided by Anthony Mangano-Delaney.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The hallway that connects The Parting Glass’ front bar with a backroom stage is decorated with fading images of musicians who once performed at the venue. The talent that graced the Irish pub’s stage includes Alison Kraus (winner of 27 Grammy Awards), Bela Fleck (17-time Grammy winner), and legendary folk group The Kingston Trio.
But it’s been some time since these artists visited a place that, well into the 21st century, was still outfitted with 1980s and 90s analog gear. One Parting Glass regular, Anthony Mangano-Delaney, used to gaze at the worn images of nationally touring musicians on the walls and wonder if perhaps his local watering hole wasn’t due for a resurgence.
In November of 2024, Mangano-Delaney created Fast Tony Productions, a company that for the past year has been booking, promoting, and staging concerts at the Parting Glass. It was the long-time music enthusiast’s first foray into the actual music business. Despite this, he’s already sold thousands of tickets to nearly two dozen shows, while also handling all the lights, sound, and event production himself.
“There’s never been one show that just went totally smooth, uneventful, or unsurprising,” Mangano-Delaney told Saratoga TODAY. “There’s always something new that pops up, which, in a way, that’s why I continue to do it and enjoy doing it. There’s always a new challenge.”
One of the self-taught promoter’s first orders of business was updating Parting Glass’ equipment. He moved the old school analog gear up to a section of the attic that he calls “The Parting Glass Museum” and replaced it with new speakers and mixing boards. Now, the venue boasts equipment that meets modern-day touring standards. Musicians coming from larger venues in places like New York City can simply plug in and play.
“Life isn’t easy on the road for theater acts these days, let alone acts that are in smaller clubs and bigger bars,” Mangano-Delaney said. “So to be able to give them five-star treatment, to give them a great artists’ area, great hospitality, a full menu, everything you could want to drink…a great sound check, a great place to rest—it’s good to be able to offer that to people.”
Mangano-Delaney said that the revamped Parting Glass has impressed visiting bands enough that most have either returned or plan to return.
Among the acts booked thus far are veteran rocker Pat Travers, Irish-American band the Young Dubliners, and Jimmy Vivino, leader of the house band featured on Conan O’Brien’s late-night talk show.
Next up on the schedule is a Nov. 14 co-headling “Heavyweights of Soul” show featuring Grammy winner Mike Farris and Grammy nominee Sugaray Rayford; a Dec. 10 concert with Curtis Salgado, the real-life inspiration behind John Belushi’s Blues Brothers characters; a Dec. 21-23 McKrells Christmas residency; a Jan. 13 show with Tantric, who are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their certified gold debut album; and a Jan. 23 performance by five-time Grammy nominees Professor Louie & the Crowmatix, whose frontman produced three of The Band’s studio albums.
It’s a busy lineup, but for Mangano-Delaney, the juice is worth the squeeze.
“When you wrap up a show, the house lights come on, you put on the house music, and you have people coming up wanting to shake your hand and wanting to give you a hug,” Mangano-Delaney said. “I like to see the smiles on their faces and know that the same passion that I have, I’m able to share that and see other people’s faces light up. That’s really cool for me.”
Saratoga PLAN and the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 23 to celebrate the opening of the Curtis Preserve in Corinth. Photo by Super Source Media for Saratoga TODAY.
CORINTH — The Curtis Preserve—a 127-acre, permanently protected plot of land that includes three trails near the edge of Adirondack Park—was officially opened by Saratoga PLAN (Preserving Land and Nature) last month.
The preserve includes about 1.7 miles of trails, as well as a flowing brook that winds through a forest filled with red oak, white pine, and eastern hemlocks. Saratoga PLAN called the preserve a “critical wildlife habitat” that serves as an “important link for regional wildlife connectivity.”
The preserve was made possible thanks to a donation by Patricia LeClair and her family. LeClair and her neighbor Mary Curtis both loved the woods that connected their properties. After the Curtises passed away, LeClair inherited their land and later chose to donate 127 acres to Saratoga PLAN.
“I walked those woods for many years and I hope that people will enjoy them as much as I did,” LeClair said in a statement.
“The LeClair family has made an outstanding gift to the community, helping to ensure the property’s ecological, educational, historic, recreational, and scenic values are maintained for generations to come,” said Saratoga PLAN.
In addition to LeClair’s donation, Saratoga PLAN credited local community members and organizations with helping to create the preserve. The property’s three trails were built and marked by PLAN staffers and volunteers, including participants from Regeneron’s “Day for Doing Good” (Regeneron is a pharmaceuticals company that purchased the former Quad Graphics printing facility in Saratoga Springs last year).
Locals also provided feedback via surveys that helped inform decisions about public access. For example, the land had historically been used for horseback riding, and local equestrians helped ensure that the new preserve would continue to be available to horses.
Financial support for the project came from the Saratoga County Trails & Open Space Committee’s Farmland Protection and Open Space Grant Program, which contributed nearly $33,000 to cover transactional costs. The Nature Conservancy’s Climate Resilience Grant Program added another $25,000 toward future stewardship needs.
“The Curtis Preserve is a great example of how we can come together to protect land that connects people to nature,” said Rob Davies, executive director of Saratoga PLAN.
This preserve is open to the public from dawn to dusk for nature study, walking, snowshoeing, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. To learn more about the preserve or to download a trail map, visit www.saratogaplan.org/curtispreserve.
