SARATOGA SPRINGS — Goose—an indie groove jam band performing at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on July 3 and 4—will have a charity golf tournament at the Saratoga Spa Golf Course on the Fourth of July.
Dubbed “Red, White & Birdies,” the event is organized by the Western Sun Foundation, a fan-run charity that raised $7,500 from Goose fans two years ago at the “Goose on the Green” event and donated it to Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga. At the time, the amount was Western Sun’s “largest gift yet.”
In 2024, when Goose last performed at SPAC, Western Sun President Sarah Blazincic told Saratoga TODAY that Goose band members had been “very supportive” of the foundation’s initiative.
“We work with them side by side to make sure that we are doing things that they want to see,” Blazincic said.
On July 3 this summer, Goose will hit the SPAC stage with The Disco Biscuits as their opener. On July 4, they’ll be joined by Moe.
Goose’s history in Saratoga stretches back to at least 2018, when they opened for the Ryan Montbleau Band at Putnam Place. In 2013, the band’s keyboardist Peter Anspach attended a Phish concert at SPAC, camping out on the lawn with thousands of fellow fans. A decade later, when Goose hit the SPAC stage for the first time, Anspach told the crowd that “some of us have seen a lot of shows on that lawn right there and I’ll tell you what, it feels great to be on the stage. So, thank you so much for making it happen.”
For additional information about registering or sponsoring the “Red, White & Birdies” event, visit https://app.eventcaddy.com/events/2026-goose-golf-outing.
SPAC President Christopher Shiley leads a hardhat tour of the Spa Little Theater, which is currently in the midst of a year-long renovation and restoration project. A massive, floor-to-ceiling scaffolding system fills the theater space.
Photos by Super Source Media for Saratoga TODAY
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Spa Little Theater looked a little different on Tuesday.
Where there had once been 500 90-year-old seats now stood a massive scaffolding system that reached all the way to the chandeliered ceiling.
It took a month just to build the scaffolds, which were necessary because it was too difficult to use lifts on the theater’s uneven floor.
The radical change in the theater’s appearance is part of an ongoing $12 million renovation project that began in January. The theater, originally built in 1935 and designed to be a lecture hall, was taken over by the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) in 2022.
“Would you like to see the ceiling?,” asked SPAC President Christopher Shiley when Saratoga TODAY took a hardhat tour of the theater. “This may be the only time you’ll get to [be this close to] the ceiling of the Spa Little Theater.”
The answer was “yes.”
Roughly five flights of scaffold stairs up, a team of plasterers were patching and recoating the ceiling’s many cracks accrued over nearly a century. The chandeliers, original to the building, will be cleaned and restored.
The construction team will start with the ceiling and work their way down, eliminating layers of scaffolding as they descend to the floor. At the floor level, new seats will be installed. Those seats will be “more comfortable” replicas of the 90-year-old originals, Shiley said.
The theater will also get a major color overhaul, with the current weathered walls receiving a coat of deep red burgundy. The walls will also be partly covered with large, newly-created, Spa State Park-inspired woodland murals. Underneath the murals will be cove lighting that will “add a little bit of elegance,” Shiley said.
But the theater itself isn’t the only space undergoing big changes. A family restroom, patio, bar/cafe, and community room are all being created. The men’s room is also being expanded.
The cafe, formerly an artists’ room, will include windows overlooking the park, a bar, seating for about 50 people, and a total standing capacity of around 75 or 80.
“It’ll be a place where you can come in, get a drink, have a bite to eat, get ready for the show, and have more of a reason to get here early and experience the park and experience the theater,” Shiley said.
The community room will be a flex space, potentially used for artist meet and greets, special events, and overflow when additional concession space is needed. It’ll also lead out to the new patio.
The cafe and community room will allow community members to rent out space at the theater for events and meetings. Both rooms will be A/V equipped with speakers and monitors.
The greenroom and backstage space is being dramatically expanded, thanks in part to SPAC obtaining an area that used to be a breakroom for state park employees. The new greenroom will include a kitchenette, restroom and shower, an office, washer-dryer (no more midnight laundry runs), and two large dressing rooms that will have a total of 20 makeup stations ideal for theater and dance companies. A new loading entrance is also being created to make it easier for artists to bring their gear in and out.
All of this means that Spa Little Theater will be able to host larger and more frequent productions.
“When we presented dance companies in the past, I would spend a lot of time with them talking them through the space, getting them to think about how to adapt their shows, which is tricky [because] not every company is willing to do that,” Shiley said. “Their show is their show and not every company is able to take it and customize it for a space… Now, we’re much more readily available to accommodate their existing show as it is. That helps us do more programming as well because we can go from one show to the next much easier.”
The exterior entrance of the Spa Little Theater is also getting a facelift, though that project is being handled by the park, not SPAC. Work is expected to begin in June. Cracked infrastructure will be repaired and a permanent ADA ramp will be added. The ramp is one of several changes that will make the theater more ADA friendly to both guests and artists.
“The whole project is equal parts restoration and renovation,” Shiley said. “Everywhere we can, inside and out, [we’ll] keep original architecture, original fixtures, and elements. There are some places, as you can imagine with a 90-year-old building, where that just simply wasn’t possible. But certainly and particularly on the outside, our goal was to keep it as true to the original design and aesthetic as possible.”
The theater is on schedule for a planned December 2026 ribbon cutting.
Saratoga-based wine writer Kathleen Willcox at the Palace of Versailles during a recent work trip. Photo via Willcox’s Instagram, @kathleenwillcox.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Kathleen Willcox is a Saratoga Springs-based freelance wine writer with bylines at Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Wine Business Monthly, Food & Wine, Wine Searcher, and The Drinks Business, among many others. She’s also the author of the wine-centric Substack “Good + Tasty” and co-author of the book “Hudson Valley Wine: A History of Taste & Terroir.”
In other words, Kathleen knows a thing or two about juice.
Saratoga TODAY sought Kathleen’s expertise on the best local wine lists, shops, and vineyards. We were also curious to find out how she ended up at a Champagne tasting event at Versailles, mostly because we were jealous.
Q: What are your top picks for the best wine lists in Saratoga Springs?
A: There are several excellent ones, but I am particularly fond of Bocage and Kindred!
Q: What are your favorite bottle shops in the Saratoga area?
A: I absolutely love Sage Wine & Spirits. Owner Jes Rich has an excellent selection of New York, domestic, and international wines. Jes also prioritizes sustainably produced, independent, artisanal wines that truly reflect time and place.
Q: What are your favorite wineries in New York?
A: That is so hard. I’d say, for the old guard: Dr. Konstantin Frank. (The team there pioneered vitis vinifera and methode champenoise sparkling wine in the Finger Lakes.) For the newer wineries: Apollo’s Praise. If you see their Riesling or Cabernet Franc anywhere, grab it. A very talented young couple (Kelby James Russell and Julia Rose Hoyle) is behind the winery, and I’m inspired by their passion for making authentic, low-intervention wines, often from tiny, manually harvested blocks in their vineyard.
Q: What are the latest and greatest trending wines right now? In other words, what could I order to impress a sommelier?
A: Albarino!
Q: Have tariffs impacted wine imports in the U.S.? If so, what has the impact been?
A: It definitely has. We all see the impact of inflation and general economic confusion at the gas pump, at restaurants, and in the grocery store, and it’s the same thing for wineries. While consumption of wine is declining worldwide, the cost of business is going up, and their margins are getting ever thinner.
Q: I couldn’t help but notice you visited Versailles recently for a Laurent-Perrier Champagne event. What did you do there and how was the experience?
A: I loved it. I am low-key obsessed with the era of the Sun King and the French Revolution, so the opportunity to tour Versailles, check out the grounds, and get a deep dive into the history was priceless. Both the Sun King and Laurent-Perrier share a similar philosophy when it comes to creating things of beauty. In a nutshell: nature is almost perfect, and with human ingenuity, it can be made better. At Versailles, that meant using engineering and a new way of thinking about farming to create complex and harmonious garden spaces, cultivating fruits and vegetables (even oranges) for the first time in Northern France, and generally creating one of the most beautiful places on earth. (And yes, walking through the vast, ornate rooms of Versailles, I did understand some of the motivation for the Revolution too. The palace embodies gorgeous, gilded excess.) Laurent-Perrier, meanwhile, aims to craft transcendent Champagnes through careful farming and production practices that go far beyond what is generally done. Their Grand Siècle Champagne, for example, is the only Champagne that combines three separate vintages with the goal of creating the “perfect” vintage. Iteration No. 27 (blend of the years 2015, 2013, 2012) is about to hit the shelf in the U.S., and it is a perfect example of the Champagne House’s vision.
Photo via the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Brookmere—the 88-room hotel and spa located at the former site of Longfellows—officially reopened on April 30 as a Marriott Hotel. The occasion was marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.
Brookmere’s new name—Brookmere Saratoga & Arbor Spa, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel—is one of several name changes since the property opened on Dec. 18, 2024. First, it was referred to as Brookmere Hotel, then Brookmere Saratoga, and now the added “A Tribute Portfolio Hotel” reflects its new association with Marriott. According to Marriott, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel is one with “character” and “striking design moments, bold use of color, and noteworthy art installations.”
Located at 500 Union Ave, Brookmere also houses Regent Restaurant, a regionally inspired French brasserie spearheaded by Executive Chef Christopher Smith.
Longfellows was a popular local restaurant and hotel complex that closed its doors in Jan. 2023. The property sold for $4.9 million, according to county deed records.
GLENS FALLS — The Glens Falls Dragons—a collegiate baseball team that plays its home games at East Field Park—have stacked their 2026 roster with Saratoga-bred talent, including multiple state champions.
Tyler Weygand, currently a freshman pitcher at Barton College, graduated from Saratoga Central Catholic in 2025. He was part of the Saints team that captured the Class C state title last season. Weygand has made three appearances on the mound for Barton in 2026, registering 2.2 innings pitched.
Pierce Byrne, another 2025 state champ who will play for Siena University next year, has allowed only 2 earned runs in 15 innings for Spa Catholic this season. His ERA stands at 0.93 and he’s struck out 32 hitters while allowing only 4 walks. Byrne is a 6’2” right hander from Warrensburg with a fastball that can hit 88 mph. In previous seasons, he’s posted ERAs as low as 0.48 and 0.82, racking up more than 200 strikeouts in the process.
Ronan Rowe is another state champ Spa Catholic alum playing for the Dragons this summer. As a freshman at Oswego State this season, he’s seen limited playing time but has earned 3 walks in 5 at-bats, scoring 1 run.
Jack Rigabar is a senior at Saratoga Springs High School whose team won the Class AAA state title in 2025. The pitcher and third baseman, who will play for Yale University next year, has a .385 batting average with 5 doubles, 2 triples, and 2 homers this season. His fastball tops out around 80 mph, according to his Prep Baseball scouting profile.
Nick Sorbera, a catcher and third baseman from Ballston Spa, is currently a freshman at Barton, where he’s registered a hit, a run, and an RBI in just three at-bats this season.
Also joining the Dragons in 2026 is Colin Richardson, a Mechanicville grad now in his sophomore season at Adelphi University. Richardson, a pitcher, earned an ERA of 1.50 in 2025, allowing only 1 run in six innings of work. In 2026, he has a 5.40 ERA across 21.1 innings.
The Dragons will return for their 11th season with a home opener on Saturday, May 30 against the Saugerties Stallions.
Photo of Jaymes Hendricks, bass player and founding member of Goldtooth, provided by the band. “Hurt Feelings” album cover also provided by Goldtooth.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Goldtooth, a versatile band that traverses at least a handful of genres, releases its debut album “Hurt Feelings” on Friday, May 1.
Founding member and bassist/vocalist Jaymes Hendricks (aka Jimmy Hendricks) hails from none other than the Spa City.
“Hurt Feelings,” which Saratoga TODAY spun (or, technically clicked) for an early listen, veers into different directions sonically, allowing for more than a few surprises. The lead track, the cheekily named “Riffer Madness,” is catchy, angsty, and punk-ish. The second tune, “Bringing Her Down,” introduces an alt-country sound (there’s a reference to a pickup truck in the opening seconds).
“Gold Rush” is pop-punk and “Foolin’ You” takes an unexpectedly bluesy turn before things chill out with the acoustic-driven country ballad “Rodeo.” The album enters pop-country territory with “Emily” (which also sounds a bit reminiscent of the band Staind) before wrapping up with what could be described as a country-emo track, “All I Ever Wanted.”
No one can accuse “Hurt Feelings” of being ordinary (or boring).
Goldtooth, which labels itself as an alt-country/garage rock project, was built around Hendricks and guitarist/vocalist Jon Braught, who described his group’s debut album as “a big rock record with big guitars and singable songs, featuring collaborators from across New York and New England.” The album notes also describe “Hurt Feelings” as “party rock with a hangover of real-life melancholy.”
In addition to Hendricks and Braught, the band includes guitarist/vocalist Paul Martinez and drummer Dave Maclean.
“For the members of Goldtooth, ‘Hurt Feelings’ is the culmination of 20-plus years spent chasing songs, loading vans, and learning how much life can get in the way of a rock band—and why it is still worth fighting for,” the group said in a press release.
Goldtooth began as a long-distance project between Hendricks and Braught, who met as teenagers playing in New England. Their relationship survived Hendricks’ move to Saratoga Springs.
“Over three years of file swaps, rehearsals, and carefully planned sessions, eleven songs emerged that sounded like the record they’d always talked about making,” said the band. “Across the track list, you can hear four veterans of countless clubs and DIY rooms finally taking the time to get the songs right, despite careers, kids, and the geographic spread that makes every rehearsal a logistics puzzle.”
To celebrate the release of their debut album, Goldtooth is planning a series of performances across the Northeast. On May 2, they’ll take the stage at Harlow’s Pub in New Hampshire. For additional show announcements, fans can follow the band’s Instagram, @goldtoothstagram.
Attendees gather inside the Canfield Casino on April 16 for the Saratoga Springs History Museum’s “More Gangsters of Saratoga” program led by former Police Chief Greg Veitch. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Perhaps it’s not something to boast of, but the Spa City’s gangster-ridden past connects it to the 1919 World Series “Black Sox” scandal, the creation of Las Vegas, “The Godfather Part II,” and the formation of the Mafia itself.
In two recent lectures—“More Gangsters of Saratoga” by former Police Chief Greg Veitch and “Fixing Things: Arnold Rothstein in Saratoga” by former Daily Gazette reporter Stephen Williams—Saratoga’s supporting role in the story of organized crime was explored.
Veitch packed the opulent Canfield Casino with spectators while Williams delivered his talk to an attentive crowd at the Greenfield Community Center.
Both lecturers detailed the history of The Brook Club, an illegal gambling den and nightclub opened by Arnold Rothstein in 1919. The Brook was located on Church Street on the west side of Saratoga Springs, near the intersection of Church, Brook Road, and Locust Grove Road.
“Arnold Rothstein was the grandfather of organized crime,” Veitch said. “He taught all the other gangsters how to operate casinos, including Charles “Lucky” Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Dutch Schultz, Joe Adonis, and Frank Costello, who all as young men worked for Rothstein at the Brook resort.” (For those interested in seeing a fictional depiction of this crew, Rothstein, Luciano, and Lansky are prominently featured in the HBO series “Boardwalk Empire.”)
According to Williams, Rothstein began visiting Saratoga during the summer months in the early 1900s, providing financial backing to local casino operators. By 1917, he was interested in opening his own establishment. Not long after, construction of The Brook began.
“This was a very grand and palatial kind of place, the kind of place where there were no prices on the menu,” Williams said. “[An] ‘if you have to ask, you can’t afford it’ kind of restaurant. They would have very well-known entertainers coming in. The food, by all accounts, was excellent. It was where rich people went and you could flaunt your wealth.”
Rothstein tasked Lansky, then his young protegee, with working at The Brook. Lansky likely spun roulette wheels and operated other table games at the Spa City gambling den. (The Hyman Roth character in ‘The Godfather Part II’ is based on Lansky, and the name Roth was a nod to Rothstein, a detail revealed in one of the film’s deleted scenes.)
Veitch said he believes that it was Lansky who introduced the idea of a casino-resort to Bugsy Siegel, who then brought the concept to Las Vegas (though, other sources believe that Siegel was more inspired by gambling operations in Galveston, Texas).
“The Las Vegas casino-resort model was born on Church Street in Saratoga Springs,” Veitch said.
The Brook on Church Street also played a role in the infamous 1919 World Series, which was fixed (allegedly) by Rothstein. During the sordid affair, eight members of the Chicago White Sox were accused of intentionally losing the series in exchange for payments offered by organized crime figures.
Mont (or Monte) Tennes—a gambler from Chicago who operated a sports news wire service—was at the Brook in August of 1919. It’s here that Tennes claimed he started hearing rumors that the upcoming World Series would be fixed.
“[Tennes] says he heard it from Rothstein,” said Williams. “I am skeptical that Rothstein was that careless. But there were other gamblers there who may well have talked to this guy because he was always snooping around for inside information.”
Tennes was among a handful of witnesses targeted for questioning by sportswriter Hugh Fullerton, who helped uncover the Black Sox scandal.
Although Rothstein has long been suspected of orchestrating the fixed World Series, his precise involvement has been difficult to definitively prove.
“He knew something,” Williams said. “At the very least, he knows there’s a fix.”
Rothstein was also accused of manipulating or fixing horse races, including the 1921 Travers Stakes in Saratoga, which was won by Sporting Blood, a horse owned by Rothstein.
Four years later, Rothstein sold The Brook to his associate Nat Evans, who was also allegedly involved in the 1919 World Series fix. In November of 1934, Evans took out an insurance policy on the Brook, Williams said. In December of 1934, the Brook burned down.
Decades later, in 1953, Lansky’s one and only prison stint was at the Saratoga County jail, where he was sentenced to serve three months. According to the Mob Museum in Las Vegas, Lansky’s time in prison “was an anomaly, even beyond the fact it was the only time served during his criminal career. The incarceration, and subsequent release, received little if any publicity, thus leaving that short period behind bars with a dose of mystery. A notation tucked within Lansky’s FBI file states…that during incarceration, in July 1953, ‘he was also treated for a kidney infection in the Saratoga hospital.’”
More Spa City mob stories can be found in Veitch’s books “A Gangster’s Paradise” and “All the Law in the World Won’t Stop Them.” Williams also includes a story involving Lansky in his book “Off the Northway.”
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Friday, April 24 to celebrate the official reopening of the Ballston Spa National Bank headquarters on Front Street. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
BALLSTON SPA — Ballston Spa National Bank’s historic Front Street headquarters officially reopened after a year-long restoration project launched last year.
The building was originally constructed in 1824 as a private residence. It was established as a bank in 1838 and is now listed in the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places. The building is one of seven structures in Ballston Spa to be included on the National Register.
According to the bank, the rehabilitation project upgraded the branch’s interior while preserving the building’s historic elements. The branch includes a new ATM and Drive-Thru, modernized banking technology, restored architectural details, and accessibility improvements.
“The bank’s current footprint represents four distinct building campaigns, each component designed by architects with specialty in bank design, and each effort with a clear intention to respect the austere grandeur of the original federal-style building,” said Daniel Mackay, deputy commissioner for the New York State Historic Preservation Office, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony last Friday morning. “The exterior retains most of its original features [and] maintains a prominent and stately presence here on Front Street.”
“Many generations of customers have walked through these doors,” said the bank’s president and CEO Christopher Dowd. “Our intent was to honor the rich history of this building and to ensure that it meets the needs of today’s customers. Today, I am proud to say we have accomplished that goal.”
From left to right: Capital Region Chamber President and CEO Mark Eagan, Malta Town Supervisor Cynthia Young, and Saratoga Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Greg Connors at the Malta Community Center on April 29. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
MALTA — “Housing, I think, is the single biggest problem we have here in Malta; affordable housing and housing stock,” said Malta Town Supervisor Cynthia Young at the “Inside Malta” event on Wednesday.
“Housing availability and affordability is really our biggest challenge here, not only in [Saratoga] County but in the Capital Region,” said Saratoga Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Greg Connors.
Though many issues concerning Malta and Saratoga County were touched upon at the “Inside Malta” event organized by the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce, housing was a recurring theme.
According to statistics provided by Young, Malta currently has 5,300 single-family and two-family homes, which comprise 61% of its overall housing. It also has 2,600 apartment units and 735 manufactured homes.
Yet, the stock is insufficient, as anyone looking to buy a residence in Malta (or Saratoga County at large) can attest.
“Our children can’t come back and buy a house in Malta,” Young said. “My son has been looking to buy a house someplace in Saratoga County, and they probably bid on 10 houses, and they offer above the asking price, and for every single one of them, they’ve been outbid.”
Malta has approved an additional 11 housing projects with 750 total units, but only three of those projects are currently under construction, Young said.
Part of the housing issues stem from an aging population (many downstate retirees are moving north). Simultaneously, the school district enrollments are declining, indicating that Malta lacks younger families.
“I don’t think that’s a healthy environment for any municipality,” Young said. “We might think of ourselves as a family town, but it’s tough for families to afford our homes.”
One event attendee said that an ongoing problem is that exorbitant fees are incurred before a new house even breaks ground. Another cited tiny homes as a possible solution. A third wondered if short-term rentals might be having an outsized impact on housing stock.
Connors said that there are around 2,000 short-term rentals in Saratoga County.
“One of the things about short-term rentals is we don’t really want to necessarily discourage them because it’s an active part of our tourism, and tourism is a big part of the entire county,” Young said. “But one of the things that we also don’t want is a bunch of LLCs just owning our housing stock for short-term rentals because that takes the housing stock away from people who want to live here.”
Young said that she wants to encourage the type of short-term rentals that allow homeowners to rent out their property for a month or so and then utilize that additional income to help afford their home.
Both Young and Connors expressed concern that short-term rental properties are not properly inspected, with Connors citing a recent example of a mother and her child dying in a fire inside a short-term rental property on Long Island that lacked smoke detectors and emergency exits.
One event attendee asked Young and Connors if there was a way to get locals to be less resistant to the creation of new housing stock, especially apartment complexes. Young and Connors didn’t have an easy answer, but Connors said that communication was key.
“The scale is important,” Connors said. “When a developer comes into the town and mentions a number like 900 units, that stuns those of us who live here. It’s not that we don’t want to welcome new people, but… They’ve got to be a little bit more sensitive with the scale of projects that they bring in because the public perception is key.”
Camdyn Hull with his trainer Tyrone Jackson at the 2026 Buffalo Golden Gloves earlier this month. Photo provided.
BUFFALO — Saratoga Springs High School senior Camdyn Hull captured a championship title after defeating Buffalo’s Rocco Marchione at the 2026 Buffalo Golden Gloves event on April 12.
Hull won the 16-17 year-old, 132-pound final bout by unanimous decision. The fight was a draw heading into the last round, when Hull pulled off the victory.
“It was pretty one-sided,” said Hull’s dad Billy, who witnessed the fight.
Hull’s first boxing match occurred when he was just nine years old. He trains with local boxing coach Tyrone Jackson, who has been working with Hull for the past few years.
“He’s very dedicated to the game,” Jackson told Saratoga TODAY. “That’s what makes me interested in training him. I know he’s going to put in the work. He dedicates himself to it.”
Hull’s passion for the sport, his dad said, centers around accountability.
“You can’t blame a team,” Billy said. “It’s all him.”
Next up for Hull is a King of the Ring tournament in New England, followed by another tournament in California. Once he turns 18, more options will be available to him. But until then, “we’re going to keep going and see how far he can go,” said Billy.
