SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) announces that its popular “Sounds of the Season” holiday series will return from Dec. 13-15 in Spa Little Theater with genre-defying trio Time for Three (Dec. 13), Damien Sneed (Dec. 14) leading “A Gospel Holiday” celebration, and GRAMMY-nominated vocal ensemble VOCES8 (Dec. 15).
“Our ‘Sounds of the Season’ concerts, which feature artists that span everything from classical to jazz, gospel and pop, have quickly become an adored holiday tradition in our region. We look forward to bringing our community together in the intimate Spa Little Theater for this weekend of celebration,” said Elizabeth Sobol, President and CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center, in a statement.
Kicking off the series is Time For Three, back by popular demand following their “Sounds of the Season” appearance in 2023. Known for energetic performances that seamlessly merge classical, Americana, modern pop, and singer-songwriter styles, the trio will bring special arrangements of holiday favorites alongside original music.
Making his return to the Spa Little Theater stage on Dec. 14 is multi-genre recording artist and instrumentalist Damien Sneed alongside his band. Sneed will present his new production of “A Gospel Holiday” featuring his original arrangements of gospel, jazz, and classical holiday favorites including Silent Night, The Christmas Song and Jesus, Oh What A Wonderful Child.
The “Sounds of the Season” series will culminate on Dec. 15 with British vocal ensemble VOCES8 for its “Winter Tales” program. Following their SPAC debut in 2019, the a cappella group will perform a mix of holiday music.
GLENS FALLS — Glens Falls Symphony to Perform Holiday Pops Concert at 4 p.m. Dec. 8, located at Glens Falls High School Auditorium 10 Quade St., Glens Falls.
Selections include “Christmas Festival,” selections from the Nutcracker including Trepak, Waltz of the Flowers, Spanish Dance, and the Dance of the Reed Flutes.
The orchestra will be joined on stage by dancers from Saratoga Springs Youth Ballet performing selections from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, performed by dancers from Saratoga Springs Youth Ballet. Also joining the orchestra will be many voices of choral singers from South Glens Falls High School and Warrensburg Central School.
Also on the program are the “Procession of the Nobles” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov, music by English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, “Feliz Navidad,” “Festive Sounds of Hanukkah,” “For the Beauty of the Earth,” by John Rutter, sing-along carols, and the perennial favorite, “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson.
Stendardi, Congress Park Carousel, Spa Fine Art Gallery Small Works Show. Photo provided.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Several hundred small original works by over 30 local artists are on display at Spa Fine Art Gallery’s annual Small Works Show, which runs through Dec. 31.
All paintings exhibited are under $500, featuring a variety of subjects and styles.
Spa Fine Art Gallery is located at 376 Broadway in Saratoga Springs. For more information, call 518-587-2411 or email: Spafineart@aol.com.
WILTON — Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park’s biweekly fiber arts meetup gets festive in December with an opportunity to connect with fellow nature-loving crafters to celebrate the beauty of the season.
Join the Wilton Wildlife staff twice a month for Hooked on Nature to share your WIPs (works-in-progress) in any fiber medium.
The holiday-themed meetings take place 6-7:30 p.m. on Dec. 5 and 19, at the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park Office, located at 80 Scout Road in Wilton.
Registration is highly recommended at least one day in advance. To register, visit the website at www.wiltonpreserve.org. For more information, call the Wilton Wildlife office at 518-450-0321 or email info@wiltonpreserve.org.
HUDSON FALLS — At 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 5, the Strand Theatre welcomes the show The Poet and The Painter.
The marriage of artistry, The Poet and the Painter are two sisters seeking to edify their audience with an authentic demonstration of art translating art.
Petra Shortte (Opened Book) is a contemporary painter derived from translating her personal journal with imagery. Jedidiah Shortte also known as Sola, is a singer-songwriter who is eager to grasp all humility from her love of music.
Features a live music soloist performing simultaneously with a live painting. Will they be able to have an understanding through a conversation between a voice and a paintbrush?
Artists are invited to bring their own sketch pads and pencils for the experience. Raffles are provided for those who’ve come to admire art and would like to take a piece home.
Tickets: $18/adults, $12/kids 15 and under. Tickets are available at the Strand Box Office; cash or check only or online at Brown Paper Tickets.
Doors into the lobby, coffee shop and box office open at 5:30 p.m. For more information and the ticketing link, go to: www.mystrandtheatre.org. The Strand Theatre is located at 210 Main St, Hudson Falls, NY.
Photo (above) provided by Scotch Ridge Tree & Berry Farm. Items like these are available now through the holidays!
Thanksgiving typically yields a lot of leftovers and there are many traditional recipes to explore and put the leftover turkey, along with other items from the dinner table, to good use;
Old-fashioned Turkey Sandwich
Turkey pot pie
Turkey vegetable soup
Turkey a la king
Turkey nuggets
Shepherds’ pie
There are also some not so traditional ways to serve left-over turkey that are equally delicious and add an interesting twist of flavor to the plate (or the bowl).
Turkey pho (a twist on a Vietnamese soup)
Pulled BBQ turkey sandwiches
Turkey enchiladas
Turkey Tacos
Italian tortellini soup with turkey
Turkey Chili
However, if you’re ‘turkied’ out, then freezing is a viable solution to salvaging the left-overs. If possible, use vacuum sealer bags, but the freezer bags will work. Try to remove as much air as possible before sealing the bag and freezing the turkey.
It’s a good idea to think about how you plan to use the turkey before freezing it so that you can measure, package and label it for a quick thaw and use. Once the cooked turkey has been thawed for a recipe, it cannot be re-frozen. It’s best to use your frozen, cooked turkey within two to four months. And plan for all of your cooked turkey to be used, or frozen, within five days of the big holiday.
Small Business Saturdays
While the Saturday after Thanksgiving is traditionally known, and celebrated, as ‘Small Business Saturday’, every Saturday is a Small Business Saturday at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. Last week the market started hosting local authors, artisans and crafters. They are joining the 50+ regular vendors at the market now through December 21st but are not there weekly like the regular vendors which makes shopping a fun surprise through the holidays.
The market is comprised of a combination of locally grown and produced goods by local farms and businesses, and there are many opportunities at the market to support local through your gift-giving.
The market also offers gift certificates that make fantastic gifts that can be gifted alone or with market merchandise. The market currently is selling long-sleeved teeshirts on sale for $20 each and insulated tote bags for $15 each. There is local music weekly at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.
The Saratoga Farmer’s Market is open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Wilton Mall in the food court area. The Holiday/Winter Market takes place from November 2nd through April 26th. Find us online a www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @SaratogaFarmersMarket.
Turkey Pho
Yields: 8 servings | Prep & cook time: 15 min
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
4 cloves
4 whole star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1-quart homemade turkey stock (or homemade or store-bought chicken stock)
1 tablespoon chopped green onions (white parts only)
1/2 lime, cut into wedges
1 dash sriracha chili sauce to taste
Instructions:
Toast the spices by heating a cast-iron skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Add the coriander seeds, cloves, star anise, and cinnamon stick and toast until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Immediately spoon out the spices into a bowl to avoid burning them and set aside.
In a large pot, add the toasted spices and all ingredients from stock through fish sauce and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes, skimming the surface frequently.
Taste the broth and add more sugar or fish sauce, if needed. Strain the broth and discard the solids. Add the kale and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Remove from heat.
Add the shredded turkey and the cellophane noodles. Allow to sit for a few minutes while the noodles soften.
Ladle the broth into bowls. Divide the kale, shredded turkey and the noodles evenly into each bowl.
Sprinkle on the garnishes (cilantro and onion) and add sriracha to taste. Squeeze lime juice to taste over the top of your bowl before eating.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Families at the Waldorf School’s Forest Kindergarten acknowledged the waning hours of daylight last week by lighting a bonfire and then venturing through woodland trails carrying paper lanterns. The autumn ritual, which originated with the medieval celebration of Martinmas on November 11th, is still recognised throughout northern Europe and also at Waldorf schools across America. Waldorf education incorporates many traditional festivals honoring the changing seasons as a way to stay connected to the cycles of nature.
Physician Assistant students from Touro University celebrate after winning the 2024 New York State Society of Physician Associates Medical Challenge Bowl. Photo provided by Touro.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Hilton and City Center in Saratoga Springs hosted the 2024 New York State Society of Physician Associates annual conference earlier this month, the highlight of which was the Medical Challenge Bowl. The “Jeopardy”-esque competition features Physician Assistant students from 16 colleges across the state. This year’s champs hailed from the Touro University School of Health Sciences, a private Jewish university based in New York City.
“The whole weekend was a great experience, and the Challenge Bowl was a super fun and competitive event, as well as an awesome opportunity to prove how much we’ve learned in our studies,” said Touro student Katherine Lee.
Previous Challenge Bowl winners have included Marist College (2023 and 2020) and Albany Medical College (2021, 2018, 2017).
Skidmore College alumna Leighla Waterman ‘21, now works as a consumer insights analyst for the NFL’s New Orleans Saints and the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans. Photo provided by Leighla Waterman/Skidmore College.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Skidmore College alumna Leighla Waterman, who graduated in 2021, now works as a consumer insights analyst for the National Football League’s New Orleans Saints and the National Basketball League’s New Orleans Pelicans. She is promoting the growth of the two teams, which are co-owned, by using data to enhance fan satisfaction and ultimately the teams’ bottom lines.
After graduating from Skidmore, Waterman landed a job as an instructor at Yale Young Global Scholars, developing and teaching seminars on domestic and foreign policy, economics, and political theory, while also mentoring students.
Recognizing the importance of data analytics to governments, think tanks, and campaign work, Waterman decided she could make a “tangible impact” by pursuing a master’s degree in data analytics at Tulane University.
“Embracing data wasn’t as hard as you might think, because Skidmore encourages critical and analytical thinking,” Waterman told her alma mater.
She initially intended to pursue policy work in Washington, D.C., but ended up landing a data analyst position at Delgado Community College in New Orleans instead. Never a huge sports fan, she was intrigued when the opportunity with the Saints became available.
“During my job interview, I was asked if I could name any of their players and I said, ‘No, I don’t follow sports that closely,’” she said. “But if you live in New Orleans for any period of time, you know the Saints are a big deal.”
For the Saints, Waterman is using machine learning to construct models for enhancing ticket sales. She tracks social media metrics across different platforms, and she recently automated the social media report and uses it to make predictions. During her first year on the job, she collaborated with the NFL to execute a season-long Saints fan experience study that provided an in-depth visual look into the Superdome gameday experience. She has also led the development of the companies’ new charitable giving request system, enabling the two teams to assess and respond to requests for donations.
“The Saints and increasingly the Pelicans are embedded in the New Orleans and Gulf South region communities,” Waterman said. “I’m honored to lead the charitable giving request system, and the better I do, the better off the community is.”
