SARATOGA SPRINGS — Connecticut-based rock quintet Goose have announced more headlining tour dates in 2024.
The newly announced run begins at Holmdel, NJ’s PNC Bank Art Center on Sept. 1, and plays two shows at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Sept. 6 & 7.
For more information and tickets, go to: livenation.com.
SARATOGA SPRINGS —Two-time Grammy nominee Raul Midón will perform at Caffe Lena at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 28.
The blind singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist – an advocate for artists and professionals in the entertainment biz with disabilities – comes to town with a new, 10-song album “Lost & Found.”
Midón is joined on the album, released April 26, by friends Andrés Forero (Hamilton, Phish, U2) on Drums & Percussion, Richard Hammond (Hamilton) on bass, and Federico Peña (Black Generations Project) on keyboards & piano.
More information, tickets, go to: caffelena.org.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Dan Navarro will stage a workshop and a show at Caffe Lena on May 3.
Navarro’s career began as a songwriter, most often with Eric Lowen, for artists as diverse as Pat Benatar, The Bangles, Jackson Browne, Dave Edmunds, The Temptations, Dionne Warwick, and others. In the 1990s and 2000s, he and Lowen recorded and toured as the acclaimed acoustic duo Lowen & Navarro until 2009. Navarro has transitioned smoothly into a busy solo career over the past decade, touring nationally almost constantly.
His latest album, “Horizon Line,” released in August was produced by Jim Scott (Tom Petty, Wilco, Dixie Chicks, & the first five Lowen & Navarro albums) in a dozen sessions in mid-2021 and a dozen more in spring 2022.
Caffe Lena is located at 47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs. Performance tickets are $23-25. Afternoon workshop tickets sold separately. Call 518-583-0022 or go to: www.caffelena.org.
GLENS FALLS — The Park Theater Foundation presents ‘Comedy After Dark’ featuring highly-acclaimed comedian, Shafi Hossain.
Currently working out of NYC, Hossain made his TV appearance on Kevin Hart’s LOL Network’s show Road Comics. He was named one of New York’s Funniest Stand Up by the New York Comedy Festival (2021), is a regular at Comedy Cellar and has headlined performances in international locales, captivating audiences in Canada, Paris, and London.
The evening of laughter and fun takes place 8 p.m. April 26. Tickets: $25. Doors: 7:30 p.m.
The Park Theater is located at 14 Park St., Glens Falls. visit www.parktheatergf.com.
2nd Annual Car Show Fundraiser
The event will take place on Saturday, May 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. right at Cornell’s Used Auto Parts, located at 62 S Greenfield Road, Greenfield Center, NY 12833. All makes and models are welcome to participate, and people can expect food, yard tours, trophies, and lots of cars! Take a tour of Cornell’s lot and see what goes into running their business. All the funds received during the event will be donated to the Double H Ranch, which provides specialized programs and year-round support for children and their families dealing with life-threatening illnesses. For more information, please visit https://cornellsusedautoparts.com/
Celebrate with Music
Saratoga United Methodist Church, 175 Fifth Ave., Saratoga Springs | 3 p.m. Saratoga Chamber Players will honor the late Peter Schickele (1936-2024). Schickele, known for his showmanship, his PDQ Bach recordings, but also for his serious compositions, wrote a rarely heard sextet to be performed by violinists Jill Levy and Lily Holgate, violists Sarah Adams and Caeli Smith,, and cellists Eric Bartlett and Ashley Bathgate. Also on the program are Haydn’s String Quartet in G Major, Op.33, no. 5 and Brahms’ Sextet in G Major, Op. 26, no.2. Tickets are $30 Adults; Seniors $25 and students $20. Full bios of the musicians and ticket purchase are at http://www.saratogachamberplayers.org.
Seeking Crafters and Vendors
The Charlton Freehold Presbyterian Church seeks crafters and vendors for its Spring Festival to be held May 11, from 10 am to 3 pm, at 768 Charlton Rd. For information or an application, email: office@charltonfreehold.org or call 518-399-4831.
23rd Annual Golf Classic
Hosted by the Saratoga County Cornell Cooperative Extension 4-H Leaders Association. This year’s event will take place on June 1, at the beautiful Fairways of Halfmoon Golf Course. We invite you to join us for a day of friendly competition and camaraderie with fellow golfers, all while supporting a great cause.
Sponsorship opportunities range from $1200 to $130, and individual players can join for just $140. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to network, have fun, and make a difference in your community. To register, visit https://ccesaratoga.org/4-h-youth-development/4-h-annual-golf-classic
Mostly Modern Festival
Returning to Saratoga for its fifth season from June 6 – 21, at the Arthur Zankel Music Center on the Skidmore College campus. There are 11 orchestral, vocal, and chamber concerts by festival and guest ensembles of mostly new music. The festival also hosts the Mostly Modern Festival Institute, a three-week intensive with a distinguished 50-member faculty for up to 30 composers and 100 instrumentalists, vocalists, and conductors. The festival’s brand-new dramatic vocal works initiative celebrates living composers, librettists, and singers and is creativity-driven and composer-forward. Audiences will witness riveting world premieres in each concert, written by upcoming and professional innovative composers. For concert and ticket details, visit www.mostlymodernfestival.org/concerts
SAIL Fundraiser Garage Sale
Donations wanted for the annual Southern Adirondack Independent Living Garage Sale (SAIL). The sale will be held at the Queensbury location at 71 Glenwood Ave., June 13 – 15. This is a vital fundraiser, filling the gaps left by grant funding and allowing us to continue our mission of helping people live more independently. We’ll be eagerly accepting donations from community members starting Wednesday, May 1 at 8 a.m. at both our Wilton and Queensbury offices, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. for further inquires call 518-792-3537, email at sail@sailhelps.org or visit sailhelps.org.
Craft Fair at Brookside Museum – Vendors Wanted!
The Saratoga County History Center is seeking vendors of handmade crafts, antiques, and farm products for the annual craft fair on Saturday, June 22, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. No mass-produced or commercially made items will be permitted. Spaces are available outdoors, with limited spaces available indoors. This is a rain or shine event. Visit https://brooksidemuseum.org/event/2024-craft-antique-fair/ for more information, or contact Beth Silvestri at bsilvestri@brooksidemuseum.org.
Tuscan Treasures: Art, Food and Wine from Lucca to Florence
Academy for Lifelong Learning Announces Tour to Tuscany Tuscany, November 10 – 18, 2024, is an enchanting medley of Renaissance cities, rolling hills and terraced vineyards. This very special region offers a quintessential Italian experience. From olive groves and cypress alleys to the romantic villages perched on rocky outcrops, the landscape here has become a symbol of the country as a whole. We will spend three nights in Lucca and four in Florence. Special features include wine tastings, lunch at a Tuscan farm, a cooking class preparing a three-course dinner, guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery and visit to the Accademia to view the renowned David. The double occupancy price for air and land is $5775. For additional information, contact goedventures@gmail.com.
Friday, April 26
20th Annual Blue Friday 2024
Ninety Nine Restaurant, 3073 Route 50, Wilton Mall | 5:45 – 10 a.m. Honoring those who protect and serve. The event recognizes the sacrifices made by the men and women in blue. Join us for the 20th anniversary of honoring those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Brand-new T-shirts, challenge coins, and blue carnations will be available. For more information, visit bluefridayny.org or contact Blue Friday New York President Pat Fox at 518-469-9201, Vice-President Lou Somma at 518-421-2921 or Secretary Bryan Pettit at 518-495-5062. Donations can be sent to Blue Friday of New York, PO Box 38235, Albany NY 12203
Fish Fry Dinner
Saratoga Knights of Columbus, 50 Pine Rd., Saratoga Springs | 5 – 7 p.m. Take out or eat in the lounge. The menu is fried or baked haddock, fried clam strips, French fries, clam chowder and dessert when available. Cost is $15. Dessert and chowder extra.
Color Pop!
The Schacht Gallery, 167 Hayes Rd., Schuylerville. | 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and by appointment. Saratoga Clay Arts Center is pleased to present COLOR POP!, a national juried exhibition of 60 functional and decorative works by 42 clay artists. Juried by prominent California potter and artist, Didem Mert, this exhibition features ceramic works that utilize color theory to express thoughts, ideas, and emotions. The exhibition runs through April 27. Details online at www.saratogaclayarts.org. Visit www.saratogaclayarts.org, call 518-581-2529 or email info@saratogaclayarts.org for more information.
Poetry Open Mic
Galway Public Library, 2112 East Street, Galway | 6 – 7 p.m. This is an opportunity for poets to read their own works. Sign-ups to read begin at 5:30 p.m. All are welcome to come and listen. Call 518-882-6385 with any questions.
Saturday, April 27
Multi-Family Garage Sale Fundraiser Supporting Higher Education for Women
51 Regatta View Drive, Saratoga Springs | 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Household items, books, toys, furniture, audio equipment, artwork and more. This event is sponsored by P.E.O. Chapter CR of Saratoga Springs. P.E.O. provides educational opportunities for women. We do this by offering scholarships, grants, awards, and loans to help women enhance their lives through learning. All proceeds will go towards funding these opportunities.
23rd Annual Maple in April Festival
Hadley Senior/Community Center, 24 Maple St., Hadley | 8 a.m. An outdoor, one day family fun event. French toast breakfast at the Community Center, maple sampling, a Backyard Sugar Makers Tasting Contest, Lil’ sugar dust-off Car, Truck and Vintage Tractor Show at the Hadley-Smead Park on Stony Creek Rd. Food trucks, craft vendors, music, horse drawn wagon rides, the Roaming Railroad, street performers, Smokey the Bear, turn-your-own wooden wands with the Wizard, Farm Pets and activities for children including games, inflatables, face painting and pony rides. For more information email: info@hadleybany@gamil.com or vendors.hadleynyba@gmail.com for vendor application.
National Junior Ranger Day
Saratoga National Historical Park, Visitor Center, 648 Route 32, Stillwater | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Join us in a national celebration of Junior Rangers! We will offer special family focused activities and opportunities to earn a National Junior Ranger Day memento!
9th Annual Swap Meet of The Antique Outboard Motor Club
Schrader and Company, 850 Saratoga Rd., Burnt Hills | 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. There is no admission fee and no fee to display/buy/sell/trade. The event includes the buying, selling, and trading of antique and classic outboard motors, boats, and related items from attendees/vendors. The public is welcome. There will be food available for donation for morning coffee & doughnuts and lunch at noontime from local food establishments. The swap meet is held in an Antiques Roadshow type atmosphere. For information, visit http://mglen2.wix.com/mohawkhudsonchapter#.
Volunteer Tree Planters Needed
Pitney Meadows Community Farm, 223 West Ave., Saratoga Springs | 9:30 a.m. Help plant trees in the community. Sustainable Saratoga’s Urban Forestry Project will hold its 10th year of TREE TOGA planting event, adding an expected 35 large-growing shade trees to the urban forest. Volunteer Tree Planters get a lesson in tree planting before heading off in small teams. Once the trees are in the ground, Tree Host homeowners and other volunteers provide the care that is critical to tree survival and the success of Sustainable Saratoga’s mission to preserve and expand Saratoga’s urban forest. For more information, visit https://sustainablesaratoga.org/tree-toga/
Northeastern Woodworkers Open House
NWA Herm Finkbeiner Learning Center, 97 Railroad Ave., Albany | 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Celebrate Arber Day by Joining NWA at the open house. Long after a tree comes down it continues to protect our environment and enrich our lives. Several years ago, one of those trees, a black walnut, which was planted by then Union College President Eliphalet Nott (1805-1866), sustained serious damage. Logs from that tree found their way to the Northeastern Woodworkers Association (NWA). Members milled and dried that log. Six months ago, using lumber from the 200-year-old tree, club members began construction of two trestle legged, live-edged tables. Both tables will be on display at the open house. For more information about NWA visit woodworker.org
Kentucky Derby Preview Panel and Book and Memorabilia Sale
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, 191 Union Ave., Saratoga Springs | 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission to the program and book sale is free. The Kentucky Derby program will begin at noon in the Hall of Fame. Additionally, the Museum Gift Shop will be offering 15 percent off all new books throughout the day. All proceeds from the sale will directly support the Museum’s John A. Morris Research Library.
Spring Clean Up and Annual Meeting Briggs Cemetery Association
Briggs Cemetery, Brookline Road, Ballston Spa | 9 a.m. & 11 a.m. A business meeting and election of officers and trustees will be held. All lot owners and interested persons are invited to attend. The spring cleanup starts at 9 a.m. prior to the meeting at 11 a.m. For more information email briggscemetery@yahoo.com
Opening Day at Grant Cottage
1000 Mt. McGregor Rd., Wilton | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Join us for opening day of the 2024 season on Grant’s 202nd Birthday. General and Mrs. Grant will be onsite. Special activities like Guess the Artifact and 19th century children’s games. Enjoy something sweet to celebrate Grant’s birthday (while supplies last). A special showing of a NEW Grant biographical film in the Visitor Center. As always, guests may also enjoy our audio app grounds tour, walking paths to the Overlook, Visitor Center exhibits, Gift Shop, and Cottage Tours(fee). Grant Cottage Programs and access to the site are always FREE. Cottage Tours have a small fee – www.grantcottage.org/hours. Book your Cottage Tour in advance on our website to ensure your desired time.
Poetry Performance Reading
Brookside Museum, 21 Fairground Avenue, Ballston Spa | 7 p.m. Celebrate National Poetry Month in April with the Ballston Spa Committee on the Arts FREE performance poetry reading featuring Elaine Handley, Marilyn McCabe and Joseph Bruchac, PhD. While this is a free event, space is limited, please register. If you have any questions about this event or would like to know more about the Ballston Spa Committee on the Arts, please email us at info@bspaarts.org or visit our website www.bspaarts.org. Follow us on social media @bspaarts. for more art events in Ballston Spa!
Sunday, April 28
Breakfast Buffet
ITAM Post #35, 247 Grand Ave., Saratoga Springs | 8 – 11 a.m. Eggs to order, bacon, pancakes, etc. $10 adults, $9 seniors, $5 children (10 & under), Children under 5 free, $12 take-out orders.
Monthly Indoor Craft and Garage Sale
Saratoga-Wilton Elks Club, 1 Elks Lane, Saratoga Springs | 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. The popular Elks Ladies Auxiliary Sale. Admission is free. Last sale until September. Over 40 vendors; great parking, bargains galore, and lunch. Just about anything you can imagine might be found; new vendors signing up every month. A fun activity the entire family enjoys. All proceeds go to local charities. 8’ table and chairs $15. Email Debbie, dozolins@nycap.rr.com or call 518-885-6506 for information and to sign up for a table(s).
Monday, April 29
Free Narcan Training
Halfmoon Town Hall, 2 Halfmoon Town Plaza, Halfmoon | 4 – 6 p.m. The Town of Halfmoon in collaboration with the Saratoga County Department of Health and the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office to offer a free lifesaving Narcan Training session. Participants in the free training will learn to identify signs of an opioid overdose and safely administer Naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, a nasal spray that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. For more information, or to register for the event, please contact Halfmoon Town Supervisor Kevin Tollisen’s Office at 518-371-7410, ext. 2200.
Dunning Street Rural Cemetery Association Annual Meeting
Malta Ridge Methodist Church located at 729 Malta Ave Ext in Malta | 7 p.m. All lot owners and any other interested parties are invited to attend.
Tuesday, April 30
Masters of the Air: An Evening with Donald L. Miller
Spa Little Theater, 19 Roosevelt Drive, Saratoga Springs | 7 p.m. The Friends of the Saratoga Springs Public Library’s Saratoga Book Festival, in partnership with Literary Arts@SPAC and the Saratoga County Veterans Peer Connection program, announces it will present “Masters of the Air: An Evening with Donald L. Miller,” the acclaimed historian and bestselling author of Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany. The inspiration behind the major Apple TV streaming series Masters of the Air, the book tells the gripping story of the American Eighth Air Force in World War II and the young pilots who flew the bombers that helped beat the Nazis and liberate Europe. Tickets and copies of the book are available now at https://saratogabookfestival.org/donald-l-miller-event/. Veterans are encouraged to sign up now for free passes on the Saratoga Book Festival website at https://saratogabookfestival.org/donald-l-miller-event/.
Wednesday, May 1
Saratoga Naturally Photography Exhibit
Thirsty Owl Bistro, 184 S. Broadway, Saratoga Springs | 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. The exhibition features stunning nature photographs that capture both the unique beauty and the spirit of Saratoga’s natural wonders and will be on display until June 15. The event will be open to the public free of charge daily. The exhibit features photographic images of Saratoga’s most beautiful parks and preserves and include breathtaking landscapes, trails, wildflowers, trees, rare plants, and many of its most popular inhabitants. For more information about the event, please contact Lyndsey Michaelsen, Thirsty Owl Bistro Events Coordinator at 518-587-9694 or by email at lyndsey@thirstyowlsaratoga.com. For more information about Louis Valenti Photography, please visit https://www.facebook.com/Louis-Valenti-Photography or LouisValentiPhotography.com.
Stuffed Shell Dinner Take Out
Saratoga – Wilton Elks Club, 1 Elks Lane, Saratoga Springs | 4:30 – 6 p.m. Take out only. Call Monday or Tuesday between 10 a.m. – Noon to place an order, 518-584-2585. Menu: stuffed shells, meatballs, sweet sausage, tossed salad, garlic toast. Cost is $15 per dinner. Cash only.
Poetry Reading
Caffè Lena, 47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs | 7 p.m. A poetry reading by Darcy Smith. An open mic poetry reading will follow. Doors open for sign-ups at 6:30 p.m. The host for the event will be Carol Graser and the cost is $5 general, free for students. The featured reading will also be livestreamed. You can find a link for the livestream at caffelena.org, 518-583-0022.
Thursday, May 2
Genealogy Assistance
Clifton Park Halfmoon Public Library, 475 Moe Rd., Clifton Park 11 a.m. Lisa Dougherty, a skilled genealogical researcher, will help with your questions, roadblocks, and other stumpers. Drop in with questions, stay for the round table discussion starting at noon. 518-371-8622. www.cphlibrary.org
Celebrate the Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s last indoor market of the 2024 winter season this Saturday, April 27th, at the Wilton Mall from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Local farms and businesses are going strong, and fresh greens, spring vegetables, and various flowers are beginning to appear. Enjoy live music while you shop and support Saratoga’s local economy. Take advantage of the market’s t-shirt clearance, just $5 for a farmers’ market logo shirt while supplies last.
The outdoor markets at High Rock Park in downtown Saratoga Springs begin on Wednesday, May 1, from 3 to 6 p.m. and Saturday, May 4th, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Stay tuned for an updated list of vendors for the summer season. Please remember that the farmers’ market needs volunteers. If you are interested, please email sfma.manager@gmail.com.
The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. through April at the Wilton Mall Food Court, accessible from the mall entrance across from BJs or the mall interior. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Hellomy Foodie Friends!
Spring time spurs so many of my childhood memories. Maybe it is not just one memory but many that makes Spring my favorite season of the year. As a child, every Spring when the snow was melted, I would go out to the golf course by my home and run through the newly thawed grass.
It was still a bit cold out, however, I was brave with no jacket allowing the sun to keep me warm. Spring was a time when my father would have me paint fences, help him in cleaning up the lawn from the winter, and playing ball in the yard with my brothers and sisters along with a large group of neighborhood friends. Many of my childhood memories also include my fussiness in eating what my mother was making for dinner. She would often times explain why she was making a particular meal choice. Making five children and a husband happy and all agree on the meal choice would often end with her stating; “It’s because I am the mother and I said so, that is why!” Part of our meal preparation included the insistence that all five Reardon children were to wash our face and hands before dinner. My father would tag team with my mother instructing us to race to the sink. My mother’s meal creations were always delicious. During dinner there wasn’t a lot of conversation but my father would look at my mother with a very tired smile and say “you are the best”. These memories remind me of the importance of sitting down and having that meal together every night.
Have you ever walked into a place and smelled your favorite memories? Smells of cooking can trigger memories so strong and real it feels like you’ve been transported back in time and brings a picture as sharp as a photograph of a special time in your life. Through food we exchange stories of ourselves and our families. Spices were an important part of my mother’s cooking. My memories bring me back to a time when our Sunday dinners were a time of gathering around a table crowded with all of the mothers, aunts and grandmothers as they presented their cooking and discussed the ingredients and spices they used.
Spices have a way of transporting you to another place and time. Whether its memories of smelling basil or mint from the garden for the first time, or the favorite dishes that you remember cooking with them. Each spice or collection of spices has a story, and a wonderful, beautiful one at that. Spices are flavor enhancers. That might seem rather simplistic, but it really sums up how to think about spices and get the best from them. Rather than seeing these strange little bits of bark, seeds and roots as something to be used only on special occasions, or just when a recipe calls for them, look at your spice shelf as flavor enhancers to be added to your cooking (or even drinks) in small quantities at any time. You can add pretty much any spice you like to anything you cook – you’ll soon find there are NO RULES to making something taste delicious – the only way to really understand it is through trial and error.
Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place. We carry an assortment of spices to add flavors you have yet to try. Meal time is family time. Look at each other, listen to each other, tell stories, and talk about life. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen”.
Take Care, John & Paula
SCHUYLERVILLE — The Schuylerville Central School District has launched a revamped website at www.schuylervilleschools.org. The site marked the end of the district’s 18-month re-branding initiative.
In addition to a new logo and district seal, other new website features include an updated forms and policies page, a quick link to breakfast and lunch menus, a coaches contact page, an information page for modified sports, and an athletics scores section that serves as an alternative to Schedule Galaxy.
NAMM Foundation award image provided by Stuart Williams.
BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa Central School District has received the NAMM Foundation’s Best Communities for Music Education award. Ballston Spa is one of only 4% of public school districts across the country to receive the award in 2024.
“This national recognition serves as a credit to our faculty for ensuring outstanding opportunities in music education are available to our students throughout the district,” said Gianleo Duca, Superintendent of Schools, in a statement. “It further demonstrates how important music education is to our students, our district, and our school community.”
The Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. To qualify for the Best Communities designation, Ballston Spa answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, and community music-making programs. Responses were verified with school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.
