Skip to main content

Author: Saratoga TODAY

23rd Annual Great Pumpkin Challenge Raises Over $41,000 to Benefit Saratoga Bridges

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Neighborhood Buzz.

Photos provided by Saratoga Bridges.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Saturday, Sept. 30, Saratoga Bridges held their 23rd Annual Great Pumpkin Challenge in the Saratoga Spa State Park with close to one thousand participants who ran, walked or rolled to raise over $41,000 for the agency’s essential non-funded or underfunded programs, services and activities as well as to reward their staff.

The 5K winners were Peter Maroko from Nyack and Elizabeth Predmore from Malta. The 10K winners were Ethan Carey from Queensbury and Brigid Dake from Greenfield Center.

Prizes were given to the first, second, and third finishers in each age group, according to a press release from Saratoga Bridges. Winners who missed the awards ceremony can call Saratoga Bridges at 518-587-0723, ext. 1266 to make arrangements to pick up their gift.

The event featured offerings including a Kid’s Fun Run, NET Chip Timing from Albany Running Exchange, costume contests, favorite pumpkin contest, homemade refreshments, plus donated food and beverages from Hixny, Bimbo Bakeries USA, Hannaford and DeVoe’s Rainbow Orchard.

Many “Bridges Buddies” participated in the 5K upon completing the agency’s Walking and Wheeling Program, an initiative developed by Saratoga Bridges’ Wellness Committee to pair staff and individuals in a three-week training program leading up to The Great Pumpkin Challenge, the release states.

There were teams from Regeneron, TEL and Fort Miller and Ainsley’s Angels partnered with the event. The Great Pumpkin Challenge also featured over 120 volunteers from a variety of businesses, schools, and organizations, including students from WSWHE BOCES’ Criminal Justice Program and Skidmore College’s Political Science Program, Goldman Sachs’ Community TeamWorks, MVP Health Care, Soroptimist International of Saratoga County and Saratoga Bridges’ staff, board members and friends.

Ballston Spa Soccer Teams Earn Senior Day Victories

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Sports.

Ballston Spa boys and girls varsity soccer 2023-24 seniors. Photo by Dylan McGlynn

BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa varsity boys and girls soccer teams celebrated their seniors with a pair of wins on Saturday, as both teams earned victories over Schenectady at home.

The Scotties’ boys team honored 16 seniors: Alex Bailey, Jaime Barrionuveo Vivancos, Peter Burdick, Sam Carioto-Savoie, Casey Clarke, Devon Duggan, Will Frankford, Josiah Harmon, Max LaVoie, Carter Lundin, Nicholas Mascardi, Justin Miller, Jacob Nagengast, Dylan Nickson, Brennan Snyder, and Connor Tuohy.

The B-Spa boys team cruised to a 9-1 win over the Patriots, with eight different players scoring goals. Nagengast scored twice, while LaVoie, Clarke, Burdick, Frankford, Nickson, Bailey, and Cole DiNuzzo all added goals. Harmon had three assists in the win.

The Ballston Spa girls’ team honored 11 seniors: Keira Barnes, Abby Carpenter, Meya Caruso, Alex Conneally, Harriet Healey, Eleanor Kentz, Makayla Krusinski, Lindsay LaPlante, Mia Rath, Emma Ye, and Isabella Sacci.

The Scotties’ girls team also took care of business, earning a 6-1 victory. Rath scored twice, while Healey and Krusinski each added a goal and an assist. Conneally and Ye also scored goals for Ballston Spa, while Kenzie Dolan had two assists. Carpenter and Ayla Hathaway each added assists in the victory.

Local Saratoga Springs Olympian Rower Wins Bronze At The World Championships In Belgrade

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Sports.


Image provided by Bright Sighted Podcasting.

BELGRADE, Serbia —Olympian rowers Kristi Wagner and Sophia Vitas won the Bronze Medal at the World Championships and qualify a women’s double boat for the 2024 Summer Paris Olympics. 

Kristi Wagner is a local podcaster and Olympic rower who raced in the Tokyo Olympics and is striving to go back in 2024 to represent the USA in rowing. She is documenting her journey in a new podcast called ‘The Other 3 Years,’ where she covers everything from training, nutrition, tribulations, and achieving her goals. 

Kristi’s most recent podcast episodes cover the World Champs and what goes on in the life of a professional athlete. The episodes also offer tips and motivation for anyone to achieve big goals.

Spa Catholic Baseball Hosting Italian Dinner Fundraiser Oct. 29

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Sports.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Central Catholic varsity baseball team is teaming up with the Principessa Elena Society to offer an Italian dinner, with proceeds going to support the Saints’ annual trip to Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida.

The meal will be offered on Oct. 29 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Principessa Elena, with dine-in and take-out options available. The meal is $15, and includes ziti, meatballs, sausage and peppers, Italian bread, salad, and desert.

Home Made Theater Presents Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike; Opening Oct. 27

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Entertainment.


VSMS, Full Cast: (left to right) Logan Haynes as Spike, Barbara Miner as Masha, Elizabeth Parizh as Nina, John Sutliff as Vanya, Terri Storti and Sonia, Noreen Szmul as Cassandra. Photo: Dawn Oesch.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — For two weekends, starting on Friday, Oct. 27, Home Made Theater will present the Tony Award winning comedy Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike by Christopher Durang.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is the story of middle-aged siblings Vanya and Sonia, who share a home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where they bicker and complain about the circumstances of their lives. Suddenly, their movie-star sister, Masha, swoops in with her new boy-toy, Spike. Old resentments flare up, eventually leading to threats to sell the house. Also on the scene are sassy maid Cassandra, who can predict the future, and a lovely young aspiring actress named Nina, whose prettiness somewhat worries the imperious Masha. Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike contains some adult language.

Making his directorial debut at Home Made Theater is Barry Streifert, who has previously won TANYS (Theater Association of New York State) Awards for his directing at Confetti Stage and Sand Lake Center for the Arts/Circle Theater Player. 

Performances will be Oct. 27-29 and Nov. 2-5. Performances are 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays at the Dee Sarno Theater, in Saratoga Arts (320 Broadway, Saratoga Springs). Tickets are available on Home Made Theater’s website, www.homemadetheater.org, or by calling 518-587-4427 during box office hours 12-4 p.m. Monday through Friday.  

Professor Louie & The Crowmatix This Weekend in Saratoga Springs

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Entertainment.

Professor Louie & The Crowmatix, live at Caffe Lena this weekend.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Professor Louie & The Crowmatix performs 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21 at Caffe Lena. 

The Woodstock N.Y. based band have been expanding the borders of the Americana/blues genres since the early 2000’s with Professor Louie’s stories, keyboard playing, singing and accordion. 

Their repertoire expands with the songs Louie learned and helped create directly with “The Band” while collaborating with them for more than 15 years, and the Crowmatix songs on their own albums of original work.

Professor Louie is joined onstage by band mates, Miss Marie (vocals, percussion, and piano) and the guitar-slinging skills of Todd Mihan. The 2023 Rhythm Section features Frank Campbell  (bass, vocals) and Eric Puente (drums). 

For more information and tickets, go to: caffelena.org. 

Chamber Music Concert to Stage in Spa City

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Entertainment.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Chamber Players, under the artistic direction of Jill Levy, launches the 37th season with a celebration of string sextets and octets. 

Violinists Jill Levy, Helen Hyun Jeong Lee, Amanda Brin and Lily Holgate; violists Lila Brown and John Batchelder; and cellists Annabelle Hoffman and Erica Pichardt will explore the glories of the works of Strauss, Wagner, Borodin, Shostakovich and Mendelssohn. 

The upcoming concerts will be staged at Hubbard Hall in Cambridge, and on Oct. 22 at the Saratoga United Methodist Church, 5th Avenue & Henning Road. Concerts are at 3 p.m.  

Tickets are adults $30, seniors $25, students $20.  Children accompanied by an adult are admitted free. For more details on the program and artists and to purchase tickets, go to: www.saratogachamberplayers.org

The Saratoga Chamber Players’ “Classroom to Concert” program will bring students from Division Street under the direction of their music teacher, Melissa Ferrie-Healy, and professional musicians to Caffè Lena’s Little Folks series on Nov. 4.  The program is free of charge but attendees must register in advance at eventbrite.com/e/little-folks-classroom-to-concert-with-saratoga-chamber-players-students-tickets-687338165957?aff=oddtdtcreator. 

Winter Stroll of Skidmore’s First Home

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Entertainment.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —On Sunday, Oct. 22 at 10:30 a.m., the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation presents a tour of “Skidmore’s First Home.” In 1903, Lucy Scribner purchased 82 Circular St. to establish the Young Women’s Industrial Club of Saratoga that became Skidmore College. Over time, the campus expanded to Union Avenue and the surrounding streets. This tour meets at the southeast corner of Spring & Circular streets.

On Sunday, Oct. 29, The Foundation presents the last Sunday Stroll of the season; Indigenous People of Saratoga.  Jamie Parillo, Saratoga Springs History Museum Executive Director, and Charlie Kuenzel, SSHM President, will lead this tour highlighting locations in Saratoga Springs with significance to the area’s indigenous peoples. The tour meets at High Rock Park and ends at Congress Park. 

All Sunday morning tours last approximately 90 minutes and require walking and standing on varied terrain. Tours will be limited to 30 and advance purchase of tickets is strongly encouraged. If additional tickets remain, they can be purchased the day of the tour at the meeting location. The cost per tour is $15 for SSPF members and $20 for non-members.  Members with stroll passes need to contact the Foundation’s office to book their tour. For additional information or to purchase tickets to any of the upcoming strolls and events visit www.saratogapreservation.org, call 518-587-5030, or email Marcy Dreimiller, Administrative Assistant, at admin@saratogapreservation.org

Rock & Oddities Con at The Saratoga City Center Oct. 28-29

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Entertainment.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Rock and Oddities Con, an event that features 11 local rock and heavy metal bands over the weekend, along with a wide range of vendors of oddities and curiosities, takes place 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. at the Saratoga Springs City Center 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28 and Sunday, Oct. 29.

The new event is presented by Jennifer “Gem” Lynn Rhodes, creator of the Mind Body Soul Expo. 

In addition to the live music and vendors, the event includes a haunted maze, Witches Den, a fire eater, a paranormal experience with investigators from Travel and Discovery Channels, premiere tattoo artists, food and beer, and more.

For more information, and to purchase tickets please visit: www.rockodditiescon.com

Owloween at Owl Pen Books Oct. 28

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Entertainment.

GREENWICH — Owl Pen Books will host Owloween at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. 

The event celebrates the book store’s last weekend of the season with ghost stories and spooky readings from four award-winning literary horror writers, Glen Hirshberg, John Langan, Julia Rust, and David Surface. The authors will share original stories and be available for a Q&A and signings afterward. Seasonally appropriate refreshments like cider, donuts, and wine will be served.

Glen Hirshberg’s novels include The Snowman’s Children, Infinity Dreams, The Book of Bunk, and the Motherless Children trilogy; John Langan is the author of two novels and five collections of short stories. Julia Rust is a writer and teaching artist living in the Hudson Highlands. David Surface is the author of Terrible Things, a collection of thirteen stories published by Black Shuck Books. 

Owl Pen Books is a used and antiquarian bookstore in a barn on a dirt road in rural Greenwich. Founded in 1960 by Barbara Probst, it was purchased in 2022 by Sydney Nichols and Eric Kufs, who uprooted their lives in Los Angeles to move across the country to take over the regionally beloved institution. 

Owl Pen Books is open seasonally from April 29 through Oct.29, Wednesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The bookstore can be found online at www.OwlPenBooks.com and on Instagram and Facebook @owlpenbooks. It is located at 166 Riddle Rd, Greenwich.