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Author: Saratoga TODAY

PDT Market Preparing To Open In Downtown Saratoga Springs

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Business, Featured.

Photo by Dylan McGlynn.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — PDT Market, a specialty grocery store, is preparing to open in downtown Saratoga Springs in the coming weeks. 

PDT Market is located at 55 Railroad Place, taking over the former Price Chopper location. The store has a wide variety of offerings, selling typical grocery items in addition to offering deli, seafood, and produce areas. PDT also offers a hot bar, a make-your-own charcuterie station, and a full-service bar, and will sell grab-and-go foods, flowers, personal items, and much more.

Adam Foti, owner of PDT, said it is “super exciting” to be nearing an opening date.

“I’ve been in here while they’ve been finishing all the shelves and stuff, but just to see what they’re doing on the shelves, and the signage up and everything, is beyond exciting,” said Foti. “It’s such a labor of love that I’m so passionate about, that it’s just so exciting to see everything here.”

PDT’s kitchen and bar will also offer limited menus, and cooking classes will be offered near the bar area. There are tables throughout, allowing spaces for people to sit and eat or have a drink. The bar area can also be rented out for private events.

“It’s exciting that people can sort of choose their own adventure, in a way,” Foti said. “Do you want to head toward the bar? Do you need to go shopping, because you’re looking for something specific on a shelf?”

PDT has developed its own coffee and jams that will be for sale. Foti said they are hoping to work with other local businesses, including the Schuylerville-based King Brothers Dairy.

Foti said the idea behind PDT’s wide variety of offerings is to “make your life easier,” offering a convenient space where customers can find a range of products and services.

“There’s so many different things you can do here, that you can experience it in all types of ways,” said Foti. “Our idea is that we want to make your life easier. … The idea is, no matter what you want to do, we sort of have that for you.”

For more information, visit pdtmarket.com.

National Museum of Racing 2023 Hall of Fame Finalists

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Sports.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Nine racehorses, six trainers, and one jockey account for the 16 finalists that will comprise the National Museum of Racing’s 2023 Hall of Fame ballot, as chosen by the Museum’s Hall of Fame Nominating Committee. 

The finalists are racehorses Arrogate, Blind Luck, California Chrome, Game On Dude, Havre de Grace, Kona Gold, Lady Eli, Rags to Riches, and Songbird; trainers Christophe Clement, Kiaran McLaughlin, Graham Motion, Doug O’Neill, John Sadler, and John Shirreffs; and jockey Corey Nakatani.

Hall of Fame voters may select as many or as few candidates as they believe are worthy of induction to the Hall of Fame. All candidates that receive 50 percent plus one vote (majority approval) from the voting panel will be elected to the Hall of Fame. All of the finalists were required to receive support from two-thirds of the 15-member Nominating Committee to qualify for the ballot.

The results of the voting on the contemporary candidates will be announced on Tuesday, April 25. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Friday, Aug. 4, at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion in Saratoga Springs at 10:30 a.m. The ceremony is open to the public and free to attend.

To be eligible for the Hall of Fame, trainers must be licensed for 25 years, while jockeys must be licensed for 20 years. Thoroughbreds are required to be retired for five calendar years. All candidates must have been active within the past 25 years. Candidates not active within the past 25 years are eligible through the Historic Review process.

Chaired by Edward L. Bowen, the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee is comprised of Bowen, Caton Bredar, Steven Crist, Tom Durkin, Bob Ehalt, Tracy Gantz, Teresa Genaro, Jane Goldstein, Steve Haskin, Jay Hovdey, Alicia Hughes, Tom Law, Jay Privman, Michael Veitch, and Charlotte Weber.

Saratoga Springs Youth Ballet Dancers to Attend Regional Dance America Northeast Festival

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Sports.


Photo by Susan Blackburn.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Capital Region ballet dancers ages 12 to 18 will represent Saratoga Springs Youth Ballet this May at the Regional Dance America Northeast Festival. 

In August 2022, Saratoga Springs Youth Ballet (SSYB) was accepted as a new Regional Dance America Northeast member company. It is the only ballet company in New York State to have been accepted into the organization.

This May, 20 SSYB dancers will be traveling to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to attend the RDA Northeast Festival. During the three-day-long festival, participants attend master classes, seminars, and college roundtables during the day, as well as perform each evening.

In preparation for their festival performance, on March 19, RDA’s adjudicator Carla Stallings Lippert will visit SSYB to evaluate and select the works to be shown at the Festival performances. She will watch SSYB dancers in class and perform choreographic works. She will then provide feedback and professional guidance to facilitate both artistic and technical growth.

Capital Region residents can support these young dancers at “Ballet at the Bar,” a fundraiser being held from 2 to 7 p.m., Saturday, March 11 at Artisanal Brew Works. $1 from each draft beer, wine or cocktail will be donated to SSYB. The brewery is located at 617 Maple Ave. in Saratoga Springs.

Schuylerville Junior Luke Sherman Reaches 1,000 Career Points

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Sports.


Photo provided by Schuylerville Central School District.

SCHUYLERVILLE — Schuylerville junior Luke Sherman reached a major milestone in boys basketball action, scoring his 1,000th career varsity point in the Black Horses’ Class B quarterfinal loss to Tamarac.

Sherman averaged 22 points per game, scoring 484 points in total for Schuylerville this season, who finished 13-9 overall and 7-7 in the Foothills Council.

The Black Horses opened sectional play with a 68-55 win over Mechanicville before falling 83-58 to Tamarac, the 3rd-ranked team in NYS Class B by the New York Sportswriters Association, in the quarterfinals. Schuylerville trailed by just five points at halftime, 39-34, before the Bengals pulled away in the second half. Sherman scored 22 points in that game to lead Schuylerville, while Griffin Brophy added 16 points.

Home Made Theater Presents: “‘Night, Mother” Starts March 24

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Entertainment.

HMT stages ‘night, Mother at the Dee Sarno Theater in Saratoga Springs March 24-April 2. Photo provided.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — For two weekends, starting on Friday, March 24, Home Made Theater will present ‘night, Mother, written by Marsha Norman.

The scene: the living room/kitchen of a small house on an isolated country road, shared by Jessie and her mother. Jessie’s father is dead; her loveless marriage ended in divorce; her absent son is a petty thief and ne’er-do-well; her last job didn’t work out, she suffers from a chronic neurological condition; and, in general, her life is stale and unprofitable. As the play begins Jessie asks for her father’s service revolver and calmly announces that she intends to kill herself. At first her mother refuses to take her seriously, but as Jessie sets about tidying the house and making lists of things to be looked after, her sense of desperate helplessness begins to build.

Note, the play deals with serious and sensitive issues that may be triggering for some individuals.

The Director of ‘night, Mother is Jonathan Hefter, whose previous Home Made Theater directing credits include Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Inspecting Carol. The artistic team also includes Scenic Designer William E. Fritz, Lighting Designer Matt Kopans, Sound Designer Barry Streifert, Costume Designer Dianne O’Neill, Properties Designer Maura Pickett, and Stage Manager Caitlin Wickes.

The cast includes Home Made Theater veteran Terri Storti as Mama, and Home Made Theater newcomer Antoinette Fasino as Jessie.

Performances are Fridays and Saturdays, March 24, 25, 31, and April 1 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays, March 25-26, and April 1-2, at 2 p.m. All performances are at the Dee Sarno Theater, inside Saratoga Arts, 320 Broadway in Saratoga Springs. Tickets are available at Home Made Theater’s website, www.HomeMadeTheater.org, or by calling 518-587-4427 during business hours.

Photographer Martin Benjamin, Spa City’s Commander Cody Frontman George Frayne Named to Capital Region Hall of Fame; Induction March 27 at UPH 

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Entertainment.

George Frayne, frontman of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, artist – “Horses, Saratoga Style” is among his many contributions, longtime Spa City resident.   

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Eight individuals will be inducted into the fifth class of the Capital Region Music Hall of Fame Monday, March 27 at Universal Preservation Hall. 

The group includes two members of a pioneering late 1960s and early 70s alt-country band; a nun who helped launch the careers of hundreds of music industry professionals around the globe; one of the region’s most active and best-known bluegrass musicians over the past eight decades; a woman who has promoted bluegrass music through the local airwaves for over 40 years; a legendary rock music photographer; and two guitarist virtuosos who forged careers that have generated international recognition. 

The Capital Region / Eddies Music Hall of Fame Class of 2023: Renowned photographer Martin Benjamin; former Trans-Siberian Orchestra guitarist Mike Campese; Felicia Collins – best known for her role as guitarist and vocalist in Paul Schaffer’s celebrated “Late Night with David Letterman” band (1993-2015); WAMC-FM/Northeast Public Radio’s weekly “The Hudson River Sampler” host Wanda Fischer; Smokey Greene – multi-instrumentalist in the country and bluegrass music scene for nearly eight decades; Sister Mary Anne Nelson, CSJ, who founded and led The College of St. Rose’s Music Industry program for 49 years; Guitarist and vocalist John Tichy – an original member of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, who joined the faculty of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, where he became head of the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering, and Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen frontman George Frayne. Frayne relocated to Saratoga Springs in the 1990s, where he was active as a musician and visual artist and lived until his death in 2021. 

The class will be inducted with musical performances, short videos about their careers, speeches and more in a public celebration at UPH. The evening kicks off 6 p.m. with a social gathering; the induction ceremony begins 7 p.m. All inductees are represented with plaques at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs, as well as brief videos highlighting their careers. Tickets are on sale at universalpreservationhall.org 

The Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Hall of Fame and the Eddies Music Awards are part of Proctors Collaborative, as is Universal Preservation Hall.

Having A Party: Egg Announces May Concerts by Southside Johnny, Richard Thompson

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Entertainment.

ALBANY — The Egg has announced that Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes (May 5) and Richard Thompson (May 20) will perform as part of its 2023 concert series.

Details of the performances are as follows:

Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes – Friday, May 5, 8 p.m., $49.50, 39.50, $34.50. With their classic blend of hard-core R&B and street-level rock, soulful guitar licks and blistering horn section, Johnny and his Jukes have been putting their unique stamp on the Jersey Shore sound for over 40 years.

Richard Thompson – Saturday, May 20, 8 p.m., $59.50, $49.50. Iconic British folk rock legend Richard Thompson, one of the world’s most critically acclaimed and prolific songwriters and admired guitarists, performs an intimate solo acoustic concert.  

Tickets are on sale online at www.theegg.org or by telephone at 518-473-1845, or in person at The Egg Box Office Monday – Friday from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.  

Rock Gallery Live atThe Wood Theater March 11

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Entertainment.

An inaugural one-day-only music and art gallery takes place Saturday, March 11.

GLENS FALLS — The Wood Theater will be transformed into a one-day-only music and art gallery on Saturday, March 11 featuring a multi-band concert, live artist gallery and artisan fair.

The festival will begin at noon and open to the public free of charge until 5 p.m., though donations will be accepted at the door for those wishing to support the project and the Wood. The afternoon portion of the event will feature a live painter’s Gallery in Anthony Richichi, Shelley Fairbanks, Sarah Calzada and Hannah Williams showcasing their talents. The Theater’s Cabaret Space will host additional artists and artisans for attendees to shop and support.

The house will then open at 6:30 p.m. for ticketed attendees and feature the acoustic stylings of Reese Fulmer. A Main Stage concert will kick off on the main stage at 7:30 p.m. with Seize Atlantis, followed by Lock 9 and closing out with Headliner Capital Zen.

Proceeds from the event will support the Wood Theater and future events like Rock Gallery in 2024 and beyond. 

Tickets are $20 and may be purchased online at www.woodtheater.org/rock or at the Box Office/By phone at 518-480-4878. The afternoon Artists’ gallery is free of cost.