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Author: Saratoga TODAY

November 28 – December 4 , 2025

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Calendar.

This Week’s Events: NOV. 28 – DEC 4 

Wednesday, November 26

Santa’s Playland

Quick Response Restoration, 2077 Route 9, Round Lake | 5 – 11 p.m. Open to the public on Wednesdays – Sundays. Toys for Toga will be collecting donations on December 12 and December 13. The event will be open through January 4. Admission is free. Event is drive through only.

Thursday, November 27

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

24TH Annual Christopher Dailey Foundation 5K Saratoga Turkey Trot

Downtown Saratoga Springs, 8:30 a.m. Packet pickup will take place at the Saratoga Hilton on Wednesday November 26 between 4 – 8 p.m.  and Thursday between 6:30 – 8:15 a.m. The course starts at City Hall and finishes on the corner of Route 50 and North Broadway. Learn more and register here: https://www.christopherdaileyfoundation.com/turkey-trot-2022-1. 

Friday, November 28

Holiday Art, Craft & More 

Clifton Park Center Mall, Clifton Park | 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Fairs with over 50 amazing vendors attending along with live music. Additional dates: Saturdays December 13, Sunday December 14, Saturday December 20, and Sunday December 21. Free admission. Hosted by Friends & Families Muscular Disorders Foundation. We are also seeking community support for a non-perishable food drive to benefit the local food pantry; please drop off your donations at any of our upcoming events. For more information call or text Mark 585-519-1917.

Art Exhibition – A Brush with Magical Realism 

79 Beekman St., Saratoga Springs | 4 – 8 p.m. Artist Talk 6 p.m. and November 29 and 30 at 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Kelly Jean Smith has created a new series of oil paintings made possible by a 2025 Saratoga Arts Regrant which explores narrative illustration, the singular female image, and the space between joy and sorrow through expressive color and playful composition. Future prints will be made available to benefit Pitney Farm Food Insecurity Program.  

Saturday, November 29

Pet Photos with Santa

Gateway House of Peace, 479 Rowland Street, Ballston Spa | 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. The event is open to pets, children and families. A $25. donation covers the sitting fee, digital downloading and printing rights. Services are being donated by Ashley Wilbur Photography. Photos will be sent within one week via email. Appointments strongly encouraged.  Walk-ins cash or check only. Register online. Gateway House of Peace is an end-of-life facility for those who have been diagnosed as terminally ill and have less than three months to live and who cannot stay comfortably at home. Twenty-four care is provided at no cost. Gateway receives no insurance reimbursements or public funding and relies on fundraising and community support.

50th Annual Holiday Craft Marketplace

Saratoga Springs City Center, 522 Broadway, Saratoga Springs | 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Packed with vendors selling handmade jewelry, specialty food items, and other crafts perfect for holiday gift-giving. In addition to gift shopping, you can bring the kids to visit Santa and enjoy free face painting with the elf volunteers! All proceeds help the Saratoga Center for the Family battle child abuse and neglect in the community. Each year, this nonprofit organization provides more than 3,000 children and families in Saratoga County with the support and counseling they need to cope with the wounds of domestic violence. For more information on the Holiday Craft Marketplace, visit https://saratogacff.org/craft-show.

Winter Wonderland Art Market

Holiday Inn, 232 Broadway, Saratoga Springs | 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. There will be over 50 artists participating in this year’s event. Shop small this holiday season and find one-of-a-kind gifts for everyone on your list, all while supporting local artists and artisans. The market has everything from pottery to jewelry to paintings to candles. There will photo ops with the Grinch and the chance to have your gifts wrapped by Saratoga Arts’ staff. Check out the artists below who will be joining us on the day!

Brookside Museum Holiday Market 

Brookside Museum, 6 Charlton St., Ballston Spa |The Saratoga County History Center at Brookside Museum is celebrating the 25th year of our annual Artisan Market, which will be open until December 24, 2025. The opening of the market, on Small Business Saturday, will feature holiday music performed by the Ballston Spa High School Orchestra, from 12 – 1:30 p.m. This annual market features exclusively handmade and handcrafted products created by local artisans. Items featured at the market will include soaps, lotions, ornaments, jewelry, syrups, scarves, ceramics, hats, and much, much more! The 2025 hours are: Tuesdays-Thursdays, 12 – 4 p.m.; Fridays 12 -5 p.m., Saturdays & Sundays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday, November 30

Holiday Concert

Historic First Baptist Church, 45 Washington Street, Saratoga Springs | 2 p.m. As part of our new organ dedication concert series, experience classical and holiday favorites performed by a thrilling Horn Quartet accompanied by Organ. Featuring Gustav Holst’s Chorale from Jupiter from The Planets, G.F. Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus from The Messiah, J.S. Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring and C.M. von Weber’s Overture to Der Freischutz. Holiday favorites include Angels We Have Heard on High, Arranged for Horn Quartet and Organ by Farrell Goehring, Joy to the World and O Come, O Come, Immanuel. Patrice Malatesttinic, Amy Baker, Sam Kennedy and Mallorie Meyer in concert with Organist, Farrell Goehring. Presented without charge to the public.  Donations gratefully accepted toward the Bell Tower Restoration.

Concert – Mozart & More 

Saratoga Springs United Methodist Church | 3 p.m. Saratoga Chamber Players Concert  will feature cellist Ashley Bathgate, violinist Jill Levey and violist David Rose. Tickets can be purchased at the door on the day of the show or visit, saratogachamberplayers.org. 

Monday, December 1

Galway Preservation Society Meeting

Galway Town Hall, 5910 Sacandaga Road, Galway | Doors open at 6:45, followed by this month’s program at 7 p.m. “School Days,” will be presented by Charlene DuBuque, Education Director at the Saratoga County History Center.  Charlene’s talk will highlight Galway’s one-room schoolhouses and their role in rural community life incorporating engaging personal stories. She will trace the evolution of education from colonial times to centralized school districts. Our programs are always open to the public, free of charge.  If you choose, annual family or household memberships are available for $10 per year.  Please join us for some fun and to learn more about our history.

Tuesday, December 2

Virtual Author Talk with Sue Hincenbergs 

Clifton Park Halfmoon Library ZOOM Program | 2 p.m. Buckle up for a wild ride and chat with debut author Sue Hincenbergs to discuss The Retirement Plan, in which the only thing standing between three best friends and a sunny beachfront retirement condo is their husbands. What ensues is a diabolical plan to collect on their spouses’ life insurance policies. Registration required. 518-371-8622. www.cphlibrary.org. 

Catholic Daughters Meeting

Knights of Columbus, 50 Pine Rd. Saratoga Springs | 5 p.m.  Members will gather to pray the Rosary, with refreshments and fellowship to follow. Our business meeting will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m.  If you are a practicing Catholic woman interested in joining us please plan to attend. Reminder to members, please bring an unwrapped toy for Christmas toy drive.

Wednesday, December 3

Baked Ham Dinner

Saratoga Wilton Elks Lodge, 1 Elks Lane, Saratoga Springs | 4:30 – 6 p.m. Curbside pickup only. Call Monday or Tuesday between 10 a.m. – Noon to place an order. 518-584-2585. Menu: Baked ham, Au Gratin Potatoes, Vegetable, apple sauce, roll, tossed salad. Dinner $15 (cash only). 

Poetry Reading

Caffè Lena, 47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs | Doors open for sign-ups at 6:30 p.m. and the readings will start at 7 p.m. Caffè Lena will present a poetry reading by Carol Graser. An open-mic poetry reading will follow. Jeannine Laverty and Austen Halpern-Graser will be hosting. 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.

Pulp City Comedy

The Wood Theater, 207 Glen St, Glens Falls | 7 – 8:30 p.m. Get ready to laugh ‘til you cry as Pulp City Comedy, the Capital Region’s favorite improv group, hits the stage for completely unscripted, high-energy comedy!  No scripts. No safety net. Just fast, funny, fearless improv from a dynamic cast that includes seasoned performers, stand-up comics, musicians, artists, and actors—some trained for years, others freshly minted in the art of the unexpected. Together, they create something totally unique each and every night. Visit, https://www.pulpcitycomedy.com/upcomingshows for full details, updates, and ticket links.

Thursday, December 4

39th Annual Saratoga Springs Victorian Streetwalk

Downtown Saratoga Springs | 6 – 9 p.m. The event kicks off at 6 p.m. with our traditional tree lighting ceremony, which will be especially heartwarming this year. The Saratoga Springs Cheerleaders and dancers from The Dance Lab will bring in Santa with a parade of holiday spirit! We are honored to have children from Make-A-Wish and their families join us to help light the tree, illuminating the holiday spirit and bringing joy to this festive season. Following the lighting, children will have the opportunity to visit Santa in his Cottage! Enjoy over 25 sites with free entertainment, music and sights to see. Celebrate until 9 p.m. throughout downtown Saratoga Springs and experience why we are proud to be the #1 Most Festive Christmas Town in the USA. Please visit www.saratogaspringsdowntown.com for more details.

New Principal for Schuylerville High

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Education.

Schuylerville High School is once again searching for a new principal after Mark Brooks resigned effective Dec. 1. 

The announcement was made by Superintendent Dr. Ryan Sherman on Nov. 24. The announcement said that Brooks was resigning for “personal reasons.” 

“I understand this news is unexpected but can assure you that the high school building and district will continue to run seamlessly during this time of transition,” Dr. Sherman said. “We wish Mr. Brooks the best moving forward.” 

In his place, Dr. Sherman said Mark Doody will serve as interim high school principal. Doody was the Hudson Falls Central School District Superintendent for 13 years and retired from the district in 2015. Since retirement, Doody has served in various interim roles throughout the state. 

Brooks’ hiring was approved by the school board in May 2025 to replace longtime principal James Ducharme who left Schuylerville in July to serve as superintendent for the Cambridge Central School District. Brooks’ first day at Schuylerville High School was July 1. 

Senior Ethan Passage earns Eagle Scout, highest honor in Boy Scouts of America achievement

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Education.

A milestone more than a decade in the making, Schuylerville High School senior Ethan Passage earned the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout, the highest achievement in the Boy Scouts of America and an honor attained by only a small percentage of all Scouts nationwide. For Passage, the journey began in first grade as a young Cub Scout. 

By fifth grade, he had advanced into Boy Scouts, where he began working steadily toward merit badges, leadership milestones, and the ultimate goal he set for himself early on: Eagle Scout.

“It’s been seven years of hard work,” said Passage. “Being able to finish what I started means everything to me,” Passage said. “I gained a lot of friendships, and it was really about the people around me who helped me get there.”

To earn Eagle Scout, candidates must complete a capstone service project that demonstrates leadership, project management, community engagement, and perseverance. Passage knew he wanted his project to connect with his long-standing interest in animals, the environment, and public health. The inspiration struck during horseback rides along the Saratoga Siege Trail, a flat, half-mile walking trail that runs beside Fish Creek and connects Route 4 and Evans Street.

“I was riding the trail on my horses and getting eaten alive by mosquitoes,” Passage said. “It made me think—maybe there’s a way to help both the trail and the environment.”

Passage’s answer was bat houses, also the title of his project. He says New York’s bat population has been struggling in recent years, and lower numbers contribute to increased mosquito activity. Passage realized that providing safe nesting spaces could help support the bat population while also making the trail more enjoyable for residents and visitors. He proposed, planned, organized, and led the installation of 15 bat houses along the Saratoga Siege Trail.

Passage secured funding from donations—including contributions from his grandparents and mother—and used tools his family already had in their garage. The Village of Victory also played a key role, offering support as the project aligned with the village’s ongoing restoration efforts on the trail.

“It makes me very proud,” he said. “Seeing this project get done is definitely rewarding. When I walk down the trail and see the bat houses, I say to myself, ‘Wow, I did that!’”

Passage’s successful board of review is now complete and he is expected to be officially awarded the Eagle Scout rank by the beginning of the next calendar year. After graduating from Schuylerville, he plans to pursue a pre-veterinary bachelor of science degree, with the long-term goal of working in emergency veterinary care. 

Saratoga Day Spa Gets New Owners

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Business.


The Saratoga Day Spa—located at 376 Broadway, Suite 21 in downtown Saratoga Springs—recently celebrated its new ownership at a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. The business is now owned by Kierra Bertrand, who “aims to provide high-quality, reasonably priced services that help clients look and feel their best,” the chamber said. The racetrack-themed Saratoga Day Spa was first founded in 2016. Photo provided by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.

Ballston Spa National Bank Adds New VP

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Business.

Photo of Matt Becker provided.

BALLSTON SPA — Christopher R. Dowd, president and CEO of Ballston Spa National Bank (BSNB) recently announced that Matt Becker has joined the bank as its new vice president, wealth management solutions officer.

In his new role, Becker will focus on delivering personalized financial solutions to clients with an emphasis on investment management, estate planning, tax strategies, and comprehensive wealth preservation. He will also help to ensure that BSNB’s wealth management offerings meet the diverse needs of individuals and families across the region by engaging with the community, participating in local events, and forging new partnerships.

Prior to joining BSNB, Becker spent nearly a decade at Arrow Bank, most recently serving as an assistant vice president of retirement programs and plan administration.

“Matt understands that wealth management is about more than numbers – it’s about helping clients achieve what matters most to them,” said Jeff Goliber, vice president, director of wealth management solutions at BSNB. “His depth of experience in retirement planning and his collaborative approach will enhance our ability to provide thoughtful, personalized financial strategies for every stage of life.”

Ballston Spa National Bank is a community bank headquartered in Ballston Spa.

Wine and Spirits Shop Celebrates Grand Re-Opening

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Business.


Jones & 50 Wine and Spirits celebrated its grand re-opening under new ownership with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Nov. 21 hosted by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. The store is located at 4208 NY-50 in Saratoga Springs. Photo provided by the chamber.

Albany Airport Adding New Nonstop Flights to Fort Lauderdale

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Business.

ALBANY — A new route between the Albany International Airport (ALB) and the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) will begin on Feb. 13, 2026, Allegiant Air announced last week.

“Seven years after Allegiant first launched service at Albany International Airport, we’re proud to see this partnership continue to grow,” said Peter Stuto, Albany International Airport CEO. “The new Fort Lauderdale route gives Capital Region travelers another exciting destination, especially as so many residents look to fly south during the winter and spring. We’re grateful for Allegiant’s continued commitment to ALB as we work together to expand even more in the years ahead.”

Saratoga Breakfast Joint Named New York’s “Top Hole in the Wall”

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Business.


Compton’s Restaurant at 457 Broadway in Saratoga Springs. 
Photo by Jonathon Norcross.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — To paraphrase the 1942 film “Casablanca,” of all the breakfast joints in all the towns in all New York State, they picked ours.

Compton’s Restaurant, a popular spot on Broadway that serves classic American breakfast and diner fare, was recently named New York’s top “hole in the wall” by The Daily Meal, a food and drink website founded by the former CEO of Forbes.com.

“Locals and travelers alike all know about Compton’s, especially those who love the track or traveling to the area for a SPAC concert,” The Daily Meal’s Jenn Carnevale wrote. “This unassuming spot on the main drag pulls people from all over for a solid breakfast every day. Award-winning and no fuss, this is your next favorite breakfast spot.”

Compton’s, which first opened in 1984, is perhaps best known for its speedy food delivery and hearty pancakes.

Local Brewery Announces Closure

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Business.


Photo via Unified Beerworks.

MALTA — Unified Beerworks, a taproom and kitchen located in Malta, announced last week that it will be closing its doors on Dec. 27 after a seven-year run.

“When you embark on any big adventure, you know at some point there will be an end,” the company said in a social media post. “As 2025 comes to a close, our adventure with Unified Beerworks will reach its end. We’re very proud of our efforts over the last 7 years, and have so many incredible memories with staff, customers, and colleagues that have become friends and family to us. We thank you for all your support through these years. Our final day will be Saturday, December 27th, when we’ll come together one last time to celebrate the beautiful adventure that is and will always be, Unified.”

Unified Beerworks, which opened in October of 2018, is owned and operated by the husband-and-wife team of Jeff Mannion and Erika Anderson.

Brews News: Saratoga Beer Summit Returns this Winter

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Business.

Logo via the Saratoga Beer Summit.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Beer Summit will return on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, bringing local favorites such as Artisanal Brew Works, Whitman Brewing, and Active Ingredient Brewing Company to the Saratoga Springs City Center.

New to the 14th iteration of the Saratoga Beer Summit will be expanded offerings that include hard seltzers, craft ciders, and malt beverage cocktails—in addition to the traditional variety of ales, lagers, IPAs, and seasonal brews.

“The Saratoga Beer Summit has always been about bringing people together over quality beverages,” said Jake Demmin, VP of sales at Townsquare Media, in a news release. “By expanding our selection to include seltzers, ciders, and malt cocktails, we’re ensuring that everyone can find something they love, whether they’re a hophead or prefer something lighter and fruitier.” 

Attendees of the summit will have the opportunity to sample dozens of beverages from local and regional producers, meet the makers behind their favorite brands, and discover new favorites. The event will also feature food from Speckled Pig, live music, and vendor booths. 

For more information, including vendor lists, tickets, and the event schedule, visit saratogabeersummit.com.