QUEENSBURY – It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved sister, Karen Leigh Brown, aged 73, on October 29, 2025. Karen’s warmth, creativity, and quiet strength will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her. Online remembrances may be made at burkefuneralhome.com.
SARATOGA SPRINGS – Gene Usher died peacefully on October 27, 2025, at the age of 97. Burial will be private. There will be a gathering, in the near future, at the Old Saratoga Reformed Church. Memorial donations to the Old Saratoga Reformed Church in Schuylerville NY. Please visit www.burkefuneralhome.com.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs resident Margot Tohn has authored a new book for 3 to 6 year olds: “Murray Goes to the Playground.”
Murray is Tohn’s “oversized, rambunctious, and sensitive” Sheepadoodle who is anxious about making friends. In his first book, Murray goes to a dog park in New York City and learns that while not everyone will become a friend, there is always someone who will.
Tohn will be signing copies of her book at the Franklin Square Market on Nov. 29 and at the Northshire Bookstore on Feb. 28.
The book is currently available in paperback and hardcover through Amazon.
BALLSTON SPA — Brookside Museum will kick off its third season of the “Sounds of Winter” music series with a free performance by Stringwynde on Nov. 15 at 3 p.m. in the museum’s Long Room.
Stringwynde consists of Melanie Chirignan on flute and Darhon Rees-Rohrbacher on harp. Their program at Brookside will include selections from American folk music and waltzes from the Gilded Age. Stringwynde, formed in 2017, hails from the southern Saratoga region.
The concert is free, but registration is advised by going to www.brooksidemuseum.org.
MIDDLE GROVE — Camp Stomping Ground hosted its first Third Space Gallery Show on Oct. 18. The event showcased the work of campers and visiting artists who contributed to the camp’s arts programming this past summer.
Coordinated by Brynna Hall, artist and camp art director, the show included works by Erin Wakeland (large-scale papier-mâché pieces inspired by children’s drawings), Warner Meadows (original music compositions and films), Alfred Dudley III (large-scale zine and a collection of camper zines), and Quarius Lucas & Careina Yard (short documentary film capturing stories of camp and community).
“This show is about more than just displaying art—it’s about lifting up the voices of young people and the artists who collaborate with them,” said Hall. “At camp, we see art as a way to imagine new possibilities, together.”
Camp Stomping Ground is a nonprofit summer camp in Middle Grove whose mission is to inspire the next generation of “radically empathetic decision makers through personal responsibility, humble curiosity, restorative practices, and unbounded creativity.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS — According to one scholar, Sherlock Holmes has been portrayed on stage, in films, and on television more than 25,000 times. But a local theater group has seemingly solved the mystery (using Holmesian deduction, no doubt) of how to portray the famed detective in a new light.
In “The Baker Street Adventuress: Sherlock Holmes on the Air,” audiences will be treated to a behind-the-scenes, true-to-life story of radio producer Edith Meiser’s efforts to adapt a Sherlock Holmes mystery into a successful radio drama in 1930. At the time, the Holmes character was not as popular as he would later become, and Meiser struggled to find a sponsor for her planned radio series.
The first act of “The Baker Street Adventuress” dramatizes Meiser’s (ultimately successful) ambitions to make her radio show, while the second act of the play is a recreation of the original broadcast of the Holmes mystery “The Speckled Band,” which reached airwaves on Oct. 20, 1930.
“For [Meiser] to go and knock on doors to try to find a sponsor was not easy, it was tough,” iTheatre Saratoga Chairman Will Severin told Saratoga TODAY. “Part of it was the property and maybe part of it was the fact that you’ve got a woman who is trying to sell this thing and, generally speaking, heads of business at that point were male.”
Reportedly, a 15-year-old Meiser was first presented with a Sherlock Holmes book while aboard the Europe-bound SS Bremen. While still just a teenager, she fell in love with the character, sparking a lifelong passion. When she first pitched her idea for a Sherlock radio drama, Meiser was a stage performer trying to make the leap into radio, which at the time was a new technology having a transformational impact on the entertainment industry.
With the Great Depression keeping many entertainment-seekers away from pricey movie theaters and vaudeville productions, radio was a comparatively budget-friendly medium that became increasingly popular. Meiser was able to use radio to both showcase her talents and bring her beloved Holmes mysteries to the masses.
“The Baker Street Adventuress” is a wholly original (and local) production making its world premiere at the Saratoga Music Hall. It was written by Mary Jane Hansen, iTheatre Saratoga’s artistic director. Severin, the organization’s chairman, composed the play’s score, drawing inspiration from composer Bernard Herrmann, best known for his work on Alfred Hitchcock films like “Psycho” and “North by Northwest.”
Performances will take place at 474 Broadway on Nov. 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, and 23. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit itheatresaratoga.ticketspice.com/the-baker-street-adventuress-sherlock-holmes-live-on-the-air.
iTheatre Saratoga is the only year-round professional theatre in Saratoga Springs and has more than 35 productions under its belt, 16 of which were original works.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College announced on Tuesday the first Dunkerley Dialogue of the 2025-26 season, scheduled to take place on Thursday, Oct. 30 at 6 p.m. The event will feature artists Tony Oursler and Jolene Lupo, in conversation with Skidmore Professors Mimi Hellman and Sarah Sweeney.
Known as a pioneer of video art, Oursler currently has work on display in Tang’s “See it Now” exhibition. Lupo is an artist who creates 19th century-style tintypes using the wet-plate collodion process. She is also a senior photographer at the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner, and her artistic work explores themes of death, memory, and identification.
The artists will engage in a conversation about the history of photography, historic photographic processes, and spirit photography. Admission to the event is free.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Sunday, Oct. 26 at 3 p.m., the Excelsior Vocal Ensemble will perform a collection of German choral music at the Bethesda Episcopal Church at 26 Washington Street.
The performance will include:
• Johannes Brahms’ “Liebeslieder Op. 52” and “Neue Liebeslieder Op. 65”;
• Choral transcriptions from Gustav Mahler’s “Des Knaben Wunderhorn”;
• Benjamin Britten’s gem for male chorus, “The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard”;
• Selections from Max Reger’s “Sacred Songs Op. 138.”
Excelsior called the show a “romantic afternoon of Romanticism’s finest, exploring love’s depth through music, from desire to devotion, luck to loss, joy to pain, and more.”
Tickets are available at: excelsiorvocalensemble.org/home/tickets-donate/.
Haunted Saratoga Ghost Tours
Come walk with us and hear the stories of Haunted Saratoga. Hear the stories that have lived on in our city for hundreds of years. They will enchant, entertain, and perhaps even scare you. Our 90-minute long walking tour will take you in search of the countless ghosts rumored to haunt the city. Total walking distance is less than a mile, covered at a very leisurely pace so that you can enjoy Saratoga’s many infamous ghosts and haunted locations. The tour covers parts of Congress Park and downtown Saratoga Springs. Specific meeting instructions will be sent by email when the tours are booked. Friday and Saturday through October. Cost is $22 adults, $10 kids under 12. HauntedSaratogaTours.com
Trunk or Treat
Join us on Friday, October 24, from 4 – 6 p.m. at Clifton Common for a hauntingly fun time! Dress up in your favorite costume and spirit your way from trunk to trunk! Free community event.
Simpson UMC’s Trunk or Treat Halloween Celebration
Simpson United Methodist Church, located at 1089 Rock City Road, Rock City Falls, is having a Trunk or Treat Halloween celebration on Saturday, October 25 from 1 – 3 p.m. We’d love to fill the parking lot with as many participating vehicles as possible. All you need to do is decorate your vehicle and be ready to hand out candy to all the ghouls, ghosts, goblins and fairy princesses who come Trick-or-Treating. Hope to see you on 10/25 (costumes optional)!
ANNUAL HAUNTED HOUSE
The Fraternal Order of Eagles presents the 20th Annual Haunted House on Friday, October 24, 6 p.m. and Saturday, October 25 from 5 p.m. at 80 Main St., South Glens Falls. Walk through maze, bonfire and seating, movie and snacks, live band on Saturday and much more.
STILLWATER FALL FESTIVAL
Saturday, October 25, Noon – 4 p.m. Organized by the Stillwater Public Library. Various locations in the village of Stillwater. Free family event with games, activities, trick (and truck) or treat, haunted fire house, and dance party at 3 p.m. So much going on – don’t miss it!
Halloween Murder Mystery
Come support Operation Adopt A Soldier at their annual Halloween murder mystery with the Adirondack Flatline players as they present “Unhappy Homecoming-Rescue from Mulligan’s Island” on Saturday October 25 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the American Legion on 34 West Street in Saratoga. Dress in your Halloween costume for judging. Enjoy a ziti meatball dinner with salad, rolls and dessert as well as a basket raffle and a 50/50. Cash bar will be available. Tickets are $40 in advance or $50 at the door. Come have fun with friends while supporting a great cause and see if you can figure out who did it? For more information or for tickets, call Mike at 518-322-5521.
HAUNTED CORN MAZE
The Haunted Corn Maze at Schuyler Farms is Back! Dare to enter the Schuyler Farms Haunted Corn Maze, where your worst nightmares lurk around every corner. As the sun sets over the fields, the maze transforms into a twisted trail of terror filled with horrifying surprises, creepy creatures, and spine-chilling screams. Friday & Saturday Nights in October with live actors, special effects, and all-new scares for 2025! Food, drinks & fun await before and after the fright! Whether you’re a thrill-seeker or just love a good scare, the Haunted Maze at Schuyler Farms is the must-visit Halloween event in the Capital Region. But beware… once you enter, there’s no turning back. Schuyler Farms, Route 29 – Schuylerville.
Visit schuylerfarms.com for more details.
NIGHTMARES AT LIBERTY RIDGE FARM
As the sun sets over Liberty Ridge, the Farm turns into a haunted nightmare. Featuring 5 haunted attractions, all at 1 location. Each attraction is scarier than the one before, sure to leave everyone who enters trembling with fear. Nightmares is a journey into the heart of darkness, where the only way to survive is to keep moving forward…For more information, or to buy tickets, visit LRFnightmares.com.
HAUNTED HAYRIDES
This year’s walk-through attractions include Brutality, Blood Moon Farm, Dead Root Dwelling, The Last Inn, Doom County FEARgrounds and Martin’s Memorial Hospital. Enjoy our midway Feartainment featuring interactive creatures, music, concession stand, souvenir stand, and photo booth. Book your reservation now online or by calling 518-884-9122. October 3-4, 10-12, 17-19, 23-26, and October 30 – November 1. For more Information, visit https://doublemhauntedhayrides.com/reservations/
Ghosts of Saratoga Trolley Tour
2 starting points: The Saratoga Springs Heritage Area Visitor Center, 297 Broadway or The Saratoga Springs History Museum, Congress Park | 7 – 8:30 p.m. This 90-minute tour blends history, folklore, and the paranormal for an unforgettable fall evening. Guests will ride the trolley through Saratoga’s most storied streets, hearing ghostly accounts documented by renowned ghost hunter David Pitkin and other investigators. The night culminates with a walk through the Canfield Casino, widely regarded as one of the most haunted locations in the region. From cold spots and eerie footsteps to unexplained figures, countless visitors have reported chilling encounters in its historic halls. Additional tours October 9, 16 and 23. Tickets: $35 – Advance reservations required. For tickets and more information, visit: https://www.saratogahistory.org/ghosts-of-saratoga-trolley-tour.
Greenfield Fall Festival
October 25 at Brookhaven Golf Course, 333 Alpine Meadows Rd., Porter Corners. The free event includes an Oktoberfest 5K Fundraiser to help support Brookhaven Winter Park, at 10 a.m. (register at skireg.com) followed by a full afternoon including trick or treating, Giant Pumpkin Contest and more. The afternoon festivities are from 1 to 5 p.m. Call 518-893-7432, ext. 307 to reserve a cart and participate in the fun. No registration is necessary to attend the free event.
Greenridge Cemetery Tours
Murder, Madness and Mayhem. Walk with us through Saratoga’s Greenridge Cemetery and hear the stories of untimely deaths by suicide, murder or accident. A young mother killed by her husband, a solider dies by friendly fire, and a prominent politician who shoots himself in the head are but a few stories of the graves we will visit. Every Saturday in October 4 p.m. Visit hauntedsaratogatours.com to sign up.
Fall Festival
Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Association announces Fall Festival for October 25, from Noon – 3 p.m. Trick or Treating throughout downtown, pumpkin rolling on Caroline Street, live entertainment, pumpkin scavenger hunt, face painting, balloon artist and more. For additional information visit saratogaspringsdowntown.com.
Halloween Ghost Tours of the Canfield Casino
Prepare yourself for a night of spine-tingling chills and ghostly encounters at the Saratoga Springs History Museum’s Halloween Ghost Tours! For one night only—October 30th—the doors of the legendary Canfield Casino creak open to reveal the mysteries that lurk within… if you dare. Enter If You’re Brave Enough…This isn’t just any historic building—it’s one of the most haunted places in America. As you wander the Casino’s shadowy halls, you’ll hear bone-chilling stories of the spirits who still roam within—tales that will leave you questioning what’s real and what lies beyond. Perfect for thrill-seekers, history lovers, and anyone who dares to meet the Casino’s haunted past. A Halloween Eve experience you’ll never forget. Thursday, October 30, 5 – 7 p.m. (tours depart every 20 minutes). For tickets, visit www.sratogahistory.org/events.
FRIGHT FEST
Terrifying haunted mazes, sinister scare zones, exhilarating live shows, and specialty food & drink. Scare zones, live shows, and most rides included with park admission; Food, drink, haunted mazes and merchandise require separate purchase. For days, times, details and ticket information, visit https://www.sixflags.com/greatescape/events/fright-fest.
3rd Annual Masquerave
October 25. Dancers, get ready for a night where mystery meets music! Step into the enchanting world of Universal Preservation Hall, transformed for one unforgettable Halloween-inspired masquerade. This is a night to lose yourself in rhythm, lights, and electrifying beats. Headlining the evening is AK SPORTS, the internationally renowned techno artist celebrated for their genre-defying productions and dynamic, high-energy live sets Supporting the headliner, our phenomenal lineup features DJ Prophet, The Front Room, and Ronnie Rave, delivering a seamless mix of house, techno, and those sick rave vibes that will keep the dance floor alive all night. This event is 21+ with valid ID. Thanks to Harding & Mazzotti, Dancers can enjoy a Free Rideshare Home via Uber, ensuring a safe and worry-free night. We encourage Dancers to embrace the masquerade spirit with Masquerade-style masks or Halloween costumes—let your creativity shine! For details and tickets, visit https://www.allofus.events/event-details-registration/the-3rd-annual-masquerave.
Halloween Party
The Children’s Museum of Saratoga, 65 S. Broadway, Saratoga Springs. Join us for a spooktacular afternoon on Sunday, October 26 from 1 – 4 p.m. Our Halloween party is packed with face painting, festive fun, hands-on activities, and plenty of playful surprises woven into our regular hours. We hope to see you and your little pumpkins for a fun afternoon that is sure to make the best Halloween memories. Costumes are encouraged! Members are free, regular admission is $14.
Trunk or Treat Halloween Party
Join us on October 25 from 2–4 p.m. to celebrate Halloween at Brookside Museum with our festive Trunk or Treat Halloween Party! Kids will enjoy trick-or-treating, a spooky story time, and a scavenger hunt learning activity with historical twists. Children can also take part in Halloween-themed games and crafts, decorate their own pumpkin on site with a small fee for pumpkins, and show off their costumes in a parade beginning at 3:30 p.m. Kids of all ages are welcome to join. Live Halloween music will be provided by the Scotties Quartet, a talented string ensemble from Ballston Spa High School. Parental supervision is required. This is a drop-in event. Free admission. Parental supervision is required. Rain date: October 26, 2–4 p.m.
Upcoming Events
Fall Craft Show
November 1, 10 a.m. -4 p.m. at The King’s School – 6087 State Route 9N – Hadley. Join us for a festive day of shopping, student-made treasures, delicious food, exciting raffles, and warm fellowship! Come celebrate the season and discover something special for everyone. For more information, please email kploss@kingsschool.info.
Pumpkin Smash! with Community Compost
Saturday, November 8 at 2 – 4 p.m. Pitney Meadows Community Farm, located at 223 West Ave., Saratoga Springs. Let’s turn your pumpkins into something good! Join us for Pumpkin Smash — recycle your seasonal pumpkins and gourds with our Community Compost program’s vertical drum system. Bring your pumpkins, smash ‘em, and help divert food waste from the landfill.
Antique Fishing Expo
NFLCC presents the Antique Fishing Expo at the Holiday Inn, located at 232 Broadway, Saratoga Springs.
The event will be held on Saturday November 9 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. $10 Admission, Veterans and kids 16 and under are Free/ Largest Fishing Show in the Northeast. Items include: Vintage Fishing Lures, Rods, Reels, Bobbers, Decoys, Files, Signs, Ephemera and more.
6 Hour Defensive Driving Course
Saturday, November 22, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saratoga Springs United Methodist Church, 175 Fifth Ave., Saratoga Springs. Cost $40 prepaid, $45 at door. A portion of the fee is donated to the church. 518-784-5009 or www.facetofacecourses.com.
