Author: Saratoga TODAY

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga’s beloved Rick Bolton has given a mic and an opportunity to hundreds of aspiring musicians at his weekly Open Mics. He was among the first to spot the exciting potential in now-popular artists Sean Rowe, Ashley Sophia and Moriah Formica. With Lena’s open mic on pause due to the pandemic, the café has asked Rick take over the stage each Monday to play some tunes and showcase two of his current favorites. 

This month, he will be joined by: Greene Brothers & Heather Meaney (Oct. 12); Rich Ortiz & Steve Candlen (Oct. 19); Deena Chappell and Pete Pashoukos (Oct. 26).  Watch on Live Stream: caffelena.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Performing Arts Center will present a Chef’s Table Harvest Dinner at its Pines Pavilion, 6 p.m. on Oct. 13 and 14 , as part of a new CulinaryArts@SPAC initiative. 

Curated by Kim Klopstock of Lily and the Rose, the dinner will be headlined by local progressive chefs Michael Blake, Head Chef of Yaddo and Saratoga Supper Club, and Michele Hunter, Executive Chef of Hamlet & Ghost and 2020 winner of the Food Network’s “Chopped.” 

The harvest dinners will feature a Modern French themed menu complete with five courses, wine pairings, and exceptional locally sourced ingredients. The intimate and COVID-safe dining experience will be limited to 50 people per evening and is in support of the region’s farmers and food purveyors.   

 The Chef’s Table Harvest Dinner serves as the kick-off to “CulinaryArts@SPAC,” a new initiative that will feature educational classes, food demonstrations, workshops and more to support the participating chefs, farmers and the local culinary community adversely affected by COVID-19. 

Seating for each night of the dinner is limited to 50 guests, accommodating parties of four, six and eight. Reservations are $175 per person and are available by contacting Philip Scibilia at philip@spac.org. The event will take place rain or shine in SPAC’s new Pines Pavilion. Due to strict seating protocols, cancellations will only be accepted up to 48 hours prior to the start of your reservation. For any questions, call 518-584-9330.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Arts’ October 2020 series of Art in Public Places exhibitions features 9 member artists and will be on view until Nov. 1

They are – Rosalie Presser: Freehand mandala artworks by Rosalie Presser are on view for in-person viewing at Saratoga Springs Community Federal Credit Union, 23 Division St.; Marta Baxter: Visions of Nature, oil paintings (online at saratoga-arts.org); Caroline Love Miller: So We Pass, paper cuts and paintings at Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library, 475 Moe Road;  Phil Palmieri: My Summer Vacation, oil paintings at Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library, 475 Moe Road; Tatiana Schynoll: Outliers, oil and encaustic painting (online at saratoga-arts.org; Shelley Tabakman: Acrylic paintings (online at saratoga-arts.org); Barbara King: People and Things, mixed media works on view at Saratoga Springs Public Library, 49 Henry St.; LifeSong Inc.: Group Show featuring 8 artists from Lifesong Inc. on view at Saratoga Arts, 320 Broadway. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS  —  Saratoga Jewish Community Arts and Temple Sinai, presents a Zoom discussion at 7 p.m. on Oct. 15 regarding the film “Orchestra of Exiles,” the little-known story of Jewish musicians who were transported to Palestine in the 1930s when Nazism was escalating in power.

Participants should watch the film prior to the Zoom discussion. Orchestra of Exiles is available on Amazon Prime Video, Fandor, Epix, DIRECTV, Hoopla, and Fandor Amazon Channel. It is available to rent from Apple iTunes for $3.99.

“This is a Holocaust story you don’t know, almost guaranteed,” says Phyllis Wang, Coordinator of SJCA. 

Orchestra of Exiles, a 2012 documentary, written, produced, and directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Josh Aronson, tells this well-hidden saga. It is the tale of the founding in 1936 of what would become the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and how its founder Bronislaw Huberman (1882 – 1947), a Polish-Jewish violin prodigy, saved more than 1,000 Jews (many claim more like 3,000 when parents, wives, and others were swept along) in the process. 

Contact Phyllis Wang at sjca.sjcf@gmail.com to register and receive the Zoom meeting link and meeting ID.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Northshire Live – a series presented by Northshire Bookstore – hosts a live via Zoom conversation with Lee van der Voo and Jeff Goodell. The event takes place 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13. 

Lee van der Voo is an award-winning investigative and environmental journalist and author of As the World Burns: The New Generation of Activists and the Landmark Legal Case Against Climate Change.  Jeff Goodell is a contributing editor for Rolling Stone, frequent contributor to the New York Times Magazine, and author of The Water Will Come.

Upcoming Northshire Bookstore events include the Bookseller Bookchat at Home on Wednesday, Oct. 14; political satirist P.J. O’Rourke in a special virtual conversation with WAMC/Northeast Public Radio’s Joe Donahue on Oct. 19; Monks of New Skete present The Art of Training Your Dog on Oct. 20, and Sharon Salzberg – a central figure in the field of meditation, and New York Times bestselling author in a virtual conversation with Northshire Bookstore owner Chris Morrow on Oct. 29.

For ticket information about these and other Northshire events, go to: northshire.com Northshire Bookstore Saratoga is located at 424 Broadway.