BALLSTON SPA — Augie’s Family Style Italian Restaurant in Ballston Spa celebrated its 20th anniversary on Monday, offering patrons complimentary glasses of Prosecco and cannolis to celebrate the occasion.
“Twenty years ago, we moved from the New York City suburb of Larchmont to Ballston Spa,” Augie Vitiello wrote in an Instagram post. “We were embraced by the incredible community in upstate New York, which we are now so proud to call home!”
Born and raised in the Bronx, Vitiello learned home-style Italian cooking from his parents. He ran a restaurant in Larchmont for 13 years before relocating to the area.
Augie’s currently has two locations: a full-service restaurant in downtown Ballston Spa, and a take-out restaurant in Saratoga Springs across from the East Side Recreation Park on Lake Ave.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation held two sold-out tours of the Saratoga Race Course during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival on Friday, June 7 and Sunday, June 9.
The tours, led by the foundation’s Executive Director Samantha Bosshart, explored the history of the track, as well as its many renovations and expansions over the years. Bosshart also explained her foundation’s role in shaping the track’s appearance. Tour guests were allowed to enter the track before gates officially opened to the public.
For information on upcoming foundation tours and events, visit www.saratogapreservation.org/calendar/.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The New York Racing Association (NYRA) last week unveiled renovations to the lower level of the Clubhouse at the Saratoga Race Course, highlighted by a revamped Jim Dandy Bar.
Visitors will be greeted by a new horseshoe-shaped bar reflective of the original green and brown color scheme of Saratoga. Originally founded as a members-only lounge in the 1940s and later named after the improbable winner of the 1930 Travers Stakes, the Jim Dandy Bar has been relocated within the Clubhouse to its original setting based on historical drawings, and is flanked by vintage scenes of Saratoga Race Course.
Other changes to the lower level of the Clubhouse include the addition of a drink rail, which encircles the lower level and offers fans a clear view of the saddling paddock; an information station; and improved restroom facilities that feature historic photos embedded within the wall tiling.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The 16th annual Cantina Kids Fun Run on Sunday, June 2 in Congress Park drew more than 1,100 participants and raised $72,000 to support pediatric emergency services at Saratoga Hospital, surpassing previous totals.
The funds will go directly to pediatric training, certifications, equipment, and technology, enabling Saratoga Hospital to care for pediatric patients and their families.
The event was created and co-chaired by Heath and Jeff Ames, owners of the Cantina Mexican restaurant in downtown Saratoga Springs.
“We are proud to have created the only run in Saratoga Springs that’s designed especially for kids, and even more thrilled that it brings so many families in our community together,” said Heath Ames in a statement. “Over the years, the funds raised have made a difference for every pediatric patient treated at Saratoga Hospital.”
Flier image for the Saratoga Farm Showcase via the Saratoga PLAN website.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Over the last century, the number of farms in Saratoga County has decreased by 84%. As local farmers work hard to survive and thrive, the first-ever Farm Showcase on June 22 aims to give the community a taste (literally) of what the county’s farms have to offer.
More than twenty local farms, providing everything from ice cream to beer to fresh produce, will participate in the event, which is organized by Saratoga PLAN (Preserving Land and Nature), a nonprofit land trust.
Michelle Culbert, Saratoga PLAN’s associate director, said that local farmers are finding creative ways to market themselves directly to consumers. The Saratoga Farm Showcase is one way to do that.
“Attending these types of events, going right to the farm store and purchasing directly from the farm, is the best way to support local farmers,” Culbert said.
Farms are rapidly evaporating, primarily due to development and urban sprawl. Developers like farmland because it’s usually flat and cleared of trees. Although this loss of farmland is happening nationwide, it’s even more pronounced in Saratoga County, the second-fastest growing county in the state. “We’re feeling it here more than elsewhere in the state,” Culbert said.
Part of Saratoga PLAN’s mission includes farmland conservation, which the organization says is “important to the long-term health of the economy, the environment, and the social fabric of our community.”
Participants in the upcoming showcase include Hop City Maple, King Brothers Dairy, McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, Arnold’s Farm Fresh Produce, City Goat Farm, Dancing Grain Farm Brewery, and Smith’s Orchard & Bake Shop, among others.
Culbert said the inaugural showcase’s success will be measured both by ticket sales and, more importantly, how much everyone involved enjoys the experience.
Tickets for adults cost $10. Kids are free. All tickets must be purchased by Thursday, June 20. There are no day-of ticket sales.
Included with a ticket comes a tour map with a list of participating farms and their special offerings and discounts, as well as an insulated cooler bag filled with farm goodies. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://saratoga-plan.snwbll.com/ticketing/saratoga-farm-showcase.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — “This is a beautiful day to eat some Ugly Ice Cream,” quipped New York State Senator Jim Tedisco.
With the sun shining and more than a few Saratoga Lake visitors getting an early start to the weekend, Ugly Ice Cream held a ribbon cutting ceremony last Friday with the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce to celebrate their new menu and recent opening.
The shop at Brown’s Beach began dishing out cones earlier this month. Its menu includes Oboys, hot dogs, nachos, tater tots, and, of course, soft serve ice cream.
Ugly Ice Cream is located at 511 NY-9P and is open every day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — As the Baha Men’s 2000 classic “Who Let the Dogs Out” blared, a 14-passenger, pedal-powered vehicle circled around the Ace Hardware parking lot to commemorate the launch of Capital City Cycle Co. in Saratoga Springs.
The company will be running two-hour tours of the city, with stops at Pint Sized, Kraverie, and The Barrelhouse. Tours begin and end in the Ace Hardware parking lot at 41 Walworth.
Owner Carson Stewart recently purchased the business from his uncle, who started the tours back in 2013. “I’ve kind of looked up to him my whole life,” Stewart said. “I’ve always thought he was a very successful businessman. The fact that he was willing to hand off his first-ever business to me, sell it to me, it really is a dream come true.”
Capital City Cycle has three vehicles total; one in Troy, one in Schenectady, and the third in Saratoga. Although drinks are prohibited on the tours themselves, customers can buy plenty of beverages in one (or all) of the tour’s three stops.
For more information or to book a tour, visit capitalcitybrewcycle.com.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Rotary Club of Saratoga Springs celebrated its 100th Anniversary last month with over 130 guests in attendance at the Canfield Casino.
The club received awards to commemorate the occasion from State Senator Jim Tedisco, Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, and Congressman Paul Tonko.
The club also gifted the Saratoga Springs Public Library $50,000. The funds will go towards improving the Saratoga Room, a local history collection.
Rotary President Bill Bergan presented the following awards to Rotarians for outstanding service this past year:
• Paul Harris Fellowship – Marisa Flynn, James Frey, Stephen Kyne, Ike Pulver
BALLSTON SPA — According to the New York State Department of Health, the Route 50 Diner in Ballston Spa was temporarily closed after an inspection on May 30 revealed an apparent, ongoing pest control issue.
The diner hired a pest control company to “mitigate the cockroach issue throughout the facility,” a health department report stated.
In order to reopen, the diner needed to send the Glens Falls District Office a receipt showing that pest control services have been completed, a document from the pest control company stating that the diner is pest free, and a contract with the pest control company showing that maintenance will be performed for at least the next six months.
In a statement posted to social media, the company said it was doing the best it could to reopen. “The sad part is we are in a building with two other businesses that are not required to do anything,” the statement said. “As much as everybody wants to put us down and say negative things, we will rise up and we always do.”
The next day, the diner announced that it would be reopening on June 5.
The Route 50 Diner, located at 2002 Doubleday Avenue, was also temporarily closed last year by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance due to unpaid taxes.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Just days before the start of Belmont festivities, The Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s “SPACtacular” summer fundraiser event kicked off what’s sure to be a busy and celebratory season in Saratoga Springs.
Inside two large tents stationed on the SPAC grounds, guests enjoyed live music, a bevy of local food and drink options, fireworks, and a late-night dance party on the amphitheater stage.
Singer-songwriter Jes Hudak performed in the party tent (admission: $175), which featured bites from Druther’s Brewing, PDT Catering, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Wheatfield’s, and newcomer Sara’s Kitchen. The nearby glow lounge, housed in the open-air pavilion, had guests queued up for scalp massages, tarot card readings, and sound healings.
In the VIP tent (admission: $400), Jonathan Greene and the Grand Boubousse played live jazz while guests enjoyed a three-course wine pairing.
Fireworks were launched around 9:15 p.m., and the night concluded with a two-hour dance party on the amphitheater stage emceed by DJs Eric & Dillon.
The Summer SPACtacular is SPAC’s largest fundraiser. Proceeds benefit both year-round programming and education initiatives.
Since taking over the Spa Little Theater two years ago, SPAC has used it to host more than 50 indoor events attended by around 17,000 guests. Last year, SPAC launched its “Access the Arts” program, which provides weekly dance, music, and improvisational theater classes to individuals enrolled in day habilitation programs.
In addition to its popular Live Nation events, SPAC this year is hosting the Saratoga Jazz Festival on June 29 and 30; the New York City Ballet from July 9 to 13; Yo-Yo Ma on August 16; and John Legend on August 7.
