SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Saturday, May 9, Impressions of Saratoga is going to the dogs as part of National Pet Week.
The shop’s 22nd Annual Dog Day Celebration will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the corner of Broadway and Phila Street.
At Impressions, each dog is greeted with fresh water and treats. If it is their first visit, their photo is taken for the “Doggie Wall of Fame,” which began in 2001. Most days you will find at least one of the five Impressions pups (Cookie, Smitty, Pupa, Byrdie, and Thatcher) hard at work in the office.
H.O.P.E. (Homes for Orphaned Pets Exist), a local pet rescue organization, will be at Impressions with information about their programs and animals looking for forever homes. Donations of pet items such as food, treats, collars, leashes, blankets, and toys will be accepted.
Local photographer Tracey Buyce will be on site to take professional candid photos of furry friends for a $20 fee that will be donated to H.O.P.E.
Wellspring will be in attendance educating attendees on their “Safe Pet Partnership,” a program to find foster homes for pets belonging to people in an abusive situation who are afraid to leave for fear of what will happen to their pets.
The annual “The Battle of the Biscuits” contest will be happening again. Dogs can participate in a treat taste-testing activity to see which snack is the crowd favorite. Dean’s Delicious Dog Treats, Give Pet, and Treat Planet will be sampled.
Tina DeVincenzo will be at the celebration offering her handcrafted pet-inspired candles (plus some special candles for Mother’s Day). A portion of the proceeds will be shared among the participating nonprofits.
Well-behaved pets on leash are welcome at the event.
The Old Tavern Farm Distillery’s Granary, one of several local establishments opening up shop in the coming days. Photo via Old Tavern Farm.
SARATOGA COUNTY — Spring has sprung and Saratoga is humming.
A host of eateries are set to open up shop soon, just in time for the Kentucky Derby. Here’s a rundown of what’s happening.
9 Miles East Cafe
On Friday, May 1, the 9 Miles East Cafe at the Saratoga Senior Center will open to the public. A full-service café will launch this June, but in the meantime, the public is invited to enjoy a preview all month long. The cafe will offer a selection of fresh, healthy grab-and-go items including soups, sandwiches, pizza, and more. The hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sunset at Saratoga
Sunset at Saratoga, the new restaurant located on the second floor of the Saratoga County Airport, opens Friday, May 1 for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. On Saturday, May 2, the restaurant is hosting an open house event featuring helicopter rides, Common Roots Brewing tastings, and live music by Rich Ortiz from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunset at Saratoga’s hours are 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Gaffney’s
The highly-anticipated reopening of Gaffney’s is set for Saturday, May 2. Under the direction of Mike Malone and Mike Morgan, Gaffney’s will return with a reimagined interior that includes The Parlor, a lounge “designed for conversation and connection.” Also inside the new Gaffney’s: a sports bar, open-air patio, live music, and coastal culinary fare with a Southern influence.
Old Tavern Farm Distillery
On Monday, May 4, Old Tavern Farm’s Granary rickhouse and tasting room will open for the season. The Granary, a restored late-1700’s timber frame grain barn, is at the Old Tavern Farm Village (142 Co. Rd. 71 in Stillwater) and will be open from 3 to 7 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Mondays will feature a cigar night from 5 to 7 p.m.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Friday, April 24 to celebrate the official reopening of the Ballston Spa National Bank headquarters on Front Street. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
BALLSTON SPA — Ballston Spa National Bank’s historic Front Street headquarters officially reopened after a year-long restoration project launched last year.
The building was originally constructed in 1824 as a private residence. It was established as a bank in 1838 and is now listed in the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places. The building is one of seven structures in Ballston Spa to be included on the National Register.
According to the bank, the rehabilitation project upgraded the branch’s interior while preserving the building’s historic elements. The branch includes a new ATM and Drive-Thru, modernized banking technology, restored architectural details, and accessibility improvements.
“The bank’s current footprint represents four distinct building campaigns, each component designed by architects with specialty in bank design, and each effort with a clear intention to respect the austere grandeur of the original federal-style building,” said Daniel Mackay, deputy commissioner for the New York State Historic Preservation Office, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony last Friday morning. “The exterior retains most of its original features [and] maintains a prominent and stately presence here on Front Street.”
“Many generations of customers have walked through these doors,” said the bank’s president and CEO Christopher Dowd. “Our intent was to honor the rich history of this building and to ensure that it meets the needs of today’s customers. Today, I am proud to say we have accomplished that goal.”
From left to right: Capital Region Chamber President and CEO Mark Eagan, Malta Town Supervisor Cynthia Young, and Saratoga Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Greg Connors at the Malta Community Center on April 29. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
MALTA — “Housing, I think, is the single biggest problem we have here in Malta; affordable housing and housing stock,” said Malta Town Supervisor Cynthia Young at the “Inside Malta” event on Wednesday.
“Housing availability and affordability is really our biggest challenge here, not only in [Saratoga] County but in the Capital Region,” said Saratoga Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Greg Connors.
Though many issues concerning Malta and Saratoga County were touched upon at the “Inside Malta” event organized by the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce, housing was a recurring theme.
According to statistics provided by Young, Malta currently has 5,300 single-family and two-family homes, which comprise 61% of its overall housing. It also has 2,600 apartment units and 735 manufactured homes.
Yet, the stock is insufficient, as anyone looking to buy a residence in Malta (or Saratoga County at large) can attest.
“Our children can’t come back and buy a house in Malta,” Young said. “My son has been looking to buy a house someplace in Saratoga County, and they probably bid on 10 houses, and they offer above the asking price, and for every single one of them, they’ve been outbid.”
Malta has approved an additional 11 housing projects with 750 total units, but only three of those projects are currently under construction, Young said.
Part of the housing issues stem from an aging population (many downstate retirees are moving north). Simultaneously, the school district enrollments are declining, indicating that Malta lacks younger families.
“I don’t think that’s a healthy environment for any municipality,” Young said. “We might think of ourselves as a family town, but it’s tough for families to afford our homes.”
One event attendee said that an ongoing problem is that exorbitant fees are incurred before a new house even breaks ground. Another cited tiny homes as a possible solution. A third wondered if short-term rentals might be having an outsized impact on housing stock.
Connors said that there are around 2,000 short-term rentals in Saratoga County.
“One of the things about short-term rentals is we don’t really want to necessarily discourage them because it’s an active part of our tourism, and tourism is a big part of the entire county,” Young said. “But one of the things that we also don’t want is a bunch of LLCs just owning our housing stock for short-term rentals because that takes the housing stock away from people who want to live here.”
Young said that she wants to encourage the type of short-term rentals that allow homeowners to rent out their property for a month or so and then utilize that additional income to help afford their home.
Both Young and Connors expressed concern that short-term rental properties are not properly inspected, with Connors citing a recent example of a mother and her child dying in a fire inside a short-term rental property on Long Island that lacked smoke detectors and emergency exits.
One event attendee asked Young and Connors if there was a way to get locals to be less resistant to the creation of new housing stock, especially apartment complexes. Young and Connors didn’t have an easy answer, but Connors said that communication was key.
“The scale is important,” Connors said. “When a developer comes into the town and mentions a number like 900 units, that stuns those of us who live here. It’s not that we don’t want to welcome new people, but… They’ve got to be a little bit more sensitive with the scale of projects that they bring in because the public perception is key.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Roohan Realty recently announced the listing of 417 Broadway, a mixed-use property in the heart of downtown Saratoga Springs, represented by Dan Roohan, Associate Real Estate Broker, and Kelly DeMichele, Licensed Real Estate Salesperson.
Listed for $3.7 million, the three-story building is one of the oldest properties on Broadway, originally constructed in 1825 by Gideon Davison. Built with brick at a time when most neighboring structures were wood, the building was one of the few structures to survive the devastating fires of the 1830s. Davison, the founder of The Saratoga Sentinel, the city’s first newspaper established in 1818, operated his publication from 417 Broadway for nearly 25 years.
Over the past two centuries, the property has housed a salon, doctor’s office, travel agency, and other small businesses. Today, the property features approximately 6,000 square feet of finished space, including the Wine Bar restaurant on the first and lower levels, along with three upper-floor residential apartments.
The Evans family acquired the building in 1998 when it was listed for sale by Tom Roohan, Broker/Owner of Roohan Realty. Following a $1 million renovation, they opened The Wine Bar a year later, one of the region’s first wine bar concepts. Managed by sommelier Melissa Evans, it has remained a cornerstone of Saratoga Springs’ dining and nightlife scene for more than 25 years.
The restaurant space features two working fireplaces, a full bar, and a fully outfitted food and beverage setup. The furniture, fixtures, and equipment are included in the sale.
The Wine Bar will remain open until the building is sold; however, the business itself is not included in the sale, and select items, including the cigar humidor, cigar locker, baby grand piano, selected artwork, and cigar lounge license will not transfer.
For more information about the property, contact listing agents Dan Roohan at (518) 527-7895, or Kelly DeMichele at (518) 928-9019.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Automobile Museum will present its latest exhibition, “Mercedes-Benz 1886–2026,” beginning May 4.
The showcase will celebrate 140 years of innovation and design, tracing the evolution of one of the most influential names in automotive history.
Highlights include the 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen, the first practical automobile; the 1938 540K; the 1953 300S Cabriolet; and the iconic 1955 300SL Gullwing. Performance heritage is represented by the 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II, while artistic perspectives include a 1952 220A painted by Hiro Yamagata, and new works by artist Lyn Hiner created for the exhibition.
An opening reception will be held on May 7 from 5 to 7 p.m., with a gallery talk at 6 p.m. Members attend free. Light hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar will be available.
Beer drinkers and community members gather at Back Barn Brewing on April 17. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
BALLSTON SPA — Back Barn Brewing, located in the historic Abner Doubleday house, celebrated its grand opening last Friday.
The event included a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association, live music by Phillip Shaver, and a Fired Up Pizza food truck.
“For more than five years, the Doubleday House has served as a welcoming gathering place for this community—first as The Real McCoy and now as Back Barn Brewing Co.,” said the Ballston Spa Business Association in a social media post. “It’s where friendships have grown, milestones have been celebrated, and those traditions will carry on for years to come.”
Back Barn’s draft list included the 12-Pointer IPA, You-Da-Boss Sour Ale, Brigid Red Ale, and the KCA Amber Ale. Also on the menu: canned cocktails from Albany Distilling, Nine Pin Cider, Montezuma Winery Table Red, and the Goose Watch Pinot Grigio.
Back Barn has a handful of events scheduled for this month and next, including karaoke night on April 24, open mic poetry night on April 30, and open mic music night on May 1 (with the Fired Up Pizza truck making another appearance).
Image provided by the Saratoga Social Wellness Club.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Few things are more damaging to a person’s quality of life than lack of social connection.
According to a 2023 report by the U.S. Surgeon General, loneliness and social isolation increase the risks of premature death, anxiety, depression, and dementia. Loneliness and isolation are also associated with lower academic achievement and worse performances at work. “This represents an urgent public health concern,” the report states.
“Extensive scientific findings from a variety of disciplines, including epidemiology, neuroscience, medicine, psychology, and sociology, converge on the same conclusion: social connection is a significant predictor of longevity and better physical, cognitive, and mental health, while social isolation and loneliness are significant predictors of premature death and poor health,” says the report.
Evidence of what’s been called a loneliness epidemic in America seems to be everywhere, including local Facebook groups.
Natalli Amato—a therapist, journalist, and yoga teacher—noticed many anonymously-authored posts in the various “What’s Going on Saratoga” Facebook groups that sought friendship and connection.
“I wondered in my head if any of these people, do they connect?” Amato told Saratoga TODAY. “Is that even really a comfortable or safe option? Is that how people want to make friends?”
For some, like Erin Joy—a yoga teacher and yoga therapist-in-training—being more introverted can make the search for connection even more of a challenge.
“I know that there’s other people out there that maybe have a tendency to do things alone, but maybe in the back of their head, they’re wishing that there’s a couple other friends that they could do things with, but maybe they just don’t know how or where to find them,” Joy said.
Enter the Saratoga Social Wellness Club, which was recently soft-launched by Amato and Joy. The club is designed to “give people a platform for turning fellow Spa City neighbors into new friends by coming together to enjoy events rooted in nature, wellness, and movement.”
Since creating their Instagram account (@saratoga_socialwellnessclub) a few weeks ago, Amato and Joy have already amassed more than 400 followers. And the responses they’ve received seem to indicate that Saratogians are hungry for meaningful connections. Amato said she’s been approached by people excited about the club, and Joy said she’s received enthusiastic Instagram messages.
“It seems as though people are giving us the seal of approval,” Joy said.
Amato and Joy both arrived in Saratoga from somewhere else, giving them first-hand experience with seeking connection and socialization in the Spa City. Amato said she “moved around a bunch” before landing in Saratoga, and Joy is originally from Rochester. The duo connected at Yoga Mandali, where they both worked as teachers.
“I feel completely at home here, even though I’ve been here for a couple of years,” Joy said.
“I think we were inspired [by] great running clubs and walking clubs and cycling clubs that are built around a shared passion and this want to make friends and have fun,” said Amato. “And so, inspired by the liveliness that we already see here, we were like, ‘We could do something like that around the things that light us up.’”
The club’s first in-person social event, Wellness in the Park, will take place on Sunday, May 3 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Spa State Park. Participants can expect some icebreakers, group dialogue, a nature walk, and an outdoor yoga class. Those interested in signing up, either for the event itself or to receive future communications from the club, can fill out a form at form.jotform.com/260905687423059.
The club is also open to future collaborations with local businesses and organizations.
“We want this to not just be about us or benefit us, but really be for Saratoga,” said Amato.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — This summer, the mystical will meet the experiential in a daytime event designed to intrigue, inspire, and immerse. Evolve Today Events, founded by event curator and paranormal creative Shelley Pettit, will present “Haunted in New York: A Curated Paranormal and Metaphysical Experience” on Saturday, Aug. 15 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Saratoga City Center.
More than a traditional vendor market, Haunted in New York is an environment where guests step into a world of paranormal curiosity and metaphysical exploration. The event will feature intuitive readers, energy practitioners, handcrafted goods, immersive elements, and interactive experiences designed to engage attendees on both a personal and sensory level.
“My goal is to create events that feel like stepping into another world — but still grounded, safe, and welcoming,” Pettit said in a news release. “I want people to leave feeling like they truly experienced something, not just walked through another event.”
A highlight of the event is the Alchemist’s Market, a food and beverage experience designed to match the immersive tone of the event. This marketplace offers vendors the opportunity to present their offerings in a themed environment that encourages interaction, exploration, and customer engagement.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Gideon Putnam will host North Country Wild Care’s 2026 Fundraising Gala on Sunday, May 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The 25th anniversary event, which is being held in support of local volunteers and wildlife rehabilitators, will include rehabilitator presentations, a silent auction, luncheon, a wildlife rehabilitator roundtable, a video presentation, cash bar, and live music performed by Tootie & The Mother Plucker. 100% of proceeds from the lunch and auction will be spent on food and medication for sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife.
Tickets are available at www.ticketstripe.com/ncwc-gala-2026.
