Saratoga County History Center, Saratoga Pride and Pride Stories Collaborative are excited to host an upcoming virtual program, Lavender, Red, White, and Blue: Sites of LGBTQ Revolution in New York State. 

During this talk, and in accordance with the United States Semiquincentennial, Dr. Jeff Iovannone, an expert in LGBTQ heritage conservation, will move beyond standard narratives of American revolution and urban LGBTQ history to highlight sites of LGBTQ revolution across New York State. Taken collectively, these sites evidence New York State’s rich LGBTQ heritage, the contributions of LGBTQ people in shaping New York’s history, and the fact that LGBTQ and American history are one and the same. This talk will be held live on Zoom on August 27 at 7:00 PM. Tickets are free with registration. 

Jeff Iovannone is a social historian from upstate New York who specializes in conserving LGBTQ history through the built environment. He holds a PhD in American Studies from the University at Buffalo and a Masters in Historic Preservation Planning and LGBTQ Studies from Cornell University, where he was awarded the Biddy Martin Graduate Prize for LGBTQ research. Iovannone currently works in the Survey and National Register Unit of the New York State Division for Historic Preservation. 

Saratoga Pride promotes the safety and well-being of the LGBTQIA+ community in Saratoga County by increasing visibility, building allyship and creating educational opportunities. Saratoga Pride’s year-round programming includes sports leagues, a book club, support groups, networking, and educational programming. To learn more, visit www.saratogapride.com

Pride Stories Collaborative is a community-driven initiative dedicated to uncovering, preserving, and sharing LGBTQIA+ stories of Saratoga Springs and surrounding communities. The Collaborative fosters intergenerational dialogue, community storytelling, and public engagement to make visible the lives, spaces, and experiences that have shaped the region’s LGBTQIA+ past. Founding partners include Saratoga Pride, the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation, Skidmore College, SUNY Empire State University, and the Saratoga Springs Public Library www.saratogapride.com/stories/

Tickets and more information are available online at brooksidemuseum.org

Jobseekers exploring new career opportunities are invited to attend the upcoming Saratoga Job Showcase.

The event is set to feature more than 50 employers representing industries including construction, manufacturing, energy, finance, banking, technology and more.

The showcase is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Sept. 10 at Empire State University, located at 113 West Ave. in Saratoga Springs. The showcase is open to the public and admission is free. Attendees are encouraged to bring copies of their current resume.

Along with the chance to make real, in-person connections with recruiters, attendees can walk away with tools to help land their next role. Free professional headshots will be offered on site, along with a LinkedIn training session.

The Saratoga Job Showcase is presented by Empire State University, the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, the Veterans Business Council of the Saratoga County Chamber, Empire State University Veterans and Military Resource Center, New York State Department of Labor, Saratoga Economic Development Corporation and Saratoga County Workforce Development.

“We’re excited to welcome employers to the Saratoga Job Showcase, giving community members the opportunity to learn about the many careers available across our region,” said Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce President Todd Shimkus. “If you’re considering a career change or searching for your next opportunity, this is the place to be.”

The morning will also include a networking reception an hour prior to the event for attendees to mingle and get ready for the job showcase.

“Empire State University is excited to host the third Saratoga Job Showcase and proud to partner with our co-host organizations to connect our students, alumni, and Capital Region job seekers with employers who are actively hiring,” said Anita DeCianni Brown, director of career and experiential learning services at Empire State University. “Events like this create meaningful opportunities to build professional connections, explore careers, and take the next step toward employment.”

More information, including a full list of participating employers, is available at www.saratoga.org/jobshowcase.

On Sunday, August 16, Carol Godette leads the new stroll “Mom & Pops of the East Side.” This stroll focuses on a concentrated area of the East Side that once teemed with neighborhood shops and markets. 

Many neighborhood stores were not purpose-built commercial buildings: they were garages, front parlors, additions to houses, and converted storefronts. They existed because neighborhoods needed them and because ordinary people found a way to make a living. Mom & Pop stores were not just about groceries: they were about entrepreneurship, trust, immigration, childhood, newspapers, gambling, schools, transportation, race track culture, and community. The stores were simply the stage on which all these stories unfolded. The tour meets at the intersection of North and East Harrison streets. 

 Join Executive Director Samantha Bosshart on August 23 for an updated version of her “Horsin’ Around North Broadway” Sunday Stroll. Joined by Brien Bouyea of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Samantha will highlight those associated with horseracing and the beautiful architecture of North Broadway. This engaging stroll explores the deep ties between Saratoga Springs’ famed North Broadway and the city’s rich horse racing heritage.

All Sunday morning tours begin at 10:30AM, last approximately 90 minutes, and require walking and standing on varied terrain. Tours are limited to thirty participants and tickets must be purchased in advance. The cost per tour is $15 for SSPF members and $20 for non-members. For additional information on Sunday Strolls or to purchase tickets, call (518) 587-5030, visit our website, saratogapreservation.org, or email Dianne Winter, Development Director, at dwinter@saratogapreservation.org.

The Saratoga County History Center at Brookside Museum will host a special Trivia Night focused on American history, inspired by America’s 250th. 

Join SCHC on Tuesday, September 1, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, to compete with old friends and new on your knowledge of American history, geography and popular culture. 

Among the question categories will be the American Revolution, the American Presidency, Our Local History, and more. Featuring our host, Sean Kelleher, Vice Chair of Saratoga 250 and Town of Saratoga Historian. 

Throughout the night, try your luck with a 50-50 raffle, enjoy snacks and drinks, and win fun prizes! Tickets are $10 with a soft drink and $15 with a beer. All beer will be provided by Active Ingredient Brewing Company. 

Tickets and more information are available online at their website, Brooksidemuseum.org

 The Sugar Plum Farm Foundation is helping children discover that their future is limited only by their imagination. 

This summer, students from ROOTS Academy – formerly Philip Schuyler Achievement Academy, the elementary school attended by Anthony “Tony” Malatino – spent their days at Camp Sugar Plum, where they built confidence through hands-on experiences in entrepreneurship, agriculture, leadership, and teamwork. 

At Camp Sugar Plum, children learn by doing. Campers care for farm animals, develop culinary skills, help operate the Sugar Plum General Store, and launch their first businesses through the camp’s signature Lemonade Wars challenge. Along the way, they develop practical skills in teamwork, problem-solving, communication, customer service, financial literacy, and leadership skills that extend far beyond the farm. 

“The Lemonade Wars is about much more than selling lemonade,” said Robin Malatino, founder of The Sugar Plum Farm Foundation. “It’s about giving children the confidence to dream bigger, the courage to try something new, and the opportunity to discover what they’re capable of. Because our campers attend the same elementary school that my late husband, Tony, once attended, their mantra is simple: ‘If Tony could do it, I can do it.’” 

Malatino added, “We aspire to inspire the next generation. If these children leave believing in themselves just a little more than when they arrived, we’ve accomplished exactly what we set out to do.” 

The Sugar Plum Farm Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing transformative educational experiences through agriculture, entrepreneurship, and hands-on learning. By combining meaningful mentorship with real-world experiences, the Foundation empowers children to build confidence, develop lifelong skills, and imagine a future filled with possibility.

Dr. Joseph Greco, Director of Personnel Development for the district, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Trailblazer Innovation Award by ASBO New York.

Greco was recognized during ASBO New York’s Annual Awards & Inauguration Celebration, held as part of the organization’s Education Summit & Expo in Saratoga Springs. The Trailblazer Innovation Award honors school business officials who demonstrate exceptional creativity and innovation in school finance and management through initiatives that positively impact students, schools, and their communities.

Greco was recognized for implementing Saratoga Springs High School’s participatory budgeting initiative, which gives students a direct role in identifying school needs, developing proposals, creating budgets, and voting on projects that improve their learning environment. The initiative also provides students with hands-on experience in civic engagement by mirroring the local election process through the use of official ballots and voting machines.

“Joe is a natural leader,” Assistant Superintendent for Business Bobby Yusko wrote in his nomination. “A teacher at heart, Joe is always looking to help people learn and is never afraid to jump into something new.”

In recognition of the award, ASBO New York will donate $1,500 to the Saratoga Springs City School District to support the district’s participatory budgeting initiative.

The Saratoga County History Center at Brookside Museum will present Saratoga and the Civil War: The 115th “Iron-Hearted Regiment” at War, its second program in our 2026 series Americans at War on Wednesday, August 26 at 7 PM. David Brooks, the Education Director at Schoharie Crossing State Historic site in Fort Hunter, will bring to life the unique experiences of the 115th Regiment, which mustered soldiers into service 165 years ago on this date – August 26, 1861 in Fonda, New York. Regimental companies were formed from Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery and Saratoga Counties. 

Under the leadership of Colonel Simeon Sammons, a local farmer and militia officer before the war, the regiment participated in several campaigns that took them to both well-known and little-known battlefields, gaining them recognition as the “Iron Hearted Regiment.” 

Brooks will follow the regiment’s journey from Harpers Ferry to Chicago and into the deep south before returning to Virginia in the last year of the war, recounting the battles they faced on the front line and those experienced from within.  

David Brooks is a member of the Board of Trustees for both Fulton and Montgomery Historical Societies and former past president of the Mohawk Valley Museums Consortium. As David tells us, “The 115th has a story unlike most upstate NY regiments during the Civil War, though their experiences are not all that unique during a time of crisis for the country. As a child I learned of this regiment and it’s service in family stories and directly from letters written during the war between brothers and the family on the home front.”

This event is presented with the support of Adirondack Trust Company, and is free with registration. Registration and more information regarding for this event is available online at Brooksidemuseum.org