SARATOGA SPRINGS — Skidmore’s Tang Museum hosted a poetry reading last Sunday that featured thirteen poets responding to artwork included in the exhibition “All These Growing Things.” The timing of the readings could not have been better, coinciding with National Poetry Month.

The event was a wonderful showcase of talents.

Each poet was received with a warm welcome from the audience as they expressed their emotions through their words. Regardless of how each poet interpreted their chosen piece of art, their words conveyed their opinions beautifully, and it was clear how much pride each poet held for their writing. A few specific poets stood out with their word choice and skill interpreting their chosen artwork.

Krista Rivera, an assistant professor of English at SUNY Adirondack, responded to a work by an unrecorded Tibetan artist. Her language was advanced and highly descriptive, eliciting emotions that aligned perfectly with the art.

Another talent was Saratoga’s former poet laureate Joseph Bruchac, who was responding to a tapestry created by Annie Taipanak in the late 1990s. His passion for the history behind the artwork was reflected in the execution of his poem. When giving the context for the tapestry, he said, “What are often seen as primitive images are often very sophisticated. What we think of as people who are without civilization means we are not really civilized ourselves.”

The night was full of creative works being read aloud for the first time. After the event ended, many audience members lingered behind to hold discussions with the poets, bringing the community together through a shared love for writing and art. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga’s Belmont Stakes festivities started early this year with 80-degree weather, a boisterous crowd, and flowing beer taps.

City bigwigs gathered at Druthers Brewing on Broadway last Thursday for the third and final Belmont on Broadway lineup announcement. 

Before unveiling the headliners that will perform at the free concert on June 3, Marisa Flynn of Proctors Collaborative announced that, prior to the music, comedian Chelsea Handler would take the stage at Universal Preservation Hall for a special VIP experience.

Starting at 2 p.m., VIP-ers can enjoy reserved parking, “strut their stuff” on a green carpet (to match Belmont’s distinct color), get their photo taken, receive a keepsake lanyard and commemorative poster, watch the day’s races on TVs inside, and then seat themselves for Handler’s ticketed stand-up show at 4 p.m. The event is timed so that once Handler exits the stage, VIP-ers can saunter over to Broadway for the 7 p.m. concert. Once on Broadway, VIP-ers can access a tent that will be available in Ellsworth Jones Plaza near the stage.

This year’s Belmont on Broadway finale will be headlined by Fitz and the Tantrums, with Vertical Horizon appearing as their opener.

The Tantrums are an indie pop group best known for their hit singles “HandClap” (if you’ve ever attended a baseball game, you’ve probably heard this song), “Out of My League” (which has more than one billion plays on Spotify), and “The Walker.”

Horizon is an alt-rock band that scored a massive hit in 1999 with “Everything You Want.” 

Tickets for the Chelsea Handler performance and VIP experience go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 24 at atuph.org or chelseahandler.com. The Belmont on Broadway concert, per usual, will be free to attend.

New this year on Broadway will be beverage and snack stations from event sponsors Coca-Cola and Market 32. 

The thoroughfare will close at 5 a.m. on the day of the event.

“Saratoga knows how to party,” said Flynn at the Druthers-hosted announcement event. “This is amazing. How iconic that we are in our third and final installment of Belmont on Broadway to kick off the third and final installment of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival this year.”

Previous Belmont on Broadway headliners included Blues Traveler in 2024 and Gin Blossoms in 2025.

The Belmont Stakes will occur at the Saratoga Race Course for the final time on June 6. Starting in 2027, the Triple Crown race will return home to the newly-built Belmont Park on Long Island.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Grammy-winning contemporary Christian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and worship leader Brandon Lake will headline Worship in the Pines, a new one-day music festival coming to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on Sept. 11.

Worship in the Pines will also feature Crowder, Elevation Rhythm, Hulvey, Rend Collective, Lost & Found, and Gabe Von Oven.

Tickets are currently on sale at WorshipThePines.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — David Byrne, frontman of the rock group Talking Heads, will bring his “Who Is the Sky?” tour to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on Sept. 17. 

The announcement comes amidst the tour’s spring run of North American dates, which included a Coachella performance that received rave reviews from Consequence, the Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, and Vulture.

“Who Is the Sky?” is Byrne’s first album since releasing his acclaimed 2018 record “American Utopia,” which was later adapted into a Broadway musical and an HBO film.

In 2002, Byrne was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Talking Heads. Byrne’s many accolades also include a Grammy, an Oscar, a Tony, and a Golden Globe.

Tickets for Byrne’s SPAC show go on sale Friday, April 24 at 10 a.m.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Chelsea Handler isn’t the only comedian coming to the Spa City.

Chris Kattan, a “Saturday Night Live” cast member from 1996 to 2003, will perform at The Comedy Works on May 15 and 16.

Kattan previously appeared at the Broadway venue in 2019.

The former SNL star’s prolific career includes roles in comedy films such as “A Night at the Roxbury,” “Corky Romano,” “Undercover Brother,” “Hotel Transylvania 2,” and “The Ridiculous 6” (which includes a comedic cameo ‘appearance’ by Ballston Spa native Abner Doubleday).

Tickets for both shows are available at TheComedyWorks.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Schenectady-Saratoga Symphony Orchestra (SSSO) will bring its 2025–26 season to a close with “Poetic Echoes,” presented across two Capital Region stages: 7 p.m. Saturday, April 18 at Universal Preservation Hall (UPH) and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 19 at Proctors. The orchestra will also unveil its highly anticipated 2026–27 season at the conclusion of each performance.

For its season finale, the SSSO will be joined by Saratoga Voices and soloists Brittany Palmer and Ann Marie Adamick for a celebration of music and poetry. Florence Price’s “Four Songs from the Weary Blues” brings the words of Langston Hughes to life, while Vaughan Williams’ “Towards the Unknown Region” sets Walt Whitman’s poetry to sweeping music. The program closes with Mendelssohn’s enchanting “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” capturing Shakespeare’s timeless tale of magic, love, and mischief.

Each performance includes a pre-show talk with Artistic Director/Conductor Glen Cortese, 6 p.m. Saturday, April 18 at UPH and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 19 at Proctors. Patrons under 18 are free when accompanied by a ticketed adult.

On May 10 at 7:30 p.m., UPH will welcome Professor Greg Jackson, creator of the popular podcast “History That Doesn’t Suck!” Jackson’s touring show combines storytelling, multimedia, and live music to take audiences on a journey through the first 100 years of American history in 100 minutes. The show will be in town for one night only.

UPH’s summer lineup will kick off with Corinne Bailey Rae and Tom Papa, who are each headlining their own night of live entertainment. Bailey Rae will bring an evening of genre-defying music to the Great Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 5. Papa will deliver a night of comedy at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 17.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of “Corinne Bailey Rae,” the Grammy Award-winning singer’s debut album that introduced the world to Bailey Rae’s soulful, sun-soaked sound. Originally released in Feb. 2006, the record produced hits like “Put Your Records On” and “Like a Star,” earning critical praise, multi-platinum sales, and Grammy nominations.

With more than 30 years of experience as a stand-up comedian, Tom Papa has found success as an actor, host, and author. Papa’s “The Grateful Bread Tour” plays off the title of his weekly podcast “Breaking Bread with Tom Papa,” which features Tom and his guest eating, drinking, and celebrating the true meaning of breaking bread with conversations. He has released six stand-up specials, including his latest Netflix hit, “Home Free” (2024).

Tickets for all UPH shows can be purchased at atuph.org.