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Golden Tempo Leads Betting Lines as Favorite for the Travers Stakes

Written by Aidan Clark on . Posted in Entertainment, Sports.

Golden Tempo After Winning the Belmont Stakes (Courtesy of Dom Napolitano)

The Travers Stakes, which is the oldest stake race for three-year-olds in the country, is set for Saturday, Aug. 29. The race is named after William Travers, the first president of Saratoga Race Course. Traver’s horse, Kentucky, won the inaugural race in 1864. 

This year’s betting favorite is Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner, Golden Tempo, at 5/2 odds. The Travers will be Golden Tempo’s first start since the Belmont Stakes, following recovery from a bacterial infection which caused him to miss the Jim Dandy.

Jim Dandy winner and closest betting rival, Renegade, sits at 3/1 odds. Renegade started as the Kentucky Derby morning line favorite and led momentarily in the stretch. However, a last to first surge saw Golden Tempo take the Derby. 

The previous Travers winner, Sovereignty, also won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. Will Golden Tempo be able to match Sovereignty in the Travers? The bookies seem to believe. 

Each year the Saratoga Canoe, which floats in the infield pond, has been painted with the Travers-winning owner’s colors. This tradition started in 1962 when patrons returned to the race course to find the original blue paint had been covered with the colors of Calumet Farm, whose horse Beau Prince won the year prior. 

Tune into the Travers, post time 6:35 p.m., to find out what color the canoe will be next year. 

Travers Poster Signing with Local Artist: Greg Montgomery

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Entertainment.


2026 Travers Poster by Greg Montgomery
(Courtesy of Discover Saratoga)

Greg Montgomery will be at Impressions of Saratoga for the annual signing of his 2026 Travers poster “Giving Thanks,” Sunday, August 30, 11 to 1 p.m. The poster features Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Travers winning horse, Sovereignty and jockey Junior. 

Jockey Junior Alvarado is known for pointing skyward in the runout after his races in gratitude. He thanks his maker for another safe circuit of the track and for his wins. Sometimes just arriving at the finish line is a big win in his dangerous profession. 

Greg Montgomery has been producing a Travers poster since 1986. He is a worldly artist, who has traveled to each continent (except Antarctica) and has worked in a variety of mediums such as journalism, publishing, and design. While Montgomery was born in Washington D.C., he studied painting and lithography in New Mexico, afterwards in Albany he studied serigraphy. Montgomery uses bold imagery and colors, while also balancing his images with white space, making his posters iconic, authentic and eye-catching.  

The Saratoga Regional YMCA Commemorates 160 Years with a Community Time Capsule

Written by Aidan Clark on . Posted in Entertainment.

Community Members, Elected Officials, and YMCA Executives Commemorating 160 Years of the Saratoga Regional YMCA (Courtesy of Aidan Clark)

On Wednesday, Aug 26, the Saratoga Regional YMCA celebrated its 160th anniversary with a community gathering and the dedication of a time capsule enclosed with memories from members set to be opened on its 200th anniversary. 

The capsule contains photographs, historical information, and reflections that capture the Saratoga Regional YMCA in 2026, documenting the programs, people, accomplishments, and values that define the organization today. The time capsule will be placed in one of the columns in the Saratoga Regional YMCA on 290 West Ave. 

One YMCA member, Dora Lee Stanley, said the YMCA saved her life.

Stanley took swimming lessons at the YMCA for the first time in her life at 70 years old. In her first lesson the instructor taught her a valuable lesson in the water: don’t panic.

She would be put to the test during a safari in South Africa. On the safari she was on a boat taking pictures of crocodiles and water buffalo when she fell overboard.

“Luckily the crocodiles weren’t very hungry,” Smith said in between laughter. “The people on the boat said that when I fell the heard of buffalo took off.”

But smith remembered what she learned at the YMCA: Don’t Panic!

Her swim lessons allowed her to float long enough for the boat to turn around to rescue her.

“These stories remind us that the YMCA is not simply a building or a collection of programs,” said Allison D’Antonio, Saratoga Regional YMCA CEO. “It’s a community. A place where a single decision, a single class, or a single conversation can shape the course of a person’s life in ways they never expected. That’s the true legacy of the Saratoga Regional YMCA.”

Local Brass Musicians  Share the Stage with the Philadelphia Orchestra 

Written by Aidan Clark on . Posted in Entertainment.

Local Brass Players Performing with Musicians from the Philadelphia Orchestra at SPAC (Courtesy of Aidan Clark)

On Thursday, Aug 20, local brass musicians performed on Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s (SPAC) amphitheater stage with musicians from the Philadelphia Orchestra as part of their annual PlayIn series. 

The PlayIn series is native to Philadelphia and was transplanted to Saratoga nine years ago after Dennis Moench, the vice president of education at SPAC caught wind of the event. 

“I approached them and said, ‘could you bring this to SPAC?’ So, we started doing it and it was such a nice success, we just kept doing it year after year. It’s kind of baked into their residency now,” Moench told Saratoga TODAY.

The Philadelphia Orchestra has a three-week residency at SPAC every year and is tied for the most tenured residency at SPAC with the New York City Ballet. 

It’s “just an opportunity you don’t see too often. Especially in an area near you where travel isn’t really an issue at all. The fact that they’re available and willing to do these types of opportunities for creative communities is awesome,” said Andrew Gorman, a local trombone player. 

Saratoga Arts Brings Statewide CHARM Mural Initiative Home to Saratoga Springs

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Entertainment.

A new large-scale mural is coming to Saratoga Springs’ Beekman Street Arts District this September. The 16-by-19-foot mural will be created by Saratoga Springs-area artist Juliana Haliti, known professionally as Monarch, on the Living Resources building at 70 Beekman Street. Installation will begin September 16 and is expected to be completed by September 27.

The project is part of Cultivating Havens for the Arts through Regional Murals (CHARM), a statewide creative placemaking initiative of Governor Kathy Hochul administered by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). 

After Saratoga Arts’ participation in the inaugural round of CHARM, the organization has received $100,000 to facilitate seven new mural projects in 2026 — one in each of the six Mohawk Valley counties in its service area, plus an additional project in Saratoga County.

“This really feels like a milestone for the arts in our city. It’s so fulfilling to see all these different institutions come together to support the efforts of a local artist to make such a prominent change to the aesthetic of our community,” said Spencer Sherry, Saratoga Arts Project Manager. “I hope this installation inspires more cross-pollination within our cultural leadership and reaffirms the importance of creativity in our public spaces.”

Haliti is a local artist and is also part of the team at Spa Fine Art Gallery on Broadway, creating another connection between the project and Saratoga Springs’ established visual arts community.

Unlike a traditional public-art commission built around a prescribed theme, Saratoga Arts’ approach to CHARM places creative control with the artists themselves. Artists are selected because of their connection to the communities in which the murals are created and are encouraged to make work that best represents their individual artistic voice.

“Having grown up near Saratoga, and now living close to and working on Broadway, I am so honored to be able to create this mural here. Especially in the iconic Beekman Street Arts district, which has and continues to cultivate a beautiful community for local artists,” said Haliti. “My practice focuses on the relationships between people, history of the land, and ecology, so to be able to create a piece that allows me to honor my own relationship with these things is incredible.”

A free public mural workshop led by Haliti is scheduled for September 20 at 70 Beekman Street. Community members and artists will have an opportunity to learn about the mural-making process and contribute directly to the work. Registration will open to the public on August 30 on Saratoga Arts’ website. 

MicoMoCA: A New Community Art Exhibit Unveiled

Written by Aidan Clark on . Posted in Entertainment.

The Inaugural MircoMoCA Art Exhibit at the Sobro Conservancy (Courtesy of Aidan Clark)

A new community art project, MicroMoCa, has installed its first project at the Sobro Conservancy located at 209 South Broadway. 

70 years ago, the land of Sobro Conservancy was a gas station at the busy intersection of South Broadway, Ballston Avenue, Circular and West Circular streets. When the gas station closed a few decades ago, the lot was cleaned up by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The lot sat vacant for another couple of decades until 2022 when the land ownership was transferred to Sobro Conservancy. 

“The principal clientele is these little things that float around and buzz and pollinate, and the birds that like to eat their caterpillars,” said Tom Denny, president of Sobro Conservacy. “In other words, at some level, this is primarily an ecological habitat. But the other clientele is the citizens and visitors to Saratoga.”

Emily Tironi is a resident of the Stonequist Apartments near the Sobro Conservancy. She founded MicroMoCA to give artisan builders the chance to create “micro” art galleries. 

The inaugural art installation is titled “Once Upon a Time,” featuring works by Brenda Verardi. Her exhibit features six watercolor landscapes, demonstrating her love of Northeastern nature with bold shapes and intense, vibrant colors. Verardi is a retired anthropology teacher and long-term resident of Saratoga Springs, started painting and drawing as a child, encouraged and inspired by her mother, who also painted.

Chris Jacobs built the art display at Main Street Studio in Charlton.

“The idea is the light will be able to filter into the back when the sun is moving around,” said Jacobs. 

The exhibit will rotate collections from artists in the community inspired by nature and the environment. 

A second microMoCA gallery will be coming soon to Stonequist Apartments, followed by a third at another location later this fall.

Skippy and the Pistons, Saratoga Band, to Play Final Show in Honor of Founding Member

Written by Aidan Clark on . Posted in Entertainment.

Left to Right – Frank Scirocco, Chris Wagner, Dillon Murphy, and Frank’s granddaughter, Chloe (Courtesy of Chris Wagner)

On Saturday, September 5, lifetime Saratoga band, Skippy and the Pistons will perform their final show at a Tunnels to Towers fundraiser by Chris Wagner and Dillon Murphy. The fundraiser will be hosted at 2117 Barrett Road, Ballston Spa from 6 to 11 p.m.

Earlier this year, founding band member, Frank Scirocco, passed away. The band’s last performance will be a tribute to the band’s leader. 

Last year the band performed at the Tunnels to Towers fundraiser for their 50th anniversary and raised over 2,500 dollars for the foundation which provides homes for injured veterans and their families. 

Raffel tickets will be sold for $20 each and 3 for $50. Prizes include gift certificates and products from local businesses. All proceeds will be donated to Tunnels to Towers.

Anyone interested in donating but cannot attend can do so by going to dogood.t2t.org/saratogafundraiser26

Kindred Spirit Music Series at Saratoga Arts

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Entertainment.

The next session in the Kindred Spirit Music Series will be hosted by Cosby Gibson and Tom Staudle on Monday, Aug 31 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Saratoga Arts. This event is free and open to the public. 

Gibson and Staudle are award-winning songwriters and singers. The duo has been performing for fifteen years, both regionally and nationally. Together they play originals and favorites with a variety of instruments such as guitar, fiddle, banjo, dulcimer, and harmonica.

The Kindred Spirit Music Series is held on the last Monday of each month presented by Our Lodge Foundation, which supports the Saratoga Springs community through cultural, educational, civic, and charitable programs. Each month’s themed session includes music to reflect on, songs performed by regional musicians, and sing-alongs of familiar pieces that have helped us overcome as well as remember the joy of simply being.

Saratoga Arts made this program possible through the Community Arts Regrant Program, funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Saratoga Springs History Museum Announces Second Annual Spirited Evening at the Historic Canfield Casino

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Entertainment.

The Saratoga Springs History Museum invites the community to experience an extraordinary evening of history, mystery, and paranormal exploration at the Second Annual Spirited Evening: A Paranormal Experience at the Historic Canfield Casino, taking place Thursday, November 12, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.

Held inside one of Saratoga Springs’ most iconic historic landmarks, Spirited Evening brings together perspectives on the paranormal, an interactive investigation, dinner, and a silent auction—all while raising important funds to support the Saratoga Springs History Museum.

For more than 150 years, the Canfield Casino has witnessed fortunes won and lost, elegant celebrations, quiet griefs, and generations of everyday human life. Its remarkable history has long-inspired stories, questions, and curiosity about what may remain within its walls.

This year’s Spirited Evening will feature keynote speaker Kelly M. Ballard, a fourth-generation Intuitive Medium with more than 25 years of experience working with Spirit.

Ballard’s keynote, “The Spirited Canfield Casino: A Medium’s Perspective on Ghosts, Spirits, and the Energy That Remains,” will explore what ghosts and Spirits may be, why energy can linger within historic locations, and what it can mean to understand—rather than fear—the activity that people have reported experiencing in places like the Canfield Casino.

As Saratoga Springs begins looking toward the fall season, the Museum encourages guests to reserve their places early for this special annual event. General Admission tickets are $150, with special Museum Member tickets available for $140.

Proceeds from the event support the Museum’s ongoing educational projects, materials, programs, exhibitions, and events, helping the Museum continue its work preserving and sharing the remarkable history of Saratoga Springs.

Something Evil is Coming to the Malta Drive-In Theatre

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Entertainment.

Get ready for the horror to jump out of the big screen and right up to the windows of your car during “Night of Evil: Haunted Night at the Malta Drive-In Theatre” on Saturday, August 22nd. Horror enthusiasts will be treated to a double-feature of “Insidious: Out of the Further” (PG-13) and “Ice Cream Man” (NR) while live scare actors haunt the theatre.

Lock your doors because local haunt production company Booo365 will be live on the grounds of the theatre with malevolent demons, a sinister ice cream man and his evil clown friends.

“We are thrilled to return to the Malta Drive-In Theatre this summer after two very popular Haunted Nights last year,” said Dan Barner, Owner of Booo365. “There is no need to wait until fall for a night of scares, we are ready to get the screams started now.”

Movie-goers are encouraged to interact and take photos with the creatures that Booo365 will be unleashing at the haunted drive-in. Tickets are available online now at www.maltadrivein.com or at the box office starting at 7:00pm on Saturday, August 22nd.

The Malta Drive-In Theatre is located at 2785 Route 9 in Malta. For more information, call 518-587-6077 or visit www.maltadrivein.com.