SARATOGA SPRINGS — New Bluebird Hotels property, Spa City Motor Lodge in downtown Saratoga Springs, staged a Best of Saratoga Springs Festival June 25 to mark the beginning of the 2021 tourism season. The event, held outside the new downtown property at 413 Broadway, featured food vendors and live performances by Jeff Brisbin, and G. Love.

CAMBRIDGE — Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education in Cambridge has announced the establishment of The Karen Strand Endowment. 

In the summer of 2020, longtime Hubbard Hall supporter and advisor Curt Strand passed away, leaving approximately $850,000 to Hubbard Hall in his will, in honor of his late daughter and Hubbard Hall volunteer Karen Strand. Part of this bequest has allowed Hubbard Hall to retire the majority of its debt and will allow the organization to replace its aging HVAC system and purchase artist housing in Cambridge. 

The majority of the money will be held in a restricted investment fund, with the annual investment earnings supporting scholarships and fellowships at Hubbard Hall, in the name of Karen Strand, who passed away in 2006. 

Karen Strand became involved at Hubbard Hall in the late 90’s, first as a volunteer in the Hall’s Village Store. She eventually joined the staff and became the manager of the Village Store. Karen loved the Hall as a welcoming place where she always felt accepted and valued. Hubbard Hall was – and is – a place dedicated to gathering people from all walks of life to create, learn, and grow together. 

Curt Strand, retired chairman and CEO of Hilton International, passed away in his home July 11, 2020. He was born Nov. 13, 1920 in Vienna, Austria and moved to the United States when he was 17. A graduate of the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University, class of 1943, Strand served in the United States Army Military Intelligence from 1943-1946 during World War II. Later, he served as Superintendent of Service for New York’s famed Plaza Hotel, Hilton International’s Vice President of Planning, and eventually became President and Chairman of Hilton International, and Director of Trans World Airlines. 

Hubbard Hall is a thriving arts center dedicated to cultivating, sustaining and promoting the cultural life of our rural community. Hubbard Hall gathers people from all walks of life to create, learn, and grow together, while developing, producing, and presenting world-class art and artists. For more information, go to: hubbardhall.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) and New York City Ballet (NYCB) announce the casting for NYCB On and Off Stage from July 14-17 at SPAC. Each program will be hosted by a beloved NYCB Principal Dancer who will be retiring from the company during the 2021-22 New York Season – Maria Kowroski will host the Short Stories presentation; and Gonzalo Garcia will host the All Balanchine presentation in addition to performing in both programs.

The cast includes New York City Ballet dancers Sara Adams, Tyler Angle, Jacqueline Bologna, Meaghan Dutton-O’Hara, Gonzalo Garcia, Kennard Henson, Spartak Hoxha, Emily Kikta, Miriam Miller, Lars Nelson, Amar Ramasar, Teresa Reichlen, Davide Riccardo, Mimi Staker and Claire Von Enck who will perform excerpts from masterworks including Apollo, The Four Temperaments, Agon, Jewels, and Who Cares?, and beloved narrative ballets like Firebird, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Western Symphony, Fancy Free, and The Concert. Solo Pianists will provide musical accompaniment for both programs. 

SHORT STORIES – 7:30 p.m. July 14 & 15, 2 p.m. July 17; ALL BALANCHINE – 2 p.m. July 15, 7:30 p.m. July 16 & 17. 

The presentations will all be approximately 75 minutes long with no intermission. Amphitheater tickets and general lawn admission tickets are available at spac.org. Masks are required for unvaccinated individuals. Proof of vaccination or negative test is no longer required for entry to SPAC-produced events. Visit spac.org for more details.

GLENS FALLS — The Glens Falls Collaborative return of its summer food festival, Take a Bite, starts Wednesday, July 7 and will run every Wednesday through Aug. 25, from 5-7 p.m. in Downtown Glens Falls. 

Take A Bite is a popular, family-friendly event that showcases the area’s restaurants. Restaurants take to the sidewalks to offer affordably priced “small plate” menu items. There are currently close to 20 vendors. 

In addition to food, there will be live entertainment by local musicians on Ridge and Glen Streets and at the Queensbury Hotel, and members of the Adirondack Theatre Festival will perform in the alleyway next to the Wood Theater. Costumed characters from Happy Face FX will also roam Downtown. The Crandall Public Library will also hold a ‘Story Walk’ for children and families. The schedule of musicians performing on Ridge and Glen Streets kicks off with Brian Fitzgerald (Ridge St.) and Tame Pacific (Glen St.). 

For more information go to: www.glensfallscollaborative.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The David Cassidy Memorial Legacy Group hosts its 4th annual celebration of the life of David Cassidy on Aug. 16. 

The event will be staged at Putnam Place and kicks off with an hour-long “mix & mingle” at 3 p.m., followed by a Celebration of Life event from 4-8 p.m., and the evening with a live performance by Joe’s Boys, performing a variety of Cassidy’s solo work, music from the Partridge Family and “good time rock n’ pop” songs from the 60’s, 70’s 80’s and beyond.

The Celebration of Life event will feature the David Cassidy Remember Me Awards ceremony, honor 70’s Long Island, New York-based band Danny Calvagna – who lost his life to COVID-19, and a silent auction to raise money for various charities, including: The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, Friends of Saratoga County Animal Shelter and Columbia Greene Humane Society. Tickets are $25. For more information, go to the events page at putnamplace.com or email the David Cassidy Memorial Legacy Group at: DavidCassidyIts4ever@gmail.com 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery presents Ellsworth Kelly: Postcards, a comprehensive survey of postcard collages by American artist Ellsworth Kelly, on view from July 10 through Nov. 28.

The exhibition marks the first time Kelly’s lifelong practice of collaged postcards will be the focus of a major museum exhibition. 

Widely regarded as one of the most important artists of the twentieth century, Kelly (1923–2015) is known for his abstract paintings, sculptures, and prints that are masterworks in the exploration of line, form, and color. Over the course of more than 50 years, the artist made approximately 400 postcard collages, some of which served as exploratory musings and others as studies for larger works in other media. They range from his first monochrome in 1949 through his last collages of crashing ocean waves, made in 2005. Together, these works show an unbounded space of creative freedom and provide an important insight into the way Kelly saw, experienced and translated the world in his art. 

An extensive catalogue will be published in conjunction with the exhibition, featuring 1:1 scale reproductions of 250 works.

Ellsworth Kelly: Postcards is curated by Ian Berry in collaboration with the Ellsworth Kelly Studio with Jessica Eisenthal, independent curator. The exhibition is part of All Together Now, a regional collections-sharing project funded by the Henry Luce Foundation to celebrate the Tang Teaching Museum’s twentieth anniversary. The project brings together rarely-seen works from The Tang Teaching Museum collection to the public in collaboration with the Shaker Museum, Ellsworth Kelly Studio, National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Hyde Collection, and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, among others.   

The Tang Museum also announced that the next artist in its influential Opener series will be Sarah Cain. The exhibition Opener 33: Sarah Cain—Enter the Center opens July 10 and will be on view through Jan. 2, 2022.

Los Angeles–based artist Cain explores and expands upon traditional ideas of painting, often modifying canvases by cutting and braiding, painting on all sides, and installing the canvas with the back facing the viewer. Cain describes herself as a feminist painter, using elements traditionally seen as feminine as an act of non-conformity and an alternative to the traditional hierarchies of painting.

Opener 33: Sarah Cain — Enter the Center features more than a dozen major paintings from 2012 through 2020 and an expansive site-specific installation in the Tang that includes a wall-to-wall floor painting and painted furniture. 

The opening of the exhibition marks the Tang’s official reopening to the public since closing in March 2020. The Museum’s Summer hours will be Noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday through August 29.  Fall hours will be announced at a later time. For more information, please call the Visitor Services Desk at 518-580-8080 or visit online at tang.skidmore.edu.

ALBANY — Robyn Hitchcock, singer/songwriter, surrealist poet and guitarist performs on Oct. 24, and George Winston – featuring selections from his seasonal favorites, will appear in a solo piano concert Nov. 21, in two newly announced shows at The Egg. 

Additional newly announced concerts include Peter Bernstein – Larry Goldings – Bill Stewart Trio on Sept. 17; Five For Fighting With String Quartet on Sept. 25; Songs of John Prine: Billy Prine & The Prine Time Band on Dec. 9, and Gaelic Storm on Feb. 11, 2022. 

Among previously announced upcoming shows are Ann Wilson (Aug. 17), Melissa Etheridge (Sept. 2), and Joan Osborne (Sept. 9). 

Tickets and additional information may be obtained by contacting The Egg Box Office at the Empire State Plaza, by telephone at 518-473-1845 and online at www.theegg.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A festive summer feast featuring herb-infused spirits, a multi-course gourmet dinner and appearances by New York City Ballet dancers will take place at Saratoga Performing Arts Center July 12-13. 

Billed as “A Midsummer Night’s Supper,” the SPAC fundraiser was inspired by George Balanchine’s ballet A Midsummer Night’s Dream and ballerina Tanaquil Le Clercq’s The Ballet Cook Book. 

SPAC began 55 years ago with a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The magical dining experience  – conceived by Meryl Rosofsky as an homage to Balanchine’s love of cooking and New York City Ballet’s storied history at the venue – is slated for Monday, July 12 and Tuesday, July 13 at 7 p.m. in SPAC’s new, outdoor Julie Bonacio Family Pavilion. The suppers will serve as the kick-off to New York City Ballet’s appearance at SPAC, scheduled for Wednesday, July 14 through Saturday, July 17.

The fundraiser will include appearances by New York City Ballet dancers Tyler Angle, Gonzalo Garcia, Maria Kowroski, Amar Ramasar, Teresa Reichlen and legendary retired NYCB dancer Edward Villella. Between courses, Meryl Rosofsky, creator of the “Breaking Bread with Balanchine” project; Paul Kolnik, renowned NYCB photographer and Saratoga devotee; and Jeanne Fuchs, author and longtime friend of Tanaquil Le Clercq who worked with her on The Ballet Cook Book, will share stories about food, ballet, and Saratoga. 

The exclusive menu will feature recipes by Balanchine, Le Clercq, and dance luminaries who originated roles in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, including d’Amboise, Hayden, Patricia McBride, Arthur Mitchell, and Violette Verdy. The multi-course feast will be prepared by Chef Kim Klopstock of The Lily and the Rose and will be accompanied by superb wines and inventive cocktails like “Puck’s Potion” and “Bottom’s Up” created for the occasion.

“We all know that George Balanchine was a choreographic genius,” says Rosofsky, who serves as Vice-Chair of the George Balanchine Foundation. “But what many ballet lovers don’t know is that he was also a gifted cook. During summers in Saratoga, he’d even make his own ice cream and jams. His muse and wife Tanaquil Le Clercq wrote the wonderful The Ballet Cook Book, thanks to which we have personal stories and recipes from many of the great dancers of her day, including longtime Saratoga denizen Melissa Hayden (whose son happens to be my husband!) and the beloved, recently departed Jacques d’Amboise, who made a mean Sauce Béarnaise.”

“A Midsummer Night’s Supper” is part of the Center’s CulinaryArts@SPAC initiative, which launched in the fall of 2020 and features educational classes, workshops, gourmet experiences and more to support local chefs, farmers, and the regional culinary community. 

Tickets to attend are $350 or $250 for a Junior Ticket (35 years old and under) and will be available for purchase on Monday, June 28. Tables are available in reservations of six ($5,000); eight ($7,500) or ten ($10,000). Guests who purchase a table of ten will have the opportunity to dine with a dancer from New York City Ballet. Edward Villella will participate in the July 13 event only. Visit spac.org for more details or contact Heather Varney at hvarney@spac.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Universal Preservation Hall presents Dinosaurs in Motion, a new, interactive, engaging STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics) exhibition for 84 days this summer and early fall. 

Dinosaurs in Motion engages and educates the visitors of all ages by using 14 fully interactive, recycled life-size metal dinosaur sculptures inspired by actual fossils. 

The life-sized metal sculptures weave science, art and innovation themes throughout and touches on each of these educational topics at each sculpture. The art portions highlight sketching, drawing, and sculpting; the science segments explore kinetics, biomechanics, and robotics; and the innovation areas encourage observing and experimenting. 

Exhibition: July 25-Oct. 15 at UPH. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 youth and are now on sale at universalpreservationhall.org. The event is presented by Adirondack Trust Company. 

UPH, located at 25 Washington St., is a partner in the Proctors Collaborative. NLH Property and AIM Services Inc. are additional underwriters of Dinosaurs in Motion.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Janice Dean, senior meteorologist for FOX News Channel and morning meteorologist for FNC’s FOX & Friends, will be promoting her latest book, “Make Your Own Sunshine: Inspiring Stories of People Who Find Light in Dark Times,” at Encounter, located at 482 Broadway.  The book signing will take place 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 17. 

A pre-order signed copy of the book is $25 and includes entrance into a giveaway that includes gift cards, gift baskets, and more, as well as 20% off all Encounter purchases made on the day of the event. Day-of-event book purchase price is $30. A portion of proceeds will go to Multiple Sclerosis and an unnamed charity of Dean’s choice.

The book signing will be preceded by a VIP meet and greet hour from 9-10 am. Admission to the 9 a.m. event is $50 and includes signed copies of Dean’s books “Make Your Own Sunshine,” and “Mostly Sunny,” entrance into a giveaway of an Encounter gift card, a Samantha Sung Dress, or gift basket. VIP guests will also receive 20% off all purchases that day. 

Both pre-orders and VIP Meet and Greet opportunities can be secured by going to the encounterboutique.com website, or by emailing encounter@pasofny.com by Friday, July 2.