Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at birth, dismissed by doctor, Ballston Lake resident fought long enough to be saved by miracle drug. (Courtesy of Erin Mark.)
Erin Mark— A Ballston Lake resident born with cystic fibrosis, a rare, life-limiting genetic disease. Doctors said she would not live past 18 years old. When she was five years old, she overheard her father speaking with a friend about her diagnosis. Even at five years old she understood the ramifications of the disease and promised herself to “cram as much joy in life as possible.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, cystic fibrosis affects the cells that make mucus, sweat, and digestive juices. These fluids are usually thin and slippery to protect the body’s internal tubes and ducts and make them smooth pathways. But in people with cystic fibrosis, a changed gene causes the secretions to become sticky and thick. The secretions plug up pathways, especially in the lungs and pancreas. Cystic fibrosis gets worse over time and needs daily care.
Throughout her life she was constantly on antibiotics; she eventually built up an immunity to oral antibiotics and needed IV antibiotics administered in a hospital. In 2017, when Mark was 33, she was entering into the late stage of the disease; her lungs were failing. In a doctor’s visit to talk about her options going forward, Mark was completely dismissed. Her doctor told her, “You should feel lucky for all the extra years you had.”
Mark left the doctor’s office feeling completely helpless and broke down in her car. But in that moment, she knew she had an obligation to herself. “I thought about that five-year-old girl, giving up wasn’t an option.”
She quickly looked for a second opinion and contacted all the cystic fibrosis doctors in her insurance network. She connected with Dr. Patrica Walker, a specialist in cystic fibrosis working at Mount Siani in New York City. Mark had a completely different experience with Dr. Walker. She recalls Dr. Walker telling her, “I can’t promise anything, but we’ll try everything we can, and I will never give up on you.” Mark said, “To hear her say I wouldn’t give up on you was a moment of relief.”
During this time in her life Mark was giving keynote talks about how to live a life without regrets. How growing up with a disease doctors said would eventually kill her gave her a unique perspective on life. She says, “I learned how to live because I learned how to die.”
Mark recalls during this time in her life being in the hospital weighing 79 lbs., not knowing if she would wake up to see tomorrow. She turned to set an alarm so she could wake up to eat before her next IV. She noticed that you could change the alarm name to wake up to and wrote “you woke up today.” A powerful reminder that tomorrow is not promised, you get another chance at life if you wake up.
However, because she sought out a second opinion, she was able to hold on until 2019 when a breakthrough drug, Trikafta, was approved by the FDA. The drug saved Mark’s life by changing how the gene works in her body. All of a sudden, she had a new prognosis and a newfound outlook on life. Instead of being grateful for all the extra years she already had, she awarded herself a new chapter in her life because she advocated for herself.
Mark now travels across the country, sharing her story at keynote talks about the importance of advocating for yourself. “I wouldn’t be alive if I didn’t advocate for myself” she told Saratoga TODAY. Listen to Mark’s powerful testament of advocacy in her new Ted Talk, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjjPwKtEhOQ.
NYC Ballet Musicians and Friends (Photo by Luellen Abdoo)
A fundraising concert will be held at Bethesda Church on Thursday, June 4, at 6:30 p.m. Violinist Luellen Abdoo and Pianist Christopher Oldfather will be performing music of Mozart, Brahims, and Philp Glass. Proceeds will go towards the NYC Ballet Musicians & Friends chamber music concert on July 9, 2026.
A donation of 30 dollars for one, or 50 dollars for two people will be accepted at the door. Light refreshments will be provided starting at 6:30 p.m. before an hour-long musical performance.
This fundraising performance for the friends of the NYC ballet has been ongoing for the past 25 years. The NYC Ballet is celebrating 60 years at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center July 8-11.
Experience stunning performers of Broadway in an intimate setting at The Mansion of Saratoga.
(Courtesy of Jeffrey W. Wodicka.)
The 801 dinner and concert series is headed towards its final season at The Mansion of Saratoga this summer. Visit the stunning venue for a night of unforgettable entertainment and lasting memories. Let the Manson’s incredible hospitality team indulge you with incredible food curated by the in-house Executive Chef, Rick Bieber.
The historic site located in Rock City Falls allows premier entertainment into the Saratoga area in a far more intimate venue than the great stages of SPAC or the Albany venues. A crowd of just 150 is considered a full house.
To kick off this summer’s series of spectacular shows, on Thursday, June 4th Emmy-nominated Douglas Ladnier will perform, “Diamonds: The Greatest Hits of Neil Diamond.” Experience an unobstructed view of Ladnier’s performance of hits like “Sweet Caroline,” “Cracklin’ Rosie,” “Forever in Blue Jeans” and more!
The night will start at 6 p.m. with a buffet-style meal, allowing guests to explore the beautiful grounds of the Mansion at their leisure. Enter into serenity on the deck behind the mansion for dinner service ahead of the performance beginning at 8 p.m. in the Carriage House.
Other performances to look forward to are Broadway performer Adam Pascal on July 9th. Pascal is a celebrated Broadway star best known for originating the role of Roger in the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, Rent.
On July 23rd Josh Young, a Tony award nominee, is joining the Mansion for a night singing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s work. Webber is a famous composer, whose work has superseded its parent musicals such as “Memory” from Cats, and “The Music of the Night” and “All I Ask of You” from The Phantom of the Opera.
For the concluding act of the 801 Concert series, Nicole Henry, an award-winning American Jazz singer, will be making a stop on her Decades of Diva tour on August 6th.
Don’t miss out on these last unforgettable nights where you can experience spectacular Broadway performers from the historic and scenic venue at The Mansion of Saratoga. Tickets for all these are just over 100 dollars which include a dinner and a show. To purchase your ticket for the ultimate 801 dinner and concert series go to themansionsaratoga.com/concert-series.
Images provided by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.
In an effort to showcase its vibrant downtown scene, Saratoga Springs has been hosting free concerts to kick off the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. Dubbed Belmont on Broadway, the events have been featured on Netflix’s “Race for the Crown” and have included headliners such as Blues Traveler and Gin Blossoms.
For the third and final year that the Belmont Stakes will be run at the Saratoga Race Course, the Spa City has aimed to put on a grand finale that includes two notable music acts and one of the most famous stand-up comedians on the planet.
Belmont on Broadway 2026 will take place on Wednesday, June 3. Saratoga’s thoroughfare will close at 5 a.m., creating a block party-like atmosphere where revelers can stroll (and/or dance) in the streets.
The festivities will begin this year with something new: a ticketed VIP experience at Universal Preservation Hall, located just steps away from Broadway on Washington Street. Beginning at 2 p.m., VIP-ers can 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 get seated for comedian Chelsea Handler’s stand-up show at 4 p.m.
Handler has been a big name in the comedy world for decades, hosting her own late-night talk show on E! from 2007 to 2014 before hosting a Netflix show from 2016 to 2017. In addition to touring across the globe, she’s also written six books that have hit #1 on The New York Times bestseller list.
Once Handler wraps up her set, VIP-ers can saunter over to Broadway, where they’ll have access to a special tent in Ellsworth Jones Plaza near the main stage. VIP-ers can also access a private indoor hospitality lounge on the second floor of the Saratoga Springs City Center.
7 p.m. is when the free fun begins. Vertical Horizon, an alt-rock band that scored a massive hit in 1999 with “Everything You Want,” will first take the stage. The band has released seven albums, including Everything You Want, which sold more than two million copies. The title track hit the #1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 and Adult Top 40 charts and went on to become the most-played single of 2000.
Next up will be the headliner: Fitz and the Tantrums. They’re 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.” Their latest release, 2025’s “Man on the Moon,” has been described as the group’s most daring album yet.
The concert will finish around 10 p.m.
Tickets for the Chelsea Handler performance and VIP experience can be purchased at atuph.org or chelseahandler.com. The Belmont on Broadway concert is free to attend.
More information about Belmont on Broadway is available at www.discoversaratoga.org/belmontonbroadway.
Belmont on Broadway 2026
• When: Wednesday, June 3, 2026. The VIP experience begins at 2 p.m., comedian Chelsea Handler performs at 4 p.m., and the free concert featuring Vertical Horizon and Fitz and the Tantrums goes from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Where: The VIP experience and Chelsea Handler performance will be at the Universal Preservation Hall (25 Washington Street in Saratoga Springs). The free concert will occur outside on Broadway near the Saratoga Springs City Center (522 Broadway).
• Parking: Parking will be available at the Saratoga Springs City Center garage, as well as other public parking facilities downtown, such as 21 Putnam Street, 34 Woodlawn Avenue, and 37 Walton Street.
• Rules and Policies: The event organizers ask that attendees not bring coolers, backpacks, large bags, strollers, pets, glass bottles, alcohol, or weapons of any kind. Attendees should use the sidewalks solely for walking. Individuals who require a seat are asked to bring a folding chair that is not inside of a bag. Organizers also ask that those inside the event space refrain from smoking. Leaving a bar or restaurant with alcohol is not permitted.
The Saratoga Springs History Museum, in collaboration with the Saratoga Springs Heritage Area Visitor Center, is pleased to announce the return of “Grand, Gilded and Glorious: A Saratoga Stroll,” a guided walking tour celebrating the rich history, glamour, and legendary stories of Saratoga Springs’ Gilded Age.
Beginning June 5 and running through October 17, 2026, the 90-minute walking tour invites visitors and residents alike to experience the fascinating world that transformed Saratoga Springs into one of America’s most celebrated resort destinations during the 19th century.
Guests will journey through historic Congress Park and downtown Saratoga Springs while hearing stories of millionaires, mineral springs, luxury hotels, socialites, scandals, and the colorful figures who shaped the Spa City’s golden era. The tour concludes with a guided exploration of the historic Canfield Casino, now home to the Saratoga Springs History Museum, with museum admission included in the ticket price.
“We’re excited to once again partner with the Saratoga Springs Heritage Area Visitor Center to offer this engaging experience for both visitors and locals,” said James Parillo, Museum Director of the Saratoga Springs History Museum. “The tour is a fun and accessible way to discover the people, places, and stories that made Saratoga Springs famous around the world.”
Tours will operate on Fridays and Saturdays throughout June, excluding June 19. Beginning July 1, tours will run Wednesdays through Saturdays through October 17.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Friday Night Art Markets are back on Beekman Street in the Saratoga Springs Arts District, offering a way to spend summer evenings surrounded by art, music, and community.
Held on the third Friday of each month from May through September, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., this family-friendly series invites visitors to experience the neighborhood at its most vibrant.
“The Summer Friday Art Markets help the Beekman Street Arts district by bringing in steady crowds that support local shops, galleries, and restaurants,” said Caroline Haladjian, owner of The Beekman Atelier. “They give new artists an affordable way to show their work and gain fans without needing their own expensive studio. This regular teamwork builds a strong reputation for the area, making it known as the go-to spot for art and creativity in Saratoga.”
Participants can stroll along Beekman Street and explore 25 visiting artists presenting a range of handmade goods and original artwork. Galleries and shops throughout the district will be open late. Refreshments from the Sundry Coffee Camper will be available while local musicians fill the streets with live music.
Future Friday Night Art Markets will take place on June 19, July 17, Aug. 21, and Sept. 18. Rain dates will be on Saturday.
Sing in the Streets Music Festival attendees gather outside Caffe Lena on Phila Street. Photo by Ava Goodemote.
Patrons listen to Kevin McKrell at The Parting Glass. Photo by Ava Goodemote.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — This past Sunday was alive with the sounds of music and laughter as the streets of Saratoga were replete with makeshift stages in order to host Caffe Lena’s fifth annual Sing in the Streets Music Festival.
The weather was blue skies and sunny. Lots of people were out mingling, with kids running by with ice cream dripping from sugar and waffle cones. The event provided an opportunity for shops and restaurants to rein in more customers.
The main stage was located at the intersection of Phila and Henry Streets, and the performances began with Tops of Trees, a funk group from Saratoga Springs. They got the crowd dancing and moving early on. The main stage was surrounded by local vendors and neighboring restaurants where attendees could watch the performance from their tables. People stuck their heads out of their balconies from the apartments above to watch as the crowd gathered.
Another stage located on Broadway began with a folk-punk duo by the name of High Tea. They had raw and original vocals, with their lyrics holding a deep sense of connection and emotion. People stopped by to listen as they passed along on Broadway.
The children’s stage was set up at Ben and Jerry’s, and provided a more family-friendly environment for the festival. Kids were able to sit and play with each other in the front row as their parents held their strollers and ice creams behind them.
Finally, Kevin McKrell performed at The Parting Glass, where the entire room was filled with viewers taking a break from the hot sun. McKrell’s catchy and upbeat music felt right at home in the Irish tavern.
All in all, the festival was a success and a phenomenal way to spotlight performers via a shared joy of music and dance.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — At its annual meeting on May 14, staff of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) reflected on the past decade of transformations as the organization celebrated 10 years of leadership under CEO Elizabeth Sobol.
“Anniversaries invite reflection as well as celebration,” said Sobol at the annual meeting. “They ask us to look back with clarity and honesty—and forward with courage and resolve. Because sixty years ago, the creation of SPAC was exactly that: an act of bold and audacious imagination.”
Reflecting on SPAC’s evolution over the past decade, Sobol continued, “Ten years ago, we were the stewards of something extraordinary—but also something at risk. And so, we asked ourselves: what would it mean to be as bold now as SPAC’s founders were then? Over the past decade, we have transformed this campus—honoring its history while preparing it for the future. We have evolved from a seasonal presenter into a year-round institution, bringing life, learning, and artistic expression into all four seasons.”
Throughout the meeting, leadership reflected on SPAC’s transformation over the past decade into a year-round cultural organization. Since Sobol’s arrival in 2016, SPAC has expanded its programming, grown its educational reach, renovated and reimagined its campus, and launched new initiatives devoted to increasing accessibility, wellbeing, and connection.
Today, SPAC welcomes approximately 500,000 visitors annually and contributes an estimated $105 million in annual economic impact to the region, according to a 2023 study by Camoin Associates.
SPAC leadership highlighted the growth of its education initiatives, which have expanded from serving 5,000 students annually in 2016 to more than 60,000 individuals today in partnership with over 150 schools and community organizations throughout the Capital Region.
Leadership reflected on the launch of SPAC School of the Arts in 2021, which expanded access to arts education and creative learning opportunities. Additional initiatives highlighted at the meeting included a new collaboration launched last fall with Pilobolus and the Skidmore College Dance Department exploring the relationship between creative movement, social connection across generations, and wellbeing.
Additional initiatives discussed included expanded partnerships with Capital District Latinos, Double H Ranch, AIM Services, the Backstretch Employee Service Team, and the New York Race Track Chaplaincy, as well as continued growth of flagship programs including Classical Kids and the SPAC Dance Project.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — On May 7, Skidmore College opened an exhibit highlighting all projects that the numerous Studio Art majors completed for their senior theses. The exhibit was open to the public until May 16, allowing the community to come together to admire the work of young artists.
The artworks themselves were a mix of different mediums, including oil paintings, photography, animation, sculpture, graphite, and fabrics. These mediums allowed the students to best convey their emotions in a way that clicked with them and resonated with the public.
Each work expressed a layer of vulnerability, individual talent, and emotion that added to the overall magic of the work without needing words or an explanation. The artists let the viewers decide how the piece speaks to them based on their own interpretation of the project.
One artist stood out from the rest, Oliver Frontini. He constructed a massive sculpture that was allotted a separate space, allowing viewers to marvel in its beauty. The sculpture included three life-sized sculptured men, each having uncannily accurate features. The work was raw and original, gathering a decent crowd to observe the show of talent.
The entire exhibition was a wonderful showcase of both Skidmore and local talent, with the community uniting to support Saratoga’s very own Studio Art seniors. The variety in works and skill sets allowed for the audience to get a wide range of sensations and feelings as they walked through the exhibit.
Gov. Nelson Rockefeller mounts a bulldozer during the June 1964 SPAC groundbreaking ceremony. Photo provided by the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC).
In the 1960s, a crowd of SPAC attendees pack the venue’s lawn. Photo provided by the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC).
Fred Eaton, publisher of The Saratogian, with Gov. Rockefeller and the governor’s wife, Happy Rockefeller. Eaton and the Rockefellers were instrumental in creating SPAC. Photo provided by the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC).
THE SPIRIT BEHIND SPAC
Nelson Rockefeller had every advantage in life, descended as he was from the nation’s first billionaire. Opulent estates, an Ivy League education, and colossal sums of money were at his disposal.
But he was also dyslexic, and for much of his life, he didn’t realize he had a learning disability. He believed that his IQ was simply not as high as those around him. This resulted in some intellectual humility. Rockefeller—as governor of New York from 1959 to 1973 and then vice president of the United States from 1974 to 1977—surrounded himself with the best experts his vast fortune could buy.
But Rockefeller’s dyslexia also meant that he struggled with pre-written speeches, a burden for someone so often in the spotlight. Though not typically known for his oratory skills, there were off-the-cuff moments when his passion rendered him eloquent.
One such moment arrived during a heated budget debate with a fellow Republican, who argued that because state spending needed to be reduced, the state council on the arts would have to take a hit. Rockefeller rejected the idea and then uttered these memorable words:
“Let me ask you a question. What is government all about? What is life in this nation all about if it’s not centered around our culture? You indicate that these issues of dance and the arts have nothing to say to us, but they are absolutely the essence that holds our culture together… This isn’t silliness. This is what we’re all about.”
Rockefeller’s sentiment, spoken decades ago, is in many respects embodied by the existence of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), which is celebrating its 60th season this summer.
“If you think about Rockefeller and his view of society, he really looked at the arts as the foundation of a democratic society,” said SPAC’s CEO Elizabeth Sobol. “I’d love to think that spirit permeates what we do.”
“People forget now what a radical departure it was 60-plus years ago for a state government, or for that matter, the federal government, to invest tax dollars in culture,” said Rockefeller’s biographer Richard Norton Smith. “Saratoga was, in a lot of ways, an experiment. And I think [Rockefeller] would be very, very pleased with the way it’s evolved.”
THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER THAT STARTED IT ALL
Before Nelson Rockefeller became entwined in the creation of SPAC, there was an editorial that sparked the idea of a performing arts venue in Saratoga Springs.
Duane LaFleche of the Knickerbocker News, a now-defunct newspaper based in Albany, caught wind of the idea of hosting a summer festival for the New York Philharmonic and the New York City Ballet in Vermont. LaFleche had a different idea.
“It seems strange, somehow, that a New York Orchestra and Ballet should have to look out of the state for a summer home,” LaFleche wrote in his 1961 editorial. “Wouldn’t the State Reservation at Saratoga make a nice location?”
With the idea now out in the ether, prominent Saratogians converged to manifest it. One of those manifesters was another newspaperman, Fred Eaton, publisher of The Saratogian. According to him, “the idea for a performing arts center started with an editorial in The Albany Knickerbocker News, a speech by then State Sen. Eustis Paine, and telephone calls to two people from Saratoga Springs resident Robert N. McKelvey, then with the state commerce department in Albany.”
The idea spread from one interested party to another—McKelvey, the Adirondack Trust Company, The Saratogian, Yaddo, Leonard Bernstein (then musical director of the New York Philharmonic), and Charlie Dake of Stewart’s Shops all played their parts. A veritable who’s who of Saratoga power players had coalesced around the idea. Then, Gov. Rockefeller entered the stage.
ROCKEFELLER’S INFLUENCE
“At a January dinner at the Governor’s Mansion, I got Gov. Rockefeller’s ear and explained our problem – we needed an angel,” Eaton wrote. “His $1.2 million from the Martha Baird Rockefeller [Fund] was a huge stimulus.”
The precise total donated to SPAC’s creation by the Rockefeller family varies from source to source, but all agree that it was substantially more than $1 million (which is equivalent to $11 million today).
“The governor’s support was wholehearted,” states SAPC’s 50th anniversary commemorative book, published a decade ago.
“A lot of things had to come together for the Saratoga Art Center to exist, and it never would have happened, in my opinion, if Nelson Rockefeller had not been governor of New York at that point,” said Smith.
Saratogians also turned out their pockets, committing to fund the entire $1.8 million construction estimate. Again, the Spa City elite (such as the Dake family and Marylou Whitney) stepped up to the plate. By the time they were done, millions had been accrued.
As money fell into place and plans advanced, SPAC was hit with a curveball: the New York Philharmonic decided to present its summer concerts in Central Park, leaving the future SPAC without an orchestra. But Richard “Dick” Leach, then the executive director of SPAC, came to the rescue, securing a commitment from the Philadelphia Orchestra instead. After the New York City Ballet also formally committed to the project, the time had come for a suited Nelson Rockefeller to hop aboard a bulldozer for the groundbreaking ceremony.
THE IMPACT ON SARATOGA SPRINGS
Initially, it made sense that an arts center housing two New York institutions (the Philharmonic and Ballet) should be located in New York. But there were other reasons to build a center in Saratoga.
In 1966, when SPAC first opened, a New York Times article labeled Saratoga Springs “a city in decline.”
“The 1950s were a bleak time for Saratoga Springs,” agrees SAPC’s 50th anniversary book.
According to the Saratoga Springs History Museum’s executive director, James Parillo, the Spa City back then was “struggling to redefine itself.”
Saratoga’s collapse stemmed from a confluence of factors. Tourism declined, in part because it changed. The Victorian era, in which visitors spent weeks or months in summer destinations like Saratoga, had ended. So too had the era of gambling. By 1953, all illegal casinos in town were kaput, which sent many service workers packing. Use of the Spa hydrotherapy facility had been declining for at least a decade. Major hotels along Broadway had become vacant behemoths. The city needed a shock to its system. And then SPAC arrived.
“When SPAC came in 1966…they would start attracting a new audience into Saratoga,” Parillo said. “That’s the real kick that we needed to get going.”
It was, as Nelson Rockefeller declared at SPAC’s groundbreaking, a “new era for Saratoga.” His brother Laurance Rockefeller called it a “rebirth.”
THE LAUNCH
On June 30, 1964, SPAC broke ground. Around 1,000 people attended the ceremony.
“When the Performing Arts Center is completed two years from now, we will have here a unique combination of spa, park, and cultural center whose contribution to the recreational, aesthetic, and economic life of this state will be of major significance for generations,” Rockefeller predicted in his remarks.
The governor also reiterated his firm belief that government should “encourage the arts.”
“[Government’s role] is not to dominate the arts, but to lend encouragement and support,” Rockefeller said.
In 1967, after SPAC had concluded its first year of operation, Rockefeller saluted the Saratogians who joined forces to make the venue a reality.
“As impressive as its appeal has been in the international worlds of music, the dance, and the other arts, even more exciting has been the complete acceptance given the Performing Arts Center by the citizens of Saratoga Springs,” Rockefeller wrote in a statement published by The Saratogian. “They have contributed heavily of their time and money to make the Center an overwhelming success. But they also have supported the Center by attending the performances with warm and enthusiastic applause.”
60 years later, the applause hasn’t died out.
At “This Place Loves You Back,” a photography exhibit unveiled earlier this month at The Pines at SPAC, one testimonial from a veteran SPAC-goer read: “I am 93 years old, my husband and I attended the opening night of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’ I have only missed two opening nights since that time, bringing my children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and many friends. It has been a great pleasure.”
Mary Ann Fitzgerald, who watched Rockefeller break ground in 1964, shared similar sentiments with the Times Union a decade ago when SPAC celebrated its 50th season.
“SPAC is the crown jewel in Saratoga,” she said. “I can sit out on the lawn, gaze up at the stars, listen to the rush of Geyser Creek and hear some of the greatest musicians in the world. You can’t beat that.”
