LAKE GEORGE — Wiawaka will be celebrating their 120th year this summer with an upcoming season featuring an array of enriching workshops, retreats, events, and programs.

“We take great pride in this historical milestone and express our deep gratitude to all our supporters who have been instrumental in helping us reach this significant achievement,” Doreen Kelly, Wiawaka’s Executive Director, said in a statement. 

Wiawaka Center for Women is a 501(c)3 charitable organization committed to enhancing the lives of women through wellness programs, workshops, events, and artistic celebrations. In 1908, renowned artist Georgia O’Keeffe became one of the first artists to stay at Wiawaka, and her room remains one of the most sought-after accommodations on the property.

Alongside overnight stays, healthy meals, day passes, season passes, and a host of programs are offered at the center. 

Noteworthy highlights include Georgia O’Keeffe Week, Artists in Residency Week, and SWIM Week honoring the remarkable women swimmers of Lake George, including Diane Struble, who made history as the first woman to complete the lake swim. 

Historical Tours take place 5 p.m. every Monday and reservations for a post-walk dinner may be made by calling 518-668-9690.

For more information about Wiawaka’s upcoming events, visit: wiawaka.org. 

BALLSTON SPA —The Ballston Spa Business and Professional Association (BSBPA) has announced this year’s list of performers for its Concerts in the Park series for the summer of 2023. 

The Concerts in the Park series will take place every Thursday evening 6 – 8 p.m. from June 29 to Aug. 24 at Old Iron Spring Park, located at 198 Front St. 

The lineup: 

June 29 – Ballston Spa Community Band 

July 6 – North & South Dakotas 

July 13 – The Protones

July 20 – Kevin McKrell

July 27 – SIRSY 

Aug. 3 – Annual Ice Cream Social with The Union Fire Company Band

Aug. 10 – Downtown Horns 

Aug. 17 – Lustre Kings

Aug. 24 – The Sea The Sea

For more information about the Concerts in the Park series, go to: www.ballston.org/category/concerts-in-the-park. 

SCHENECTADY — The producers of “Mrs. Doubtfire” announced this week that single tickets for the upcoming engagement in Schenectady are on sale. 

The show runs Tuesday, Oct. 24, to Sunday, Oct. 29.

“Mrs. Doubtfire” premiered at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre in December 2019. Extended by popular demand, the Seattle engagement shattered the record for a new musical in the history of the 5th Avenue Theatre, selling more than $4.7M in tickets and playing to more than 75,000 people in 42 performances. 

 When “Mrs. Doubtfire” first officially opened on Broadway on Dec. 5, 2021, the Chicago Tribune said, “This lovable, big-hearted musical comedy delivers a good time for all ages. The best choice for families on Broadway” and The Telegraph proclaimed “Rip-roaringly funny. A heartfelt adaptation to make Robin Williams proud.” 

It received six 2022 Outer Critics Circle Nominations including Outstanding New Broadway Musical, two Drama League Nominations as well as a Tony Nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. “Mrs. Doubtfire” opened in London’s West End in June 2023 following a successful engagement in Manchester, UK in Fall of 2022. 

The show is produced by Kevin McCollum in association with Work Light Productions, the Executive Producer and General Manager for the tour. 

Tickets are available through the Box Office at Proctors in-person, via phone at 518-346-6204 Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. or online at proctors.org. 

GLENS FALLS — Adirondack Theatre Festival’s musical season begins this week with the romantic comedy. “The Last Wide Open.”

The show previews on June 28, opens June 29, and runs through July 8 at the Charles R. Wood Theater in Glens Falls.

The Last Wide Open marks the return of Adirondack Theatre Festival’s tradition of new play commissions. After ATF engaged the writer and scholar Celina Martinez to work with playwright Audrey Cefaly on a new English/Spanish version of Roberto’s dialogue, a bidding war for the play’s publication rights ensued. International licensing giant Theatrical Rights Worldwide ultimately won the bid and will publish the ATF version following the production in Glens Falls.

ATF’s season will continue with a concert presentation of Pump Up the Volume, followed by the biggest production in the company’s history, Tuning In. 

Single tickets range from $25 for audience members aged 18 and under, to $29 for select preview seats on July 28 and August 3, to $49 with no additional ticketing fees. Tickets may be purchased at www.atfestival.org, or by calling the Wood Theater Box Office at 518-480-4878, or in-person at the Box Office at 207 Glen Street. The Box Office is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 12 to 5 p.m.

For more information, visit www.atfestival.org

BALLSTON SPA — The Saratoga County History Center hosts its annual county-wide craft fair 10 a.m.–3 p.m. on Saturday, June 24. 

The family-friendly free event will be held at the Brookside Museum, where guests will be able to shop from more than 35 vendors with a wide variety of locally handcrafted collectibles, gifts, antiques, farm products and more. 

The event is free and open to the public and will be held rain or shine. For more information, please contact Beth Silvestri at 518-885-4000 or bsilvestri@brooksidemuseum.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Bassel & The Supernaturals are coming to Saratoga Springs for the first time to stage a performance at Caffe Lena on Sunday, June 26.  

The touring band uses soulful melodies, funk-inspired rhythms and captivating lyrics to tell the story of Bassel Almadani’s experience as a first generation Syrian-America.

Bassel & The Supernaturals has performed in over 400 concerts and advocacy events between 2016-2023 on stages including SXSW, John F. Kennedy Center, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Summerfest, and Millennium Park, and supported internationally touring artists such as Youssou N’Dour, Aesop Rock, Emancipator, Brother Ali, The Dandy Warhols, Sinkane, and many others.

The band’s self-described bio points to their sound as echoing Stevie Wonder’s rhythm and blues, Jamiroquai’s social justice centered lyricism over jazz-infused funk, and Steely Dan’s seamless amalgam of American music.

Check out their official music video for “Lost” at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx72R9f5Rq0. For more information about the show, and tickets, go to: caffelena.org.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Every year Saratoga Arts sends out an Open Call to all artists across the Capital Region. 

This is open to both members of Saratoga Arts as well as non-members and gives all artists the opportunity to showcase their work in a professional setting. Artists must reside in one of the 11 counties of the Capital Region (Albany, Saratoga, Rensselaer, Schoharie, Schenectady, Warren, Columbia, Washington, Greene, Montgomery, and Fulton counties) to be eligible to apply.

Entries are collected by Saratoga Arts and a jury of arts professionals from the area is put together to review all submissions and create five exhibitions per year, featuring four artists each.

For guidelines and applications, go to: https://www.saratoga-arts.org/Open-Calls.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Automobile Museum welcomes the arrival of the iconic 1962 VW “Light” Bus exhibition, a symbol of the 1960s counterculture movement, at the upcoming Cars On Union event on June 17. The event coincides with the Dead & Company performance at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.  

 The “Light” Bus, renowned for its intricate psychedelic artwork, has become an emblem of the era’s artistic expression and a captivating symbol of the time.

The original bus: Robert Richard Hieronimus (AKA Dr. Bob) was commissioned to paint the Light Bus for his friends in the Baltimore-based rock band Light. Its first great journey was to the music festival at Woodstock in 1969. 

A half-century after Woodstock, after an exhaustive search for the original turned up empty, the “Light” Bus was recreated. 

Cars On Union will take place June 17 rain or shine. The event is open to the public to celebrate Super Cars, Rare Classics, Exotics and automotive culture and features vehicle displays, live entertainment and food vendors. 

​Later this summer, the Saratoga Automobile Museum hosts its 21st Anniversary “Blackjack” Gala. A highlight of the gala will be the keynote address delivered by Dr. Michael L. VanBlaricum, one of the founding members of the prestigious Ian Fleming Foundation (IFF). 

The IFF is renowned for its dedication to the study and preservation of the history of Ian Fleming’s literary works, the James Bond phenomenon, and their profound impact on popular culture. The current “Bond in Motion” exhibit will serve as the perfect backdrop to the evening.

The gala takes place 7 – 11 p.m. on July 21 at the museum. 

For more information, go to: https://www.saratogaautomuseum.org/.