SARATOGA SPRINGS — The inaugural Saratoga Reptile Show will be hosted at the Saratoga City Center on Sunday, January 22 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The Saratoga Reptile Show is all about love and passion for exotic animals. With access to hundreds of reptiles and all of the supplies you need to create a comfortable and healthy home habitat, attendees can browse almost any reptile-related you can think of in a family-friendly environment.
The Saratoga Reptile Show will offer attendees an in-person experience to meet with America’s top vendors and breeders. Buy discounted cages, supplies, feeder insects, frozen and live rodents. The Saratoga Reptile Show encourages responsible reptile ownership.
Cost is $5 children (7-13), $10 adults, children under 7 are free. Saratoga City Center is located at 522 Broadway. For more information visit saratogareptileshow.com
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Stewart’s Shops has announced a 12-month ‘Make Your Own’ Prize Contest series that will take place each month throughout 2023 via a Stewart’s-themed online contest.
The themed online contests will be announced the first Friday of every month on Stewart’s social media channels and StewartShops.com. Twelve lucky contest winners will have the option to choose between a year’s worth of Stewart’s ice cream or a year’s worth of Stewart’s coffee.
The “Make Your Own” Prize Series will conclude with its final prize being, not only their choice of a year’s worth of Ice Cream or Coffee, but with the opportunity to take a private tour of the Stewart’s Dairy Plant with Gary Dake, president of Stewart’s Shop, as their tour guide.
Contest prizes will be provided in the form of Stewart’s gift certificates. Winners who select a year’s worth of ice cream will receive 52 half-gallon ice cream certificates, and winners who select a year’s worth of coffee will receive 180 twelve oz coffee certificates & a $280 Stewart’s My Money Card.
SARATOGA COUNTY —DEC operates the Colonel William F. Fox Memorial Saratoga Tree Nursery, which produces tree and shrub seedlings for conservation plantings on public and private lands. Native New York seed sources are used when available. The nursery’s annual spring seedling sale is open to all interested customers in New York and bordering states.
The Saratoga Tree Nursery is located just south of Saratoga Springs on Route 50.
View the 2023 Trees and Shrubs Brochure (PDF) for a list of this year’s available species, their size, and their cost, as well as ordering information that is also found on the webpage. That may be found at: www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/treenurserybrochure.pdf.
The seedling sale runs from Jan. 3 through May 12. All orders are filled in the order received. Some species sell out quickly, so order early. Ordering by Phone: 518-587-1120, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is the best way to get the latest availability information and get your order in sooner.
BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association has announced the 8th Ballston Spa Chocolate Fest will take place on Friday, February 3 from 4-8 p.m. throughout the village of Ballston Spa.
Area restaurants, bakeries, and chefs are all welcome to compete to showcase their talents and tastes by preparing small, sample-sized chocolate offerings in 3 categories: Dessert (Sweet), Savory, and Chocolate Beverage. These treats will be judged by Chocolate-fest goers.
While savoring chocolate treats, visitors will enjoy a variety of First Friday activities going on throughout the Village, including live music, artist demonstrations and special promotions just in time for Valentine’s Day. A complete list of events can be found at Ballston.org.
In 2020, over 21 “Sweet Spots” were featured throughout the downtown area, and counted more than 1,500 visitors to the Village for this annual event.
Welcome, Timothy Barnes of Corinth! Photo provided.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Capital Region’s first baby of 2023 — Timothy Barnes — was born at 12:19 a.m. Jan. 1 at Saratoga Hospital, a member of the Albany Med Health System.
Proud parents of the healthy boy are Sarah and Jesse Barnes of Corinth. Timothy weighed 7 pounds and is 21.5 inches long.
Welcome, Timothy! And, congratulations, parents Sarah and Jesse.
For information about Saratoga Hospital visit: www.SaratogaHospital.org
Greenfield Elementary School teachers Kelly Brennan & Erin Flores with their students and a few of the many boxes of goodies they collected for the Adopt A Soldier donation drive. Photo provided.
WILTON — Operation Adopt A Soldier welcomes donations year-round at their Wilton location. Members box and mail items weekly to U.S. military members serving away from home to remind soldiers they’re not forgotten. The group also includes hand-written cards, notes, & student art with each package.
Greenfield Elementary School was the top school for the holiday collection.
BALLSTON SPA —Saratoga County History Center members are invited to our inaugural Saratoga History Happy Hour at the Real McCoy Beer Company in Ballston Spa. The Saratoga History Happy Hour is a series of three happy hour vibe programs at which local historians or experts weigh in on a variety of historical topics, share their insights, answer audience questions, participate in a trivia contest, and enjoy libations from a New York State craft brewery.
The program takes place at the Real McCoy Beer Company, the historic birthplace of Major-General Abner Doubleday in Ballston Spa. The Real McCoy Beer Company is located at 28 Washington St. in the village of Ballston Spa.
The agenda of the series is as follows:
Jan. 26 – Real Life Crime is the focus with Waterford Historian Russ VanDervoort and SCHC Director of Education Anne Clothier; Feb. 9 – The Hamiltons and the Schuylers is the focus with Saratoga National Historical Park’s curator, Christine Valosin; March 16 – Saratoga Style Baseball, including the story of the Abner Doubleday House and Lefty Mulligan with town of Saratoga Historian Sean Kelleher and others.
The programs start at 6 pm. Tickets to the Saratoga History Happy Hour are $15 each and come with a craft beer or non-alcoholic beverage. These events are limited to Saratoga County History Center members. Advance purchase of tickets is required by visiting brooksidemuseum.org/2022/12/saratoga-history-happy-hours/
Membership in the Saratoga County History Center starts at $25. Visit the link to explore different membership levels: brooksidemuseum.org/support-schs/new-individual-membership-page/
The Ice Queen leads an in-person class during the holiday break in Glens Falls. Photo provided.
GLENS FALLS — ‘The Ice Queen’ has become a staple of the Charles R. Wood Theater Holiday season over the past few years, starting with a special guest cameo at a Frozen Holiday film screening in 2019 and evolving into an interactive art class during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, the Ice Queen will lead an in-person class art class, taking place at 11 a.m. – on Wednesday, Dec. 28, and again on Friday, Dec. 30.
For $5, all participants will have an art station with all the supplies they need to create the two projects led by The Ice Queen, played by Wood Theater box office manager, volunteer coordinator, and mixed-media artist Shelley Fairbanks.
Tickets to the class are available at www.woodtheater.org/icequeen or at the Box Office or by phone at 518-480-4878.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Rosa Royal is a member of the Saratoga Senior Center. Since April she has been crocheting hats for seniors in need, and to date has handmade 111 hats. The hats are displayed at the Center and have added a festive look.
While she lives in Glenville, Rose regularly visits the Senior Center in Saratoga Springs. She’ll spend her day playing bingo, helping as a volunteer, having lunch and is a mainstay in the Wednesday Knit & Crochet group.
In addition to the hats, the Senior Center is spreading holiday cheer through their Adopt a Senior program, caroling with The Giving Circle, and several other events.
The Adopt a Senior program, coordinated by the Center’s Senior Support Services office, has gathered wish lists from almost 50 seniors in need. Volunteers have shopped to fulfill those wish list and are delivering wrapped gifts to the Center. The gifts will be delivered to the seniors in the week before Christmas.
Senior Support Services is also working with The Giving Circle. Together the two organizations will be caroling on Sunday, December 18 around Saratoga Springs. The carolers will visit some senior housing locations as well some individual seniors in need of holiday cheer.
Upcoming holiday events for Senior Center members:
Friday, December 16:
11am Member Meeting & New Building Update
Saratoga Senior Center Executive Director, Lois Celeste will give an update on the Center’s upcoming move to their new home on West Avenue, attached to the Saratoga Regional YMCA.
12-2 p.m. Holiday Gift Wrap
Bring in your gifts and get them wrapped for you!
1:30 p.m. Holiday Lunch Buffet – $10. RSVP required. Call the Front Desk at 518-584-1621.
2-3 p.m. Decorating
Holiday Cookies
Wednesday, December 21
1:30-3:30 p.m. Member Holiday Party – Buffet lunch prepared by Prime at Saratoga National. Live music by Jay Yager & Chris Dollard. Guest appearance by Kelsey Dodd and Santa Claus. Sponsored by Aetna
Friday, December 23
1:30-2:30 Holiday Sing-Along with Garland Nelson
For more details on upcoming events and information about Saratoga Senior Center visit saratogaseniorcenter.org.
Some images on Broadway captured during the Victorian Streetwalk tree lighting ceremony on Dec. 1, 2022, featuring the carriage arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Photos by Thomas Dimopoulos.
