SARATOGA SPRINGS — Registration for the Spring 2023 season of Saratoga Springs Little League is now open.
Saratoga Springs Little League is a recreational baseball league for players ages 4 to 13 within the Saratoga Springs City School District, with games played at West Side Recreation Park.
Saratoga Springs Little League also offers a Challenger Division for ages 4 to 18. The Little League Challenger Program is Little League’s adaptive baseball program for individuals with physical and developmental challenges.
The goal of this division is to provide the opportunity for the developmentally and/or physically disabled to enjoy the full benefits of little league participation in an environment structured to their abilities.
To register or view more information, visit: www.saratogaspringslittleleague.org.
24th annual Saratoga Chowderfest will take place Saturday, Feb. 11. Artwork provided.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The 24th Annual Chowderfest, one of the area’s most highly anticipated events of the year, is set to take place 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11 in downtown Saratoga Springs.
Attendees of the fun, family-friendly event will have the opportunity to enjoy 4 oz. samples of chowder for $2 at participating Saratoga County establishments and vote for their favorite. Chowderfest features more than 80 vendors.
“Chowderfest is back,” said Discover Saratoga President Darryl Leggieri. Discover Saratoga is a coordinator of the event. “We’re excited to return to the original model, a one-day event, which has received very positive feedback from participating locations.”
This year’s event will feature live music at various locations, Dog Lover Rescue’s pet adoption across from the Saratoga City Center and free Death Wish Coffee samples on Caroline Street.
Kids’ activities include Balloon Gal Jenny and face painting by Miss Stacey’s Faces at the Saratoga City Center from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The Saratoga Corinth & Hudson Railway will also be at the Saratoga Springs City Center running a model train and hosting a coloring contest for the kids to win free tickets on the train. Other kids’ activities scheduled are drop-in crafts at the Saratoga Springs Public Library, literacy-based programs at The Children’s Museum at Saratoga, and Character Creations by Erin Joyce will be providing face painting at the Saratoga Springs Heritage Area Visitor Center from 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. Take a picture with Chester the Chowda-Bear at Saratoga Candy Company from 12 -2 p.m.
Avoid parking challenges and jump on the free shuttle running from the Saratoga Casino Hotel (Crescent Ave parking lot) to Congress Park. The 3 shuttles will run from 10:30 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Official Chowderfest Guides, which include a list of participating chowder vendors and activities, can be picked up at participating locations on the day of the event, including the Saratoga Springs Heritage Area Visitor Center and the Saratoga Springs City Center.
Voting will take place online at www.discoversaratoga.org/chowderfest/vote. Only one vote per device will be accepted and voting closes at 5 p.m. Winners will be announced at the Saratoga Springs Heritage Area Visitor Center at 6:30 p.m.
Stay warm during the event with an official Chowderfest beanie ($10) and long-sleeve shirt ($10 or $12 for XXL), which will be sold at the Saratoga Springs Heritage Area Visitor Center and the Saratoga Springs City Center.
For more information, including a list of participating chowder vendors, visit discoversaratoga.org/chowderfest or call 518-584-1531.
Saratoga’s Bacon Hill community will be featured in the second episode of Forgotten Crossroads, which premieres in March. Pictured is contributor Jean Peck at Clear Echo Farm. Photo provided.
BALLSTON SPA —The Saratoga County History Center announced that the Bacon Hill community is the subject of an upcoming local history documentary, which will premiere in special screenings in March.
The documentary is part of the Forgotten Crossroads series of videos which tells the history and stories of people living in still-existing communities that started in the early days of Saratoga County.
“Our county is brimming with these long-overlooked hamlets; each has a unique story to tell, and the History Center should be applauded for bringing these to light,” said Lauren Roberts, Saratoga County Historian. “Many county residents will be surprised that these ‘crossroads’ are still vibrant communities.”
This episode of Forgotten Crossroads highlights Bacon Hill, a small crossroads 2 miles northwest of Schuylerville along New York State Route 32 in the town of Northumberland. The hamlet center is the Reformed Church which celebrated its 200th anniversary three years ago and is home to several large farms owned and operated by families who can trace their ownership back many generations.
“Bacon Hill is a special place with special people,” explains SCHC’s Jim Richmond, volunteer director of the film. Richmond has enjoyed working closely with a group of local residents since the summer of 2022. “From our first meeting, they embraced the challenge of telling the story of the community they love. They brought binders of pictures and scrapbooks at each meeting that helped tell their stories.”
The video will premiere at Brookside Museum in Ballston Spa in late March and the Bacon Hill Church in mid-April.
Each episode of Forgotten Crossroads builds on the history of bypassed Saratoga County communities of the 19th and 20th centuries and the stories of the people still living in the community. The first episode in the series focused on Rock City Falls in the town of Milton and was released in April 2022 and is available on Saratoga County History Center’s YouTube channel.
For more information about Saratoga County History Center, go to: brooksidemuseum.org.
Saratoga SPRINGS —Saratoga Clay Arts Center (SCAC) is hosting its 10th Chili Bowl Fundraiser at the Saratoga City Center on Saturday, Feb. 4 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Participating celebrity chefs include Jonathan Quinn of Osteria Danny, Pat Brown of The Brook Tavern, Sam Squires of Druthers, Jasper Alexander of Hattie’s, and Rob Cardona of Cardona’s Market. There will be also be live music by Rich Ortiz.
Guests purchase tickets to enter, choose a handmade bowl, enjoy live music and participate in the chili taste testing. A portion of the proceeds benefit the local cancer non-profit organization To Life.
Tickets are $25 and include a handmade bowl (plus tax). Bring 2 non-perishable food items for Wilton Pantry and save $2. Guests can choose from five time slots and have the opportunity to purchase more bowls onsite. Tickets are on sale at saratogaclayarts.org.
There will also be a silent auction featuring one-of-a-kind original clay work by local and national clay artists, also to benefit To Life.
To keep the lines short and the wait to a minimum, guests pre-purchase tickets and bowls online for a specific time slot. SCAC will only pre-sell 300 chili bowls for each one-hour time slot. After 300 bowls are sold, the time slot will be closed. Guests are asked to arrive at the time specified on their ticket. SCAC puts more bowls out for selection each hour so everyone will get an equal opportunity to select bowls. Online registrations will take preference to walk-ins. If all the bowls are sold online, there will be no walk-ins allowed.
BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association 8th annual Chocolate Fest will take place on Friday, February 3 from 4-8 p.m. throughout the village of Ballston Spa.
Stroll the village for $1 chocolate tastings from over 20 chocolate chefs. This year the competition is open to area restaurants, bakeries, chefs and home processors working in commercial kitchens. Vote for your favorites in three categories — Dessert, Savory, and Chocolate Beverage — by filling out the ballots available at all of the tasting stations, or “Sweet Spots.” In order for the ballot to be counted in the final judging, people will need to visit and rate at least five different samples. There will be at least one award for each category.
There will also be chocolate-themed activities, artist demos, special promotions and sales.Plus, 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.
BALLSTON SPA — The Saratoga County History Center will host a monthly series of informal Historian Tea Talks, presented by historians from around the county, beginning in February. Tea and cookies will be served, and the talks – which take place at 3 p.m. – will take place in the Long Room at Brookside Museum.
Feb. 21 – Crime and Misadventures in Corinth. Rachel Clothier, Corinth Town Historian; March 21 – The Mott’s Apple Empire. Lynda Bryan, Halfmoon Town Historian; April 18 – Hall’s Brookside Dairy, Greenfield Center: “Nothing remains but an empty field and fond memories.” John Greenwood.
Registration is not necessary but is appreciated. A donation of $5 per registration is recommended to support the programs of Saratoga County History Center. Visit www.brooksidemuseum.org for more information.
SARATOGA SPRINGS —The annual Hattie’s Mardi Gras event will take place Saturday, Jan. 28 from 6-10 p.m. as the Canfield Casino will once again be transformed into the “New Orleans of the North.”
Savor your experience with the culinary expertise of Hattie’s Restaurant Chef Jasper Alexander, Chef Phil Fitzpatrick, and Chef Mark D. Graham. Dance the night away to the sounds of Soul Session and Garland Nelson and bid to win during the silent auction. Acclaimed CNN journalist Alisyn Camerota will be Emcee for the evening. Relaunching this event is a community effort; we encourage you to get involved.
The 2023 Hattie’s Mardi Gras beneficiary is the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York. The Food Bank works to alleviate hunger and eliminate waste by collecting large quantities of food and distributing it to 350,000 of our Capital Region neighbors in need, every month.
The inaugural Hattie’s Mardi Gras began in 2001 and has donated over one million dollars to non-profits in our community. In 2021 Hattie’s Restaurant joined the Business for Good (BFG) family of companies and donates all profits to charity. BFG co-founders Ed and Lisa Mitzen will be hosting the upcoming event.
For more details about the Hattie’s Mardi Gras event, tickets, donation and sponsorship information visit www.classy.org/event/hatties-mardi-gras/e436154
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.
