SARATOGA SPRINGS — A ceremony honoring the Veteran of the Year for 2022 will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6, at the Saratoga-Wilton Elks Lodge #161 at 1 Elks Lane, Saratoga Springs. The event is free and open to the public. Face masks are optional.

Veteran of the Year 2022 is David T. Wallingford, Capt, USMC a resident of Malta. Wallingford was born and raised in Albany, graduated from the College of The Holy Cross, Worcester, MA in 1966 and in 1967 was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. He served in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969 with the 3rd Marine Division in I Corps along the DMZ and was Honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in 1970 as a Captain.  

For his service in Vietnam, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat V, the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V, the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Unit Commendation, Meritorious Unit Commendation and various campaign medals and ribbons. 

Wallingford was wounded in Vietnam on March 25, 1969.  He was medevac’d through several RVN sites before being evacuated to the USNH Yokosuka, Japan. While convalescing at the USNH he met Navy Nurse Lieutenant Helene Hill. They have now been married 52 years and are the proud parents of four children and proud grandparents of eight grandchildren.

The annual award is co-sponsored by the Friends of the New York State Military Museum and the Capital District of New York Chapter of the Association of the United States Army. Presidents of the two co-sponsor organizations will present the award. Saratoga County Supervisors Chairman Todd Kusnierz will present a Proclamation from Saratoga County. New York State Senator Jim Tedisco will present a Proclamation from the New York State Senate. A US Congressional Proclamation and a flag will be presented by Congressman Tonko and remarks by the Adjutant General of the State of New York will be given. 

BALLSTON SPA —The Saratoga County History Center has announced the Saratoga Chips and Beer Festival that will take place from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12, at Brookside Museum, 21 Fairground Ave., Ballston Spa.  

Saratoga Chips are the feature of the museum’s current exhibit, “In the Saratoga Style: Potato Chips and Their Regional Folklore.” Festival goers can enjoy Saratoga Chips, represented by Mechanicville’s DeCrescente Distributing Company. 

John Kirk and Trish Miller of Greenfield Center will provide live music. To round off the festival, there will be a campfire, a S’mores station, a silent auction, and a game of potato chip trivia. 

The festival, a benefit for the Saratoga County History Center, is $20 in advance, and $25 on the day of the event, while designated drivers will be $10. SCHC members receive a $5 discount. Snacks and the first beverage are included in the ticket price. 

Tickets can be purchased at www.brooksidemuseum.org/event/saratoga-chips-and-beer-festival-2/. For more information, visit brooksidemuseum.org or call 518-885-4000.

BALLSTON SPA — The Saratoga County History Center (SCHC) stages its 60th annual meeting at the Brookside Museum on Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. in Ballston Spa. 

The trustees offer a “show and tell” featuring some of their favorite items from the SCHC collection, an overview of upcoming exhibits, and their vision for the future. The annual budget will be presented, and there will be voting for new trustees. The event is open to the public.

The Saratoga County History Center was organized in 1962 as the Saratoga County Historical Society. In 1970, the organization acquired the former Aldridge House resort hotel and opened it as a museum. The History Center holds its annual meeting in November. For more information, go to: brooksidemuseum.org.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Network Saratoga presents A Bridle Affair Wedding Event at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame on Sunday, October 23 from 11 a.m. -3 p.m. 

There will be a select group of vendors collected in this one-of-a-kind location to offer the services and advice you need to plan all the details of your wedding day. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to see the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame’s newly renovated Hall of Fame Gallery event space. Come and enjoy fabulous grand prizes, giveaways, and fun.  

Admission is complimentary. Engaged couples can register for the event online at www.abridleaffairsaratoga.com. 

For more information call 518-365-3459.

WILTON — Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park will be hosting a fun and warming day of campfire concerts on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 1-4 p.m. While the focus will be on live music, there will also be refreshments, roasting marshmallows, a fall scavenger hunt and more… all while warming up by the campfire. 

In keeping with their work with the endangered Karner blue butterfly the musical performers will feature “blue”grass and the “blues.” The Red Spruce Band and Thomasina Winslow will be the featured artists. At last year’s concert, Winslow collected information from the audience about the Karner blue butterfly and she will be performing her Karner Butterfly Blues for the first time in front of an audience.

This is a free program. Saratoga Arts made this program possible with a Community Arts Grant funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. For more information about the program or to register, contact the Preserve & Park Office at 518-450-0321 or email info@wiltonpreserve.org. 

WILTON — The Wilton Volunteer Fire Department is staging a free community Open House and pig roast from 4:30-6:30 on Oct. 15. The event will take place at the fire station in Wilton, located at 270 Ballard Road.