saratoga living: Saratoga Summer Issue by saratogalivingmagazine

*{the figgs’ really, really big birthday!}

T H E CIT Y. THE CU LT U R E. TH E LIFE.

MAY JUN E 2 019

THE ULTIMATE, MUST-KEEP ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE FOR YOUR SARATOGA SUMMER P. 40

R E D N O W N E M O W

CAFFÈ LENA’S SARAH CRAIG, SPAC’S ELIZABETH SOBOL AND UPH’S TEDDY FOSTER ARE THE POWERHOUSES WHO FUEL SARATOGA’S PERFORMING ARTS. IT’S THEIR TURN TO TAKE A BOW.

plus

TOGA A R A S T S E B E TH EW TRACyKBriePnRBoEuyVeaI B

saratogaliving.com

OGA T A R A S A LIVE NATIONS R Y E H P O W SU SOASaRndSy MAacDGoAnaIldN R EALByLYJeffLDOinVgleEr By

C KS! A D N O R I D A E TH WN SPAS, TH E TO

HE TH E TRAILS, T , TH E C HAIR and, yes

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inside may | june 2019

SUMMER

ISSUE

THE

ABOVE AND BEYOND

THE ENTERTAINERS

N ATA LI E M O O R E, K A R E N B J O R N L A N D , W I LL LE V IT H p h o t o g r a p h y by D O R I F IT Z PAT R I C K by

and

40 THE

THE ADIRONDACKS

saratoga living

ULTIMATE, MUST-KEEP 2019 ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE C H R I ST Y C I OTA , O L IVI A L I P K I N , J A M E S LO N G, A L E X C A P P E L L ET T I, S I M O N E T E A G U E a n d LI N N E A H A R R I S i l l u s t r at i o n s by K E I KO K I M U R A c o m p i l e d by

50 52 58

WHY LIVE NATION LOVES SPAC { exc l us i ve} BY J E F F D I N G LE R

N ATA L I E M OO R E F R A N C E S C O D’A M I CO

The Perfect Outdoor Chair BY

W I L L L EVITH

WOODSTOCK AT 50: LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD by

It’s a philosophy of service. It’s a foundation of trust. It’s going the extra mile. It’s a commitment to being your best. It’s a ripple eﬀect for good. It works in life. It works in banking.

P HOTOG R AP HY BY

THE FIGGS COME HOME { exc l us i ve}

Bolton Landing: An Appreciation

My Beautiful Adirondacks BY

N ATA L I E M OO R E

The Adirondacks Say ‘Spa!’ BY

M A R CO M E DR A N O

W I LL LE V I TH

OPERA SARATOGA LANDS A ‘BIG GET’ THIS SUMMER {exclusive}

S A N DY M ACD O N A L D D O R I F IT Z PAT R I C K

p h o t o g r a p h y by

BACK TO THE FUTURE: SARATOGA’S DRIVE-INS by

KAREN BJORNLAND K YL E A DA M S

p h o t o g r a p h y by

durant durant Stars and the Milky Way reflect in the calm water of Lake Durant, just east of Blue Mountain Lake, NY. P HOTOG R AP H BY C ARL HE I L MAN I I

inside may | june 2019

10 MVP 12 From The Editor 14 From You

the front 17 Saratoga By The Numbers 17 #lovewhereyoulive 18 Hmm... 20 Skidmore Stars: Zazie Beetz 22 Power Player: Jim Mastrianni 24 Saratoga Goes Hollywood: Reality TV 26 Retrospac: The Grateful Dead 27 Today’s Special 29 Trend City: Cauliflower 30 On Location: 5 Cool Things From

Race Inspired Performance.

The AD Show

80 The Only Meet Preview You Need STORY A N D PHOTOGRAPHY BY

BRI EN BO U Y E A

82 Jerry Brown’s Sure Bet {exclusive} STORY AND P ORTRAIT BY ARTH U R G ER UN DA 86 Northeast

And Mid-Atlantic Racing Organizations Endorse A Plan To Monitor Racehorse Injuries BY

92 Horse Travel: Del Mar 97 Beautiful Design 98 Food: Salt & Char 100 Drink: The Mercantile

100

Kitchen & Bar

102 Saratoga After Dark 106 Star Gazing: Good Times, Gemini! 111 Play: Crossword Puzzle 111 Overheard

the end 112 *Saratogian

Of The Month: Judy Harrigan

M A RT Y HEGA RT Y, DAILY RACING FORM

112

(track) BILLY FRANCIS LEROUX; (leash) CANDAMILL; (Drink) DORI FITZPATRICK; (Harrigan) KATIE DOBIES

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Richard Pérez-Feria EDITOR IN CHIEF

ON THE COVER Sarah Craig,

Elizabeth Sobol and Teddy Foster were photographed by Dori Fitzpatrick exclusively for saratoga living. Hair and makeup: Christopher Byrne, Master Hair Stylist, and Natalie Dekermendijian, Makeup Artist, Complexions Spa for Beauty & Wellness. Shot on location at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

MANAGING EDITOR SENIOR EDITOR SENIOR WRITER DESIGNER LUXURY EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR DESIGN EDITOR ARTS EDITOR SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

EDITORS AT LARGE

Kathleen Gates Will Levith Natalie Moore Anne Newgarden Jeff Dingler Linda Gates Marco Medrano Brien Bouyea Beverly Tracy Bill Henning Dori Fitzpatrick Alex Cappelletti, Christy Ciota Linnea Harris, Natalie Jacobs Chloe Knapp, Hannah Kotler Olivia Lipkin, Conor Pochna Simone Teague Greg Calejo, Susan Gates James Long

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Karen Bjornland, Tony Case, Colin Cowie, Kyan Douglas Arthur Gerunda, Kate Doyle Hooper, Teresa A. Genaro, Cornelia Guest Simon Murray Octavio Roca, Kevin Sessums, Zachary Weiss WRITERS

Jonah Bayliss, Rosie Case, Jennifer Cook, Zachary Gold, Rebecca Hardiman Jacqueline Kuron, Jordan Levin, Sandy MacDonald, Joe Mastrianni Melissa Morreale, Maria McBride Bucciferro, Sarah Midani, Katie Navarra William Roach, Mitch Rustad, Michael Slezak, Joe “Woody” Wood ARTISTS / PHOTOGRAPHERS

saratoga living is published six times a year by Saratoga Living LLC.

Kyle Adams, Meaghan Aldridge, Fahnon Bennett, Gabriella Boschetti Tracey Buyce, Lauren Childs, David Cowles, Francesco D’Amico, Katie Dobies Eric Huss, Keiko Kimura, Billy Francis LeRoux, Anna Murray, Ian Parker Terri-Lynn Pellegri, Susie Raisher, Robert Risko, Myrna Suárez, TJ Tracy

Subscriptions: Domestic, $24.95 per year; Canadian, $$44.95 per year (non-refundable). Application to mail at periodicals’ postage rate is pending at Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to saratoga living 422 Broadway, Suite 203 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Volume 21, No. 3, May/June 2019 Copyright © 2019 Saratoga Living LLC All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission from Saratoga Living LLC. All editorial queries should be directed to editorial@saratogaliving.com; or sent to 422 Broadway, Suite 203, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. saratoga living assumes no responsibility for unsolicited submissions.

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8 saratoga living

⁄ MAY-JUNE 2019

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orking as senior photographer for saratoga living has made my love of this amazing city grow tenfold. Every time I go to work, I know I’ll be meeting fascinating people with incredible stories, talent and a shared love for our community. The first major shoot I did for saratoga living was the “Saratoga 20,” which included portraits of the area’s finest citizens, taken over a few days and with a very specific style in mind. Working with Editor in Chief Richard Pérez-Feria, I knew every day was going to be filled with creativity, laughter and wit; a girl couldn’t ask for a better day at work. The highlight of my time here has been photographing five of the magazine’s cover subjects: David “Big Papi” Ortiz at his home in Boston, American royalty Ariana Rockefeller at an idyllic horse farm in Stillwater, tireless philanthropist Ed Mitzen at Fingerpaint, legendary bike designer Ben Serotta among his designs and, most recently, the wonder women of Saratoga’s performing arts scene on stage at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. I come to every shoot with the mission and expectation to capture the true character of each individual, and hope my images make my subjects proud. They’re Saratoga’s finest, after all.

SAT JUNE 29

SUN JUNE 30

AMPHITHEATER | 12:45PM

AMPHITHEATER | 11:45AM

George Benson

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue Norah Jones

Los Van Van 50 Anniversary Kandace Springs James Carter Organ Trio Mercy Project: Jon Cowherd, th

Brian Blade, John Patitucci, Steve Cardenas

Django Festival All-Stars with special guests Edmar Castaneda and Grace Kelly

Donna Grantis Saratoga Springs High School Jazz Ensemble

Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg,

CHARLES R. WOOD “JAZZ DISCOVERY” STAGE | 12PM

CHARLES R. WOOD “JAZZ DISCOVERY” STAGE | 11AM

Antonio Sanchez & Migration Lionel Loueke & Raul Midon Veronica Swift with The Emmet Cohen Trio Black Art Jazz Collective featuring Jeremy Pelt,

Ruthie Foster Allison Miller Boom Tic Boom featuring

Wayne Escoffery, James Burton III, Xavier Davis, Richie Goods & Rudy Royston

Joe Locke’s Subtle Disguise with special guest Raul Midon KEIRA LEMONIS

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Tickets at SPAC.org

Reuben Rogers, and Gregory Hutchinson

Joey DeFrancesco Trio featuring Billy Hart Shaker High School Jazz Ensemble

Jenny Scheinman, Carmen Staff, Kirk Knuffke, Ben Goldberg and Todd Sickafoose

Cha Wa Youn Sun Nah Joel Harrison’s Angel Band featuring Jon Cowherd, Jaleel Shaw, Stephan Crump, Brian Blade, and others

Kansas Smitty’s House Band

from the editor

summer

stage bright Surrounded by Saratoga’s performing arts rock stars: Caffè Lena’s Sarah Craig, SPAC’s Elizabeth Sobol and UPH’s Teddy Foster on stage at SPAC.

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12 saratoga living

⁄ MAY-JUNE 2019

two things to me: around-the-clock tennis with my buddies and listening to Y100 radio for news about giveaways to area concerts. Back then I was into all kinds of music, but powerhouse divas ruled my world, particularly Donna Summer, who I still maintain is America’s greatest vocalist (the fact that we were both born at Mass General Hospital in Boston bonded us, I believe, for life). When Summer teamed up with Barbra Streisand on “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough),” a song that would go on to top the Billboard charts for weeks, I was glued to my sister’s hi-fi stereo so I could hear those two incredible belters sing about kicking that nogood man out of their lives forever. But, curiously, I also loved Journey (Steve Perry’s “Open Arms” remains among the most beautiful ballads ever), Boston (“More Than A Feeling”

DORI FITZPATRICK

couple of weeks into the fifth grade, my best friends (we all played tennis together every day) somehow got their hands on tickets for something called the Miami River Music Festival, an all-day, outdoor rock concert that would be coheadlined by The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and REO Speedwagon, and invited me to join them. I remember that sweltering, sticky September Sunday so vividly not only because it was such a “cool” thing to do without my parents anywhere in sight, but it also happened to be my very first concert. And, boy, was I hooked. After that show—I can still hear the indescribable, earth-shattering voice of Kevin Cronin, REO Speedwagon’s lead singer, in my ears—summer meant only

is a joyride of a song), Styx (“Babe” and “Mr. Roboto” are everything) and Billy Joel (though my brother’s favorite, I do appreciate “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant” and “Say Goodbye To Hollywood”). So a pattern emerged where I was loving divas and rockers, making me quite obviously the only person I knew with such divergent musical tastes. I embraced the contradiction as a sign of maturity and genuine music mastery. Upon landing in Saratoga Springs after a decades-long circuitous career route that took me to some of this country’s best cities, one of the first places I checked out was the city’s fabled venue, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). Not unlike a baseball fan who hears about and dreams of attending a game at Fenway Park (yet another Boston reference), I’d heard about SPAC for years as the summer home of the New York City Ballet (I was a longtime subscriber to NYCB’s fall season at Lincoln Center in Manhattan) and the venue of choice for the likes of The Grateful Dead, Dave Matthews Band and other established rock titans. What a thrill to sit in that amphitheater to witness ballet’s finest, the Philadelphia Orchestra’s majesty or Kendrick Lamar or Keith Urban or Janet Jackson light up the stage. In a word, SPAC is perfect—the atmosphere, the acoustics, the proximity to Downtown Saratoga, all of it. So, as we head toward another intoxicating, scorching, endless Saratoga summer, you better believe I’ve checked out this year’s lineup of concerts I’ll be rocking out to, and Cardi B is first up. Funny thing is, all these years later, I’d still love to see REO Speedwagon, Journey or Billy Joel kill it on stage. But heaven knows, I’ll have to wait for that special celestial encore to hear my girl, Donna Summer, love to love me baby one more time.

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@saundravirtanen Danced on stage briefly with The Beach Boys back in the ’70s. Great Tina Turner show there as well. @saratogaphotobooth My mother dancing with Bruce Springsteen in 2009. Also, seeing Springsteen in 1984 and Dolly Parton with my parents in the ’70s. My HS graduation in the ’80s and my wife’s Skidmore graduation in the ’90s. Having our classic photobooths backstage for Mötley Crüe and Journey concerts. So many great SPAC memories! @sherokey My favorite SPAC memory is taking my late mom to see Henry Mancini conduct The Philadelphia Orchestra.

from you The Way We Were (At SPAC) @SARATOGALIVING FOLLOWERS ON INSTAGRAM WEIGH IN ON THEIR FAVORITE MEMORY AT THE SARATOGA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER.

The grin on her face was absolutely precious.

@dcarterspa Elton John in the early ’80s

@maryfloresphotography @lmrlmr.10 Summer jazz festival is at NYC Ballet with Baryshnikov the top. @susanspouts @dpostart518 Front row @silverpenp Eric Clapton, ’92, pit seat for Too many to opening and closing America! When choose! the show with they performed @amydemos Cream songs! “Sister Golden My son’s Hair,” they put Skidmore graduation  daisies in my hair! I think I was 16 at the time… @pamabrams2 Jesus Christ Superstar from @gunkswine the lawn…1970? Grateful Dead ❤

@chevygirl918 My birth year! No wonder I love SPAC so much! My favorite memory is walking through the empty grounds with my grandparents who introduced me to SPAC! @babspeck Every concert they had in the summer of 1972! Even Preservation Hall Jazz Band! @pellegrinievents My favorite SPAC memory was going to see the best “boy band” way back, the #baycityrollers. Pit seats with our Scottish family tartan. We tossed the tartan on stage, and band member, Woody, picked it up and wiped his sweaty face with it, then threw it back. That tartan hung in my room for so many years! #spac

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the front saratoga by the numbers

Saratoga Race Course August 5, 2018, 1pm

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The time in the morning bars in most of New York State can stay open until

The time in the morning bars in Saratoga Springs can stay open until (as is the case for NYC, Buffalo and Albany)

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The number of taps at Henry Street Taproom in Saratoga

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The cost, in dollars, of a Bud Light tall boy at Saratoga Performing Arts Center

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#lovewhereyoulive

Haturday

I’m a big fan of hats. They turn an event into an occasion, a silhouette into a mystery and harmful ultraviolet radiation into cool, harmless shade. I found this gathering of hats, and the woman happily modeling them for her daughters, at Saratoga Race Course—clearly an excellent location for hat-watching—while on another assignment for saratoga living. –KYLE ADAMS , PHOTOGRAPHER

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saratogaliving.com 17

the front

The Perfect Accent

bonds, james bonds “My first name is really Harold, but no one has ever called me Harold and survived, so that’s how James Bond came along,” says Thoroughbred trainer H. James Bond.

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Almost Famous: Saratoga’s Name Game

M E E T YOUR NEIGH BORS JAMES B O N D, M A RY M A RT I N A N D J ESSE JACKSON. n BY N ATA LI E M O O R E

went to college with Adam Sandler. No, not Happy Gilmore. I’m talking about a goofy twentysomething who worked at The Skinny Pancake in Burlington, VT. I assumed that he’d be the first and last regular person I’d meet with that famous of a name. That is, until I landed in Saratoga Springs,

and a number of others came out of the woodwork. First there was Mary Martin, spa owner, not the mid-20th century Broadway icon. She was followed by Paul Rudnick, newspaper distributor, not the Drama Desk Award-winning playwright; Emily Blunt, Skidmore student, not the Golden Globe-

nominated actress; and finally Bond—H. James Bond—Thoroughbred horse trainer, not, well, you know, the famous, fictional British spy. “Well, my first name is really Harold,” Bond says. “But no one has ever called me Harold and survived, so that’s how James Bond came along.” The trainer has fully embraced his name, using “007” as his stable’s logo and on its saddle cloths. “It’s catchy,” he adds. “I mean, they went crazy in Japan when I was there. They were like, ‘Wow, this is a real secret agent spy.’ But my wife will tell you: I’m no James Bond!” Look Media’s Jesse Jackson is another unavoidable example of Saratoga’s peculiar same-name phenomenon. “First, you see it on their

(Reverand Jesse Jackson) UNITED STATES MISSION GENEVA

hmm...

(H. James Bond) BRIEN BOUYEA

the jackson 2 “First, you see it on their face,” says Saratogian Jesse Jackson about introducing himself to new people. “And the response is always one of two things: ‘Funny, you don’t look like Jesse Jackson’ or ‘I voted for you.’”

face,” Jackson says about introducing himself to new people. “And the response is always one of two things: ‘Funny, you don’t look like Jesse Jackson’ or ‘I voted for you.’ And everyone thinks it’s the first time that I’ve ever heard it.” Actually, Saratoga’s Jesse met the much-more-famous Jackson once, and says what struck him was his charisma. “When he walked into the room, he had something to contribute to the environment he was in,” Jackson says. “I thought to myself: That has nothing to do with politics or your own personal belief system. It really has to do with your dedication to want to reach out and engage people.” As far as I’m concerned, the same can be said of Saratoga’s Jackson; when he enters a room, you want to listen to what he has to say. There must be something in that name.

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the front

The Beetz Goes On

SKIDMORE ALUM ZAZIE BEETZ IS HEATING UP HOLLYWOOD. BY WILL LEVITH

ll that time I spent sponging up Marvel comic books at the long-shuttered Spa City Comics in Saratoga

Springs has finally paid off—for the publisher, that is. The film Deadpool (2016), based on a character in Marvel’s 1991 title, The New Mutants, grossed a

domino delivers Skidmore grad Zazie Beetz starred as Domino in last year’s box office breakout blockbuster, Deadpool 2.

whopping $783 million-plus at worldwide box offices. Last year’s sequel, Deadpool 2, eclipsed that number, and in it, international audiences were introduced to actress Zazie Beetz, who played Domino, a superhero whose superhuman ability is being extraordinarily lucky. Beetz’s first acting gig? On campus at Skidmore College. Skidmore Theater Professor Lary Opitz fondly remembers having Beetz (’13), in his Introduction to Theatre class, telling me that she nailed her monologue presentation and character analysis

assignment. But her true collegiate tour de force, says Opitz, was her role as the titular character in Skidmore’s 2011 production of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz’s Hortensia And The Museum Of Dreams. Since her days as a Skiddie, Beetz has been a busy bee. Aside from Deadpool 2, she’s starred in FX’s multi-Golden-Globewinning series, Atlanta (for which she received a 2018 Emmy nomination) and will be reprising her role as Domino in X-Force (release date TBD). I think it goes without saying that Skidmore was superhumanly lucky to have rolled the dice with this talented Domino.

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power player

Music Man

JIM MASTRI ANNI, CAFFÈ L E N A B OA R D C H A I R , HAS MUSIC COURSING TH R O U GH H I S V E I N S. BY WILL L EVI T H photography by KAT I E DO B I E S exclusively for saratoga living

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ast September, I opened up Facebook Messenger to find some saratoga living fan mail. Caffè Lena’s Chairman of The Board of Directors, Jim Mastrianni, whom I’d never met before but whose last name rang a bell, mentioned that he’d read my feature on The Weepies in the magazine and enjoyed it. We ended up chatting briefly before a show at Caffè Lena earlier this year, and then Mastrianni invited me over to his home studio in Saratoga Springs to listen in on a session he was producing for up-and-coming local artist Angelina Valente (her debut album, You And Me, dropped in April). That evening, it took only a few seconds to realize that: (a) Mastrianni has the single greatest music-lovers’ man cave in Saratoga and (b) Mastrianni and I are cut from the same cloth: We’re both Brobdingnagian music nerds. But whereas I spin a few yarns about music here and there for the local ’zine, Mastrianni’s made a second career out of it. Growing up in Niskayuna and attending Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Mastrianni, who got a dual degree in sociology and music, left college with his sights set on a career in rock music in Atlanta. But that dream quickly got shelved when he cofounded HAPPY Software, with his journalist brother, Joe (a saratoga living contributor, hence their shared last name ringing a bell). Jim eventually left the company, got his MBA at Cornell University and then, in 2007, took over his father’s company, a forprofit firm that administers affordable housing programs. He’s been its president ever since. All along, Mastrianni had continued making music, but he was tiring of the part-time local rocker lifestyle. There had to be another way to make music work. “There are these two worlds in my

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guitar hero Jim Mastrianni, in his home studio in Saratoga, where he’s been producing local artists such as Galway native Angelina Valente.

life,” he says. “There’s this music world and this business world. They’re two parallel paths.” Eventually, he found true happiness where the two converged. Having just completed the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Saratoga program, Mastrianni was searching for a volunteer opportunity in town, and he soon found himself on Caffè Lena’s board. Then the top seat on the board became available—and he took it. Stepping in as Chairman of the Board last year, Jim has helped usher in one of the most exciting and successful chapters in Caffè Lena’s history—one that’s seen tremendous growth, the kind that allows it to coax in artists such as Rock & Roll Hall of Famer John Sebastian, who’ll be playing a sold-out show there on June 29. And if it isn’t already obvious, Jim digs the gig. “I love everything about Caffè Lena. I love the size of the venue, and that it really is a music-lover’s place. People who love to listen—that’s what Caffè Lena’s about.” If only I could invent some guitar-and-amp-with-heartsfluttering-around-it emoji to attach to the end of this story, I’d be all over it.

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the front go, maddie, go! Cohoes native Madison VanDenburg performs in the competitive solo round of ABC’s smash show, American Idol.

Ferri appeared on Season 7, and while Ferri did find “the one” on the show, their relationship fizzled IRL.

native Jessica Blain-Lewis, the Street Crimes Unit Bureau Chief at the Albany County District Attorney’s Office, who appeared on Season 33. Blain-Lewis made it to Day 30, only to be eliminated, not by being voted off the island—but for choosing the one black rock in a bag full of white ones.

THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW YORK CITY

These housewives are the very definition of Manhattan socialites: wealthy, wellconnected and glamorous… but not without a slew of

issues and ongoing drama. One such example is the irreverent Sonja Morgan, an Albany native, who’s certainly made her mark on NYC’s high society since her Season 3 debut in 2010.

paige break (right) Albany native Paige DeSorbo stars on Bravo’s hit show, Summer House; (bottom) Albany’s Sonja Morgan (second from left) and her fellow castmates on The Real Housewives Of New York City.

SUMMER HOUSE

of young professional Manhattanites escaping the city and heading out to Montauk for the summer and

Bravo’s Summer House is one of the network’s newer shows, featuring a group

BEAT BOBBY FLAY

saratoga goes hollywood

THIS…Is American Idol, Cohoes!

POW E R HO USE VOCALIST MADI SON VA N DE N B U R G A N D OT H E R CA P I TA L RE G ION STANDOUTS SLAY ON REALI T Y T V. n BY C O N O R P O C H N A

Celebrity chef Bobby Flay loves Saratoga—especially our racetrack. So it’s no surprise that he brought his Food Network show, Beat Bobby Flay, to the Spa City in its first season. At Saratoga Race Course itself, Flay took on Hattie’s Chef Jasper Alexander in a fried chicken throwdown, only to be bested by the Saratoga Springs restaurateur.

all the implied debauchery. Paige DeSorbo, who works in the fashion industry in Gotham and joined the sexy cast in its third season, is a proud Albany native.

Brett Ferri

When ratings juggernaut American Idol was recently revived, fans across the country wondered if it would live up to the original. A few episodes into Season 2 of the relaunch, fans got their answer: an unequivocal “yes!” That’s when they were introduced to 17-yearold Madison VanDenburg, a Cohoes native, who’s been consistently knocking it out of the park every time she hits the stage. Her mindblowing range has even gained her comparisons to Idol queen, superstar

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Kelly Clarkson. At press time, VanDenburg had made it all the way to the Top 5!

THE VOICE

At the tender age of 16, Sawyer Fredericks won Season 8 of The Voice, making him the youngest male winner in the show’s history. Growing up in Fultonville, NY, Fredericks found his sound while playing at Saratoga Springs venues such as Caffè Lena before hitting the national stage.

AMERICA’S GOT TALENT After a video of Steven

⁄ MAY-JUNE 2019

Brundage getting out of a speeding ticket with a Rubik’s Cube magic trick went viral, the young magician, who started out performing on the streets of Saratoga, appeared on America’s Got Talent in 2016. After a magical run, Brundage was eliminated in the semifinals.

SURVIVOR

Over the course of Survivor’s nearly two decades(!) on CBS, countless contestants have fought for the title of “Sole Survivor” and its $1 million prize purse. One of them was Voorheesville

ARE YOU THE ONE?

One of MTV’s more creative reality dating series, Are You The One?, incentivizes its 22 cast members (11 men, 11 women) with a major cash prize—that has an even bigger catch. If all 22 lovers can find their predetermined match, they all get to split a $1 million prize. Burnt Hills native Brett

(VanDenburg) ABC/ERIC MCCANDLESS

AMERICAN IDOL

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retrospac

Jam Session

THE GRATEFUL DEAD TOO K ON—AND ALMOST TO OK DOWN—SPAC. BY LINNEA H ARRI S

s a second-generation fan of The Grateful Dead, I envy the original Deadheads who were able to follow the famous jam band all over the country. As a Skidmore College graduate (and up until recently, a Saratogian by default), I’m even more envious of those Saratoga Springs-based Deadheads who had the chance to attend the band’s nowinfamous 1985 show at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). For one, that show drew the largest crowd in the history of SPAC, packing in more than 40,000 concert-goers. But it gained its infamy from some merry pranksters positioned near the rafters. Deadheads still reminisce on online fan forums about the trampoline-like flexibility of the upper balcony area, which when stomped upon, rained plaster down on the less-fortunate

revelers below. And in an archived recording of the concert, Dead singer/ guitarist Bob Weir can be heard shouting at fans, who were also hanging from the balcony: “Hey. Y’all up on the balcony: The management has requested that you kindly don’t hang off there...so, kinda, cool it.” Weir gets some support from the rest of the band, who follow up with: “Get back in a seat, would’ya? There’s 50,000 people waiting for you to get back in your seat, man.” Apparently, the music was just too good for people to sit still. Following Upper Balcony-gate, the Dead were banned from SPAC for the next three years, and soon after, the venue instituted an attendance cap—no doubt inspired by the raucous audience members who literally threatened the structural integrity of SPAC itself. I can live with seeing Dead & Company at SPAC this June, but I’d gladly trade my ticket (and soul!) for a long, strange trip back to 1985.

i see dead people SPAC packed in more than 40,000 concert-goers during a 1985 Grateful Dead performance.

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ale is so last year. The new “it” veggie? Cauliflower. Whether pressed into pizza crust, pulverized into rice or prepared in buffalo sauce, cauliflower has gone from being broccoli’s boring, pale cousin to the world’s favorite very-muchnot-guilty pleasure food. But, why? Cauliflower’s a culinary blank canvas, the perfect vehicle for the gooey goodness and eclectic flavors of the many scrumptious add-ons that soak into its florets. Just ask celebrity chef David Burke, culinary director of The Adelphi Hotel: “Cauliflower has an interesting texture and color that leads to many versatile applications on a dish,” he says. “It’s a flavorful ingredient full of variations.” Throughout his career, Chef Burke has used cauliflower in countless, innovative ways—from cauliflower steak and Kung Pao cauliflower to cauliflower ravioli and cauliflower clam chowder—with plans to make cacio e pepe cauliflower, a pasta dish, next. As a cauliflower connoisseur myself, I’m all floret.

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Cool Takeaways From The AD Design Show THE S HOW MAY BE I N N YC, BU T TH E RESULTS A R E A LL SA RATOGA. BY BE V E R LY TRACY

very year, I look forward to the Architectural Digest Design Home Show’s carefully curated collection of design must-haves with great anticipation. Not only is it the perfect excuse to visit New York City for a few days, but it’s also my annual opportunity to get a bird’s-eye view of what’s new in the world of design. And this year didn’t disappoint. New to the show was the MADE section, where artisans and designers showcased their original art, fine furniture, sculpture, textiles and lighting—a telltale sign of the design world’s evolution to a more organic, hand-made aesthetic, supporting farmers and artisans and the use of natural products. From the sea of color, organic design and handmade details that was this year’s AD Design Show, here are five products I can’t stop thinking about.

ALICIA ADAMS ALPACA When I first found Alicia Adams Alpaca throws, it was love at first sight: They boast a beautiful color palette and are incredibly soft. The company weaves the throws from the delicate yarn processed from its herd of more than 200 Suri alpacas in the Hudson Valley. aliciaadamsalpaca.com

handy man Artisan David Stine handcrafts every piece of his custom furniture; (bottom) the profits from Found My Animal’s dog accessories are used to support animal rescue organizations.

DAVID STINE FURNITURE I met David six years ago at the AD show and have been a loyal customer of his custom wood furniture ever since. Awarded Best in Show for his sustainable designs last year, David handcrafts every piece of furniture from American hardwoods that are sustainably harvested from his family farm in Illinois. He encourages his clients to be involved in the design process, from the selection of the slab of wood to the size and style of the finished piece of furniture. stinewoodworking.com

FOUND MY ANIMAL The profits from Found My Animal’s nautical-

MEET YOUR

INTERIOR DESIGN Living Rooms Bedrooms

call aaa Alicia Adams Alpaca throws are made from delicate yarn processed from the company's herd of more than 200 Suri alpacas in the Hudson Valley.

inspired, marine-grade rope, brass and waxed-canvas dog accessories, such as leashes, beds, bowls and toys, are used to support animal rescue organizations. The company’s mission is to promote animal adoption, and homeless pups are even listed for adoption on its website. Plus, the accessories look great hanging on hooks in the mudroom. foundmyanimal.com

AMERICAN DESIGN CLUB Founded at a time when American designers’ relevance was being questioned, American Design Club provided a place for US designers to share their work, launch new ideas and connect with one another. With most prints, accessories, stationery, lighting and more priced below $100, the club hits the mark for affordability and the uniqueness of its designs. I love adding its whimsical and creative pieces to gallery walls. americandesignclub.com

ASSOULINE My first experience with Assouline was in Dubai. I walked into the shop and literally stood in awe for about 20 minutes, taking it all in. An homage to the art of luxury bookmaking, Assouline has revolutionized the coffee table book. The goal of founders Prosper and Martine Assouline is to supply everything one might need to build a contemporary library, and so far, they’re achieving it, hands down, with their breathtaking books. assouline.com

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Visit www.lake-ridge.com or call 518-899-6000

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Tues-Sat: Tues-Sat:Lunch Lunch11:30-2:30, 11:30-2:30,Dinner Dinner4:30-8:45; 4:30-8:45;Sun: Sun:Dinner Dinneronly only4:30-Close 4:30-Close Tues-Sat: Lunch 11:30-2:30, Dinner 4:30-8:45; Sun: Dinner only 4:30-Close 35 Burlington Ave, Round Lake, 10 min south of Saratoga, Exit 11 off 35 Burlington Ave, Round Lake, 10 min south of Saratoga, Exit 11 offNorthway Northway 35 Burlington Ave, Round Lake, 10 min south of Saratoga, Exit 11 off Northway

What’s the state of the performing arts in Saratoga Springs right now? “Saratoga Springs has evolved into a uniquely rich and fertile cultural ecosystem. For decades, the city has been blessed by the existence of extraordinary, historic cultural institutions such as Skidmore, Yaddo, Caffè Lena and SPAC. But with the recent formation of nourishing connective tissue between the organizations, through collaboration and cooperation, the cultural landscape has truly been enriched. Saratoga has blossomed into an unparalleled cultural destination, exulting in its perfect location in the confluence of man-made and natural beauty.” —ELIZABETH SOBOL, President and CEO, Saratoga Performing Arts Center

“I think that the state of the arts in Saratoga now is vibrant, and I think it’ll become, with the advent of UPH, even more vibrant and exciting and inviting to people.” —TEDDY

The Entertainers •

Universal Preservation Hall

Caffè Lena

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rules of engagement (from left) Teddy Foster, Universal Preservation Hall campaign director; Elizabeth Sobol, Saratoga Performing Arts Center president and CEO; and Sarah Craig, Caffè Lena executive director, rule the performing arts scene in Saratoga Springs.

DORI FITZPATRICK exclusively for saratoga living

CREDIT

CRAIG, Executive Director,

photography by

CREDIT

—SARAH

•

THESE THREE DYNAMIC WOMEN—UPH’S TEDDY FOSTER, SPAC’S ELIZABETH SOBOL AND CAFFÈ LENA’S SARAH CRAIG—ARE CHIEFLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THAT ENTERTAINS US. IT’S TIME FOR THEIR CURTAIN CALL, SARATOGA.

FOSTER, Campaign Director,

“Saratoga Springs has woken up to the fact that art naturally springs out of the ground here. It really does. It’s an inspiring and healthy place to live, and when people are at their best, they make beautiful art. So, I think that art is a natural fit for Saratoga, and now that there are a variety of really healthy arts organizations, the arts have got incredible momentum behind them.”

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the boss Over the next decade, SPAC President and CEO Elizabeth Sobol wants to make the venue “a place that people come to from all over the world for a unique, transformative experience around art and nature together.”

•

C OVE R STO RY

•

Elizabeth Sobol

Rising There’s no stopping the Empress of SPAC.

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CREDIT

BY NATALIE MOORE

ince its opening in 1966, more than 20 million people— Bruce Springsteen, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and myself included—have experienced the magic that is the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). Arguably, though, no one (no, not even Dave Matthews) has been as transformative to the organization— and Saratoga Springs’ arts scene—as current President and CEO Elizabeth Sobol. Since her appointment in October 2016, Sobol has overhauled SPAC’s programming; introduced its wildly popular concert series, SPAC On Stage; increased its educational reach from 5000 to nearly 40,000 children; and set in motion structural changes to the venue, made possible with $3.25 million in grants, including recent updates to the amphitheater and an all-new concessions and restroom area, coming in 2020. Sobol has also forged and strengthened partnerships with local organizations such as the New York Racing Association (NYRA), the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce and Caffè Lena, highlighting her true sense of community. “I think that SPAC leading the way with regard to collaboration freed up a lot of other people to go, ‘Right! We could all be working together; this doesn’t have to be like protecting your turf,’” she says. “The cultural community, business community and artistic community are better off if everybody’s working together.” One thing many locals don’t realize is that SPAC and Live Nation aren’t one and the same—the latter, a for-profit, books superstars such as Cardi B, while the former, a nonprofit, presents the ballet and classical seasons. “We do amazing things with a ridiculously small amount of money,” Sobol says. “I want everybody to realize what would be possible here if we had more resources.” Over the next decade, Sobol will be looking to drive even more positive change, making SPAC “a place that people come to from all over the world for a unique, transformative experience around art and nature together.” Sounds pretty magical to me.

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C OVE R STO RY

•

Teddy Foster’s

Passion UPH, Saratoga’s long-awaited performing arts gem, is almost done. Almost.

CREDIT

BY KAREN BJORNLAND

CREDIT

’ve always been curious about what’s gone on inside Saratoga Springs’ Universal Preservation Hall (UPH), the majestic rose-brick edifice that stands at 25 Washington Street and sports the city’s tallest steeple. I say “curious” because it’s been closed to the public for nearly two decades. Erected in 1871, the former Methodist church hosted both the faithful and speakers such as US President Theodore Roosevelt and abolitionist Frederick Douglass. In a word, it’s historic. When the building was condemned in 2000, concerned citizens helped save it from the wrecking ball, and soon after, its saviors envisioned it being recast as Saratoga’s first-ever year-round performing arts space. But the project needed a leader— someone who could own its narrative and help satisfy a lofty fundraising goal of $5.5 million. In 2006, Teddy Foster, a straight-talker with a can-do attitude, stepped in as UPH’s Campaign Director. Spend just a few minutes with Foster and you can feel her excitement. “It’s a game-changer,” she says, describing UPH as the city’s “missing link,” a place that’s “going to ensure the long-term economic health of Saratoga.” With Foster at the helm, UPH is zeroing in on that fundraising goal, and the renovation’s moving full speed ahead: UPH’s Great Hall, a 700-seat theater-in-the-round, and first-floor community room, are taking shape; by June, its restored Tiffany-inspired windows will be in, and its new glass entranceway up shortly thereafter. The venue is set to open in February 2020. So what should Saratogians expect to see and hear at UPH? Music, theater, dance and kid-friendly programming are all in play, says Foster. An affiliate of Proctors, UPH will also be home to Proctors’ School Of The Performing Arts and the Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Awards’ Hall Of Fame. Remember: All of this will be in Downtown Saratoga. And while there’ll be many people to thank for bringing UPH to fruition, Teddy Foster should be at the top of your list.

teddy’s ready “UPH is a game-changer,” Campaign Director Teddy Foster says. “It’s going to ensure the long-term economic health of Saratoga Springs.”

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C OVE R STO RY

show time “I’m looking to create a truly memorable experience with art every time we do a show in here,” says Caffè Lena Executive Director Sarah Craig.

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Sarah Craig

Rocks On

Caffè Lena’s longtime, fearless leader is just getting started. BY WILL LEVITH

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CREDIT

hen you grow up in Saratoga Springs, as I did, you tend to take all of what makes it such a special place for granted. I don’t ever remember feeling that way about Caffè Lena, though. Chalk it up to its résumé. For one thing, it’s the oldest continuously operating folk music venue in the US; and its guest list has included songwriting royalty, most notably Bob Dylan. But something that easily gets lost in the shuffle—and arguably, tips the venue’s scales—is that Caffè Lena has been a woman-run business for nearly six decades. Original Co-Owner, Lena Spencer, took the reins of the venue in 1962, running it until her death in 1989. Shortly thereafter, it became a nonprofit and from ’95 onward, it’s been Executive Director Sarah Craig’s show. Craig has seen the venue through a near day-night transformation. In the early years, she says, it was very much a one-woman show; she’d book, promote and pay performers and even clean up after hours. She was working on a shoestring budget, too—about $94,000 a year. Nowadays, after a $2 million renovation, Caffè Lena is a five-person operation, with an annual budget of a little more than $1 million. And Craig’s got giantsized goals. “At some point, I decided that the way the story’s supposed to go is that Dylan played here in 1961-62, and he’s supposed to play here again before he dies,” says Craig. In other words, the bigger-time acts you’ll be seeing there, such as Grammy winner Judy Collins and famed Tonight Show bandleader, Doc Severinsen, are part of that “if you build it, Dylan will come” ethic. At the end of the day, Craig sees her job in much simpler terms. “I’m looking to create a really, truly memorable experience with art every time we do a show in here,” she says. Indeed, but it'd be nice if this story made Dylan agree to do an encore here, too.

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THE

☛ MAY

JUNE 3 Americade Motorcycle Touring Rally Opening Celebration

(RALLY THROUGH JUNE 8) Fort William Henry— Big Top Tent, Lake George 6-8:30pm americade.com

MAY 27 Memorial Day BBQ The Adelphi Hotel Saratoga Springs 2-6pm theadelphihotel.com

M A I T T L E U

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JUNE 6 saratoga living Saratoga Summer Issue Launch Party

(FESTIVAL THROUGH JUNE 2) Shepard Park, Lake George 7pm lakegeorgeelvisfest.com

2019 Entertainment

MAY 30 9th Annual Music & Mingling

National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame Saratoga Springs 7-10:30pm saratogaseniorcenter.org

SARATOGA BALLOON & BBQ FESTIVAL JUNE 21 The 6th annual Saratoga Balloon & BBQ Festival at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds in Ballston Spa will feature six BBQ chefs, 30 hot air balloons, 75 exhibitors in the marketplace, live music and entertainment, balloon and helicopter rides, a beer and wine garden and kids activities.

JUNE MAY 31 Annie and the Hedonists Album Release Show Caffè Lena Saratoga Springs 8-11pm caffelena.org

Saratoga Performing Arts Center stage Saratoga Springs 7-10pm rsvp: facebook.com/ SaratogaLivingMagazine

JUNE 7 • Red, White & Brew Festival

Proctors, Schenectady 5pm proctors.org

• 21st Annual Franklin Open Benefit Golf Tournament

JUNE 1 American Music Festival Concert

(balloons) WOLFGANG KURTH

c o m p i l e d b y C H R I S T Y C I O TA , O L I V I A L I P K I N , J A M E S L O N G , ALEX CAPPELLETTI, SIMONE TEAGUE AND LINNEA HARRIS

R&R Kitchen and Bar at 43 Phila, Saratoga Springs 4:30-9pm 43phila.com

MAY 29 Lake George Elvis Festival Opening Ceremony

K KEEPK

HOPE YOU’RE YOU’RE RESTED, RESTED, SARATOGA. SARATOGA. SUMMER’S SUMMER ISHERE! HERE! HOPE

JUNE 5 Wine Down Wednesday

GE Theatre at Proctors Schenectady 2pm and 7pm proctors.org

MUST-

Guide

JUNE 4 ✿ Rest Day

MAY 28 film: Water Lilies of Monet

Brookhaven Golf Course Porter Corners, NY 8am franklincommunitycenter.org

The Experimental Media & Performing Arts Center, Troy 7:30-9:30pm albanysymphony.com

• Cam’ron w/ DJ King, Bully, DJ Dread & DJ Supreme

JUNE 2 India.Arie

Putnam Place Saratoga Springs 8pm-3:30am putnamplace.com

Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy 7:30pm troymusichall.org INDIA.ARIE

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Greenfield

PUTNAM PLACE

THE HYDE COLLECTION 161 Warren St hydecollection.org (518) 792-1761

GLENS FALLS

TIMES UNION CENTER 51 S Pearl St timesunioncenter-albany.com (518) 487-2000

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PALACE THEATRE ALBANY 19 Clinton Ave palacealbany.org (518) 465-3335

ALBANY

TROY SAVINGS BANK MUSIC HALL 30 2nd St troymusichall.org (518) 273-0038

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PROCTORS 432 State St proctors.org (518) 346-6204

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Mechanicville

Malta

saratoga living

e x c l u s i v e ly f o r

K E I KO K I M U R A

i l l u st r at i o n s by

Guide

2019 Entertainment

K MUSTKEEPK

SARATOGA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF DANCE & HALL OF FAME

TROY SAVINGS BANK MUSIC HALL

SARATOGA RACE COURSE

SARATOGA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER (SPAC)

Clifton Park

Ballston Lake

Ballston Spa

Wilton

CAFFÈ LENA

THE HYDE COLLECTION

Fort Edward

Glens Falls

Queensbury

Lake George

Diamond Point

Saratoga Springs

SARATOGA AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM

PROCTORS

SARATOGA AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM 110 Avenue of the Pines saratogaautomuseum.org (518) 587-1935

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF DANCE & HALL OF FAME 99 S Broadway dancemuseum.org (518) 584-2225

SARATOGA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB 458 Union Ave golfsaratoga.com (518) 583-4653

PUTNAM PLACE 63 Putnam St A putnamplace.com (518) 886-9585

SARATOGA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER (SPAC) 108 Avenue of the Pines spac.org (518) 584-9330

CAFFÈ LENA 47 Phila St caffelena.org (518) 583-0022

SARATOGA RACE COURSE 267 Union Ave nyra.com/saratoga

SARATOGA SPRINGS

Bolton Landing

JUNE 8 Corvette Lawn Show

JUNE 21

(THROUGH JUNE 23)

Saratoga Balloon & BBQ Festival

Hosted by the Adirondack Corvette Club, join the Saratoga Automobile Museum for a beautiful day at Saratoga Spa State Park. As part of the Lawn Show Series this summer, Saratogians are invited to bring their Corvettes to display on the grounds and enjoy the museum. Saratoga Automobile Museum Saratoga Springs 9am-2pm saratogaautomuseum.org

Saratoga County Fairgrounds Ballston Spa 3-10pm balloonandbbq.com

JUNE 22 • Double H Ranch Gala

(APRIL 7-JUNE 23)

A Magical World: The Art Of Jacob Houston The Hyde Collection Glens Falls 10am-5pm (museum hours) hydecollection.org

JUNE 12 Waitress

JUNE 9 • Capital Pride

The Pride Center of the Capital District, among the oldest of its kind in the nation and having served the LGBTQ community for 48 years, is hosting its Pride Parade as part of its celebration of national pride month. Washington Park, Albany Noon-5pm 518capitalpride.com

• Beekman Street Art Fair Beekman Street Arts District Saratoga Springs 10am-5pm saratogaartdistrict.com

• The 2019 Opera Gala The Inn at Erlowest Lake George 4:30pm operasaratoga.org

Proctors, Schenectady 7:30pm proctors.org

JUNE 13 Lecture: Bare Knuckles and Saratoga Racing—The Life of John Morrissey Saratoga Springs Public Library, Saratoga Springs Noon-1pm sspl.org

JUNE 14 Opening Reception— Art in the Foyer: On Being Still—Photographs by Joanne Savio

National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame, Saratoga Springs 7pm dancemuseum.org

JUNE 10 ✿ Rest Day

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JUNE 15 Upper Union Street BID 14th Annual Strawberry Festival & Art Show Upper Union Street Schenectady 10am-3pm upperunionstreet.com/ strawberry

JUNE 16 Dad Fest

Washington Park, Albany 1-6pm albanyevents.org

JUNE 17 ARCC Spring Golf Tournament

Glens Falls Country Club Queensbury 8:30am adirondackchamber.org

JUNE 18 Dead & Company

Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), Saratoga Springs 7pm spac.org (After party with STEAL YOUR PEACH BAND at Putnam Place at 11pm)

JUNE 20 • Jake Shimabukuro The Egg, Albany 7:30pm theegg.org

• Yaddo Summer Benefit Yaddo Gardens Saratoga Springs 6pm yaddo.org

• Hidden City House & Garden Tour

Various locations, Albany 5-8pm centersquarealbany.com

Rivers Casino and Resort Schenectady 8pm riverscasinoandresort.com

• Joan Osborne Sings the Songs of Bob Dylan The Egg, Albany 8pm theegg.org

JUNE 23 Porsche Club of America Car Show

Saratoga Automobile Museum Saratoga Springs 9am-2pm saratogaautomuseum.org

JUNE 24 The Hyde Luncheon The Lake George Club Diamond Point 11:30am hydecollection.org (Hersch) JIM WILKIE; (Trombone Shorty) MATHIEU BITTON

JUNE 11

The 12th annual Dish It Out event includes a celebrity chef competition, silent and live auctions and an open bar. All proceeds go to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. And, of course, attendees get to try the chefs’ masterful creations! Saratoga National Golf Club Saratoga Springs 6:30pm ncmecnyauction.org

• Everclear

(Jacob Houston) NUBBLE LIGHTHOUSE SUNSET, 2016, ACRYLIC, 18.75 X 22.75 IN., © JACOB HOUSTON; (Shankar) ANUSHKA MENON

A MAGICAL WORLD: THE ART OF JACOB HOUSTON

JUNE 27 Dish It Out: A Celebrity Chef Gourmet Challenge

Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom—Six Flags Queensbury 5-11:30pm doublehranch.org

JUNE 19 SPAC On Stage Series: Anoushka Shankar— Land Of Gold

Shankar is a sitar player continuing in the tradition of her father, Ravi Shankar, while integrating modern styles into her music. She’s been nominated for six Grammy Awards, and was the first Indian artist to perform at the Grammy Awards. The SPAC on Stage Series places the audience on the main stage with the performer for an intimate musical experience. SPAC, Saratoga Springs 8pm spac.org

AN EVENING WITH FRED HERSCH

JUNE 25

(THROUGH JULY 20)

Alice In Wonderland

In this production for kids, the classic Lewis Carroll story comes to life in the PB&J Cafe. Children will be able to order meals from the show’s cast of zany characters to eat during the performance. There will also be a pre-show art activity and a post-show autograph session. Charles R. Wood Theater Glens Falls Noon woodtheater.org

JUNE 26 Theresa Caputo Live! The Experience

The Palace Theater, Albany 7:30pm palacealbany.org

JUNE 28 • The American Cancer Society’s Red, White & Blue Party

Saratoga National Golf Club Saratoga Springs 7-11pm acscapitalregionevents.com

• An Evening with Fred Hersch

Join the renowned pianist and composer Fred Hersch for a concert to kick off this year’s Jazz Festival. Hersch is the first openly gay and HIV-positive jazz musician, and his performance will honor the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. Caffè Lena, Saratoga Springs 6-7:30pm and 8:30-10pm caffelena.org

JUNE 29-30 Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival

One of the most anticipated events of the year, Jazz Fest 2019 will be worth all the excitement. More than 20 jazz artists, including headliners Norah Jones and George Benson, will perform at the festival this year, with performances on both the main stage and at the the Charles R. Wood “Jazz Discovery Stage.” Be sure to arrive early (we’re talking 6am early) to reserve a spot on the SPAC lawn or be ready to use binoculars! SPAC, Saratoga Springs Noon spac.org

JUNE 30 (JUNE 29-30) Adirondack Wine & Food Festival Charles R. Wood Festival Commons, Lake George 11am-5pm adkwinefest.com

• Jonathan Burns Flexible Comedy

(THROUGH JUNE 29) Charles R. Wood Theater Glens Falls 7:30pm atfestival.org

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JULY

JULY 5 (AND JULY 7) Saratoga Polo Association Celebrate Saratoga Tournament

JULY 12-13 Dave Matthews Band SPAC, Saratoga Springs 8pm spac.org

Whitney Field Greenfield Center 5:30pm saratogapolo.com

SARATOGA’S ALL-AMERICAN CELEBRATION

JULY 3 (JUNE 30-JULY 4) Coca-Cola July 4th Fest Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom—Six Flags Queensbury 10:30am-9:30pm sixflags.com/greatescape

JULY 4 Saratoga’s All-American Celebration

JULY 1 (JUNE 29-JULY 13) The Daughter Of The Regiment Director Lawrence Edelson presents Gaetano Doniettis’ comedic opera about a young girl raised by an army regiment. The opera is Opera Saratoga's first event of its 2019 Summer Festival, and is the height of family-friendly entertainment. Opera Saratoga Saratoga Springs 2pm operasaratoga.org

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A road race, barbecue, dessert festival, car show, concert, reading of The Declaration of Independence and fireworks display—it’s the ultimate small-town Fourth of July celebration. Named one of the top small town celebrations for the holiday, Downtown Saratoga’s event cannot be missed. Downtown Saratoga Springs 9am saratoga.org

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JULY 7 Secret Gardens Tour

It’s the silver anniversary of the Secret Gardens Tour, put on by Soroptimist International of Saratoga County. The event will feature tours of private and public gardens, including Yaddo and Pitney Meadows Farm. Various locations Saratoga Springs 11am-5pm soroptimistsaratoga.org

JULY 8 (JULY 7-8) Adirondack Theater Festival’s Greatest Hits Charles R. Wood Theater Glens Falls 7:30pm atfestival.org

(JUNE 28-JULY 27)

In the Heights

Musical In the Heights, by Lin-Manuel Miranda, tells the story of three generations in Washington Heights over the course of three days. Directed by Michael LoPorto, with choreography by Ashley-Simeon Kirchner and Joey Rosario and musical direction by Brian Axford, this Tony Award-winning musical explores what it means to be a community in America today. Park Playhouse, Albany 8pm parkplayhouse.com

JULY 14 Tedeschi Trucks Band SPAC, Saratoga Springs 7pm spac.org

JULY 15 ✿ Rest Day

Siro’s Restaurant Saratoga Springs 6:30-11pm cfdsny.org

JULY 16

(THROUGH JULY 20)

New York City Ballet: Tchaikovsky and Balanchine

SPAC, Saratoga Springs 7pm spac.org

SPAC, Saratoga Springs 8pm spac.org

• Saratoga Race Course Opening Day

Opera Saratoga Saratoga Springs 7:30pm operasaratoga.com

Times Union Center, Albany 7:30pm timesunioncenteralbany.com

JULY 21 Godsmack

JULY 11 • Luke Bryan: Sunset Repeat Tour

• Mozart and Salieri

JULY 19 John Mayer

The Egg, Albany 8pm theegg.org

JULY 10 26th Annual Newton Plaza Siro’s Cup

Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Springs 11am nyra.com

REVEAL Art Fair’s mission is to unite people through their love of art. At this year’s fair, attendees can meet contemporary gallery owners and their artists, listen to art talks and, of course, see (and buy!) beautiful modern and contemporary art. Saratoga Springs City Center Saratoga Springs 6-10pm revealartfair.com

JULY 20 Taj Mahal Quartet – Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home 50th Anniversary Concert

JULY 17 Warrensburg Concert Series: On 3 Warrensburg Bandstand Warrensburg 7-9pm warrensburgny.us (ballet) PAUL KOLNIK

The Sembrich, Bolton Landing 7:30pm thesembrich.org

Saratoga National Golf Club Saratoga Springs 6-11pm saratogabridges.org

JULY 9

(garden) TERRI-LYNN PELLEGRI

JULY 6 Reflections of the Caribbean: Pianist Milton Ruben Laufer and Soprano Marina de Ratmiroff

JULY 13 Saratoga Bridges, The White Party Gala

JULY 18 REVEAL Art Fair VIP Preview & Celebration

Cool Insuring Arena, Glens Falls 8pm coolinsuringarena.com

JULY 22 I Prevail—The Trauma Tour Upstate Concert Hall Clifton Park 7:25pm upstateconcerthall.com

JULY 23 saratoga living ‘The Races!’ Issue Launch Party

Putnam Place Saratoga Springs 7-10pm rsvp: facebook.com/ SaratogaLivingMagazine

REVEAL ART FAIR

JULY 24 Rob Thomas

SPAC, Saratoga Springs 7:30pm spac.org

JULY 25 Brad Paisley

JULY 28 (JULY 23-28) 178th Saratoga County Fair

Saratoga County Fairgrounds Ballston Spa 9am-midnight saratogacountyfair.org

SPAC, Saratoga Springs 7:30pm spac.org

JULY 29 YAMATO: The Drummers of Japan

JULY 26 A Midsummer SLAY! With Queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race

JULY 30

This night of glamour and lip-syncing stars Drag Race winners Mone’t X Change and Trinity the Tuck, as well as Tatianna and Derrick Barry. It’ll be hosted by New York queen, Pixie Aventura. Special tickets for access to a meetand-greet with the queens before the show are available. Palace Theatre, Albany 8pm palacealbany.org

JULY 27 John Sebastian

SPAC, Saratoga Springs 8pm spac.org

(THROUGH AUGUST 3)

Disney’s Beauty & The Beast Jr.

Cohoes Music Hall, Cohoes 2pm thecohoesmusichall.org

JULY 31 Saratoga Hospital 37th Annual Gala

The Polo Meadow at Saratoga Casino Hotel, Saratoga Springs 6-9pm saratogahospital.org

Caffè Lena, Saratoga Springs 8-10pm caffelena.org

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AUGUST 6 Croquet on the Green Gavin Park, Wilton 3pm aimservicesinc.org

AUGUST 7 11th Annual Country and Bluegrass Jamboree

SARATOGA SHAKESPEARE COMPANY

AUGUST 8 Sizzling Hot Pink Saratoga Hat Luncheon

AUGUST 1 Spiritual Rez + Roots of Creation

Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Springs 10am-1pm playforpink.org

Putnam Place Saratoga Springs 9pm-1am putnamplace.com

AUGUST 2

(JULY 23-AUGUST 3)

King Lear Presented By Saratoga Shakespeare Company

In collaboration with SPAC and ArtsFest, Saratoga Shakespeare Company presents two Shakespeare classics this summer. King Lear (July 23-August 3) explores a father’s relationship with his family and his kingdom, and The Tempest focuses on the aftermath of a shipwreck on a remote island. Congress Park Saratoga Springs 6pm facebook.com/ SaratogaShakespeare

AUGUST 3 Philadelphia Orchestra: Harry Potter And The Chamber Of SecretsTM in Concert

Watch Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets in high definition, accompanied by a live orchestra performance of the soundtrack composed by John Williams. At 6pm, before the show, there'll be an instrument petting zoo, drumming and dancing lessons and meet-and-greets with the musicians. SPAC, Saratoga Springs 8pm spac.org

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AUGUST 9

(AUGUST 6-24)

Disney’s Newsies

Park Playhouse, Albany 7:30pm parkplayhouse.com

AUGUST 11

AUGUST 14 Hawktail

(THROUGH AUGUST 23)

Lake George Music Festival

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The Sembrich, Bolton Landing 1:30-3pm thesembrich.org

AUGUST 29 7th Annual St. Jude Gala Saratoga National Golf Club Saratoga Springs 6-11pm stjude.org

Caffè Lena, Saratoga Springs 7-10pm caffelena.org

Since 2011, celebrated musicians from all over the world have come to Lake George to showcase their work at the Lake George Music Festival. For two weeks, performances, workshops and open rehearsals will be held all over Lake George in churches, outdoor amphitheaters and even on local ships. Various locations, Lake George Noon-10pm lakegeorgemusicfestival.com

AUGUST 15

AUGUST 30 Zac Brown Band

(AUGUST 13-25)

Hamilton

The record-breaking Broadway sensation, Hamilton, a powerhouse musical about the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton, featuring a score that draws from hip-hop, R&B and blues genres, will grace the Proctors stage in mid-August. Proctors, Schenectady 1:30pm and 8pm proctors.org

AUGUST 12 7th Annual Blue Spangled Gala

Hall of Springs Saratoga Springs 6:30-9:30pm saratogawarhorse.org

AUGUST 16

(THROUGH AUGUST 17)

Meet the Music! Leave it to Ludwig

SPAC, Saratoga Springs 1pm spac.org

AUGUST 17 17th Annual Jail House Rock 5K

LAKE GEORGE MUSIC FESTIVAL

AUGUST 28 Michael and Jennifer McLain & the Banjocats

Saratoga National Golf Club Saratoga Springs 6:30-10pm rerunottb.com

SPAC, Saratoga Springs 8pm spac.org

AUGUST 4 ‘After the Race’ 10th Anniversary Cocktail Party

Saratoga National Golf Club Saratoga Springs 6:30-10:30pm oldfriendsatcabincreek.com

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Little Theater on the Farm Fort Edward Noon-10pm littletheater27.org

AUGUST 13 ReRun’s Evening Under the Stars

Saratoga County Historical Society at Brookside Museum Ballston Spa 8:15am brooksidemuseum.org

ZAC BROWN BAND

AUGUST 18 Full Lake Bicycle Cruise

Bike from one end of Lake George to the other (32 miles), and then take The Mohican back to your car. Or do it in reverse, with the cruise first and ride second. Lake George Steamboat Company, Lake George 10am-4pm lakegeorgesteamboat.com

AUGUST 19

(THROUGH AUGUST 25)

Washington County Fair Washington County Fairgrounds, Greenwich 5-10pm washingtoncountyfair.com

AUGUST 20

(AUGUST 4-20)

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center: Technical Brilliance SPAC Little Theater Saratoga Springs 8pm spac.org

AUGUST 21

(AUGUST 20-25) (track) BRIEN BOUYEA

Saratoga National Golf Club Saratoga Springs 11:30am-2:30pm tjcfoundation.org

AUGUST 10 Philadelphia Orchestra: Disney • Pixar’s Up in Concert

(Shakespeare) ERIC JENKS; (Harry Potter) WARNER BROS

AUGUST

AUGUST 5 Fashionable Fillies Luncheon

Aurora Games

Times Union Center, Albany 7pm timesunioncenter-albany.com

AUGUST 22 ✿ Rest Day AUGUST 23 Santana With Special Guests The Doobie Brothers SPAC, Saratoga Springs 7pm spac.org

SPAC, Saratoga Springs 7pm spac.org

AUGUST 31 Lynyrd Skynyrd

SPAC, Saratoga Springs 6:30pm spac.org

AUGUST 24 Travers Day

Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Springs 11am nyra.com

AUGUST 25 CDJW Help A Dog BBQ & Pet Fest Albany-Saratoga Speedway Malta 11am-3pm helpadogbbq.com

AUGUST 26 SPAC On Stage Series: Red Baraat SPAC, Saratoga Springs 8pm spac.org

AUGUST 27 ✿ Rest Day

SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER 1 Peter Frampton

SPAC, Saratoga Springs 7:30pm spac.org

SEPTEMBER 2 Saratoga Race Course Closing Day Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Springs 11am nyra.com

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The powerhouse concert promoter finds a gem in Saratoga Springs. BY JEFF DINGLER

toby or not to be Live Nation books huge summer acts at SPAC such as country superstar Toby Keith.

ast June, I attended one of the greatest concerts of my life. The multiple Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar, who at the time had recently won a Pulitzer Prize, brought his tour to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), and I kind of lost my mind a little bit. My girlfriend had bought us tickets weeks beforehand—thank goodness, because I’ve never seen SPAC so crowded—and it turned into a night not just of great music, but also of outrageous fun. This summer’s SPAC schedule is shaping up to be even more memorable. Pop hitmaker Cardi B is bringing her “Femme It Forward” tour to the amphitheater on May 26; Grammy-winning guitar icon Santana will be swinging through on August 23, just days after celebrating the 50th anniversary of Woodstock on the site of the original festival in Bethel, NY; and comedians Steve Martin and Martin Short will be bringing their two-man act through on September 13. And as always, New York City Ballet (NYCB) and The Philadelphia Orchestra will be returning to do their summer residencies in July and August, respectively, as they have done so since the mid 1960s.

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(Farm Aid) EBET ROBERTS; (Toby Keith, Sarah McLachlan, Los Lobos) FRANCESCO D'AMICO

Why Live Nation Loves SPAC

Now, you might assume that the folks who book NYCB and The Philadelphia Orchestra—not to mention, stage the wildly popular Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival every summer—are the same ones who rein in all the top pop, hip-hop and rock acts at SPAC. That’s actually not the case. The organization that does the latter? Live Nation. Formed in 2005 and based in Beverly Hills, CA, Live Nation is one of the country’s preeminent events promoters, last year raking in $10.8 billion in revenue with a concert attendance total topping 93 million. “Although Saratoga’s not a very populous region, SPAC draws really big crowds,” says Jim Koplik, President of Live Nation Connecticut and Upstate New York. In fact, SPAC consistently ranks as one of Live Nation’s top-ten amphitheaters in the country. In part, Koplik credits the venue’s success to its unique design. “It’s a gorgeous amphitheater with a balcony and a beautiful setting—and part of the beauty of it is that nobody sits too far back or has a bad view,” he says. “I personally have never seen another amphitheater like that.” SPAC might seem like small potatoes compared to other entertainment venues in New York State, but its attendance numbers are actually on par with those in medium- to largesized markets. Koplik attributes this to the summer population explosion in Saratoga (i.e., racing season), and also to music fans coming over the borders from Vermont and Western Massachusetts. Of course, strong spactacular! attendance equals massive ticket (OPPOSITE FROM sales. “It’s one of the reasons we TOP, FROM LEFT) John bring our top artists into Saratoga,” Mellencamp, Willie says Koplik, who’s responsible Nelson, Pete Seeger, for four amphitheaters across Dave Matthews and two states. “For earnings, SPAC Neil Young performing is the only one I’m in charge at Farm Aid 2013; of that’s ranked in the top-tier Sarah McLachlan; Los Lobos. amphitheaters at Live Nation.” Koplik is no novice to the events promotion business, having worked in it for more than five decades (22 years of which he’s spent at Live Nation and its predecessor, Clear Channel Entertainment). He actually closed the original deal between SPAC and Clear Channel back in 2000, and it wasn’t his first trip to our neck of the woods: In 1990, Koplik booked the first-ever performance at Albany’s Times Union Center (then known as The Knickerbocker Arena). The show? Legendary crooner Frank Sinatra, who wasn’t feeling well but managed to still wow the adoring masses. Koplik has also produced top-shelf shows for The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John and Paul McCartney; and needless to say, he’s a huge music fan himself, having caught more than his fair share of off-the-charts performances at SPAC. “For me, Bruce Springsteen, Farm Aid 2013 and three nights of Phish are my most memorable SPAC shows,” he says. So what if Kendrick Lamar isn’t playing SPAC again this summer? (At least I think he isn’t.) Thanks to Live Nation, I’ll soon be checking even more artists off of my bucket list.

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brothers in arms (from left) Pete Donnelly, Mike Gent and Pete Hayes, the present-day lineup of The Figgs; (bottom) The Figgs playing a gig in November 1994, as a quartet with former member Guy Lyons (far right); (opposite) an Imago Records press photo of the band.

was 14 when my older brother first brought home The Figgs’ 1994 album Low-Fi At Society High. As with every CD my brother owned in those days, he listened to it obsessively, so much so that his high school rock band began covering tracks from it. (If my memory serves me, they did “Favorite Shirt” and “Stood Up” at Saratoga Springs High School’s “Battle of the Bands” in ’94 or ’95.) Like any brother in need of his older brother’s approval, I began borrowing Low-Fi for various stretches of time— and quickly became a Figgs mega-fan. Growing up in Saratoga Springs, The Figgs were royalty because they were our band. Sort of how you’d expect New Jerseyans to feel about Bruce Springsteen. Three of The Figgs grew up in Saratoga—Pete Donnelly (bass/vocals), Mike Gent (guitar/vocals) and Guy Lyons (guitar/vocals)— and the fourth, Pete Hayes (drums), was a Skidmore College student. They wrote their own songs, had amazing influences (Elvis Costello, The Kinks) and they had their own distinctive sound. In my opinion, they’re the best rock band that’s ever come out of Saratoga. So to honor the 25th anniversary of The Figgs’ breakthrough album, Low-Fi At Society High, which hit record stores in the summer of 1994, I’ve put together an oral history of the lead-up to and making of the record, and its aftermath. (A much more comprehensive version of the story will appear on saratogaliving.com.)

THE

FIGGS COME HOME

BRAD MORRISON/STEVE SMITH

full-time lead vocalist, and by then, Donnelly, who still had a year left in high school, had started penning his own songs and found his own voice, too. But they still needed to find a replacement drummer. Fill-ins included future Train drummer Scott Underwood, as well as Dorian Crozier, who would go on to become a session drummer for artists such as Miley Cyrus and P!nk. That Halloween, though, they found their man in Skidmore student Pete Hayes. With the new lineup solidified, they rechristened themselves The Figgs in April 1989. Between 1990 and ’93, the band recorded a truckload of tracks, which they released on a 7-inch and two separate fulllength cassette tapes. The two-sided 7-inch, released in 1992, was anchored by a single, “Happy.” Then, a cassette tape, Ginger, landed the following year and featured ten tracks, including one by former Sonic Undertones bandmate Lyons. Speaking of which, after about three years in the service, Lyons was honorably discharged and officially rejoined the band in ’92, this time as a second guitarist. Lyons would be part of the sessions for a second cassette, Ready Steady Stoned, released a few months after Ginger. It included an all-DonnellyGent arsenal of tracks, with one cowrite by Hayes. “That year, ’93, the four of us living together and writing and rehearsing and partying and having a blast...I remember it being a very fun time with the band,” says Gent. They also picked up a manager, Brad Morrison. On yet another fateful Halloween, The Figgs would play a show that changed their lives forever. In the months leading up to the big gig, The Figgs expanded their gigging horizons well beyond the LEVITH Capital Region. They played to packed houses in Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, and down in New york City. And then the band’s manager struck gold. As the story goes, Matt Aberle, the West Coast A&R man for the BMGbacked East Coast record label Imago Records, caught wind of the Saratoga quartet and was immediately enamored. Aberle had previously worked at Morgan Creek Records, where he’d signed a band called Miracle Legion, which had been previously managed and developed by The Figgs’ manager. When Aberle turned up at Imago, Morrison reached out to him, name-dropping Miracle Legion and mentioning that he was working with The Figgs. Morrison ended up sending Aberle their demo, and he liked it so much that he invited them to New York City to play a private session for him and his boss at Imago, Terry Ellis. “I was just like holy shit,” says

CELEBRATING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BANDS’ DEFINITIVE ALBUM, LOW-FI AT SOCIETY HIGH.

ore than three decades ago, The Figgs were founded in a Saratoga basement by a trio of Saratoga Springs High School BY W I L L students. At the time, they were known as The Sonic Undertones and featured Lyons on drums and lead vocals, with Gent on guitar/vocals and Donnelly on bass. What got the three teenagers into that basement was a twist of brotherly fate: Lyons and Gent were in a band with Lyons’ older brother, Reid, and one day, when he couldn’t make practice, the two other boys rang up their mutual friend, Donnelly, and had him fill in. The trio locked in and soon began making a name for themselves around town, playing house parties, at the local high schools and at popular Saratoga venues of the day. But just two years later, after graduating from high school, Lyons decided to enlist in the army. Luckily, Gent had also just graduated and was waiting in the wings to become the

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and the label had its sights set on the mid-tempo, Gent-penned “Wasted Pretty,” which fit perfectly into the soft-loud-soft-loud sound of the moment. The label had hot music video producer, Jesse Peretz, who would later work extensively with the Foo Fighters, produce their first video. But everybody involved hated the results, and the label pulled the plug on the video and single almost immediately. To take its place, Imago then chose Donnelly’s “Favorite Shirt” and produced a second video on the cheap, shooting at locations in and around Saratoga, including the band’s house on Franklin Street and at a friend’s bar, E. O’Dwyers (where Red Wolf boutique is now located). This time around, the label made the right move; “Favorite Shirt” got airplay (I remember hearing it on 102.7 WEQX) and its video even got played on the almighty MTV. As Imago continued to roll out their Figgs world domination plans, the band found itself playing with a number of up-andcoming acts on a bunch of mini tours peppered throughout 1994. The Figgs opened for The Knack (of “My Sharona” fame), who had recently reunited; shared a stage with the soon-to-be huge Oasis (it was their first show in the US); and did a well-received turn with Cali alt-rockers, Weezer. “The Figgs were on fire that year,” says Donnelly. “We were eating it up.” The Figgs also played a handful of shows on the home front, and Donnelly says that Capital Region fans welcomed them back with open arms. “Though we reached this national status by getting a record scorch tape deal and touring the country, coming Imago Records’ home and playing shows felt so good,” Low-Fi At Society says Donnelly. “It felt like we had a crew High advance; the of people that loved what we were doing cover of The Figg’s and reestablished all the reasons why we 1994 album. did it.” Lyons remembers a particularly funny encounter in Albany that helps drive home that point: The Figgs’ tour truck—which doubled as their sleeping quarters between gigs—was double-parked, and a policeman stopped his cruiser nearby to investigate. Upon reading the side of the truck, on which the band’s name was emblazoned, he said, “You’re OK,” and drove off. But touring across the country in a converted truck that leaked when it rained, was a furnace in the summer and refrigerator during the winter took its toll. “What I remember most about touring was the suffering,” says Donnelly. “Trying

to sleep in the truck in the summer in Mississippi was dreadful.” When the band eventually got some time off, the last thing they wanted to do was spend more time together in Saratoga. So each member eventually left town. Not a single Figg calls Saratoga home these days. If you’re hoping for a VH1 Behind The Music episode, wrought with lurid confessions of sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll from The Figgs’ first big tour, you’ll be disappointed. “We smoked plenty of weed, drank plenty of booze, hit on plenty of girls, but compared to being in the band Slade in 1977, it’s total kid’s stuff,” Donnelly says. Their most extravagant purchases after they got signed? New gear. The rest of the time, they scrimped and saved and rode it out the hard way. That turned out to be a really smart business decision. Shortly after the band released their second single—and about halfway through recording the follow-up to Low-Fi— Imago went belly up. Donnelly remembers thinking, Who cares if the label’s gone? The Figgs would retain the rights to Low-Fi. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be the case. In fact, 25 years later, the band still doesn’t own the record—though you can listen to it all day long on Spotify. “It’s one of the greatest crimes of

the music industry,” says Donnelly. “A record company can own your product even though it’s nonexistent.” Not all was lost, though. The band was soon picked up by an even bigger-deal label, Capitol Records. But after just two years and one album, The Figgs were unceremoniously dropped. The band also lost Lyons for good in ’98, when he quit, right before the release of their independently produced The Figgs Couldn’t Get High. A trio again, the band powered through, producing ten more fulllength albums and becoming a cult favorite—Marc Maron of WTF With Marc Maron podcast fame did an entire show devoted to the band in 2013. They even placed a song in a Lexus commercial that same year. With some new momentum behind them, the original quartet reunited in 2014 to play a string of dates, celebrating the 20th anniversary of Low-Fi At Society High. I caught two of those shows—one at the Bowery Electric in Manhattan, the other at Putnam Den in Saratoga (now Putnam Place). “I was really glad we did those shows,” says Donnelly. “It reignited a feeling in me that the record was special.” It is special, Pete. And as far as I’m concerned, it’s required listening for every true Saratogian.

“Though we reached this national status by getting a record deal and touring the country, coming home and playing shows felt so good.”

Elegant... (cassette tape) STEVE SMITH

Aberle of the band’s session. “To me, it was like hearing The Beatles.” He walked out of the session ready to sign them on the spot, but Ellis wanted to see how the band would perform in front of a live audience. Fast-forward to Halloween night 1993, when the band played a sold-out gig at Bogie’s in Albany, with Aberle and Ellis in attendance. Afterward, the boss needed no further convincing. Imago signed the band soon after. The Figgs inked a seven-record deal with Imago, joining an eclectic lineup that included buzzing artists such as Aimee Mann, the Rollins Band and Kylie Minogue. “We felt like we weren’t going to get lost in a huge stable of artists and bands,” says Gent. Imago’s plans for breaking The Figgs leaned on an aggressive touring schedule and trying to push their music toward college radio stations. Without the label having to lift a finger, the band landed an opening slot on a buzzworthy tour just a few days after that Halloween show in Albany. On November 4, The Figgs were in New Jersey, opening for Irish alternative rockers The Cranberries, who were blowing up in the States at the time. Several days later, they’d perform at the historic Hammerstein Ballroom in Midtown Manhattan. “It was great for the band’s ego,” says Donnelly. To get The Figgs the airplay they deserved, the label sent them into Dreamland Recording Studios just outside of Woodstock, NY in February 1994, to cut what would become Low-Fi At Society High. Imago had paired them with famed producer Don Gehman, whose credits included John Mellencamp’s American Fool (1982); and more relevant to the members of The Figgs, R.E.M.’s Lifes Rich Pageant (1986). Despite the band being stoked to record, only several of the songs that ended up appearing on Low-Fi were new ones. In fact, the band had been playing some of the tunes for several years. “Wasted Pretty,” for instance, dated back to the Ginger sessions, where it was a much grungier and distorted sonic soufflé (it had been penned by Gent while he was still living at home with his parents). “I remember not being thrilled,” says Gent. “I wanted Low-Fi to be all new stuff that had never been released. I was kind of bummed that we were going to go back and re-record some of that stuff.” But nobody seemed to be too bummed by the results. The 15song album clocked in at 42 minutes and 25 seconds, and was littered with short, sharp post-punk gems. Imago’s Aberle was ecstatic with the results. The next step was to pick a debut single,

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To Watch (And Hear)

BY WILL LEVITH

The Sea The Sea (TROY)

This husband-andwife duo is, in my book, the Capital Region’s next Phantogram. Their 2018 album, From The Light, puts their harmony-heavy, anthemic indie rock on full display. They’re like a hipster pool party hosted by The Civil Wars and Coldplay.

starred on E! reality show, Opening Act, where she got to open for music legend Rod Stewart. Since then, her bluesy electro-pop has helped her rack up millions of streams on Spotify. She’s got “it.”

Girl Blue (TROY) Arielle Dryer (SARATOGA SPRINGS) Contemporaries of The Figgs, Dryer has been rocking hard since 1992. Did I mention that bassist/vocalist/songwriter Rachael (Rieck) Sunday is saratoga living’s longtime Subscriptions Manager? I can subscribe to that.

Barker, who might just be the lovechild of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O and Hole’s Courtney Love. Prepare to bid your sonic innocence adieu.

Belle-Skinner (TROY) Belle-

O’Keefe (a.k.a. Girl Blue) once

Candy Ambulance (SARATOGA SPRINGS) This

grunge-rock trio is led by guitarist/vocalist Caitlin

Skinner (or to her friends, Maria Brosgol) is, at her finest, just a one-woman show—an electric guitar drenched in reverb accompanied by her impossibly angelic voice. Hey, Sufjan Stevens: The next time you head out on tour, make Belle-Skinner your opener.

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(Candy Ambulance) DANNY DERUSSO; (Girl Blue) KIKI VASSILAKIS; (The Sea The Sea) MYRA VERES ARTOGRAPHY; (Belle Skinner) MILA KAPUSTINA

These five local bands and artists are keeping the rock torch burning bright in the Spa City.

AT 50: JOHN FOGERTY, SANTANA TOPLINE THE MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR.

least for my generation, Woodstock wasn’t about peace, love and hippie-ness. It was defined by giant globs BY WILL of mud, with bands such as Green Day and Nine Inch Nails caked in it (Woodstock ’94)—then nü-metal, Hades-level heat and ultraviolence (Woodstock ’99). I didn’t attend either of Upstate New York’s lousy attempts at reviving the magic of the OG Woodstock Music and Art Fair of 1969, but I had friends who did—and most told me nightmarish tales that

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made the aftermath of the disastrous Fyre Festival sound almost tame. With the mistakes of the not-so-distant past firmly in the rearview, it’s time to honor LEVITH Woodstock’s 50th anniversary with little room for error. It was announced earlier this year that there would be not one, but two Woodstocks to the busy summer festival circuit—one at Max Yasgur’s farm in Bethel, NY, the site of the ’69 festival, and now called the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the other at Watkins Glen International speedway in Watkins Glen, NY, thrown by one of the ’69 festival’s cocreators, Michael Lang. And on the same weekend, no less!

BETHEL WOODS COLLECTION/MARTY DLUGATZ

LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD

(crowd, mud) BETHEL WOODS COLLECTION/RICHARD GORDON; (tent) BETHEL WOODS COLLECTION/ELIZABETH ALEXANDER; (cars) BETHEL WOODS COLLECTION/JAMES SARLES; (ticket) BARBARA AND LARY OPITZ

WOODSTOCK

While Lang’s Woodstock 50 looked promising, with headliners such as Jay-Z and Dead & Company, it ultimately proved too big for its britches. (At press time, Lang still claims that it's a go: his financial backers claim it isn’t.) And while the Bethel Woods festival was divided into three separate concert dates, it appears to have come out the true victor in the battle of the bands. Bethel will have a trio of Woodstock '69 alums performing August 16-18: Santana, Edgar Winter and John Fogerty. Concurrently, the Museum at Bethel Woods will have an expansive special exhibit celebrating the festival’s golden anniversary, which includes a behemoth collection of Woodstock authentic paraphernalia, photos and more. Looking back on the original Woodstock, it was certainly one for the history books, but it was also riddled with problems from the beginning—including but not limited to funding, food/ water shortages and a major cameo by Mother Nature. That, and nobody expected more than 400,000 hippies to bear down on Bethel from August 15-17, 1969. What was it like actually being there? Longtime Saratogians Barbara and Lary Opitz spent the second week of their honeymoon there, having prepurchased a pair of threeday passes to the festival for $36 (about $250 in 2019 bucks). “The traffic to the festival was bumper-to-bumper; almost nonmoving,” remembers Lary. They eventually made it—but not to the official grounds. Instead, the Opitzes wound up in a field adjacent to Yasgur’s farm— the site of the main stage— and unfortunately, weren’t ever

able to make it there, because just beyond where they’d parked was an armed guard blocking all entry to the festival during the day. When they tried to enter the festival at night, it proved impossible. Also, the mosquito situation was next level. Then, it started to pour. Not all was lost, though. For one, the Opitzes had brought a ton of wine, which they traded with their friendly neighbors for food and “refreshments,” says Lary. He also notes: “There was a local radio station that was broadcasting the whole thing, so we were able to listen to all of the music sitting in somebody’s tent, eating their food and drinking our wine.” Several months ago, my wife and I rented an Airbnb near where Lang’s Woodstock 50 celebration was supposed to take place—you know, just in case. It might still happen. Or maybe we’ll just go on down to Yasgur’s Farm instead.

music to their ears (clockwise from top left) More than 400,000 people glutted Bethel, NY for Woodstock ’69; rain during the festival made for muddy travel; makeshift tent villages were set up in fields adjacent to the site of the main stage; “The traffic to the festival was bumper-to-bumper,” says Saratogian Lary Opitz, who spent part of his honeymoon there; (inset) one of the Opitzes’ original three-day passes to Woodstock; (opposite) an aerial photo of Yasgur’s farm during Woodstock ’69.

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exclusive

Opera Saratoga Lands A ‘Big Get’ This Summer

saratoga goes west Opera Saratoga Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelman works with Sydney Anderson, the understudy for the title role in Ellen West; (inset) a scene from Opera Saratoga’s 2018 production of The Consul.

Renowned soprano, Jennifer Zetlan, stars in the world premiere of Ellen West. BY SA N DY M AC D O N A L D photography by e x c l u s i v e ly f o r

D O R I F I T Z PAT R I C K

saratoga living

(The Consul) GARY DAVID GOLD

ne of the great perks of participating in New York City’s elite avocational choruses, as I’ve done for a decade, is the likelihood that, sooner or later, you’ll be singing backup for the superb soprano soloist Jennifer Zetlan. I’ve enjoyed the privilege several times at Carnegie Hall, and even on tour at the historic Teatro Solís in Montevideo, Uruguay. Zetlan is the kind of singer—heartfelt and hyper-skilled—that any true opera fan would gladly follow to the ends of the earth. So I was thrilled to learn that Zetlan will be performing in composer Ricky Ian Gordon’s new chamber opera, Ellen West, premiering at Opera Saratoga’s summer festival, with performance dates of June 30, July 6 and July 12. Having also been in the chorus for two of Gordon’s recent operas, The Grapes Of Wrath (adapted from the famed John Steinbeck novel) and 27 (about the relationship between Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas), I have a good idea of the rich textual/aural treat in store for Saratogians. In the opera, Zetlan stars as the titular Ellen West, a pseudonym used by Sigmund Freud protégé Dr. Ludwig Binswanger to describe a patient with a particularly challenging case of anorexia, and baritone Keith Phares portrays her physician. West’s tragic story—she poisoned herself at age 33—so captivated Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Frank Bidart, that he was compelled to write a poetic monologue delivered mostly in West’s voice. Bidart’s poem called out to Gordon. “I can’t read ‘Ellen West’ without having my heart

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the ellen show Soprano soloist Jennifer Zetlan stars as the lead in the premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon’s new chamber opera, Ellen West, at Opera Saratoga this summer.

when larry met ellen For Opera Saratoga Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelson, Ellen West was love at first listen.

broken,” Gordon confides. “I’ve taught in a lot of schools, and so many of these kids have eating disorders.” The idea of adapting the poem percolated for nearly two decades: “It sort of made its way into my subconscious,” says Gordon. “And then, in 2015, I thought, ‘It’s time.’” While overseeing adaptations of his operas across the country and composing several new ones (including adaptations of Lynn Nottage’s play Intimate Apparel for the Metropolitan Opera and Vittorio De Sica’s film The Garden Of The Finzi-Continis for New York City Opera), Gordon found himself motivated to “get up at five in the morning and work on Ellen West.” For Opera Saratoga Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelson, Gordon’s opera was love at first listen. In a dual role, Edelson is also founder and producing artistic director of New York’s City’s American Lyric Theater, an operatic incubator dedicated to developing original scores, putting him at the forefront of opera’s new frontier. He promptly cocommissioned the work with fellow impresario Beth Morrison and snagged the world premiere—quite a coup for the forward-looking Opera Saratoga and Edelson, whose mission includes forward-thinking community outreach.

Edelson sees Ellen West not only as an artistic statement, but also one that shines a light on the public health tragedy that is anorexia. “More than 20 million women and 10 million men in the US deal with some sort of eating disorder during their lifetime,” says Edelson. “Ellen West is the first opera to deal directly with these issues. Through this presentation and symposia, talk-backs, in-school programs and meet-the-artist sessions, Opera Saratoga will be able to introduce an important, moving and deeply relevant opera into the repertoire and promote greater public awareness, understanding and compassion toward those suffering from eating disorders, all while exploring how poetry and music can explore the human condition.” While boldly innovating with productions such as Ellen West, Edelson is also committed to staging a menu of operas catering to all tastes. “My goal is to produce a diverse season that shows the breadth and depth of what opera can be,” he says. “We will always have at least one work from the

standard repertoire, family-friendly works to introduce children to opera and, of course, something new.” This summer’s lineup has something for all opera lovers. In addition to Ellen West, Opera Saratoga will be staging The Daughter Of The Regiment, Gaetano Donizetti’s comedic bel canto crowd-pleaser, directed by Edelson, and Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel And Gretel, featuring shadow puppetry by Chicago’s innovative Manual Cinema company and the voices of the Glens Falls Symphony Children’s Chorus. The festival will conclude with a one-night-only concert presentation of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Mozart And Salieri, complemented by a selection of arias composed by the rivals themselves. As Ellen West via Frank Bidart muses, in this, the first operatic rendition of his award-winning body of work, “I love sweets—heaven would be dying on a bed of vanilla ice cream.” For Saratogians this summer, heaven will consist of hearing Jennifer Zetlan convey Ellen West’s torment, channeled through what Edelson describes as Gordon’s extraordinary gift for melody. “Ricky,” he raves, “writes music that goes right to the soul.” I can’t wait.

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hen I was a kid, the drive-in was a summertime treat. Curled up under an old blanket in the backseat of our cherry-red Buick Skylark, I was in heaven. Jammies and junk food, stars in the sky and a cool breeze floating through the rolleddown windows. What could be better? Spin the clock forward a bit, and I’m in the backseat again, steaming up my boyfriend’s Delta 88, like that Meat Loaf song “Paradise By The Dashboard Light.” America’s outdoor movie theaters are disappearing, with only 348 still flickering. But in Saratoga Springs, we’re lucky. Films al fresco are as thick as a vanilla milkshake. Three miles from Downtown Saratoga, we’ve got The Malta DriveIn Theatre, which first opened in 1949. And there are five more within 50 miles: the Glen Drive-In near Lake George; the Ozoner 29 Twin Drive-In in Broadalbin and El Rancho in Palatine Bridge to the west; Hathaway’s Drive-In Theatre in Rensselaer County and the Jericho Drive-In in Albany County. I still love drive-ins. At my mainstay in Malta, I munch and snuggle under a ratty blanket—I just don’t hang out in the backseat anymore.

BACK TO THE FUTURE: SARATOGA’S DRIVE-INS ROSE-TINTED MOVIE MEMORIES FROM A BYGONE ERA.

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CREDIT

BY KAREN BJORNLAND I

photography by

KYLE ADAMS exclusively for saratoga living

external drive The Malta Drive-In’s showing of Avengers: Endgame on April 28; (inset) the snack bar at the Malta Drive-In; (opposite) the Malta Drive-In is one of six drive-ins within 50 miles of Saratoga Springs.

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CREDIT

malta shake (clockwise from left) Malta Drive-In Co-Owner Ed Caro; moviegoer Joe Gatta preps for Avengers: Endgame by buying some popcorn at the snack bar; the Malta Drive-In has a pair of screens that show two movies each per night.

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CREDIT

summer lovin’ Abby Koniszewski and Marc Contento settle in for their big movie night at the Malta Drive-In.

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THE ADIRONDACKS

Bolton Landing: An Appreciation Time to head to the real Lake George. B Y N ATA L I E M O O R E PHOTOGRAPHY BY

F R A N C E S C O D ’A M I C O

y three favorite places in the world are my aunt’s house in Teaneck, NJ; Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada; and Norowal Marina in Bolton Landing, NY. Quite the eclectic mix, I know. The first two are my favorites for obvious reasons—I have family in Jersey, and Banff has some of the most beautiful views in North America. Norowal, though, I love because of what it stands for. Going there means I have a whole week of Lake George island camping fun in store. It means my dad will launch our 1989 Four Winns boat—so full of camping gear that I have to wedge myself into a seat—and we’ll jet off to Juanita Island, without a worry in the world (except for that one time he forgot to put the plug in the bottom of the boat). Of course, we’ll have to return to shore at least a few times during our vacation, to pick up ice at Stewart’s, coffee at Bolton Beans and pizza at Palazzo’s; to play tennis at Rogers Park; and to poke around the shops in Downtown Bolton Landing: Happy Jacks, Indian Tepee Gift Shop and Lakeview Antiques. For a tourist destination, Bolton Landing is pleasantly un-touristy. Compared to the loud, crowded, minigolf-course-every-quarter-mile, souvenir-shops-everywhere vibe of Lake George Village, just 15 minutes to the south, Bolton Landing is a professional relaxer’s paradise. The visitors walk slowly, there’s room to put your towel down on the beach and, then, of course, there’s The Sagamore Resort. A far cry from the not-so-luxurious accommodations of Juanita (though the island does boast a composting toilet and platforms on which to set up your tent), The Sagamore is the crown jewel of Bolton Landing. Even if you’re not fortunate enough to stay there, it’s a rite of passage to at least go there for an unforgettable dinner on the edge of the lake or enjoy a blueberry mojito on the resort’s terrace. And after you’re done basking in the serenity of a mansion in the best town on an island on the Queen of American Lakes, you’ve got to check out Norowal Marina— it has a cooler full of ice cream sandwiches and a cute dog that hangs out in the shade of its open-air office. The employees wear Crocs, and if you’re lucky, you’ll see a family of ducks swimming by the docks, looking for handouts. It’s nothing too fancy, but Norowal Marina is my version of paradise.

E X C L U S I V E LY F O R

saratoga living

perfect landing Lake George’s Bolton Landing is a professional relaxer’s paradise; (inset) The Sagamore Resort is the crown jewel of Bolton Landing.

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THE ADIRONDACKS

THE PERFECT OUTDOOR CHAIR

The hike from the Garden trailhead to Johns Brook Lodge (JBL) isn’t particularly long or challenging, as far as Adirondack hikes go. It’s a trail I’ve hiked numerous times, and every successive time, it seemingly gets longer and harder and more demoralizing. One of its most heartbreaking aspects? When I round the trail’s final bend and see the Adirondack chairs lining JBL’s wraparound porch, I want nothing more than to flop down and relax in one of them. But they’re for lodge guests only. And since I’d need a reservation to stay in the backcountry hotel, instead, I have to trudge by, gloomily, to set up my tent on some semi-flat piece of ground, chairless. As far as the noncushioned type go, Adirondack chairs are undoubtedly among the comfiest. (Maybe that’s why it physically pains me and my aching legs to walk by them at JBL.) Whom do we have to thank for these slant-backed pseudo-recliners? That would be patent-holder Harry C. Bunnell, or, rather, his friend, Thomas Lee, from whom he stole the design. As the story goes, in 1903, Lee built the first Adirondack chairs for his family, offering the design to Bunnell to sell at his carpentry shop in Westport, NY. Bunnell promptly pilfered the design and, without Lee’s permission, applied for a patent for what he called Westport Chairs. Interestingly, Lee never tried to reclaim the rights to the design. Now, Bunnell’s (or Lee’s?) Westport (or Adirondack?) chairs are sold around the world. They come in a variety of materials such as wood, plastic and even recycled skis; in every imaginable color; in traditional and rocking chair varieties; and even with custom footstools. To me, the aesthetics don’t matter so much; I’d be perfectly happy with one of those plain, unstained wooden chairs on JBL’s porch. Maybe someday. –NATALIE MOORE

HOW A CL ASSIC WA S B U I LT.

by george! (clockwise, from top left) Lake George from Chic’s Marina; a shopper peruses the selection at Lakeview Antiques; a barista whips up a latte at Bolton Beans; Happy Jacks is the place for souvenirs; flags outside Lakeview Trading Co in Downtown Bolton Landing.

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THE ADIRONDACKS happy trails The Trails Of The Adirondacks: Hiking America’s Original Wilderness is a new coffee table book of photos by Brant Lake-based photographer Carl Heilman II (which includes this photo of the Lower Ausable Lake Valley), with a foreword by Bill McKibben and text by Neal Burdick.

Stunning images capture the region’s incomparable, majestic trails. BY N ATA L I E MOORE

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CREDIT

My Beautiful Adirondacks ⁄

saratogaliving.com 75

THE ADIRONDACKS

hen I was younger, I thought the Adirondack Mountains were mine. Maybe the fact that I felt like I was the only teenager traipsing around in the mud and snow and swarms of black flies in the remote Seward Range had something to do with my thinking. But even now that I’ve realized that, yes, other people enjoy hiking, and yes, they’ve experienced the same perilous weather in the mountains that I have, I still feel like I lay the climb some claim to the Adirondacks. Perhaps what Moonlight sparkles I’m trying to convey is what Brant Lake-based over the handrail-lined photographer Carl Heilman II says much more trail along the arête eloquently in the postscript of the book The from the castle to the Trails Of The Adirondacks: Hiking America’s observatory on the Original Wilderness (recently published summit of beautiful by Welcome Books, a Rizzoli imprint, in Whiteface Mountain. association with the Adirondack Mountain

Club): “I have come to feel I am as much a canoe help me? part of these mountains as they are of me.” A paddler carries a In the book, Heilman’s stunning collection lightweight Hornbeck of more than 250 photographs of the canoe over a bridge Adirondack region—from the sandy shores above the outlet of of Lake George to the deep forests of Old Giant Washbowl. Forge and the rocky summits of the High Peaks—are showcased alongside previously unpublished archival photos and text by Neal Burdick that investigates the vast network of trails in the park and celebrates just how unusual the 6.1 million acres we call the Adirondack Park is. “This storied, complex, magnetic, infuriating region is too big, too spread out, too schizophrenic, to be grasped in a few days, or through a few words and pictures,” Burdick writes. “The best one can do is explore with an open mind, humility, and a lot of patience.” After reading every single word of this profound book, I’m left feeling two ways: like I belong in at least a few of Heilman’s photos—maybe popping a bottle of champagne atop Mount Marcy or looking for salamanders on the shores of Chapel Pond—and like I will never know the Adirondack wilderness in its entirety. “The Adirondacks are big,” Burdick writes. So big, I’d like to think, that there’s enough to go around: that every person who feels that the Adirondack Park is indivisible from his or her identity can have a piece all their own.

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THE ADIRONDACKS

secret that might just be hiding in plain sight, Saratogians? When it comes to getting your zen on—think spa!— the Adirondacks are home to relaxation palaces many New York City establishments can’t even replicate. Geography certainly helps; with the wooded, babbling-brook splendor of the Adirondacks front and center, the region’s spas are often setting trends, not following them. Here, we’ve selected four spa resorts that have been awarded “diamonds” and “stars” and are otherwise globally hailed by independent luxury-ratings publications and the most sophisticated travelers. The Adirondacks have found yet another reason to keep us coming back for more. Lake Placid Lodge brings new meaning to the term “en suite.” With its luxe accommodations right on the lake, you can’t go wrong. The

facial with a stimulating mushroom and phyto-nutrient wrap to heal damaged, aging skin, or, you can opt for the Pro-Definition Lift and Contour to help restore the architectural definition and youthfulness of your face. The spa at Whiteface Lodge is 5700 square feet of rustic elegance and was voted by Condé Nast Traveler as among the top 100 spas in North America. The intimate spa delivers a range of luxurious treatments. You might want to start with the highly popular ZENTS Ultimate Luxury Wrap or HydraFacial MD Premier Facials, with breakthrough technology that’s non-invasive and non-surgical but leaves immediate and lasting results. Make no mistake, the whole excursion can be focused on your lodge’s legendary in-room massages superior spa wellness experience, and are stellar and encompass a mix of the property itself is simply stunning. aromatherapy, reflexology, deep tissue How does it get any better than this? and sports massage. My top pick for a really Ampersand Salon and great destination summer Spa is located within vacation, however, is the the newly remodeled, Mirror Lake Inn & Spa, luxurious and wellitself voted the top resort appointed Hotel Saranac in the Northeast by CN and is fully prepared for Traveler. The overall all who want to go firstaesthetic checks all of rate all the way, featuring the boxes, as if the estate spa spots The spa at gorgeous massage and were built for understated Whiteface Lodge in Lake treatment rooms; a chic American royalty. It’s Placid is 5700 square unisex salon; a great yesteryear-gorgeousfeet of rustic elegance; men’s menu with real meets-2020. The View (above) Lake Placid Lodge offers legendary hand and foot repair Restaurant offers an in-room massages; (masculine mani/pedi); extraordinary AAA four (top) Ampersand and a nutrient-rich service diamond experience. With Salon and Spa. menu that delivers results tennis, biking, a private featuring one of my beach, two heated pools faves, red flower skincare. (I’m telling and an afternoon tea, where does one you, it’s full-on, full-service!) Check even begin to plan the perfect day? Oh, out red flower’s Nature & Nurture, a I know: The full-service spa. Namaste, powerful yet gentle bioactive exfoliant baby, Adirondacks style.

THE ADIRONDACKS SAY ‘SPA!’ G E T YO U R Z EN O N AT TH ES E FOU R ST U NNI NG R E SORTS. BY M A RCO ME D R AN O

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The Only Saratoga Meet Preview You Need

’m often asked to describe the atmosphere of the Thoroughbred racing season in our idyllic oasis of Saratoga Springs. My response is always the same: It’s akin to the payoff scene from the movie A Christmas Story. After much angst, the impatient Ralphie gets to experience the euphoria of clawing through the wrapping paper with reckless abandon to discover that Santa has, indeed, come through with the coveted Red Ryder BB gun he’s been obsessing over. It’s that kind of pure joy. I like to tell people that racing season here is 40 days’ worth of Christmas mornings. Each summer, Saratoga Race Course—one of the world’s grandest sporting cathedrals— showcases Thoroughbred racing at its best: the finest racehorses, the world’s best jockeys, the game’s most astute trainers and the most famous (and infamous) owners. Throw in the high-fashion showcase and the dizzying nightlife, and you have all the elements of summer at Saratoga. It’s a one-of-akind novella playing out on a stage that has been producing racing icons since Abraham Lincoln was president. This all happens here in our backyard. Lucky us, indeed. This year’s Saratoga Race Course meet will be highlighted by the 150th running of the track’s signature race, the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes, on August 24. There will also be a couple of new additions to the schedule, to complement famous stakes race fixtures such as The Whitney, Alabama, Woodward and Hopeful, among others. For one, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) is debuting its $5.25 million Turf Triple Series for three-year-old grass horses, with the introduction of The Turf Trinity and Turf Tiara, each of which features a trio of races run at Saratoga and Belmont Park. The Saratoga races include the $750,000 Saratoga Oaks, which runs on August 2; and the $1 million

WE CAN HARDLY WAIT.

STO RY A N D PHOTOGRAPHY BY

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BRIEN BOUYEA

Saratoga Derby, to be held two days later. It’s a little too early to say with any conviction which horses will star at Saratoga this summer (will controversial Kentucky Derby winner Country House make an appearance?), but keep an eye on the training of two-time Dubai World Cup winner Thunder Snow and 2018 Travers Stakes winner Catholic Boy in the older male division. Thunder Snow’s trainer, Saeed bin Suroor, has said a summer campaign in America is likely, with a stop at Saratoga en route to The Breeders’ Cup being the preferred plan for the Godolphin-owned standout. Catholic Boy, meanwhile, is being geared up for potential dates in The Whitney (August 3) and/or The Woodward (August 31). Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. earned his second leading rider title at Saratoga in 2018, when he won 52 races, 9 more than Hall of Famer Javier Castellano and 10 more than his younger brother, José Ortiz. Expect those three to battle atop the jockey standings once again this summer with the likes of Manny Franco, Luis Saez, Joel Rosario, Ricardo Santana, Jr., Hall of Famer John Velazquez and Saratoga Springs native Dylan Davis also figuring prominently among the deep riding colony. Mechanicville native Chad Brown will look to defend his Saratoga training title against the always formidable Todd Pletcher. Brown set a Saratoga record with 46 wins in 2018 to earn his second leading trainer crown at Saratoga Race Course. Pletcher, meanwhile, has topped the Saratoga standings a record 13 times and is a threat to do so once again in 2019. Other top trainers to keep an eye on include Hall Of Famers Bill Mott, Steve Asmussen and Claude R. “Shug” McGaughey III, as well as Rudy Rodriguez, Linda Rice, Kiaran McLaughlin and Jeremiah Englehart. See you all at Saratoga’s Opening Day on July 11 —or as I like to call it, Christmas morning.

course of action A Thoroughbred getting in some morning work at Saratoga Race Course; (inset) the Travers Stakes trophy, the Man o’ War Cup; (opposite, from top) Jockeys John Velazquez, Dylan Davis, José Ortiz, Javier Castellano and Irad Ortiz, Jr.

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exclusive

JERRY BROWN’S

SURE

BET STORY A ND PORT RAI T BY ART HU R G E RU N DA

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THE FOUNDER OF THORO-GRAPH ON HOW TO CRACK THE CODE TO HORSE BETTING. REALLY.

betting man Jerry Brown, the founder of Thoro-Graph, has been giving horseplayers a competitive edge with his “sheets” for decades.

will never forget the best bet I ever made. It was placed on Kentucky Derby Day in 1999. I didn’t make it on the race’s eventual winner, Charismatic. Nope. On that glorious spring afternoon in New York City, I placed a bet on the woman who’d become my lifelong partner. Soon, we’ll be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary. Now, unlike the serendipity of meeting the woman of my dreams, had I actually bet on that Derby and scored big, it wouldn’t have been due to sheer luck. It would’ve been thanks to a man named Jerry Brown, who’s the most knowledgeable horse bettor I’ve ever known. For those of you unfamiliar with Brown, he’s the founder of Thoro-Graph, a series of detailed analyses, known as “sheets,” that include all types of horse racing data and that he sells to prospective bettors on his website, thorograph. com. What exactly is on a Thoro-Graph sheet? There’s an amalgam of simple and complex data points gleaned from the historical past performances of both horses and jockeys, along with factors such as track anomalies, wind speed and direction and dozens of other important variables laid out in numerical form. Simply put, it’s a much more involved version of what you might find in the daily program at Saratoga Race

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“One morning, Ragozin calls me into his office and tells me, ‘We gotta claim a horse in Saratoga,’ and he hands me a brown paper bag. Inside the bag was an orange, a container of milk, a sandwich and $20,000 in cash. It was like he was sending me off to school.” Course. Each data point is then plotted on a graph, which provides the user with a visual and chronological history of a Thoroughbred’s performance over its career. Once a horseplayer cracks Brown’s code, his or her odds of placing a winning bet should increase exponentially. Brown learned from the best of the best. When he was 19 and still living in New York City, he landed his first job working as an errand boy for the legendary horseplayer Len Ragozin. A Harvard graduate, Ragozin had quit his editing job at

BILLY FRANCIS LEROUX

pony up Jerry Brown’s Thoro-Graph sheets include data points gleaned from the past performances of both horses and jockeys.

Newsweek to focus on the fine art of horse betting. Ragozin had noticed Brown studying a Daily Racing Form at a Blimpie on Seventh Avenue in Midtown Manhattan and hired him on the spot. “I needed a job,” says Brown. “My father was literally ready to throw me out of the house if I didn’t get one by the end of the week.” The job would eventually bring Brown to Saratoga Springs—and his first trip was a memorable one. “One morning, Ragozin calls me into his office and tells me, ‘We gotta claim a horse in Saratoga,’ and he hands me a brown paper bag. Inside the bag was an orange, a container of milk, a sandwich and $20,000 in cash. It was like he was sending me off to school.” (If you’re wondering, “claiming” a horse means actually buying it right before it races.) It would be the first of many journeys to the Spa City. In the days before Brown launched his Thoro-Graph sheet, Ragozin had a lock on the horseplayer analysis market. “Unless Ragozin knew you personally, you didn’t get to use his data,” says Brown. “It wasn’t published, it wasn’t sold publicly, and the only copy of the data was handwritten on a single file card. We’d all sit around a dining room table and pass that file card back and forth, and each make our own decisions on who to bet on.” When Brown eventually broke ranks with Ragozin and ventured out on his own to found Thoro-Graph, the two friends quickly became competitors—that is, until the Internet came along. It didn’t take Brown long to realize the

Web could give Thoro-Graph a competitive advantage, and in 1994, he took his product digital.

owadays, Brown’s doing a steady business and stays in Saratoga for the entire racing meet. And while it’s great talking about all of his successes in the horseplaying world, I wanted to know if he’d ever had any particularly putrid days at the races. “I mean, you have bad days and good days betting,” he says. But for his money, there’s really no such thing as a losing day at Saratoga. “During the summer, Saratoga’s a different place than any other racetrack in this country. The entire town is up on racing. The conversations everywhere are, ‘What happened at the track today? What’s gonna happen at the track tomorrow?’ If you go out to the bars around town during the season, you’re going to see everybody in the racing world. Horseplayers are mingling with the trainers, the jockeys—hanging out and talking with them. That doesn’t happen in too many places. Unless you’re involved with some real tragedy, it’s hard to have a bad day at Saratoga.” To that end, I can’t help but think of a classic horseplaying joke: What’s the difference between praying in church and at the racetrack? When you’re praying at the racetrack, you really mean it. For those of us who visit Saratoga Race Course religiously, the information that Jerry Brown offers can go a long way in answering our prayers.

NORTHEAST AND MID-ATLANTIC RACING ORGANIZATIONS ENDORSE A PLAN TO MONITOR RACEHORSE INJURIES

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health plan This year’s comprehensive plan to curb on-track horse deaths shares similarities with one created seven years ago in the wake of a rash of horse deaths at Aqueduct.

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The plan calls for groups to adhere to “evidence-based” practices in an effort to reduce fatal injuries among Thoroughbreds.

comprehensive collection of Thoroughbred racing organizations in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions has endorsed a plan to put in place best practices at racetracks and better monitor racehorse injuries, as part of an effort to reduce on-track deaths. The plan, which was approved by the organizations at a meeting on March 21 after a year-long process, has similarities to a list of recommendations that were developed by a task force convened in New York in 2012 after a string of fatalities at Aqueduct Racetrack. A member of that task force, Alan Foreman, a Maryland attorney who has been heavily involved in racing organizations for three decades, shepherded the Mid-Atlantic plan through the approval process. The plan was endorsed by 29 organizations in 6 states: Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. The endorsing organizations represent racing commissions, breeders’ groups, horsemen’s organizations and racetracks. The strategic plan, which contains broad principles rather than a highly specific list of action items, calls for the groups to adhere to “evidence-based” practices in an effort to reduce catastrophic horse injuries. It also mandates that the organizations share information about horse injuries and coordinate efforts to identify risk factors that may be unique to the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic horse populations. Horses in the area are frequently transported among the tracks in the region. “We need to focus on protecting our horses, and there’s only one way to do it—collaboratively, collectively and comprehensively,” said Foreman. “We all have to contribute.” The adoption of the plan coincides with an industry-wide review of medication practices and management of racehorse injuries spurred on by a spate of horse fatalities at Santa Alan Foreman Anita Park in California this past winter. However, Foreman said that the timing of the approval of the plan was entirely coincidental to that review, pointing out that meetings to develop the plan began early last year and that the March meeting to approve it was scheduled in January 2019. Foreman formed a Mid-Atlantic-based breakaway horsemen’s group called the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association in 1994 after groups in the area expressed dissatisfaction with the leadership of the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. Since then, the group has acted largely in the interests of rank-and-file horsemen in the Mid-Atlantic area, but the group has also expanded its circle of influence to include racing regulators and breeders’ organizations, in an attempt to unify the region under a single set of rules, with some success. Foreman acknowledged that the plan contains items that have already been implemented in many of the Mid-Atlantic states, and he also noted that the plan will codify the strategic direction for all Thoroughbred constituencies in the region, and act as a foundation for the implementation of other practices and protocols. “The important thing is that we now have a way to move forward as a region, and we have a set of principles to do that,” said Foreman. This story originally appeared in the Daily Racing Form.

BY MARTY HEGARTY,

DAILY RACING FORM

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Summer’s Here And Boats By George Is Ready! Are You? WAKESURFING AND HIGH-END CRAFTS LEAD THE WAY THIS SEASON. BY ZACHARY GOLD

or nearly four decades, Boats By George has been the go-to location for the biggest and best selection of new and pre-owned boats in the Capital Region and beyond. Family owned and operated since 1982, Boats By George proudly serves boat enthusiasts and first-time buyers, who are looking to make the most of a region that includes Lake George, Lake Champlain, Lake Placid, Saratoga Lake, Schroon Lake and all of the Adirondacks. This summer, the company knows exactly what its clients want: to get out on the water and catch some waves. That’s why Boats By George is gearing up for a busy summer boating season by offering a new line of Axis Wake Research boats, as well as high-

7 “Wakesurfing end Malibus, both of “We’re going to have is starting to which are perfect professional riders, for wakesurfing really take off, not and people will be and a number of to sign up to get just in Lake George aable other watersports. lesson in surfing “Wakesurfing is starting and wakeboarding,” but around the to really take off, not just says Pensel. Interested country.” in Lake George but around parties who sign up on the country,” says Adam Pensel, a second-generation Sales Specialist at Boats By George. “Pretty much anybody can try it. It’s not an overly difficult sport, and it’s low speed— the boats are traveling at only 10 to 13 mph.” New to wakesurfing? Boats designed for the sport have ballast tanks that weigh them down to generate larger waves in their wake, which wakesurfers then ride, sans towline, using a board similar to a surfboard. The sport is so hot right now that on June 24, Malibu Boats will be bringing its 2019 Just Ride Tour to one of Boats By George’s marinas.

BoatsByGeorge.com will also get to test pilot a brand-new 2019 Malibu Wakesetter. Helping wakesurfers catch massive waves is just one of Boats By George’s specialties. “The boats we carry can accommodate all water sports,” says Pensel, including waterskiing, surfing and wakeboarding. “What makes us unique is the wide selection of products we offer to this sport and others,” says Pensel. With two marinas on the gorgeous “Queen of American Lakes,” Lake George—plus a state-of-the-art service center in Fort Ann and showroom located right off of exit 20 on I-87— Boats By George should be your go-to spot for boating all summer long. ■

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At 40, Verrillo Motor Car Starts Anew

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t’s not every day that a company gets to celebrate four decades in business—but that’s exactly what longtime Clifton Park-based Prestige Motor Car Co. will be doing this June—with a twist. The full-service luxury car dealership and classic car restoration service is changing its name to Verrillo Motor Car. “We’re very excited that 2019 marks our 40th year in business, and it’s the perfect opportunity to pay homage to our family name,” says Sunday Verrillo, who co-owns the dealership with her husband, Joe Verrillo. To say that the newly minted Verrillo Motor Car is “full service” would be an

understatement: The company offers car sales, financing, auto service; detailing and restoration services; indoor car storage, transport and concierge services. “Most days, we’re here talking with clients, making deals and providing (inset, from left) Founders/Co-Owners of Verrillo Motor Car Sunday and Joe Verrillo. “We feel honored when we’re chosen to restore a car or do a custom design resto-mod for a client,” says Sunday Verrillo.

exemplary service,” says Sunday, emphasizing the professionalism and years of experience of the Verrillo team. “Together, we’re as committed to exceeding the expectations of our clients today as we were in 1979.” Verrillo offers its clients a full catalog of new and pre-owned cars—everything from classic 1960s Corvettes and muscle cars to modern inventory that includes brand names such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche. Verrillo even has a “wish list” form that clients can fill out for any vehicles they’d like to see added to the company’s alwaysexpanding inventory. The company takes particular pride in its restoration work—especially on Corvettes—and has achieved a number of prestigious awards for its work, including a 4-Star Bowtie Award from the National Corvette Restorers Society (NCRS), an honor just 329 classic Corvettes have ever received; and a DUNTOV Mark of Excellence Award for a restored Corvette that achieved a score of at least 97% out of 100% based on its original “as manufactured” condition at the NCRS National Convention. Additionally, Verrillo’s classic restorations have been featured in esteemed automotive publications such as Vette, Super Chevy and Hemmings Muscle Machines. “We feel honored when we’re chosen to restore a car or do a custom design resto-mod for a client,” says Sunday. Ultimately, Verrillo Motor Car offers all its clients the pinnacle of quality assurance. Every vehicle sold is personally selected by Founder/Co-Owner Joe Verrillo, then given a second inspection and thorough servicing by modelspecific technicians. In short, the only thing changing about the company is its name; customers can expect the same fine service from Verrillo Motor Car. Visit them on the web at: prestigemotorcar.com. ■

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Go To Del Mar, Saratogians!

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If you want to rub shoulders with horse racing’s glitterati, then definitely book your stay at L’Auberge Del Mar resort and spa; it’s one of those dreamy places where Worth Avenue and Rodeo Drive hypothetically intersect. L’Auberge emits luxury from its every manicured inch; it even made Condé Nast Traveler’s top spas in the US list. (I strongly recommend the spa’s Fountain of Youth Facial, followed by its signature Jet Lag Massage, to lift, drain and stretch your body and mind for full-on exhilaration). L’Auberge’s equally exhilarating private beach trail doesn’t hurt, either. The spa (and beach) experience is quite literally perfect. About ten minutes inland and possibly even more over-the-top than L’Auberge is the Fairmont Grand Del Mar (technically, it’s in San Diego). Once you settle in and start basking in its expansive decadence, eyepopping extravagance and modern Mediterranean decor, you might need a nudge to leave your comfy confines and make the trek to the racetrack. With an enormous, inviting pool,

call that bluff The 36-hole Torrey Pines Golf Course sits atop La Jolla’s beautiful coastal bluffs; (left) the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club boasts a long, private stretch of surf.

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osing a delightful gamble for horse racing lovers, the back-to-back weekend races of Southern California’s Del Mar TVG Pacific Classic on August 17 and Saratoga Springs’ iconic Travers Stakes (celebrating its 150th anniversary this year) on August 24 are a coast-to-coast dilemma, to be sure. But for the true diehards (you know who you are), we recommend enjoying both historically significant races. So, yes, let’s go to Del Mar! Aside from the city of Del Mar’s idyllic SoCal location (balmy and undeniably beautiful), the racetrack itself is quite impressive. With luxe, trackside dining and elegant hatwearing spectators as far as the eye can see, the track experience comes complete with Del Mar’s signature cocktails, including the Cucumber Chili Margarita (made with Sauza Signature Blue Silver Tequila) and the Del Mule (featuring Maker’s Mark bourbon or Ketel One and ginger beer). Del Mar, here we come!

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HE A D TO CA LIFORNIA’ S MOST BEAUTIF U L R AC E C O U R SE — R I G HT BE FO RE TH E TRAVERS. n BY MA R C O M E DR A N O

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roll tide The awardwinning Marine Room at La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club is known for its luxe high tide dinners.

pro-quality tennis courts, world-class spa and Tom Fazio-designed Grand Golf Club that winds through the canyon’s preserve, you’ll be tempted to extend

your stay. And, yes, you’ll have to dine at Addison, Southern California’s only five-star and five-diamond restaurant, located right on the property. And we’re just getting started. If you put golf, sublime massages and amazing cuisines above all

else, then The Lodge at Torrey Pines is the ideal spot. Another five-diamond resort, this destination is sporty-elegant, and meets all the expectations of a five-star ultra-service. At first I thought the lodge might be a little too rustic for my admittedly spoiled tastes, but boy, was I ever wrong! It surprised me and easily became one of my best and most elegant stays ever. There’s a lot to see within a 20-minute radius of the coastal racetrack. That said, if you’re traveling as a family and want to avoid all the fussy formality, you may decide that meandering casually for the duration of your trip is just what the doctor ordered. To start things off, you can literally

roll out of bed and hit the sand at the elevated Del Mar Motel On The Beach, unshaven and uncombed. The La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club hotel boasts a long, private stretch of surf, 12 championship tennis courts, a 9-hole par-3 golf course and 3 worthy beachfront restaurants, all within close range of the Village of La Jolla’s legendary shopping and galleries. LIK Fine Art (chic, colorful, modern) is a must-see, as is the Martin Lawrence Gallery, both near famed Prospect Street. Also nearby is Balboa Park, home to the San Diego Zoo and no less than 17(!) museums—notably, the San Diego Natural History Museum (theNAT), the San Diego Museum Of

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Art and the Comic-Con Museum (coming soon). Time to eat! Back closer to Del Mar, one standout where the locals dine with satisfying results is Brigantine, a seafood and oyster bar with awardwinning fish tacos. Bangkok Bay Thai Restaurant, Eve Encinitas, Pampelmousse Grille and Sbicca are also popular options. But wait, didn’t we come here for the ponies? Happy Trails in San Diego offers beach horseback riding, while Seeley Stables presents a highly rated museum consisting of a reconstructed stable and barns housing a collection of horse-drawn buggies, wagons, carriages and other equine memorabilia.

One thing’s for sure: No matter what you planned for this legendary horseracing week in Del Mar, you should really allow a couple of extra days to take it all in. Then,

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(top left) JACALYN BEALES; (top right) KATRIEN STERCKX; (bottom) ERIC NOPANEN

SARATOGA SPRINGS

ALBANY

here’s nothing quite like the anticipation of the Saratoga Springs summer season. When what seemed like a forever winter fades and is replaced by the sun, budding trees and, yes, the promise of crowds flocking to the Spa City, I can’t help but get excited. It’s also at this time that life gets hectic for interior designers—and homeowners—as we go into preparation mode, cleaning, planting and perking up everything from rose beds to rugs and porch rockers. Here are five tips to help get your house through pre-season prep and ready for another fun, wildly exhausting Saratoga summer. TIP #1 The most important Saratoga summer home “accessory” is your porch, so get those planters planted and equestrian blankets draped over your couches on your swept, scrubbed and painted porch floors. The porch is where the action happens,

pillows, candles and throws, and get to work right away on your guest list! TIP #3 Perk up your entryway with straw hats and cashmere throws to achieve that casual yet glamorous Saratoga summer look (and keep them handy to keep you warm on cool evening strolls around your neighborhood). If you don’t already have heavy hooks ready to receive these accoutrements, grab some authentic iron hooks from your local hardware store.

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inside out The most important Saratoga summer home “accessory” is your porch, but if you don’t have one, bring the indoors out by placing tables, chairs, bar carts and buffets onto your lawn.

TIP #4 Stock your refrigerator with champagne and cool white wines for summer guests. Select a “house” bottle and tuck it away until needed. After all, you can never have enough bubbly or wine for a Saratoga

summer. Plus, it’s always good to have a few extras to bring along for those last-minute invites. TIP #5 The summer season also means houseguests, so now is the time to pump up air beds, prep duvets and empty closets. Also, stock up on the essentials— paper towels, toilet paper, toothpaste, fresh soaps and beer—before your guests arrive. Put vases on bedside tables, ready for freshly cut flowers, and stop by Northshire Bookstore to get stacks of paperbacks for lazy summer days.

so light up the space with playful string lights or lanterns and set up some wireless speakers. TIP #2 If you don’t have a porch, bring the indoors out! Pull out tables, chairs, bar carts and buffets onto your patio or lawn. Add fun

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the back Food ⁄

Meat And Potatoes 2.0

CEL EBRITY CH EF DAVID BU R KE, C U LI N A RY DI R E C TO R AT T H E A DE LP H I H OT EL , CH I PS IN ON TH E SE A R C H F O R T H E U LT I M AT E ‘SA R ATO GA B I T E .’ p h otogr aph y by T E R R I -LYN N P E LLE GR I

chose this simple yet complex and flavorful bite to highlight the potato chip, which was invented in Saratoga Springs (maybe). I’m also showcasing my patented dry-aging process, which uses Himalayan salt.

D r i v e wAy S PArking lotS SPort CourtS PrivAte roADS

Thoughtfully designed & crafted. Built to last.

Albany - S ar at og a - Chatham

518.479.1400 broweasphalt.com

Ask about our Ornamental Stone Finish options

Salt & Char’s Meat & Potatoes INGREDIENTS

1 Idaho potato Vinegar Salt Water 3 oz. 45-day dry aged strip loin 1 oz. Crème fraîche 1 oz. Osetra caviar 1/2 oz. Snipped chive INSTRUCTIONS

David Burke RESTAURANT: Salt & Char SARATOGA BITE: Salt & Char’s Meat & Potatoes CHEF:

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Thinly slice the potato and brine in vinegar, salt and water for 25 minutes. Fry it at 300 degrees, gently stirring until the chips float to the top and crisp. Season with salt. Cook strip loin rare and slice it thinly. Top the chips with the strip loin and finish with a dollop of crème fraîche, caviar and chive.

the back Drink ⁄

he Mayflower’s our twist on the classic summer Pimm’s Cup cocktail, which we happen to think is perfect for enjoying on a hot Saratoga summer afternoon or evening during track season. We got The Mayflower’s name from the old proverb “April showers bring May flowers,” and we’ll be glad to serve you one—rain or shine—this summer.”

The Merc’s WarmWeather Wonder W ITH ITS ‘MAYFLOWER,’ THE M E R CANTI LE KITCH EN & BA R PR OVI DES I TS S PRIN G-FORWARD ENTRY FO R THE ‘NEXT GREAT SA RATO GA COCKTAI L.’

Saratoga Lake 587–9865 • on Rte. 9P (4 miles off exit 14) MON–FRI 10–8

•

SAT 10–5

•

SUN 12–5

Queensbury 798-0133 • 1060 Rte. 9 (by Sutton’s Market Place) MON–WED 9:30–6 • THURS & FRI 9:30–8 • SAT & SUN 9:30–5

www.TheFurntiureHouseNY.com

photo g r a p h y by DO RI FITZ PATRICK

BAR:

The Mercantile Kitchen & Bar COCKTAIL:

The Mayflower

The Mayﬂower INGREDIENTS

3-4 Mint leaves 2 Cucumber slices ¼ Orange 1 Drop ginger bitters ½ oz. Ginger syrup ½ oz. Lime juice 1 oz. Beefeater Pink Gin 1 oz. Pimm’s Splash soda water Ice

MAGAZINES, BOOKS, NEWSPAPERS AND SOUVENIRS We have everything you need to enjoy your trip! A large variety of beverages and snacks. Our friendly knowledgeable staff is here to help. Stop in and visit soon.

INSTRUCTIONS

Muddle mint, cucumber and orange. Add in drop of ginger bitters, ginger syrup, lime juice, Beefeater Pink Gin and Pimm’s. Shake with ice and pour contents into tall glass. Top with splash of soda water.

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525 East St Albany/Rensselaer, NY 12144 518 449-2766 friartuckbookshop.com

AMTRAK RAIL STATION

kentucky shocker Horse racing lovers gathered at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame for its annual Derby Party on May 4.

Derby Day, Saratoga Style THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING HOSTED THE CITY’S PREMIER KENTUCKY DERBY PARTY. photography by KATIE DOBIES

(from left) Deanna Bush, Paige Montanye

(from left) Nicole Pieper, Eddie Pieper, Kerry Mayo, Erin Mayo, James Caracci, Lesley Caracci, Laura Wilkas

Patrice Jenkins trying on a hat for Dave Jenkins

(from left) Maureen Parker, Natalie Sillery

Dedicated. Reliable. Professional. Mohawk Ambulance Service is proud to help celebrate THE BEST of what Saratoga has to offer. NEW YORK CERTIFIED PARAMEDIC AMBULANCE SERVICES

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518.584.1222

THE ANNUAL WINTER BALL WAS A SOLD-OUT SUCCESS. n BY CHRISTY CIOTA photography by KATIE DOBIES

having a ball (from left) Kevin Miner, Eric Tucker, Shane Stiel, Stephen Kyne and Lucas Tucker having fun at SPAC’s Winter Ball.

Boutique and roaming card trick performances by Jason Ladanye. New to the ball this year was a pre-event cocktail reception and an original dance performance by Reality Dance Studio, choreographed especially for the Winter Ball. “The ball is a fundraiser to support SPAC’s educational programming, which last year, reached more than 38,000 individuals,” says Kristy Godette, SPAC’s director of communications. Godette also spoke highly of the Junior Committee: “Founded in 2010, the SPAC Junior Committee consists of culturally minded young professionals who support and promote world-class performing arts in the community.”

Oh Yeah, It’s The Mom Prom, Folks

WOMEN AND CHILDREN ARE THE BENEFICIARIES OF THIS FESTIVE ANNUAL FUNDRAISING EVENT. BY OLIVIA LIPKIN

B PAIGE MCCARTHY

SPAC Goes ‘Into The Pines’

n March 9, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) Junior Committee held its sold-out Winter Ball at the Saratoga Hall of Springs. The night featured live music by Grand Central Station, an open bar and a grand raffle, which included more than 30 gift baskets. The ball’s whimsical “Into The Pines” theme was brought to life by decor provided by Samantha Nass Floral Design, and the theme was enhanced by a fairy face-art station from Gabby Nigriny Seidfridberger of Hair Razors Salon Spa &

lake Shelton, Bradley Cooper and Shemar Moore were all spotted at Saratoga Mom Prom this year—well, at least their cardboard cutouts were. The Saratoga Mom Prom, an annual event that raises money for local women’s and children’s charities, took place on April 13 at the Holiday Inn Saratoga Springs. The event, which featured raffles, tarot card readings, caricatures, music by DJ Caroline Kurkowski and the

crowning of a prom queen,” raised more than $26,000 for the Saratoga County Children’s Committee’s Back To School Program. That amount brings the total funds raised by the Mom Prom to more than $118,000 over the last seven years. After the event, one of the 300 guests said she loved “seeing women of all ages coming together for a good cause, while another said, “It’s such a fun thing— to be with all those great women dancing and having

mothers’ nature This year’s Saratoga Mom Prom featured cardboard cutouts of the hottest celebrities, a prom queen pageant and plenty of dancing.

fun.” Next year’s Mom Prom date is already set: April 25, 2020. See all of you fun, philanthropic moms there next spring.

star gazing BY MELISSA MORREAL E

illustrations by ROBERT RI SKO exclusively for saratoga living

GEMINI MAY 21-JUNE 20

Hello, Saratoga twins! The limelight’s on you now. Time to pull your two sides together, flash that beaming smile and wow them with your incredible intellect. You’re at the starting gate and ready for the doors to open. Focus, focus, focus! Your romantic and business partnerships are ideal and beneficial right through the summer and could help you achieve a cherished dream. However, you could have turbulent times in the financial department. You often take leaps of faith. I would advise not to gamble with your finances in any way. If an estate is involved, some hostilities might arise that could sever ties permanently. Is it really worth it?

CANCER JUNE 21-JULY 22

Your home will be filled with activity—and possibly a little bickering. It seems that fate’s involved in a partnership. It can be intense, deep and transforming. While it can be attractive, it sometimes feels like you want to crawl back into your shell. There’s a lot to learn. Saddle up and don’t immediately jump to the most dire conclusion. LEO JULY 23-AUGUST 22

You have a lot on your mind and happening behind the scenes. Relax and enjoy the Capital Region’s summer festivities with friends. Bask in the sun. Take a long overdue

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vacation. Delve into your creativity. Ride your horse into the sunset. You’ll figure things out. VIRGO AUGUST 23-SEPTEMBER 22

Boy, are your creative juices flowing! Harness them and partner with someone to make things happen. You could have a big breakthrough in your career. Keep your eyes open for advancement through friends or groups. You’ll make your home a place of comfort and beauty this summer. LIBRA SEPTEMBER 23-OCTOBER 22

There’s a struggle between home life and your career. The best option right

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SCORPIO OCTOBER 23-NOVEMBER 21

Where are the most mysterious places in Saratoga? That’s where you need to be, Scorpio. You’re intrigued and want to investigate. Time to delve into the history of this region, with all its beauty, culture and unknown secrets. SAGITTARIUS NOVEMBER 22-DECEMBER 21

This summer, take luck in stride, as it shows up everywhere you turn: money, partnerships, intimacy and health. Invest for the long term in all these areas, and you won’t be disappointed with this grand alignment. CAPRICORN DECEMBER 22-JANUARY 19

Things are pretty heavy, to say the least, Capricorn. It may feel like you’re in a pressure cooker. You’ll find release with a good partner. You may not like to lean on him or her because of your independent nature, but it’ll be good to have a reliable person to help you clean out the stable. AQUARIUS JANUARY 20-FEBRUARY 18

You’re filled with

ORTHODONTIST U P S TAT E NEW YORK

sparks of creativity, so revel in group collaboration. Your health may be a bit unpredictable. Don’t force your horse to jump if it’s not necessary, or you may find yourself in the hospital. Yet, romance is in the air.

RICHARD J.

HOSKINSON DDS

PISCES FEBRUARY 19-MARCH 20

specialty: HIGH-QUALITY ORTHODONTIC CARE

The fish are definitely biting at your creative projects. Time to put effort into this area and be sure not to rest on your laurels. You can achieve great success if you’re in the right place with the right friends. You need to put some energy into self-promotion. It won’t happen by itself.

FRANCESCO D'AMICO

Good Times, Gemini

now is to take advantage of travel abroad or expand your education to advance your career. Travel will give you some time away to balance your thoughts. Pay attention to your health, as there could be some hard-to-diagnose ailments popping up.

TOP

SAM_maserati_half page.pdf

ARIES MARCH 21-APRIL 19

Have you been struggling with your career, Aries? Maybe it’s time to take a break, travel or do a staycation and enjoy the serenity of your own home. There, you can take the time to catch up on reading or learning something new. TAURUS APRIL 20-MAY 20

If things seem a little unusual to you, it’s because you’re out of your element, Taurus. This isn’t comfortable to you, as you enjoy things that are more stable and predictable. If you invest, stick to the tried and true. You’re always up for a good, solid investment, and this will be a great time to make one.

Dr. Hoskinson is a board-certified orthodontist who has been practicing in his hometown of Scotia for more than two decades. Hoskinson Orthodontics proudly offers patients of all ages in the Capital Region multiple treatment options. “My philosophy isn’t to meet our patients’ expectations but to exceed them,” says Dr. Hoskinson. “Whenever I hear patients share stories about having more confidence, meeting their spouse or landing a dream job because of their smile, it gives me great pride in my incredible team.”

CMY

5/6/19

8:01 AM

Hoskinson Orthodontics 207 Mohawk Ave., Suite 1A Scotia, NY 12302 (518) 372-3424 email: info@hoskinsonortho.com website: hoskinsonortho.com

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Max London’s

The Inn At Erlowest

n its cozy yet sophisticated nook on Broadway, Max London’s sits beside its sister shop, Mrs. London’s Bakery, a local favorite known for its delicious pastries and baked goods. Max London’s uses locally sourced ingredients, including fresh-squeezed fruit juices in its cocktails and house-made mozzarella cheese, making it an appealing choice for those looking to support local farmers. The menu contains several enticing items among its many culinary offerings, such as the “Devils on Horseback” appetizer (medjool dates stuffed with blue cheese and marcona almonds, accompanied by applewood smoked bacon and maple syrup), and there’s a separate (delicious) menu for weekend brunch.

he Inn At Erlowest, a Queen Anne-style stone castle on the western shore of southern Lake George, isn’t just a private residence turned award-winning luxury, ten-suite hotel—it’s also a fine dining, farm-totable restaurant destination for guests and the public alike. The inn serves an à la carte dinner menu in its dining room nightly from 5-8:30pm, as well as a lighter fare menu of cocktails and appetizers at its Library Bar. Weekly specials made with seasonal foods ensure that each visit is a unique dining experience. Guests at the inn are also treated to a farm-fresh breakfast the morning after their stay.

466 BROADWAY, SARATOGA SPRINGS 518.587.0505

Henry Street Taproom

ith its extensive selection of beers, whiskeys and cocktails, Henry Street Taproom in Downtown Saratoga Springs is a choice location for craft beer connoisseurs looking to try something different. This relaxed restaurant and bar not only has some of the most fun servers, bartenders and hosts in the city, but also one of the best draft lists, plus a wide selection of imported wines. In addition to its more traditional bar fare, the taproom offers several charcuterie boards and imported cheeses, which are served with three special sides: house-baked sourdough bread, fresh fruit and house-made chutney. 86 HENRY ST, SARATOGA SPRINGS 518.886.8938

3178 LAKE SHORE DR, LAKE GEORGE 518.668.5928

Saratoga Stadium

rom its Broadway locale, Saratoga Stadium is arguably the city’s finest sports bar, providing televised coverage of a range of top sporting events. Saratoga Stadium offers patrons a casual atmosphere, with a menu full of all the traditional favorites—burgers, nachos and wings—as well as an all-you-can-eat prime rib special available on Friday evenings after 5pm. Saratoga Stadium also offers a diverse range of seasonal drinks (such as spiced apple punch), wines by the glass and by the bottle and house-made sangria. To finish things off, the dessert menu displays some tempting treats: fried dough and the “Junior’s Giant Cheesecake for 2.” 389 BROADWAY, SARATOGA SPRINGS 518.226.4437

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play

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Gaffney’s

longtime Saratoga Springs staple, Gaffney’s is a local favorite for casual American dining and bar fare. Its location on Caroline Street in the heart of Downtown Saratoga Springs solidifies its status as a go-to spot for late-night dining, drinking and dancing. Patrons can enjoy regular DJ and live music performances, as well as half-priced beers on Tuesdays beginning at 4pm. In addition to the burgers, wings, nachos and specials available on its dinner and late-night menus, Gaffney’s offers its brunch from 10am-3pm on Sundays, featuring eggs, sandwiches, pancakes, waffles and other griddle confections. 16 CAROLINE ST, SARATOGA SPRINGS 518.587.7359

Osteria Danny

un by Executive Chef Danny Petrosino and his wife, Patti, Osteria Danny specializes in Italian-American cuisine with an emphasis on simplicity and creative development. As such, the menu is updated frequently to encompass new culinary concepts and locally sourced ingredients when they’re available. Although the menu is continuously evolving with the creative will of Chef Danny, original recipes remain a pivotal influence in the dishes that Osteria Danny produces. For example, there’s a simple dish called “Shrimp the way my father liked it” on the menu, which is accompanied by lemon risotto, butter garlic and “a bunch of other stuff,” and all pastas and desserts (mmm… pistachio cheesecake) are made by Danny himself. 26 HENRY ST, SARATOGA SPRINGS 518.423.7022

All Summer Long, ’Toga

1. “See ya!” 5. PC key 8. Messages on Twitter: abbr. 11. Alda of The Blacklist 12. Aussie hopper 13. Corn unit 14. Green Day song “Wake Me Up When ___” 18. Practice 19. Surrounded by 20. Aliens: abbr. 21. Response to a blow to the stomach 24. Today competitor: abbr. 25. Katniss’ weapon of choice in The Hunger Games 28. The northernmost capital of 55-Down 31. Gives rise to 32. Actress Farrow and athlete Hamm 33. Queen of the UK, to friends 34. Alias identifier 36. Marie Kondo’s home, almost certainly 37. Encourage 38. There, in person 40. Independence Day 44. Possess 45. ___ Town 46. Folk artist DiFranco 47. Wknd. day 50. Stare at

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51. Slang for “natural” in cheap beer brand 53. Charlie Bucket competitor 57. Way of speaking with one’s hands: abbr. 58. ___ Wednesday 59. Famous diarykeeper Frank 60. Had a bite 61. Guantanamo, for one 62. Source

35 34

1. Sample 2. Warn of danger 3. Popular Spanish appetizers 4. Prefix meaning against 5. Give weapons to 6. Toss lightly 7. Pinky, for one 8. Failure to acknowledge or admit 9. Org. that advocates for safer roads 10. Students in last year of HS 15. Plenty 16. Prego alternative 17. Rachel’s daughter in Friends 22. Air Force ___ 23. Greek salad ingredient 25. One half of a single 26. Not great

DOWN:

35 38

43 46

47 51

27. “He ___ a skater boy” 28. One-time Yanks captain 29. Request (from someone) 30. Friendly relationship 31. Started 33. Furrowed body part 35. Popular girl’s name in Germany 36. A bathroom floor may have it

37. Vehicle for 20-Across: abbr. 39. Wknd. day following 47-Across 41. Switch back and forth from one setting to another 42. Where to watch The Handmaid’s Tale 43. Mineral-rich rocks 47. What Medusa’s face turned people into 48. Make amends

49. Wrote a story on a Selectric 50. Expel 52. “Unfortunately…” 53. TV remote insert, perhaps 54. Additional open webpage on a computer 55. When repeated, chant heard at the Olympics, perhaps 56. Timid ANSWERS ON

saratogaliving.com

“So, what’s our plan now?”

– O U TS I D E S KI D M OR E C O L L E GE ’ S LU CY S C R I B N E R L I B R A RY, A F T E R R OL L E R B L A D I N G U P TO T H E D OOR



“Saturation— that’s what it’s all about.”

overheard SOMETHIN’ TO TALK ABOUT...

“I just love the Dewey Decimal System!” – ON BROADWAY

110 saratoga living

BY N ATA L I E M O O R E ACROSS:

“Singles bingo? That’s kind of lit.”

–THE WASHI NGTON BUI LDI NG LOBBY

–THE ADELPHI HOTEL LOBBY

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Judy! Judy! Judy!

FROM LATHAM TO GOTHAM, MARKETING SPECIALIST JUDY HARRIGAN LANDS SAFELY IN SARATOGA.

BY RICHARD PÉREZ-FERIA

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATIE DOBIES EXCLUSIVELY FOR saratoga living

ho is that?” I whispered conspiratorially to my date at last year’s New York City Ballet Gala in advance of NYCB’s annual summer debut at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. “She’s fantastic!” And, in an instant, I found myself meeting and double-cheek air kissing the indefatigable, smiling force of nature known as Judy Harrigan. As a Gotham transplant to Saratoga Springs mere months earlier, I could always spot a fellow restless Manhattanite and, boy, did I ever find myself a true-blue New Yorker in this Miss Judy. After three decades of head-turning professional accomplishments—as a marketing research and strategy specialist at Kraft General Foods and later at advertising agency titans Lintas, Ted Bates and J. Walter Thompson, the Latham native was ready to return to her Capital Region roots and came to Saratoga with the idea of winding down her career to focus on philanthropy and the arts. Well, not so fast. “I’ve continued to work from Saratoga with Fortune 500 clients on domestic and international research,” Harrigan says. “Everyone fails at something and for me it’s retirement.” A board member at SPAC, the preternaturally happy Shaker High grad grew up in a family that celebrated adventure. “My family had an aviation business, which allowed me to fly solo at 16 and get my pilot’s license by the time I left for Cornell University,” Harrigan says. She followed that up with a PhD from SUNY Albany in Experimental Psychology, all the while becoming a certified scuba diver, solo skydiver and eventually joining a woman’s racing team in NYC sponsored by Nike. Constant movement is the norm for this dynamo. When you meet Judy Harrigan for the first time she gives off a sophisticated yet casual air, exactly like the women actress Patricia Clarkson (HBO’s Sharp Objects) has made an award-winning career of portraying. In short, you want to be her friend. Happily, I convinced this asset to Saratoga to become mine. I still whisper to anyone within earshot when I see Judy Harrigan walk into the room: “Isn’t she fantastic?!”

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woman of substance “Everyone fails at something and for me it’s retirement,” says Latham native and Saratoga resident Judy Harrigan.

From growing up in Latham to thriving in Manhattan, what’s been the biggest surprise on your incredible journey thus far? The biggest surprise is that Manhattan is a series of Lathams. People in New York City identify with and are passionate about their neighborhoods. If asked where you live, you would never say Manhattan, but instead your neighborhood: the Upper West Side, the Village, Hell’s Kitchen, SoHo. I was a committed Upper Westsider for its then casual and a bit irreverent tone, brownstones and prewar architecture, Lincoln Center and half of Central Park. Working for mega-watt advertising agencies Lintas, Ted Bates and J. Walter Thompson, how was your own Mad Men experience? It was crazy intense and crazy fun! I worked on international accounts and new business pitches, which was adrenaline filled: numerous business trips to Europe, two out of three nights on overnight flights to/from London, taking the Concorde (a thrill for this private pilot) and more—so much more. Paris, New York City, London and Saratoga: Describe each city you love with one word. Paris: magical; New York City: exciting; London: absorbing; Saratoga: welcoming. As a board member and an enthusiast, what do you think makes SPAC so special? SPAC is magical, exciting, absorbing and welcoming. I remember in high school the incredible experience of sitting on the lawn at SPAC for the very first time. The performances were truly magnificent and reinforced my desire to more fully experience the arts and the broader world.

T H E H E A RT O F S A R ATO G A S P R I N G S 466 BROADWAY

@adammerrow @alexandriaeigo

464 Broadway Saratoga Springs New York

SARATOGA SPRINGS

VALUE CALLING IS

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COME JOIN THE FAMILY! ILY! THE FAM IN O J E M 3 0 A C RWe'll E S Wbe I There.... H COOV E R 2 ,e1re 0 0 C A R S , T R U C K S A N D S U V S O N C E N T R A L AV E e h .... ^ VOLUME e'll1b DEALER IN THE CAPITAL REGION 4 YEARS IN A ROW FOR NEW CHEVY SALES DEPAULA CHEVROLET IS THE ONLYWNO. this Saturday! ^ BASED ON MANUFACTURER NEW CAR SALES REPORTS FOR 2015, 2016, 2017 AND 2018. *TOP 100 SALES VOLUME DEALER BASED ON FORD NEW CAR SALES REPORT FOR 2018. day! turdown Sounds great! Sabe n thisI'll I'll be dow ds great!