Looking for a day trip from Saratoga? Spring is the perfect time to head straight to Kinderhook, known for its history, shopping — and fantastic food and wine scene. Perched in the idyllic pastoral landscape of Columbia County, this charming Hudson Valley village is just a 58-mile drive from Saratoga Springs. Staying for dinner? Its proximity makes it a convenient overnight, too.

Eat:

Broad Street Bagel Company: If you are dubious about the quality of bagels outside of NYC, rest easy. This Brooklyn-born, Kinderhook-bred bagel shop is fueled by a 150-year-old kettle boiled recipe, from-scratch cream cheeses, and just slightly off-kilter topping options (goat cheese; eggs, cheese, bacon, sausage and maple syrup) served up with a very non-big city smile in a relaxing shop that smells like buttery, toasted carbs and feels like a cozy hug.

The Aviary: Perched like a gorgeous bird in the Kinderhook Knitting Mill, the Aviary offers decadent dishes (get the duck egg), but more to the point, creative cocktails. The drinks change seasonally, but keep your eyes peeled for their new-fangled iterations of old classics.

Saissonier: This bar specializes in beer and cheese. Need we say more? Just in case, we’ll get more specific: there are 125 craft beers available to stay or go, top-notch vino and cider, heaving cheese and meat boards focusing on local producers, and — according to Isola’s owner and wine director Hillary Zio — the best damn kimchi grilled cheese around.

Isola Wine & Tapas: This meticulously designed restaurant and wine bar specializes in low-intervention wines from islands and coasts of Western Europe. Think small-batch producers who make all of the right choices from grape to glass, and soulful, coastal food that feels filtered through Italy and France, with Hudson Valley farm-fresh ingredients. Zio is the brains and brawn behind the space, and as a globe-trotting writer and sommelier, nothing but the best will do. The pairing she recommends—and I can confidently toast to—is her housemade tagliatelle with chicken leg, achicken liver ragu, ideally paired with a crisp Grignolino from Piedmont.

Drink:

Kinderhook Bottle Shop: Get ready to fall in love with a wine you’ve never heard of, from a grape you don’t know how to pronounce, from a place you couldn’t find on a map in a million. Zio is obsessed, and so are we: think indie producers you’ve never heard of, making delicious wines that excite your palate. Don’t know where to start? The staff is happy guide you. Every Friday from 5 to 7 pm, the Bottle Shop opens it doors and throws a free-flowing wine party where you can taste before you buy, connect with other wine lovers, and meet producers.

Shop:

Samascott’s Garden Market: I think we can all agree that not every farm store is created equal. Samascott is at the top of the apple heap with U-pick activates and all of the farm fresh apple cider, apple cider donuts, pasture-raised eggs, grass-fed beef and phenomenal produce. Apple cider donuts are healthier than regular donuts, right? Let’s also agree on that.

Kinderhook Knitting Mill: What do you need from life? Thoughtful coffee? Delicious snacks? Art? Home goods? Booze? The Kinderhook Knitting Mill has it all in a community-minded space sprawling elegantly through an upcycled 1870s textile mill, darling. Most of the businesses are owned and operated by women and people of color too.

Chillax:

Village Yoga: If you’re desperately seeking Zen, Village Yoga offers the kind of instant community and support that instantly lowers your scrunchy shoulders an inch or two. We love a meditation, but Zio bends for the Vinyasa. Drop ins are welcome. Namaste!

Muse Aesthetics: If you’re more concerned about the scrunch between your eyebrows than the one between your shoulders, head to Muse. Grab a Korean Lift & Glow or a Glass Skin Facial and you’ll look like a Zen master with a fabulous skincare regimen.

The School: The Jack Shaman Gallery: The Gallery has outposts in Manhattan and Kinderhook, and is beloved for showcasing young and mid-career artists, both undiscovered and established. In Kinderhook, the 30,000-square food space is dedicated to cultural exploration across media, disciplines, regions, and centuries.

Stay:

Old Dutch Inn: Rural refinement, with an edge. It’s boutique luxury, comfy welcome. The lodge was built in 1820, but meets all of the (WiFi / fabulous Frette linen / killer bathroom amenities) or the modern traveler.

Keep reading!

Weekender: Head to Hudson

Inside peek: 🌷 High Peaks Resort

Escapism, activated: Schroon Lake

So now’s your chance!

Book now to join 52 of your neighbors who are already signed up.

52 diners, 9 tables. Who’s filling Table 10?

Nightcap at Coat Room after to gossip about how it all went down.

Can’t wait to meet everyone!
— Abby

LET'S EAT!

💃 TALES FROM DOWNTOWN

I promised I would tell you why this bikini-clad gem is named…Abby

Standard Fare (21 Phila Street) has another new horse painting hanging at check-in. And if you look closely, you’ll see a familiar name.

Yup, the irreverent horse lounging in a teeny bikini is named…Abby’s Pick.

“It’s always fun to portray another resident of my home here in Saratoga Springs,” artist Daniel Fairley deadpanned when I asked him to explain his inspiration.

Argh.

“And who is the resident you are portraying?” I asked, since your favorite middle-aged writer was most certainly not the model.

“You duh.”

Artists

So I’ll tell you the story instead. Fairley, who works the analytical side of his brain at his day job in IT, once asked me about my day job, SEO writing to improve a web site’s views. “So what gets clicks?” he asked.

“Bikinis,” I joked.

And a star was born.

Go check her out at Standard Fare — I’ll be there for Easter brunch — before she’s purchased and moved to her new home.

And for the uninitiated…the series of “deranged” horses has become somewhat of a status symbol, with fans buying them right off the restaurant wall as fast as Fairley can paint them.

Keep reading!

Evolution of a status symbol

🏇 REMINDER

Saratoga’s own Dylan Davis races today in the Gazelle, at Aqueduct (post time: 5:56 p.m.) — followed by the Wood Memorial at 6:34 p.m.

📰 IN BRIEF

The horror

The protagonist in an upcoming book adaptation of the Hitchcock thriller Psycho is from — you guessed it — the Spa City. “Although only a relatively small percentage of the novel takes place in Saratoga, the city looms large in the story, right up until the final sentences,” writes Jonathon Norcross in Saratoga Today. In real life, the author, Norcross reports, splits her time between Brooklyn and the Catskills. Marion by Leah Rowan will be out in June and is available for pre-order.

🎟️ HEADS UP

‘Music of the American Revolution: Celebrating 1776’

Tickets are on sale for a special concert program dedicated to the music that soundtracked the birth of the United States — yup, in celebration of this summer’s 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. The acclaimed chamber ensemble Musicians of Ma’alwyck will perform a program curated to highlight the diversity of musical life in early America — featuring works by renowned composers Stamitz, Handel and Scarlatti — which were popular in concert settings of the era. A major highlight will be the world premiere of Echoes, a new composition by Max Caplan that is based on a fuguing tune by American composer Lewis Edson.

To purchase tickets to Music of the American Revolution: Celebrating 1776, which will be performed at 7 p.m. on April 24 at Bethesda Episcopal Church (26 Washington Street), please visit musiciansofmaalwyck.org.

📌 ICYMI…

Saratoga’s real 💧 water story: The photo, the parent reactions, and the $395 filter worth buying.

Prime reveals new menu & new NAME

Opera Saratoga party pics! PLUS: Saratoga Report turns 6

A Saratogian in ‘Time’ magazine

Gaffney’s update!

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🙌 Support the Dispatch

The Dispatch is FREE to read — and only possible because of our paid subscribers. Tip if you can!

Never corporate, always local.

— Abby

Support the Dispatch!

TGIF.

— Abby

🫶 Love the Dispatch? Help spread the word by forwarding to a friend.

🍝 Join the 50 people who have already signed up for April 8’s exciting launch of the Dispatch Dinner Club. Every 6 signups means another 6-top reservation at a local restaurant. (You find out which res is yours the morning of the event.)

We just filled table 8. Who will fill No. 9?

Saratoga’s real 💧 water story

While the politicians get to work, what’s really happening inside Saratoga homes right now when it comes to our water?

By Kathleen Willcox

It’s certainly been a different kind of water chatter for us here in Saratoga.

The crisis? Water that’s sometimes milky (see above) and can smell like “a faucet on your Clorox bottle!!!!,” according to one poster on Nextdoor.

And for now, any filtration systems have to be purchased at the owner’s expense.

“We are paying the town of Saratoga for acceptable water and not receiving this,” wrote one poster on Nextdoor.

“Yet another expense,” agreed another, in response to expensive filtration ideas.

By now, most of us — but certainly not all, which is yet another concern — have received two letters from the Saratoga Springs Department of Public Works regarding elevated levels of Trihalomethanes (THMs) in the city’s water supply. The first one (in January) alerted us; the second (last week) claimed that the elevated levels were “caused by disturbing the bottom of the lake as a result of the Loughberry Lake dam construction activity just a few hours before that specific sample was taken.”

“Not an emergency,” they assure us.

Are the residents who received this notice appeased? Not by a long shot.

Seeking answers, many a group chat turned to Google. And yikes: Chronic exposure to high levels of THMs have potential health risks from different forms of cancer, plus negative impacts on the liver, kidney and nervous system, according to a 2025 systematic review published in Science of the Total Environment.

“I have a filter on my showerhead, and all our drinking water comes from the springs in the park,” says Saratoga resident Laura Tilton. “But my son loves eating ice, so that worries me. I also found the city handling of it to be very non-transparent and confusing. Only some people got the notice?” (Abby and I can confirm: We didn’t get one.)

“This is NOT a little thing,” agreed a second poster on Nextdoor. “The fact that the bill came earlier than normal so the water contamination flyer would be enclosed is a red flag.”

A concerned mother myself, I began my mission for a budget-friendly filtration system…here’s what I found.

Can’t afford a whole-house filtration? Here’s the $395 version worth buying

If, like me, you don’t have the budget to install a whole-house water filtration system (which often costs thousands), there are options.

I have 13-year-old twins, and the idea of giving them water loaded with THMs filled me with panic — and yet, I didn’t have the financial bandwidth or time to purchase, research and install a vast water filtration program.

After a few hours of light internet research, I discovered the Berkey. For less than $400, it filters out a wide range of contaminants — including THMs, plus heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, VOCs, rust and silt. Beneficial minerals remain.

In and in.

If only it were that easy, however…

When it arrived, I excitedly opened the box only to discover a (to me) daunting multiplicity of essential components. I washed everything, attempted to assemble it, failed, cried, watched a video or 23, and tried again. There were more tears because I’m lame and don’t like assembling things.

After multiple tries, and a little assistance, I got it together — myself mentally, then the Berkey — and after a few weeks of treating it like a weird spaceship that landed on our counter, my kids now faithfully use it for their drinking water, and I use it for my drinking and their cooking water.

We don’t brush our teeth using Berkey water, and we still have besmirched shower water.

Until we get better answers, I’m glad I have my Berkey.

— Kathleen

🏇 HEADS UP

Now that FanDuel TV is phasing out, NYRA is scrambling to fill the gap by expanding its FOX Sports programming and exploring a new RedZone-style digital channel covering races seven days a week, reports BloodHorse.

New York is not yet among the 26 states that have rolled out DraftKings Racing — the integrated horse racing product embedded directly inside the DraftKings Sportsbook app — with Delaware, New Mexico, and Rhode Island being the three most recent additions, according to iGaming Europe.

Saratoga’s own Dylan Davis is scheduled to ride in the Gazelle tomorrow, a little more than a month before his comeback from injury. Then the road to the Kentucky Derby continues with the Wood Memorial Stakes. It all goes down at Aqueduct.

📰 IN BRIEF

Trout season has officially started all across New York State — but conditions vary, and Adirondack Explorer has the details.

Bonacio has plans to build 25 condos on a just-purchased property, reports Albany Business Review.

📌 ICYMI…

Bonus 🐰 foodie Easter edition!

Prime reveals new menu & new NAME

Opera Saratoga party pics! PLUS: Saratoga Report turns 6

A Saratogian in ‘Time’ magazine

Gaffney’s update!

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I must be hungry — you’re getting two foodie features in a row.

Friday’s deep-dive will be quite a departure.

So dig in while you can.

But first, some news.

— Abby

🫶 Love the Dispatch? Help spread the word by forwarding to a friend.

🔥 The group chat is on fire! Join the 43 people who have already signed up for April 8’s exciting launch of the Dispatch Dinner Club. Every 6 signups means another 6-top reservation at a local restaurant. (You find out which res is yours the morning of the event.)

We just booked table 7. Who’s filling table 8?

🍕 One Slice, Everybody Knows the Rules: New Saratoga Slice Fest to Feature “Pizza Stakes”

Pizza slices with the scent of sulphur? Only in Saratoga, reports saratoga.com.**

(Or do they?)

**April Fools’! That’s the spirit, saratoga.com. 👏👏 (If you skipped clicking on the story the first time, here’s where you scroll right back up and read. It’s hilarious.)

⛳ New name, who dis?

@heritage_saratoganational

Heritage at Saratoga National on Instagram: "Allow us to reintr…

When the restaurant at Saratoga National re-opens its doors for the season tomorrow, it’ll be under a brand-new name. Heritage at Saratoga National (Prime is so last year) ushers in an exciting new season — including an expanded bar and lounge area and a dramatic floor-to-ceiling curtain that provides intimacy in the dining room, among other renovations.

Check out the new menu!

🐰🐐🐷 Baby Animal Days

Bring the littles to Indian Ladder on Friday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. for the season’s first Baby Animal Day — think baby bunnies, chicks, ducklings, goslings, lambs, goat kids, piglets and a calf, for starters. At 6 p.m. the adults step in — register now for the adult Easter Egg Hunt.

📰 IN BRIEF

On call

When the Chamber put on a business panel discussion in February, no company was brought up more often than GlobalFoundries. Now the namedrop-of-the-hour is hosting a conference call to go over its first quarter earnings — registration is open now for the May 5 event. (Thanks to Saratoga Report for the tip.)

Change of hands

Not long after all the hoopla around its new menu, 15 Church has sold— and is closed for business. Don’t worry: It reopens April 14, and everybody’s talking about it, including the Albany Business Review and the Times Union.

🎉 Support the Dispatch

The Dispatch is FREE to read — and only possible because of our paid subscribers. Tip if you can!

Never corporate, always local.

— Abby

A taste of the world

By Kathleen Willcox

I’ll start with our tourism board-approved given about Saratoga’s food scene: We have some of the best farm-to-table cuisine in the world.

But then I must say the quiet part out loud:

For a more diverse and authentic world cuisine not filtered through the fussy, spice-fearing lens of the typical American diet? Buckle up, you’re gonna have to go for a drive.

While President/CEO Elizabeth Sobol would be far too polite to say that, she does admit that part of the inspiration for SPAC’s vibrant, tasty Culinary Arts programming is to “bring international culture and cuisine to Saratoga.”

Sobol, who has spent her career nurturing some of the world’s most noted artists (including Joshua Bell) at Universal Music Classics and IMG Artists, spent more than 40 decades in New York City — which is, outside of Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, Central America, et al, the best place on the planet to get Asian, African, European, South and Central American cuisine.

So after relocating to Saratoga, what Sobol, like many New York City expats (including this one), missed most about the gleaming metropolis was … the takeout.

The premise of her resultant CulinaryArts@SPAC initiative — which is currently selling tickets to its April 23 Heartland Masala event — is simple: a special drink and/or wine and snacks during cocktail hour, and then a family-style meal. “After mingling and eating together, the guest speaks and is interviewed for future broadcast on WAMC’s The Roundtable,” Sobol says. “Then, everyone gets coffee and dessert.”

And while SPAC is most celebrated for its world-class live music, it’s the Culinary Arts programming that brings in the highest number of newbies.

“It’s astounding, but the Culinary Arts program has served as an incredible funnel for other programs,” Sobol says. “People come here having never been to anything at SPAC before, and then they end up coming back.”

Next up:

Heartland Masala: Indian Cooking from an American Kitchen

with Jyoti and Auyon Mukharji
April 23, 2026 | 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

The Darlingside, Kansas-born musician Auyon Mukharji collaborated with his mother, the Indian-born Jyoti Mukharjo, on a book that showcases 99 recipes from across India, with a special focus on Punjabi and Bengali cuisine.

“I would never call it an authentic Indian cookbook,” Mukharji says. “We draw inspiration from across India, and share recipes that can be tied to famine and colonization. It’s both lightness and darkness. And it’s not just a cookbook.”

Tickets are $125 and are available at spac.org.

AND

A Kitchen on Goose Cove with Devin Finigan

May 21, 2026| 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Experience the rugged beauty and culinary magic of coastal Maine with chef Devin Finigan, owner of Aragosta—recognized as one of Food & Wine’s best restaurants in both 2024 and 2025. In conversation with WAMC’s Joe Donahue, Finigan will share stories from her debut cookbook A Kitchen on Goose Cove, a love letter to Maine’s pristine seafood, seasonal produce, and the rhythms of life along its storied coastline.

Tickets are $125 and currently sold out. Add your name to the waitlist at spac.org.

📌 ICYMI…

Bonus 🐰 foodie Easter edition!

Season’s first 📸 party pics (Opera Saratoga)! PLUS: Saratoga Report turns 6

When the guy at the top steps in: high alert for real estate in Saratoga County

A Saratogian in ‘Time’ magazine

Gaffney’s update!

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Ideas for this 🐰 weekend, incoming.

— Abby

🫶 Love the Dispatch? Help spread the word by forwarding to a friend.

🍝 Join the 40 people who have already signed up for the April 8 Dinner Club: Every 6 signups means another reservation at a local restaurant. We just booked table 6. Who’s filling table 7?

How to celebrate Easter at home — but have someone else do the cooking

By Kathleen Willcox

Saratoga Springs abounds with Easter and Passover takeout options for families who want to enjoy themselves at home, without requiring any hopping to it in the kitchen.

Put all of your Easter eggs in one basket with these pros:

Augie’s Family Style Italian: Always a hit with all ages, you can order the Sunday special (Penne Vodka To-Go with Salad and Bread for $23.95, or Ziti Marinara To Go with Salad & Garlic Bread for $16.95), which will feed 2-4 people each, or order family-style platters of appetizers, soups & salads, pasta, and house specialities for pickup or delivery.

Bread Basket Bakery & Cakeshop: A variety of sweet treats are available for pickup, from an Easter Egg Cake, to Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes, Hot Cross Buns, Italian Easter Bread and more. (Pre-order by 3 p.m. April 2; pick up Saturday.)

Putnam Market: Order a range of soups (like matzo ball and chicken noodle), sandwiches, prepared food (from Hickory Chicken Salad to Maple Chipotle Meatballs), and Easter desserts — but you have to order by EOD today.

Franklin Square Market: Franklin Square Market is offering multiple packages for pickup on April 4 or 5, from the Glazed Spiral Ham Package (serves 8-10, and includes salad, grilled asparagus, Dauphinoise potatoes, rainbow carrots, Challah rolls, Easter ricotta ham pie, cassata cannoli cake, carrot cake roll, $260) to the Prime Rib Roast Package (serves 8-10, and includes salad, grilled asparagus, rainbow carrots, Challah rolls, Easter ricotta ham pie, cassata cannoli cake, carrot cake roll, $495).

Where to wine and dine on Easter Sunday

By Kathleen Willcox

Great food, no hosting or cooking required!

Hop on over to these foodie magnets on Sunday, April 5:

Chez Pierre Restaurant: From 3 to 8 p.m., Chez Pierre is offering a prix fixe menu with a choice of entree (we’ll take the grilled rack of lamb), dessert (hot fudge sundae please), plus a choice of soup or salad. Reservations recommended.

Thirsty Owl Saratoga: Thirsty Owl is serving up an Easter Brunch buffet menu (seatings are 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.), including baked honey ham, sliced sirloin, French toast, smoked salmon, tortellini Alfredo, and so much more. ($55 per person, $20 12 and under). The Easter Dinner menu includes a range of appetizers (from smoked salmon crostinis to deviled eggs) and entrees priced à la carte. Dinner service starts at 5:30 p.m. (Both menus.)

The Wishing Well: From 12 to 6 p.m., The Wishing Well is offering an à la carte feast of salads and starters like chilled Duxbury oysters, spring lettuces with soft Brie, and entrees like center cut filet mignon and slow roasted half duck in a raspberry glaze. There will also be shareable sides (don’t miss the Gruyere Mac and cheese) and desserts (the chocolate ganache is always a win).

Benelux Brasserie: Benelux’s Easter Sunday specials run from 11 am to 8:30 pm, with multiple a la carte offerings, from lamb bolognese to a spring veggie bowl!

Wanna get away? Keep reading!

Brunch & Bunnies in Schroon Lake

Inside peek: 🌷 High Peaks Resort

💸 FOR SALE

After years of construction, my neighbor with the bright red coat of paint — 79 Henry Street — is on the market. Nestled on the historic site of Nemec’s Feed Store, the eye-catching property dazzles on a block anchored by hotspots The Parting Glass, Kindred and Henry Street Taproom.

The three-story, mixed-use building boasts interior details and materials that pay homage to its history, while also having been kitted out with modern infrastructure. Ready to buy? The property is listed for $4,250,000 by Roohan Realty’s Dan Roohan, Associate Real Estate Broker.

📰 IN BRIEF

Three Vines took to Facebook (above) to say goodbye.

Ballston Spa seeks to override the New York state property-tax cap again, reports Melanie Snyder in the Daily Gazette.

Saratoga’s Zoning Board approved multiple variances for a new single-story building for the nonprofit Saratoga Center for the Family (359 Ballston Avenue), according to Saratoga Civic Pulse.

Dan De Federicis broke a ton of exclusive details on the new Viva Empanada coming into Congress Plaza, published on his Saratoga Report.

📌 ICYMI…

Season’s first 📸 party pics (Opera Saratoga)! PLUS: Saratoga Report turns 6

When the guy at the top steps in: high alert for real estate in Saratoga County

A Saratogian in ‘Time’ magazine

Gaffney’s update!

Same name, different story: what’s going on with the twinning What’s Going on Saratoga Facebook groups?

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Meanwhile, more than 55 million of our fellow Americans live in a news desert, with no access to local news.

Could that happen here?

Not on our watch.

— Abby

☀️ Special Monday morning edition! ☀️

🫶 Love the Dispatch? Help spread the word by forwarding to a friend.

🍝 Join the 34 people who have already signed up for the April 8 Dinner Club: Every 6 signups means another reservation at a local restaurant. We just booked table 5. Who's filling table 6?

🥂 Celebrating 6 years of Saratoga Report

Abby: Congrats on six years! When did you know that this idea you had for a daily, all-Saratoga email was working?

Dan: A year or two into it, I was having coffee with Tom Law, who is one of the owners of the horse publication The Saratoga Special. He grew up here and divides his time between Saratoga and Burlington. I told Tom, “I want to replace the Saratogian,” and he replied, “I think you already did.”

Abby: There’s so much happening here; we can’t afford a decreasing news scene.

Dan: Yes, Saratoga needed a daily or at least something that took the place of a daily. I love Saratoga and I see it as giving back.

Abby: We see it that way, too.

Dan: Sonny Bonacio told me, “It’s the first thing I read every morning.”

Abby: I second that!

Keep reading!

Saratoga Report EXCLUSIVE: Viva Empanadas to Open New Saratoga Springs Location in Congress Plaza

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🥂 HEADS UP

April Fool’s … in poetry

Join Saratoga’s poet laureate, Jay Rogoff, at Whitman Brewing Company on Wednesday for a hilarious poetry reading he’s calling “April Is the Foolest Month” — a twist on T. S. Eliot’s calling April “the cruelest month.” A dozen area poets will read their original works.

April 1, 7 p.m., Downstairs Lounge at Whitman Brewing Company

I know that guy

Someone’s having a party…on HBO’s The Gilded Age. And you could help it look that much more spectacular. Filming for Season 4 resumes in Troy in June, and they’re currently casting for “event guests.” Apply at backstage.com.

📸 IN PICTURES

Julia Roberts in red

It’s supposed to get up to 66 degrees today and I found party pics in my inbox — signs of spring, at last!

Beyoncé, Megan Thee Stallion, Verdi, Puccini — Opera Saratoga pulled out all the stops for its season kick-off Thursday night, an exquisite evening that celebrated opera in pop culture.

“Thank you for making my life-long dream come true,” General and Artistic director Mary Birnbaum told the crowd of about 100. Her completed wish? A riff-off, which featured “Sweet Caroline” … and Handel.

You should’ve been there.

Oh, and Julia Roberts wore a red dress to see La traviata in Pretty Woman. My kind of trivia night.

📰 IN BRIEF

Photos and vid of Saturday’s ‘No Kings’ rally downtown, in the Daily Gazette.

NYRA announces purse increasses for Belmont and the summer meet, reports Spectrum News.

‘How was your table?’

I’m so pumped for the April 8 launch of the Dispatch Dinner Club! And to gossip about it afterwards at the Coat Room…where the once-strangers who just dined at 6-tops all over town will convene for a nightcap. (It’s optional but half the fun!)

“How was your table?” will no doubt be the ice-breaker of the night.

If you haven’t had one of the stunning Coat Room cocktails, you’re in for a treat. I asked the hotspot’s head bartender, Tyler Osterhout, to describe the vibe: “Moody lighting, great cocktails, perfect ambiance.” See you there!

📌 ICYMI…

When the guy at the top steps in: high alert for real estate in Saratoga County

A Saratogian in ‘Time’ magazine

Gaffney’s update!

Same name, different story: what’s going on with the twinning What’s Going on Saratoga Facebook groups?

---

🫙 Support the Dispatch

The Dispatch is FREE to read — and only possible because of our paid subscribers. Tip if you can!

Never corporate, always local.

— Abby

Support the Dispatch!

I’m headed to Coat Room for nightcap research... (Confused? See below.) #IYKYK*

— Abby

🫶 Love the Dispatch? Help spread the word by forwarding to a friend.

🍝 Join the Dinner Club: Say goodbye to awkward mingling. We do all the planning — you just show up (I’ll text you where to go the morning of the event) to meet new friends. *Party ends with a nightcap at…🤫

Ron Garafalo doesn’t usually do this

By: Allison Bradley

New York State Association of Realtors (NYSAR) President Ron Garafalo typically leaves the organization’s monthly housing reports to statistics and trends.

Last week, however, he stepped in himself, his very presence putting people on high alert.

“The latest data makes clear that the shortage isn’t improving fast enough,” he said, “and demands more immediate action.”

(For context, inventory across New York fell in February to 22,366 homes — the lowest level recorded since the association began tracking the metric in 1997.)

He then urged the Legislature and Gov. Kathy Hochul to “accelerate efforts to remove barriers and help facilitate increased housing production across the state.”

What it means for us

In Saratoga County, we’ve got those barriers (mainly zoning rules and the SEQRA law) — plus one more thing the state report doesn’t mention: an infrastructure ceiling. Our water system, for example, is already being expanded at a cost of $33 million just to handle the people who are already here. What would happen if we added 500 homes?

Yup, we’re in an era of sustained constraint.

In Saratoga County:

Many local homeowners are currently “locked in” to low mortgage rates (the 3% vs. 7% dilemma). Because they won’t sell, new inventory never hits the market. This creates a cycle where the “inventory floor” stays low for years, rather than just a few months.

In our “constrained” market, sales are down because there is nothing to buy (supply is low). Even though the volume of sales looks bad in a headline, the value stays high because the few available homes are fought over.

What’s the most confusing “fact” you’ve heard about the market lately? Reply to this email or drop a comment — let’s look at the data together.

For more information visit sothebysrealty.com/fourseasons and contact Allison Bradly via text at 518-339-7313 or email at Allison.bradley@sothebysrealty.com.

🎟️ Hot ticket

Chris Jones & The Nightdrivers

Not sure if you like bluegrass? This polished band made up of amazing players from Saskatchewan, Detroit and Nashville (Steve Martin is a huge fan) is a great way to find out. The show’s tonight at 8 at Caffè Lena.

“They have lyrics that move you like pop music, instrumental craft that will wow anyone, and the warm authenticity that people expect of Caffe Lena artists,” says Caffè Lena’s executive director, Sarah Craig. “Just a real crowd pleaser of a band, and one of our favorite discoveries of the last couple years. Kick back and discover what traditional music sounds like in the 21st century!”

Book your ticket (now!) for tonight’s show at caffelena.org.

😋 Buen provecho

Saratoga is one step closer to its own full-time empanada outpost — meaning, you could soon tuck into the golden turnover treats stuffed with delicious fillings without having to wait for track season (Nuchas) or various farmers’ markets (Ana’s). Viva Empanada just had its wall signage approved at the March 25 Design Review meeting for its future digs at 68 Congress Street (near CVS). Thanks to Saratoga Civic Pulse for the tip.

One more reason to look forward to warmer weather

Pint Sized (35 Phila) will soon offer outdoor dining at what owner August Sosa is calling his new “sidewalk café” — with a goal of adding “some vibrancy” to Phila Street’s ever-growing restaurant row. Bringing over most of the tables (made of approved metal, no plastics or synthetics) from the bar’s former location on Broadway proved easy enough to get past Design Review — who just seemed relieved that the furniture would now be set up on sidewalks instead of the uneven grass outside the old place. The plan, Sosa said, was to have removable stanchions and “all items be brought inside at the end of the night, so there’s no obstruction on the street.”

📰 IN BRIEF

Saratoga Hospital was the only Capital Region hospital to make Newsweek magazine’s “World’s Best“ list. Congrats! — News10

Party pics: Breaking Bubbles for Double H Ranch — Times Union

Desperate Annie’s owner Marc Travis took to social media with an emotional announcement about his healthcare woes regarding needing open heart surgery in May — and has raised more than $50k on GoFundMe. — Facebook

There was some ickiness in the city’s water last year. Here’s why. — News Channel 13

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📌 ICYMI…

A Saratogian in ‘Time’ magazine

Gaffney’s update!

Deep dive into What’s Going on Saratoga’s twinning Facebook groups

Dylan Hinds’ ‘kind of weird’ local celeb turn

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🫙 Support the Dispatch

The Dispatch is FREE! But paid subscriptions and community contributions are what keep us going.

Never corporate, always local.

Thanks for reading,

— Abby

Support the Dispatch!

Today’s social focus: 60+. “I don’t want to leave the house — but I also want more friends.”

“You finally get this chance to do nothing. But then you stop and realize — welp — I’m a bit bored.”

Along those lines, we had planned a profile for you today on Monica Frydman, whom we met when she came to the Dispatch’s very first event in December. Her mission: create a livelier social calendar for her and her peers here in Saratoga.

Since we reported this story, we launched our first-ever Dispatch Dinner Club for April 8 that’s all about meeting new people — and she RSVP-ed.

✨ The universe is in sync.

— Abby

🫶 Love the Dispatch? Help spread the word by forwarding to a friend.

🍝 Join our Dinner Club (launch is April 8!): Say goodbye to awkward mingling. We do all the planning — you just show up (I’ll text you where to go the morning of the event) to meet new friends.

✈️ A Saratogian lands in Time magazine

We hope that Saratogian Lah-Tish Gilmore is home safe and sound — after a nightmare day at the airport with her teenage son and 4-year-old granddaugther.

It was so bad that her story landed her in Time magazine.

First, the homebound fam arrived at the Houston airport at the ungodly hour of 2:30 a.m. for their 6 a.m. trip. “It took the entire family 30 minutes to walk from the departure entrance to the end of the line,” writes the outlet. Then while they were in that monstrous line, Frontier Airlines emailed her to say that their terminal had been changed.

“I just broke down and cried, because I was like, there’s no way we’re making it to the other line over there,” she told the news magazine.

The next available flight wasn’t until 9 p.m. that night — “which,” writes the outlet, “left her family trapped at the airport for the rest of the day after getting past the security gate.”

We wish them a lot of naps and TV marathons at home.

🧘 Anyone else need a yoga class after just reading that?

Exciting things are happening at Saha Yoga in Ballston Spa, under the new ownership of Leanne Applin. Before takin over, the 30-year yogi taught at the ohm-led hotspot for five years and served as the Studio Manager.

Zumba and ecstatic dance are on the horizon, and a fresh paint job and décor have ushered in a breath of fresh air.

For more info (and to check out her new website), visit sahayogabspa.com.

📌 ICYMI…

Gaffney’s update!

Deep dive into What’s Going on Saratoga’s twinning Facebook groups

Dylan Hinds’ ‘kind of weird’ local celeb turn

📰 IN BRIEF

Thousands of “No Kings” demonstrators are expected to line both sides of Broadway from Congress Park to Van Dam Street as part of two dozen rallies in the Capital Region and Hudson Valley, reports the Times Union…

…Teddy Foster and Garland Nelson led the boldfaced names at Monday night’s Eddies awards at UPH, which inducted Dominick Campana, Ernie Williams, Lee Shaw, Jim Furlong, Eddie Angel, Heavenly Echoes, and the owners of the Van Dyck Music Club in Schenectady into its Hall of Fame — check out the photos, also in the TU.

🍸 Happy hour, anyone?

I had a day today…maybe you did, too. Totally rando smattering of mid-week deals:

Familiar Creature’s charcuterie plate and a tiny ‘tini are calling my name.

Bibulous has the ‘tinis, too — plus deals on wine, cocktails and drafts.

A girl’s gotta eat — all-night Ladies Night at Standard Fare includes girl dinner and a tini ‘tini for $30.

Wednesday is also Flex Your Mussels at Morrisey’s — mussels (as the name suggests) and a draft beer or glass of white wine for $25 bucks, until 9:30 p.m.

Can’t commit to just one kind of snack? Kindred’s diverse $5-$10 small plates are on offer until 6 p.m.

🛍️ Looking to score?

Heidi Owen-West is bringing NYC sample sale culture to Saratoga. Shoppers looking for a deal will soon be able to head down the alley between Putnam Market and her store Union Hall, where all sale merch from her three stores (Caroline and Main and Lifestyles complete the trifecta) will be consolidated.

The brand promises (via Instagram comment) “more details soon” — but in the meantime, Around Saratoga Springs says, “This store is going to be a real score for sale shoppers.”

💪 Monica Frydman is making it count

By: Kathleen Willcox

Monica Frydman is used to being busy, having cut her teeth as the first full-time female assignment reporter working the news desk at Pix 11 in New York City, and then raising two children.

Now retired and living in Saratoga, sitting at home is not in the cards.

“I wish there was more to do!” she says. “I have always volunteered, and I still do a lot of volunteer work. But I miss intellectual engagement with likeminded people.”

She’s not alone. Finding projects and social events can be challenging for retirees, who were often very busy with kids and careers until one day they weren’t. It’s worth the effort though: A Yale University study published this month found that nearly half of adults 65+ improved their physical or mental health by maintaining active lifestyles and positive mindsets.

So Frydman has formed what she’s calling the Saratoga Social Club.

“It’s early days, but I’m very excited,” she says. “My first outreach was forming a Mahjong group, with lessons and classes, and the response has been huge. Saratoga Springs is such a nice place, with so much going on. But what it feels like it’s missing is a way for older people who still want to stay engaged and active, to meet each other.”

Want to talk to Monica about her Social Club? She’ll next be at the Dinner Club on April 8.

🫙 Crowdsourcing

Your support is a huge part of helping to keep this local newsy, community-building force going.

Never corporate, always local…

— Abby

Support the Dispatch!

Let’s daydream about summer, shall we?

Gaffney’s, I’m looking at you — if my logo didn’t give it away, we’re neighbors!

Dispatchers, last week kicked off the iconic Caroline Street venue’s slow-drip release of info.

Let’s take a look at what they’ve done with the place.

— Abby

🫶 Love the Dispatch? Help spread the word by forwarding to a friend.

🍝 Join the Dinner Club (launch is April 8!): Say goodbye to awkward mingling and hello to likeminds.

Gaffney’s update!

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Gaffney’s might be serving “blocking you all out” body language, but behind the window blanketing things are popping.

Here’s what we know.

• Gaffney’s is planning to re-open before Belmont. Once hoping for an April Grand Opening, the plan is now tentatively scheduled for May.

Based on the videos released on TikTok and reports from eyewitnesses, the new owners — including Scott Grodsky — have done a complete remodel inside.

“We’re revamping,” said the venue’s marketing person, Stephanie Curtis — who is fresh off a decade living in L.A. (but grew up here) — on TikTok. “New menu, new energy, and some really great people.”

• Her social media share last week reveals stunning new slate grey banquettes with cushions, bright white plank walls, a kitchen with sleek fixtures and a modern industrial look, other areas with rich red patterned wallpaper and tin ceiling tiles, a hot pink “Bar This Way” neon sign, and a red accent wall leading down the hallway (among other finishing touches).

@stephanielynncurtisFrom going out at Gaffney’s… to helping shape its next era. @Gaffneys on Caroline

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Fans have flocked to the Gaffney’s TikTok account — which promised to have fixed the property’s septic issues — to voice their excitement.

• “So happy you guys are bringing Gaffneys back!!!” commented one.

• “It looks so good guys!!!” echoed another. “Can’t wait for summer in Saratoga🤍.”

• “The world’s healing 😭😭🔥🔥🔥,” quipped a third.

• On both social media and in meetings with event producers, the crew at Gaffney’s have promised to bring back live music and “all the bands.”

“They have some really cool events planned and want to bring back classy Saratoga,” says Jason Eveleth, founder of Country Bar Takeover, which is planning some major country events for this summer. “It’s an exciting time.”

🏀 Big win

Bolton High School’s boys basketball team took home the school’s first-ever Class D New York state championship for Bolton Landing. They beat out (crushed?) Sackets Harbor (near Watertown) 66-49. Congrats, guys!

🙅‍♀️ Brush burning ban

Don’t let this weekend’s rain (and snow) trick you into thinking that damp ground means any kind of change to the brush burning ban. It remains in effect until May 14 to prevent wildfires and protect our first responders.

🤝 Saratoga Business Connect

Anyone else feeling like they don’t know enough people in town? I’m going to keep reminding you of events like my Dinner Club (launch is April 8!) and UPH’s Saratoga Business Connect (tomorrow night!) until we’re all friends.

Tomorrow night, from 6 to 9 p.m., Saratoga Business Connect brings all the mingling you could ask for. “It’s a great opportunity for Saratoga County business people to network,” Foster says. “Bring your friends!” Tickets are only $5 bucks and include a drink and raffle ticket for a chance to win 2 tickets to a show. Toss in snacks by Franklin Square Market and two performers, and you’ve got quite the Tuesday night! Buy your ticket online or at the door.

📰 IN BRIEF

Spa State Park has removed 84 trees as part of its $4.4 million Lincoln Baths renovations, reports the Times Union…Stewart’s Shops will have $99 three-day Belmont passes (that’s a hefty 15% discount), and Thoroughbred Daily News has all the details.

🦀 Feeling crabby

Now that’s a showstopper. “From Norway to 15 Church,” the newly revamped restaurant announced on Instagram over the weekend. “Live king crab is available by special request for parties and special occasions with advance notice.”

Apparently, the star crustacean was a bit camera-shy. “This crab is not my friend,” commented photog Victoria Sedefian. In response, the 15 Church account quipped, “He said cut the cameras.”

🍹 National Cocktail Day

Kathleen Willcox

National Cocktail Day is tomorrow, and here in Saratoga Springs, the timing couldn’t be better: Winter is finally showing signs of relenting, and spring is popping in with hope and sunny vibes.

But which one to choose?

Abby Will Be Drinking: Nothing against your mom or Sex and the City-era Cosmos, but Market Bar & Restaurant’s Not Your Mom’s Cosmo turns this ‘90s classic into something everyone will want to sip. The blend of vodka, pomegranate, vanilla, lime and rosemary offer an upgrade in complexity and flavor on the beloved pink girly-girl classic, and a turn from basic flavor fun to destination-worth mixology.

Market Bar & Restaurant (55 Railroad Place) is tucked inside the chic Franklin Square Market, one block from Broadway.

Kathleen Will Be Drinking: Sunspill embodies the delight of sunnier days ahead, with a side of day-dreams about beach vacations, and a much-welcome health halo. Served up with great ceremony at Hamlet & Ghost, this bad boy features pineapple rum, lemon, carrot juice, passion fruit and pineapple. The infusion of fruits and veggies with the booze makes me feel like I’m making balanced life choices: fun, with fiber.

Hamlet & Ghost is at 24 Caroline Street.

📌 ICYMI…

Same name, different story: a deep dive into What’s Going on Saratoga’s twinning Facebook groups

🍝 Launch: Dispatch Dinner Club!

Dylan Hinds’ ‘kind of weird’ local celeb turn

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🫙 Tip jar

Online companies have overhead! And a girl’s gotta eat. Support of any amount from the community is greatly appreciated.

Never corporate, always local.

Thanks for reading,

— Abby

Support the Dispatch!

🏀 Great effort last night, Siena! Becoming the first 16-seed to hold a double-digit lead over a top-seed at halftime is a nice reward. #BraggingRights

Bring on March Madness…

Where’s everyone watching? If I beat this birthday cold, I’ll see you out there.

— Abby

🫶 Love the Dispatch? Help spread the word by forwarding to a friend.

🍝 Join the Dinner Club: Say goodbye to awkward mingling and hello to likeminds.

How she hijacked our FB group—for the sake of good

“My name is Logan Spring, and I’m the administrator of this group…”

You probably saw Spring’s coming out post before I did — no less than 44,000 (!) of you at least caught a glimpse. The message, which included a stunning selfie of the curly-haired thirtysomething with rosy cheeks, was posted in the What’s Going on Saratoga? (the question mark is important) Facebook group last month.

She had, actually, done a similar post more than a year prior — before her group swelled to more than 52,000 members — but had been lurking in “the shadows” since, after the original recipe, What’s Going on Saratoga (no question mark), caught wind.

Confused? That’s why I’m here.

In 2016, Adam Israel founded What’s Going on Saratoga, a group that slowly gained traction before skyrocketing to fame (50k+ members) during the pandemic on a sea of Owen Wilson sightings and Chick-fil-a conspiracy theories jokes — before being taken down by the Facebook overlords (the reason is still a mystery).

Enter Spring, who had found the group a little too salty for her taste (comments on a post from earlier this week include “you all sound ridiculous,” “bunch of a holes in this group” and “shut up”) — but saw it as an invaluable resource. “I wasn’t spending any time in the group, but I would still use the search feature to find out what people have said about whatever I was in need of,” she says. “Then to see it disappear, I was so upset.”

So she started her own — same name, added punctuation.

What’s Going on Saratoga? (question mark) was launched on March 3, 2024.

But then Israel relaunched his What’s Going on Saratoga (no question mark) on — wait for it — March 4, 2024.

Be honest — how many of you just picked up your iPhone to see which group you’re in? My guess is both — Spring’s group has more than 52k members, Israel’s 50k+.

Spring says that her goal was to create a nicer, safer “What’s Going On.” And it seems to be working: A post from two days ago reads, “Hot take: Saratoga Springs is actually… amazing,” and comments on her coming out post mentioned at the jump include “Just woman to woman, you’re lovely and I wanted to take a moment to tell you!” and “This is a good group of people and I want to thank you for keeping it that way.”

The secret sauce, Spring says, is that she worked and reworked her page’s guidelines. “It’s not that hard to change group culture,” she says. “People tell me when there’s a jerk in town, and I block and ban that person because it’s only 5% of the people causing all the chaos. I have a zero-tolerance rule.”

There have been rumblings about Spring’s “censorship” — but she doesn’t care

“My group is not a democracy,” she says. “There are rules and you follow them. I’m protecting the culture of the group in order to make it a place where people want to be.

“I don’t care what team you play on. But if you call somebody stupid, I care.”

As you can imagine, there’s no love lost between the two group administrators. Spring called Israel “mean” and Israel, when reached for comment, said, “It was immoral and dishonest for her to take the exact name and run with it.” One of his group admins, Kristine Brennan, also said that the echoed name adds extra work for their group of volunteers.

Spring’s big plans for her group will help: Now that she’s come out to her fanbase, some more distinctive branding is in the works. And remember when she missed being able to search the groups for businesses she needed? She’s about to create a Saratoga city guide — her way.

“I want to help businesses, so by this time next year we’re going to have a sick directory so that people can look up accommodations, markets, attractions,” she says. “Unlike a commercial or a print magazine that will get thrown away in 30 to 60 days, what we’re doing is evergreen. The internet is searchable for life.”

🎟️ HEADS UP

Eddies Hall of Fame

If you’ve never gone to see the Eddies Hall of Fame ceremony live, don’t let March 23 pass you by. Past inductees will come to toast the new honorees — Ernie Williams, Heavenly Echoes, Jim Furlong, Dominick Campana, Eddie Angel and Lee Shaw — during the Capital Region’s answer to Awards Season. “It’s one of my favorite nights of the year,” says Teddy Foster, director of UPH, where the awards are held. “These people are family, and they all come together this one night only. It’s really very special.” Grab your ticket at atuph.org.

Saratoga Business Connect

Looking to network? UPH has your back. Next Tuesday, from 6 to 9 p.m., Saratoga Business Connect event will invite all the mingling you could ask for. “It’s a great opportunity for Saratoga County business people to network,” Foster says. “Bring your friends!” Tickets are only $5 bucks and include a drink and raffle ticket for a chance to win 2 tickets to a show. Toss in snacks by Franklin Square Market and two performers, and you’ve got quite the Tuesday night! Buy your ticket online or at the door.

📌 ICYMI…

9 things to do 💃 (it’s not too late for most of ‘em!), St. Paddy’s City Council

Dylan Hinds’ ‘kind of weird’ local celeb turn

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🫙 Tip jar (hey, it’s my birthday!)

It’s my birthday, and I’m home sick with what’s technically a spring cold (even though there’s still snow on the ground). Buy me a pay-per-view movie if you’re so inclined.

Never corporate, always local.

— Abby

Support the Dispatch!

How it works:

• Take a quick quiz about your food preferences, interests, etc.

• Get matched with 5 other Dispatchers. (Yes, you can buddy system with a Plus 1.)

• Receive your invite the morning of the dinner and discover which Saratoga restaurant you’ll be eating at/supporting with a slow night reservation (made by me; you do nothing).

• Dinner time: 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 8. Giggle about the experience and have a nightcap (I’ll be there!) at Coat Room after.

Join now

🫶 Love the Dispatch? Help spread the word by forwarding to a friend.

👉 “Column Like I See ‘Em” is BACK! Saratoga Report’s Dan De Federicis’ “thoughts, opinions and a joke or two” column has made its triumphant return — and in a piece-y style I aspire to. Hyper-local and opinionated, he good-naturedly riffs on local grocery store bathrooms, the most annoying street in Saratoga and more. Column Like I See ‘Em

🍝 Pasta & Puccini’s sign-up (event is next Thursday, March 26) cuts off tomorrow. Your ticket helps the Capital Region’s only professional opera company, Opera Saratoga — and includes dinner, pop culture/opera trivia (no previous opera knowledge necessary), and live performances. It’s a really fun night to ease back into socializing season. Just come. (I’ll be there!) operasaratoga.org

Keep reading!

What do the Olympics, ‘Pretty Woman’ and Saratoga have in common?

🎟️ ‘Lean in’ to the serene work of Andrea Von Kampen at Caffè Lena

Andrea von Kampen’s lyrical guitar work has been compared to “cult hero” Nick Drake’s. Now her trio is headed to Caffè Lena Saturday night (marking her Saratoga debut) as part of the iconic venue’s Bright Series.

“Caffè Lena is known far and wide as a place to discover new voices that are making waves in the national music scene,” says its executive director, Sarah Craig. “This month’s feature is singer-songwriter Andrea Von Kampen, whose lean-in, serene work reflects a spiritual faith tied to the earth.

“So many of us live in this area because of the mountains, the water and the fresh air. These songs will make you feel like you reached the top of the trail and you’re looking out at a breathtaking vista.

“And don’t we all just need some of that right now?”

To grab your ticket, visit caffelena.org.

👏 Content for the ‘gram and mandatory screen-less fun? Caffè Lena’s cell phone policy deserves a big ‘bravo’

Have you ever attended a concert, just to have your view blocked by someone holding up their cell phone to record a 10-minute TikTok Live video? That won’t happen at Caffè Lena, where you’re welcome to film for the first two songs only.

“For a small venue like ours, word of mouth is our main marketing tool,” Craig explains. “That goes for our independent musicians, as well.” But then, kindly put away your phone. The “No Blue Glow--put away your phone after the first 2 songs” has been in effect for over 15 years.

“The worst distraction is when someone watches the show through their screen instead of fully experiencing it in the moment,” she says. “That’s kind of heartbreaking, because they’re missing the point of live music.”

Of course, sometimes 2026 calls. “When it’s the performer’s phone that rings,” Craig says, “that becomes a big laugh for the whole room!”

☘️ St. Patrick’s Day City Council meeting: ‘no camping’ and affordability discussions

• Lori Dawson, president of the League of Women Voters of Saratoga County, kicked off the public comment period with a continuation of last meeting’s hot topic regarding the amount of supervisors at the county level. She asked that the city retain “two or more supervisors” and said that we are underrepresented in county committees.

• A significant portion — including five consecutive speakers in a coordinated presentation — of the hour-long period focused on speaking out against the city’s “no camping” ordinance passed in July 2025.

• Residents — including a high school student — also discussed affordability concerns that are changing the city’s character.

• Another high school student took the floor to discuss a dangerous left turn on his way to school. (Love these civic-minded teenagers!)

• The Council approved the creation of a new DPW Field Manager position…

• …and the multi-use, mile-long Crescent Avenue Connector trail between Route 9 and Nelson Avenue.

For a deeper dive, visit Saratoga Civic Pulse for an AI-powered summary, or watch the free video of the meeting.

Joan Lunden is coming to town

@panzasrestaurant

Panza's Restaurant on Instagram: "Join us for an exclusive lunc…

Panza’s is throwing a luncheon to remember — salad, entrée and dessert with Joan Lunden, who will talk about her memoir, Life Beyond the Script. The Good Morning America icon comes to town April 29; to break bread with the famous journalist, call 518-584-6882 to book your $75 ticket before they sell out.

A night to rave about

Dance your way into spring at Bloomin’ — Saturday night’s rave at UPH. “It’s celebrating the spring equinox,” UPH’s director, Teddy Foster, says. “This is our third or fourth rave here, and we love them. The people are great, and everybody has a good time.” You have to be 18 or older to go, and 21 to drink. Electronic music courtesy of Signes, Jungle Punk b2b DJ Wave, and Stone Van Brooken. Visit atuph.org for tickets.

Feeding the hungry

Comfort Food Community’s Farm 2 Library program — which provides no barrier access to free, nutritious food for anyone in need — has expanded to three Saratoga County libraries including Saratoga Springs. Refrigerators and shelves have been stuffed with veggies, fruits, yoghurt, proteins and grains. Food is available during library hours.

📰 IN BRIEF

The previous site occupied by Chow Bella dog care on West Avenue has sold and will become a VP Supply kitchen, bath and lighting showroom, reports the Albany Business Review. Mike Brandi has stepped down from his post as Saratoga Springs GOP Chairman after four years, writes Melanie Snyder in the Daily Gazette. The city’s attorney, appointed by the mayor, quit after just two months, says the Times Union.

🧸 KIDS CORNER

They Built America

11 a.m. March 21, UPH

Heart and history rolled into one! Follow fearless Kelly McPhearson on her quest to find her brother (her only fam in the USA), who’s working on the Erie Canal. Along the way, your little ones will learn the history of the real people — a major melting pot — who built it. “The live music is fantastic, and it’s curriculum approved,” says UPH director Teddy Foster. “It’s a cool story, because it’s hard to overstate how much the Erie Canal shaped our country.” Grab your tickets (approx. $10-$12) at uph.org.

Opera Saratoga presents: Stone Soup

11 a.m. March 21, Albany Institute of History & Art

More than 500 kids (!) are expected to show up to tomorrow’s show in Troy; opt instead for Saturday in Albany, your last chance for your littles to see what all the fuss is about. Stone Soup imparts a timeless message: we all have something to contribute, and sharing makes things better for everyone. Fun and interactive — and performed by professional singers — the show has been described as an “absolute joy.” As one of Saratoga’s nicest humans, Adam Hostetter, told me, “If seeing little kids yelling ‘bravo’ doesn’t warm your heart…” For more info, visit operasaratoga.org.

💃 FIELD TRIP

Full circle ballet

Ballet Hispánico performs at (the newly-renovated) The Egg Friday night, featuring Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s CARMEN.maquia, a reimagining of the great opera. “The figure of Carmen — rebellious, enigmatic, and impossible to contain — has long fascinated composers and choreographers,” writes Michael Hallisey in Ish. The moment is full circle: The renowned company “helped inaugurate The Egg during its opening weekend in 1978,” he reports. Visit theegg.org for tickets.

How sweet it is

Support local with Taste of NY’s “From Sap to Syrup” maple celebration Friday (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) at the Adirondacks Welcome Center (between exits 17 and 18). Pick up a maple bingo card, sample treats such as — yup — syrup and maple hot cocoa, and shop. A gift basket of local must-haves, including pancake mix and syrup from Saratoga Maple, will be available for sale.

📌 ICYMI…

The biggest 👀 invite in Saratoga (city-wide dinner party alert!)

Dylan Hinds’ ‘kind of weird’ local celeb turn

‘Housing’ is more than a headline in Saratoga

🫙 TIP JAR

Anyone can compile a list of things to do, but is that enough to make us feel connected? Join us at a city-wide dinner party on April 8 — meet your neighbors and help support one of our treasured local restaurants on they’re slowest night.

Your Dispatch is independently owned and operated, from right here on Caroline Street.

Never corporate. Always local: Throw us an online tip to help keep us going!

— Abby

Support the Dispatch!

🍝 A great dinner party isn’t just about the incredible food — it’s about the people sitting at the table.

So let’s all go have dinner — same time, different places! And with our neighbors.

💃 April 8 is the official launch of the city-wide Dispatch Dinner Club, a local dining experience about connection. You’ll be matched with a table of people based on your vibe — and fill tables of 6 (community style!) at restaurants all across town.

• That’s right — every sixth ticket purchased, I book a table at one of our favorite restaurants. So don’t wait, book today!!

• Ticket reserves your spot; dinner is separate.

• Find out where you’re dining the day of the event. Meet your dining companions upon arrival.

• You can book with a friend/partner; simply click the +1 on the invite.

• After dinner, everybody heads to the Coat Room to giggle and have a nightcap about our shared experience at an exclusive after-party. (Optional but encouraged/half the fun.)

🤝 Meet new people, support our favorite restaurants — and have fun!

My friends in cities such as the Catskills, San Diego, Lancaster, Boise, Wichita, Orlando — Waterloo, Canada — have rallied the troops and brought 75 diners or more to the table.

Saratogians and lovers of Saratoga restaurants…

💪 Can we do it?

COUNT ME IN!

📧 As always, respond to this email to reach me with any questions. Hope to meet you April 8!

🙏 Much thanks to the event’s sponsor, Allison Bradley of Four Seasons by Sotheby’s — and the Coat Room for hosting the after-party!

🫶 Love the Dispatch? Help spread the word by forwarding to a friend.

📰 IN BRIEF

Middle school gets new principal after drama

Longtime Maple Avenue Middle School principal Scott Singer’s arrest was the talk of a parental group chat or two last fall. Now the school is on the cusp of its fresh start: Michael Lopez, who previously served as an assistant principal at Watervliet Jr.-Sr. High School, will step into the role of new principal April 13, reports News10.

📣 HEADS UP

🎻 Josh Groban leads Philly Orchestra lineup

Fresh off his appearance at last night’s Oscars, Josh Groban leads the Philadelphia Orchestra lineup (SPAC residency Aug. 5-22). Other standouts include the great Brian Stokes Mitchell, indie-folk star Gregory Alan Isakov, and Harry Potter and Star Wars family movie nights. The classical programs are an embarrassment of riches this 60th SPAC season; visit spac.org to browse.

Tickets will be available beginning today at 10 a.m. for members (tiered by level) and on March 25 at 10 a.m. for the general public; visit spac.org.

🍷 Who remembers E. O’Dwyer’s? Keuka Spring’s first live music event just announced

@autumnpourswine

Autumn Manning 🍷 KEUKA SPRING on Instagram: "🎶 Live Music at …

Keuka Spring Vinyards announced today that its first live music event will be this Saturday — and will be an ode to the legendary E. O’Dwyer’s, which stood in the very spot that the new tasting room occupies today. For the uninitiated, the three-story bar and music hall was the go-to watering hole from 1990 to 2005. “Locals still talk about it to this day, so we love that we were able to make it a bar again,” says Keuka Spring’s Autumn Manning. E. O’Dwyers’s “family members” Maggie Doherty and Rick Bolton will play Saturday 8 to 10 p.m.

Keuka Springs also now has happy hour! Visit Mon.-Thurs. 3-6 p.m. for $10 glasses.

🥶 Ready for the cold plunge?

Grand opening alert. HEAL, Infrared Sauna + Cold Plunge (433 Broadway) is officially open for business. The facility offers private treatment rooms equipped with premium Sunlighten infrared saunas and Plunge cold immersion tubs, to support recovery, stress relief and long-term health. For more info, visit its Facebook page.

🍎 Board of Education news now readily available

Saratoga Civic Pulse has added Board of Education meetings to its coverage lineup. To get a taste for the AI-powered summaries, founder Lawrence Toole has uploaded the Feb. 26 and March 12 reports.

🍀 St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow!

Scoop up a lucky 99¢ single scoop ice cream cone at Stewart’s Shops | Or head to The Farmer’s Daughters, which opens for the season at 11 a.m. | Corned beef and cabbage is available (all week) at The Parting Glass; doors open tomorrow at 11 a.m. (go early; reservations aren’t allowed) and the music starts at 1 p.m. (Full lineup) | Across the street, Henry Street Taproom — where Guinness is always available — is opening an hour early and serving $1 oysters all night.

🎟️ Thursday’s my birthday…and a very popular day for events.

Christopher Gonzales book event

6 p.m., Northshire Bookstore

Christopher Gonzales will read from his new memoir, Return of the Lost Son: Memories of a Wayward Father, and discuss it with Saratoga Springs poet laureate Jay Rogoff. A book signing will follow.

Saratoga Springs History Museum Presents “A Song of Yaddo: Music of Katrina Trask”

7 p.m., Canfield Casino

This hour-long show features soprano Eileen Egan Mack and pianist Michael Clement, who will present a program highlighting Yaddo co-founder Katrina Trask’s musical work as a composer and lyricist. Interwoven throughout the performance will be biographical reflections on the visionary’s oft-tragic life and impressive artistic circle. Tickets are $10 (free for museum members).

Jokers of Magic

7:30 p.m., UPH

These guys are the real deal. (I lived in Vegas for too long not to get that out there; these are some very familiar faces.) Eek! Led by Upstate’s own Mike Mills (a known and raved-about performer in the area), these headliners have been on all the shows (America’s Got Talent and Penn & Teller, Fool Us...for starters). “It’s an amazing show,” confirms UPH’s Teddy Foster, who warns that you have to be 18 to attend. “It’s an 18-plus kind of show — really, really fun.”

For tickets, visit uph.org.

📌 ICYMI…

Dylan Hinds’ ‘kind of weird’ local celeb turn

In Saratoga, ‘housing’ is more than a headline

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Toga kid at center of 10-year HBO rabbit hole

What do the Olympics, ‘Pretty Woman’ and Saratoga have in common?

Escapism, activated: Easter at Schroon Lake

Inside peek: 🌷 High Peaks Resort

---

📣 Have a business to advertise or event to promote? Find our media kit here.

Planning a big event and compiling all this juicy news didn’t happen by itself.

And it’s my absolute honor.

But if you’re feeling generous this week, what with St. Patrick’s Day and my birthday and the first day of spring…even the smallest contribution can help keep us running.

Your Dispatch is independently owned and operated, from right here on Caroline Street. Never corporate. Always local.

— Abby

Support the Dispatch!

🎉 I’ve got a big announcement coming your way on Monday.

I’m so excited — but not “quite” ready to share just yet…

So for today, here’s a special mish-mash/weekend vibes/everything everywhere all at once Saturday Dish Saratoga. (Stay tuned for more on that too…)

To start, there’s just something about that popular bartender Dylan Hinds of Henry Street Taproom — wait until you read his story.

So much good stuff!

So let’s get to it.

— Abby

🫶 Love the Dispatch? Help spread the word by forwarding to a friend.

🍀 What are everyone’s plans for today? For the history of Saratoga’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and a list of this weekend’s events, take a peek at Michael Hallisey’s Guide to 🍀 St. Paddy’s in Saratoga.

Dish Saratoga

Dylan Hinds’ ‘kind of weird’ local celeb turn

Kathleen Willcox

He’s warm and chatty when there’s time, and stays perfectly collected during the rushes — at Henry Street Taproom, there are plenty of those.

If you’ve ever stepped foot in the popular bar with the most underrated food menu in town (I said what I said), you know I’m talking about Dylan Hinds, who holds court at the bar.

And while handling a crowd of squirrely patrons jonesing for a hazy IPA would ruffle a lot of us (raises hand), Hinds takes it all in stride. Maybe that’s because his authentic charisma that guests are drawn to is the kind that was earned.

Yup, he’s been through it.

Imagine your best year ever — and then your worst. Now imagine those happening at the same time.

Hinds got together with his now-wife, Sarah Lopez-Hinds, in 2018. That same year, his mother’s beloved Emerald Restaurant in Ticonderoga burned down. A few months later, the Lopez Saratoga Springs family home was destroyed in an electrical fire.

“It was an intense year,” Hinds says, with the kind of characteristic understatement that has made him a bastion of generous, calm hospitality.

While Sonja ad Ryan McFadden own and run the show, Hinds stars in it. Chances are, you’ve seen him (reluctantly, “It’s kind of weird”) pop on their social media feeds.

“My first job was at my mom’s restaurant as a dishwasher when I was 15,” he says. “Working in hospitality is just fun. You become friends with the people who come in all the time, because they’re good people and you want to hang out with them.”

And when he doesn’t recognize a face at the bar, it’s usually because they’re on a first date.

“Henry Street is casual and un-intimidating, but we’re known for our great beer and food, so it’s kind of the perfect spot for a first date,” he says. “They’re really easy to spot. Generally, people come to the bar and they want to chat. These people do not want to chat with me.”

Local lore has it, Henry Street has been the site of many a love story, including for a time, his own.

“Yep, it does seem to be a place where a lot of people fall in love,” Hinds says. “Sarah and I worked together here for a year. And we actually had Ryan officiate our wedding. He had to get ordained.”

Wait … did they get married at the bar?

“No, on top of Gore Mountain,” Hinds says. “Ryan is a great talker, so it just made sense to have him officiate our wedding.”

You know you’ve got a sweet gig when you not only want to invite the boss to your wedding, you ask him to essentially bless it.

Visit Hinds—and the rest of the Henry Street Taproom crew—at 86 Henry Street. And if you get thirsty for beer’s more buttoned up brother, head next door to Kindred, where the same ownership team runs a wine bar that is as delightful and creatively curated as Henry Street—but with vino.

HEADS UP

Yellow Ribbon drive begins today

Grocery shopping this weekend? Consider bringing some snacks with you — not for you, silly. Saratoga County’s ninth annual Yellow Ribbon Day Donation Drive — aimed at filling “Freedom Boxes” for local troops serving overseas — begins today. Donations of individual-sized snacks and personal care items will benefit Blue Star Mothers of America NY-2, who assemble and ship the packages. Look for collection boxes at municipal offices throughout Saratoga County, and Hannaford stores county wide. The drive runs through April 6 and coincides with New York State’s Yellow Ribbon Day on April 9, a day dedicated to honoring active-duty military members and their families.

“Newcomer” $25 opera tickets available (now)

For only $25 bucks, newcomers to the opera can buy a ticket to Opera Saratoga’s summer shows (including the musical My Fair Lady) — but you have to plan ahead. Available now but not for long (there are only a set amount per show, so when they’re gone they’re gone), the tickets also cover The Elixir of Love and Happy End: “Soaring voices, big emotion, and live music that hits you right in the chest.” Use discount code NEWCOMER. I’ll see you there.

📰 IN BRIEF

Brookmere change of management

That was fast. The stunning Hotel Brookmere (where Longfellows used to be) already has new management, reports the Albany Business Review. Out: Hay Creek Hotels. In: Delmonte Hotel Group, which manages downtown’s Hampton Inn & Suites, a personal fave. (Their friendly newish bar is my go-to when I want to duck out of the scene for a minute.) Brookmere is co-owned by Sonny Bonacio.

What’s happening on Monday?

Holy cannoli. After being snowed out in January, Greg Veitch will take the floor Monday for a deep-dive into Saratoga’s gangsta past. “[Veitch] didn’t set out to become Saratoga Springs’ foremost chronicler of mob history,” reads the invite on Civic Conversations. “He was a police chief doing what police chiefs do—reviewing old files in the basement archives of the Saratoga Springs Police Department—when a thin folder stopped him cold.” The label? “Parillo Murder, 1936.” Veitch’s book is titled A Gangster’s Paradise, and the talk begins at 7 p.m. at the Saratoga Springs Holiday Inn.

What’s happening on Tuesday?

Farmer’s Daughters

Don’t let the new snowfall deter you — Saratoga’s own ice cream must-have Farmer’s Daughters is opening for the season on Tuesday.

Henry Street Taproom

While the Henry Street hotspot serves legions of Jack’s Abby Lager stans, Guinness is always available — making it the perfect stop for hardcore fanatics on St. Patrick’s Day. For the Irish festivities, bartender Dylan Hinds (see above) says they’ll open an hour early and serve $1 oysters all night: “Should be a good party.”

The Parting Glass

Gotta raise your Guinness at least once at The Parting Glass, which has been partying all month — and will continue doing so through the 28th. Plus, they’re serving corned beef and cabbage all week long. On Tuesday, the party starts at 11 a.m. (go early to grab your seat; no reservations allowed), with live music kicking off at 1 p.m. with Kevin McKrell. Later, they’ve got Irish Step Dancers at 4, Maggie’s Clan at 5, and 1916 at 8 — plus Irish Piper Dooley throughout the day.

Support the Dispatch!

Your Dispatch is independently owned and locally operated, from right here on Caroline Street — and no one’s saying that supporting it won’t earn you the luck of the Irish.

Please contribute what you can so we can keep this movement going! Any and all help is SO appreciated.

— Abby

Support the Dispatch!

He’s warm and chatty when there’s time, and stays perfectly collected during the rushes — at Henry Street Taproom, there are plenty of those.

If you’ve ever stepped foot in the popular bar with the most underrated food menu in town (I said what I said), you know I’m talking about Dylan Hinds, who holds court at the bar.

And while handling a crowd of squirrely patrons jonesing for a hazy IPA would ruffle a lot of us (raises hand), Hinds takes it all in stride. Maybe that’s because his authentic charisma that guests are drawn to is the kind that was earned.

Yup, he’s been through it.

Imagine your best year ever — and then your worst. Now imagine those happening at the same time.

Hinds got together with his now-wife, Sarah Lopez-Hinds, in 2018. That same year, his mother’s beloved Emerald Restaurant in Ticonderoga burned down. A few months later, the Lopez Saratoga Springs family home was destroyed in an electrical fire.

“It was an intense year,” Hinds says, with the kind of characteristic understatement that has made him a bastion of generous, calm hospitality.

While Sonja ad Ryan McFadden own and run the show, Hinds stars in it. Chances are, you’ve seen him (reluctantly, “It’s kind of weird”) pop on their social media feeds.

“My first job was at my mom’s restaurant as a dishwasher when I was 15,” he says. “Working in hospitality is just fun. You become friends with the people who come in all the time, because they’re good people and you want to hang out with them.”

And when he doesn’t recognize a face at the bar, it’s usually because they’re on a first date.

“Henry Street is casual and un-intimidating, but we’re known for our great beer and food, so it’s kind of the perfect spot for a first date,” he says. “They’re really easy to spot. Generally, people come to the bar and they want to chat. These people do not want to chat with me.”

Local lore has it, Henry Street has been the site of many a love story, including for a time, his own.

“Yep, it does seem to be a place where a lot of people fall in love,” Hinds says. “Sarah and I worked together here for a year. And we actually had Ryan officiate our wedding. He had to get ordained.”

Wait … did they get married at the bar?

“No, on top of Gore Mountain,” Hinds says. “Ryan is a great talker, so it just made sense to have him officiate our wedding.”

You know you’ve got a sweet gig when you not only want to invite the boss to your wedding, you ask him to essentially bless it.

Visit Hinds—and the rest of the Henry Street Taproom crew—at 86 Henry Street. And if you get thirsty for beer’s more buttoned up brother, head next door to Kindred, where the same ownership team runs a wine bar that is as delightful and creatively curated as Henry Street—but with vino.

But we’re Upstate New Yorkers. 🍀 We celebrate anyway.

See you out there,

Abby

P.S. Tomorrow’s Friday the 13th and no one’s talking about it. 🍀 Bring on the luck of the Irish!

Local News

Saratoga’s Irish roots: from ‘Dublin’ to a church born in the 1830s

Before the parades and pints, how Saratoga’s Irish laborers shaped our St. Patrick’s Day.

By Michael Hallisey

Before you raise a pint to Dublin this weekend, let’s take a moment to recall the time when Saratoga Springs’ West Side home was nicknamed exactly that.

For a stretch of the city’s nineteenth-century history, the neighborhood west of Broadway was dubbed “Dublin,” a reflection of the Irish immigrant families who settled in the West Side Historic District as laborers during the Spa City’s transformation into one of America’s great resort destinations.

As captured by the Saratoga Arts District, the West Side — particularly around Beekman Street — developed into a working-class neighborhood where immigrant families lived close to the industries that employed them, from the hotels that catered to summer visitors to the railroads that carried them north.

The Catholic Church became the center of that community life. St. Peter’s Parish, established in the 1830s, served Saratoga’s earliest Catholic immigrants, many of them Irish. As the congregation grew, the Albany Diocese eventually created St. Clement’s Parish in 1917 (80 years later).

@oldvintagenewyork

Old Vintage New York on Instagram: "[SPECIAL IN COLOR 4] When S…

By the late nineteenth century, Irish immigrants formed one of the largest ethnic groups in the Capital Region.

By then, St. Patrick’s Day had already begun to evolve from a religious observance into a public expression of Irish identity in American cities — marked by Mass in the morning and celebrations later in the day.

👉 Michael Hallisey is the founder/editor of Ish Bulletin; subscribe today to stay up-to-date on all things 518.

What To Do

Special 🍀 St. Patrick’s Guide

St. Patrick’s Weekend around the Spa City

By Michael Hallisey

@partingglasssaratoga

Parting Glass Pub on Instagram: "Saint Patrick’s Day Loading….
…

Ode to Parting Glass

St. Patrick’s Day isn’t Parting Glass’s Super Bowl; the Big Game is only one day, and they’ve been celebrating all month.

• March 13: Steve Gray Duo, 8 p.m.

• March 14: The Ruffians, 8 p.m.

• March 15: The Prodigals, 6 p.m.

For a full schedule, click on the above video.

Starting today

Pot of Gold Weekend — Adirondack Winery (2 locations) | Today through Mar. 15

Adirondack Winery is celebrating its Pot of Gold Weekend at both of its (Lake George and Queensbury) tasting rooms. Today through Sunday, from12 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., wine tasters can play Guess the Corks for a chance to win special prizes — and taste a free sample of the “The Leprechaun,” a sparkly, green apple wine cocktail.

saratoga.com

‘Finnegan’s Farewell’ — UPH | Today through Mar. 14

Feast on Irish soda bread and Shepherd’s pie during UPH’s pre-St. Patrick’s Day musical comedy.

Keep reading!

Belly laughs at an Irish wake

Friday

Live Music: Jeff Brisbin — Henry’s Irish Tavern (Ballston Spa) | Mar. 13

A long-running weekly solo set by a Saratoga-area songwriter who has held the room for more than a decade. Casual bar setting with a steady local following.

barpeople.com

Saturday

Wild Irish Acres Dancers — Saratoga Springs Public Library | Mar. 14

Celebrate Saint Paddy’s with performances of jigs, reels and hornpipes to infectious ‘Trad’ music, 11 a.m. Saturday. No registration required, but seating is limited to 90 attendees, in accordance with room capacity.

sspl.libcal.com

@sch_railway

Saratoga Corinth & Hudson Railway on Instagram: "🍀🎨 KIDS COLO…

The Leprechaun Limited — Saratoga Corinth & Hudson Railway (Corinth) | Mar. 14 & Mar. 21

A themed excursion train ride through the southern Adirondacks built around St. Patrick’s season. Family-scale tourism programming combining scenery, live music, and light theatrical elements.

corinthtrain.com

Saratoga LepreCON Pub Crawl — Participating Bars (Saratoga Springs) | Mar. 14

A St. Patrick’s weekend pub crawl spanning multiple downtown bars with live music and raffles built into the route. Social-scale turnout with a charitable tie to Blood Cancer United.

eventbrite.com

Barrel Fest — Adirondack Pub & Brewery (Lake George) | Mar. 14

An outdoor winter beer festival centered on rare barrel-aged ales from regional breweries. Cold-weather gathering with live music, bonfires, and tasting-glass culture drawing craft-beer enthusiasts from across the Northeast.

barrelfestlg.com

St. Patrick’s Day Specials — The Docksider (Lake George) | Mar. 14 and 15

Feast on corned beef and cabbage, potatoes and carrots for just $24. Lunch starts at 11:30am, dinner at 4pm. Friday and Saturday

lakegeorge.com

Opening Day — Martha’s Dandee Creme | Mar. 14

What it sounds like — think spring!

lakegeorge.com

@dancing_grain

Dancing Grain Farm Brewery on Instagram: "This week at Dancing …

From Dublin to Dusseldorf St. Patrick’s Weekend Beer and Whiskey Fest — Dancing Grain Farm Brewery | Mar. 14 and 15

• Irish-inspired pours

• Saratoga Sausagesmiths & Whisky Ridge Sourdough - Bavarian-style pretzels

• Live music: Tom Powers & Friends

• Special guests North Country Wild Care Wild Birds & Turtle

dancinggrain.com

Sunday

Padraig Timoney Trio — Carson’s Woodside Tavern | Mar. 15

Live music in the cozy bar begins at 5 p.m.

carsonswoodside.com

👉 Michael Hallisey is the founder/editor of Ish Bulletin; subscribe today to stay up-to-date on all things 518.

📌 ICYMI…

In Saratoga, ‘housing’ is more than a headline

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Toga kid at center of 10-year HBO rabbit hole

Skidmore pres., 😯 roasted: Dish Saratoga’s weekend report

What do the Olympics, ‘Pretty Woman’ and Saratoga have in common?

Escapism, activated: Easter at Schroon Lake

EXCLUSIVE: Chamber president apology

Inside peek: 🌷 High Peaks Resort

🍀 Much Irish luck to ya

For the price of a pint, you can help keep us running….

Your Dispatch is independently owned and locally operated, from right here on Caroline Street.

Please contribute what you can! Any and all help is SO appreciated.

— Abby

Support the Dispatch!

By Michael Hallisey

@partingglasssaratoga

Parting Glass Pub on Instagram: "Saint Patrick’s Day Loading….
…

Ode to Parting Glass

St. Patrick’s Day isn’t Parting Glass’s Super Bowl; the Big Game is only one day, and they’ve been celebrating all month.

• March 13: Steve Gray Duo, 8 p.m.

• March 14: The Ruffians, 8 p.m.

• March 15: The Prodigals, 6 p.m.

For a full schedule, click on the above video.

Today

Pot of Gold Weekend — Adirondack Winery (2 locations) | Today through Mar. 15

Adirondack Winery is celebrating its Pot of Gold Weekend at both of its (Lake George and Queensbury) tasting rooms. Today through Sunday, from12 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., wine tasters can play Guess the Corks for a chance to win special prizes — and taste a free sample of the “The Leprechaun,” a sparkly, green apple wine cocktail.

saratoga.com

Friday

Live Music: Jeff Brisbin — Henry’s Irish Tavern (Ballston Spa) | Mar. 13

A long-running weekly solo set by a Saratoga-area songwriter who has held the room for more than a decade. Casual bar setting with a steady local following.

barpeople.com

Saturday

Wild Irish Acres Dancers — Saratoga Springs Public Library | Mar. 14

Celebrate Saint Paddy’s with performances of jigs, reels and hornpipes to infectious ‘Trad’ music, 11 a.m. Saturday. No registration required, but seating is limited to 90 attendees, in accordance with room capacity.

sspl.libcal.com

@sch_railway

Saratoga Corinth & Hudson Railway on Instagram: "🍀🎨 KIDS COLO…

The Leprechaun Limited — Saratoga Corinth & Hudson Railway (Corinth) | Mar. 14 & Mar. 21

A themed excursion train ride through the southern Adirondacks built around St. Patrick’s season. Family-scale tourism programming combining scenery, live music, and light theatrical elements.

corinthtrain.com

Saratoga LepreCON Pub Crawl — Participating Bars (Saratoga Springs) | Mar. 14

A St. Patrick’s weekend pub crawl spanning multiple downtown bars with live music and raffles built into the route. Social-scale turnout with a charitable tie to Blood Cancer United.

eventbrite.com

Barrel Fest — Adirondack Pub & Brewery (Lake George) | Mar. 14

An outdoor winter beer festival centered on rare barrel-aged ales from regional breweries. Cold-weather gathering with live music, bonfires, and tasting-glass culture drawing craft-beer enthusiasts from across the Northeast.

barrelfestlg.com

St. Patrick’s Day Specials — The Docksider (Lake George) | Mar. 14 and 15

Feast on corned beef and cabbage, potatoes and carrots for just $24. Lunch starts at 11:30am, dinner at 4pm. Friday and Saturday

lakegeorge.com

Opening Day — Martha’s Dandee Creme | Mar. 14

What it sounds like — think spring!

lakegeorge.com

@dancing_grain

Dancing Grain Farm Brewery on Instagram: "This week at Dancing …

From Dublin to Dusseldorf St. Patrick’s Weekend Beer and Whiskey Fest — Dancing Grain Farm Brewery | Mar. 14 and 15

• Irish-inspired pours

• Saratoga Sausagesmiths & Whisky Ridge Sourdough - Bavarian-Style Pretzels

• Live Music From Tom Powers & Friends

• Special Guests North Country Wild Care Wild Birds & Turtle

dancinggrain.com

Sunday

Padraig Timoney Trio — Carson’s Woodside Tavern | Mar. 15

Live music in the cozy bar begins at 5 p.m.

Michael Hallisey is the founder/editor of Ish Bulletin; subscribe today to stay up-to-date on all things 518.

By Michael Hallisey

Before you raise a pint to Dublin this weekend, let’s take a moment to recall the time when Saratoga Springs’ West Side home was nicknamed exactly that.

For a stretch of the city’s nineteenth-century history, the neighborhood west of Broadway was dubbed “Dublin,” a reflection of the Irish immigrant families who settled in the West Side Historic District as laborers during the Spa City’s transformation into one of America’s great resort destinations.

Those arrivals coincided with Saratoga’s rapid growth in the mid-1800s. Railroads expanded, grand hotels multiplied, and the city’s mineral springs drew summer crowds from New York and Boston.

This new resort economy needed workers — in hotels, restaurants, rail yards, and the trades that kept a seasonal tourist city running. Enter, Irish immigrants.

As captured by the Saratoga Arts District, the West Side — particularly around Beekman Street — developed into a working-class neighborhood where immigrant families lived close to the industries that employed them, from the hotels that catered to summer visitors to the railroads that carried them north.

The Catholic Church became the center of that community life. St. Peter’s Parish, established in the 1830s, served Saratoga’s earliest Catholic immigrants, many of them Irish. As the congregation grew, the Albany Diocese eventually created St. Clement’s Parish in 1917 (80 years later).

These parishes were more than houses of worship. In immigrant neighborhoods across the Northeast, Catholic churches functioned as civic anchors — places where families gathered, information traveled, and traditions carried forward in a new country.

@oldvintagenewyork

Old Vintage New York on Instagram: "[SPECIAL IN COLOR 4] When S…

The Irish presence in Saratoga also reflected a broader regional story. By the late nineteenth century, Irish immigrants formed one of the largest ethnic groups in the Capital Region.

By then, St. Patrick’s Day had already begun to evolve from a religious observance into a public expression of Irish identity in American cities — marked by Mass in the morning and celebrations later in the day.

Michael Hallisey is the founder/editor of Ish Bulletin; subscribe today to stay up-to-date on all things 518.

🍀 Belly laughs at an Irish wake

Feast on Irish soda bread and Shepherd’s pie during UPH’s pre-St. Patrick’s Day musical comedy ‘Finnegan’s Wake’

Abby Tegnelia

Being out and about these last few days has felt great, no?

When the temps nosedive again, do NOT retreat back into your cocoon — get ahead of it now, by booking a ticket that will get you out of the house, and make you laugh.

As you read this, local actors are rehearsing and gearing up for their three-day run of Finnegan’s Farewell, a musical comedy (by the co-creator of Tony & Tina’s Wedding!) that’s taking the stage at UPH Thursday and Friday nights and Saturday matinee.

“It’s so much fun,” laughs UPH director Teddy Foster. “You’ve gotta come — it’s such a great time.”

The premise: You’re a guest at an authentic Irish wake and have come to pay your last respects to “dearly departed US Postal worker Paddy Finnegan.” The good-natured lad took a trip to an Atlantic City casino where he won $10 million at the slots — and then promptly dropped dead. With Father Seamus presiding, you’ll be treated to eulogies, sing-alongs and the search for a missing corpse.

Meanwhile, you’ll eat, drink, watch The Riverkids Irish dancing champions — and be invited to dance to the music of The Dublineers.

Don’t leave before they read the will!

To grab your ticket (show runs March 12-14), visit at atuph.org.

📰 IN BRIEF

Caroline Street project ‘hits snag’

Since we’re headquartered right on Caroline Street, this headline caught our eye. It was huge news when D’Andrea’s Pizza came down to make room for new apartments - and now the project’s developers have hit a “snag,” reports the Albany Business Review. Construction of the six-story, mixed-use building was set to begin this year, and the delay could take months to resolve. (Yes, it’s a code issue.) The project, writes the outlet, is a “key piece in the revitalization of Caroline Street.”

🏇 HEADS UP

NYRA’s agonizing ticket roll-out continues. Tomorrow begins the sale of season tickets for reserved seats in the Grandstand, Clubhouse and Michelob Ultra Stretch. (Single-day passes begin April 9.)

Local News

In Saratoga, ‘housing’ is more than a headline

Why I’m joining the Dispatch: real estate expert Allison Bradley

Saratoga Dispatch

Housing isn’t just a headline in Saratoga County.

It’s the house you grew up in, the apartment someone is trying to afford. It’s the neighborhood you hope your kids will come back to someday.

But if you’ve tried to follow housing news lately, you’ve probably noticed something frustrating: Most of the information hitting your screen isn’t actually designed to help you understand what’s happening here.

National outlets run on traffic. In that world, “Saratoga County is steady” isn’t a story — but “The Housing Bubble Is Bursting” is. And those headlines are usually built on national averages.

But you don’t live in a national average.

You live in Upstate New York.

And while social media can be a great place for conversation, it’s also where rumors and half-truths travel faster than facts.

I’ve spent nearly 20 years working in and around housing, watching people try to make sense of a market that directly affects their lives. What I’ve learned is that the most important real estate stories are almost always local.

That’s why I’m joining the Dispatch.

The Dispatch isn’t built on clicks. It’s built on subscribers — people who care about what’s actually happening in their community. That means our incentives are different. We don’t need to chase the loudest headline. We can focus on what’s real

Here’s what you can expect from me:

• If something is my opinion, I’ll say so.
• If it comes from data, I’ll show you the source.
• If the takeaway is reassuring, I’ll tell you that. If it isn’t, I’ll tell you that too.
• Above all, it will always be honest.

I’m grateful to be doing that work with the Dispatch, and for you.

And if you find it valuable, I hope you’ll share it with a neighbor or a friend. Because the stronger our local conversations are, the stronger our community will be.

For more information visit sothebysrealty.com/fourseasons and contact Allison Bradly via text at 518-339-7313 or email at Allison.bradley@sothebysrealty.com.

📌 ICYMI…

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Toga kid at center of 10-year HBO rabbit hole

Skidmore pres., 😯 roasted: Dish Saratoga’s weekend report

What do the Olympics, ‘Pretty Woman’ and Saratoga have in common?

Escapism, activated: Easter at Schroon Lake

EXCLUSIVE: Chamber president apology

Inside peek: 🌷 High Peaks Resort

Commitment is hard

Your Dispatch is independently owned and locally operated, from right here on Caroline Street.

A paid subscription requires commitment (extra shout-out to my 300 or so paid subscribers!!). Sometimes that’s hard (for me too). So I made a one-time contribution an easy lift.

Please contribute what you can so we can keep this movement going! Any and all help is SO appreciated.

— Abby

Support the Dispatch!

Being out and about these last few days has felt great, no?

When the temps nosedive again, do NOT retreat back into your cocoon — get ahead of it now, by booking a ticket that will get you out of the house, and make you laugh.

As you read this, local actors are rehearsing and gearing up for their three-day run of Finnegan’s Farewell, a musical comedy (by the co-creator of Tony & Tina’s Wedding!) that’s taking the stage at UPH Thursday and Friday nights and Saturday matinee.

“It’s so much fun,” laughs UPH director Teddy Foster. “You’ve gotta come — it’s such a great time.”

The premise: You’re a guest at an authentic Irish wake and have come to pay your last respects to “dearly departed US Postal worker Paddy Finnegan.” The good-natured lad took a trip to an Atlantic City casino where he won $10 million at the slots — and then promptly dropped dead. With Father Seamus presiding, you’ll be treated to eulogies, sing-alongs and the search for a missing corpse.

Meanwhile, you’ll eat, drink, watch The Riverkids Irish dancing champions — and be invited to dance to the music of The Dublineers.

Don’t leave before they read the will!

To grab your ticket (show runs March 12-14), visit at atuph.org.

Housing isn’t just a headline in Saratoga County.

It’s the house you grew up in, the apartment someone is trying to afford. It’s the neighborhood you hope your kids will come back to someday.

But if you’ve tried to follow housing news lately, you’ve probably noticed something frustrating: Most of the information hitting your screen isn’t actually designed to help you understand what’s happening here.

National outlets run on traffic. In that world, “Saratoga County is steady” isn’t a story — but “The Housing Bubble Is Bursting” is. And those headlines are usually built on national averages.

But you don’t live in a national average.

You live in Upstate New York.

And while social media can be a great place for conversation, it’s also where rumors and half-truths travel faster than facts. Algorithms reward engagement, not accuracy.

I’ve spent nearly 20 years working in and around housing, watching people try to make sense of a market that directly affects their lives. What I’ve learned is that the most important real estate stories are almost always local.

That’s why I’m joining the Dispatch.

The Dispatch isn’t built on clicks. It’s built on subscribers — people who care about what’s actually happening in their community. That means our incentives are different. We don’t need to chase the loudest headline. We can focus on what’s real

Here’s what you can expect from me:

• If something is my opinion, I’ll say so.
• If it comes from data, I’ll show you the source.
• If the takeaway is reassuring, I’ll tell you that. If it isn’t, I’ll tell you that too.
• Above all, it will always be honest.

I’m grateful to be doing that work with the Dispatch, and for you.

And if you find it valuable, I hope you’ll share it with a neighbor or a friend. Because the stronger our local conversations are, the stronger our community will be.

For more information visit sothebysrealty.com/fourseasons and contact Allison Bradly via text at 518-339-7313 or email at Allison.bradley@sothebysrealty.com.