Bela Fleck and Ruth Reichl are 2 of the Book Fest’s hottest tickets (literally)
In a sea of free Saratoga Book Festival sessions, these ticket-required events require commitment: Think concerts, celebs and an A-list foodie armed with treats.
Most of the Saratoga Book Festival (Oct. 2-5) is absolutely free — with a few big headliners doing extra-special, one-off events that require a show ticket. So whether your heart belongs to books, music or food — or all three — it’s commitment time, folks! Here are the book fest’s four hottest tickets.
Oct. 2, Beyond the Book performance by Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañada and Antonio Sánchez, UPH
Grab your ticket before it’s too late (more than 400 sold so far!): Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda and Antonio Sánchez will get the Saratoga Book Festival off to a rocking star (their music has been called a “bold blend” of jazz, classical and Latin) at UPH on Oct. 2. Fleck, with 19 Grammys under his belt, will be on the banjo — you might recognize him from his turns on the SPAC stage with the Dave Matthews Band. He’s teaming up with Castañeda on the harp and Sánchez on the drums. “We’re very excited to have Béla Fleck here; he is an amazing performer,” says UPH’s executive director, Teddy Foster. “He’s a big deal. That show is going to be incredible.”
For more info and to buy tickets, visit atuph.org.
Oct. 4, Family Keynote: Kate DiCamillo and Sophie Blackwell, Maple Avenue Middle School Auditorium
Acclaimed children’s author Kate DiCamillo (Because of Winn-Dixie) will dazzle the littles (and adults, too) with two-time Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall at this can’t-miss event. The pair collabed for the stunning new Lost Evangeline, which they’ll be signing on Oct. 4. (A book comes with your ticket; check out the link for package options.) “When you have a Caldecott-winning medalist on the stage with someone as big as Kate DiCamillo, you know it’s going to be a wow-factor event,” says the book festival’s co-chair, Jennifer Allen. “You’ll be able to buy some of their other books, too. I couldn’t recommend these imaginative collector’s items anymore. They’re brilliant.”
For ticket and book options, visit friends.sspl.org.
Oct. 4, Living in the Present with John Prine by Tom Piazza, Caffè Lena
Celebrate the legendary John Prine through the eyes of Tom Piazza, a Yaddo alum who traveled with the late, great singer/songwriter on a fateful writing assignment in the ‘70s. Piazza ended up becoming a dear friend and later, his memoirist. They weren’t quite done when Prine died of COVID in April 2020, but Piazza honored his late, great friend by finishing the book, Living in the Present — which he’ll read from on Oct. 4 at Caffè Lena. Expect personal stories, too, and maybe some tall tales. And yes, Piazza will play some of Prine’s songs. “Tom has this amazing presence,” Allen says. “Music lovers of all kinds won’t want to miss this peek behind the scenes.”
For more info and to grab your ticket, visit caffelena.org.
Oct. 5, Headline Event: A Conversation with Ruth Reichl and Tiina Loite, UPH
Foodie alert! Ruth Reichl — who was honored with the James Beard Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award last year — will sit down with retired New York Times editor and Saratogian Tiina Loite to discuss Reichl’s second novel, The Paris Novel…and we’ll see where else the conversation leads. “We will dip into her previous books too and her career in general,” says Loite. “I mean, we have to — her trajectory is incredibly interesting, with so many directions to go in during a conversation. And they all involve food.” With that in mind, this event promises a yummy treat or two, too.
“Ruth Reichl is a rock star in the culinary world,” Loite says of the former restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times, and editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine. “It doesn’t get much more prestigious than all of that.”
For more info and to reserve your spot, visit atuph.org.
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