From the editor
Hey, Dispatchers.
What did we all do yesterday during that stunning summer-in-fall day? I was out and about — picking up story ideas, making new friends, and aggressively ignoring my phone.
Forgive me.
Today, I’ll make up for it. Got my Incognito Mode launched before 6 a.m. — hyperlocal, meet hyper-hyperlocal — and now to the news.
— Abby
In this issue:
🥃 See you at Purdy’s Nov. 19?
📚 Nic in the news
🗓️ TrueSongs, Pumpkin Smash and more — in this week’s events calendar
📩 Was this forwarded to you by a friend? Subscribe — and join the 7,000+ of your neighbors who never miss a thing.
DISPATCH IRL
🍽️ Dinner Club sign-ups close Monday!
🚨 New restaurants this time — hooray!
🍀 11/11: a lucky day to meet new friends
Take the quick quiz, then sit back. I’ll text you the restaurant on the day.
Most people come solo — that’s the point! You’ll sit with 5 neighbors in your age group who share your interests.
A first-timer with a question? Just hit reply.
🥃 FEATURED EVENT
One barrel is a big deal.
Purdy’s said, “Hold my bourbon.”
Pour it on: Last year’s inaugural Barrel Night at Purdy’s drew a crowd as varied as the lineup: devoted whiskey fans, holiday shoppers hunting for a one-of-a-kind gift, and first-timers who wanted to try something new in a laid-back setting. (Photo by Unless Media)
For whiskey lovers, a private single barrel is a rare find.
Purdy’s is gearing up to open 26. In one night.
The store’s second-ever Barrel Night, a free open house on Thursday, Nov. 19, from 4 to 7 p.m., will put every one of them up for tasting.
“Our team has chosen each barrel from taste, often against 4 to 5 other single barrel offerings, to find the best-tasting, bang-for-your-buck whiskey,” says John Brophy, a Purdy’s fine wine and spirits consultant who helped curate the barrels. The average bottle lands around $50, which Brophy calls the “sweet spot.”
On the higher end of what you can taste — and shop? “A couple of premium outliers” with their own cult followings, including a $350 purple top Willett Bourbon.
Each tasting station will be staffed by someone who knows that whiskey inside and out — including some who helped make it and have personal stories to share.
Thursday, Nov. 19, from 4 to 7 p.m. Free.
Together with Purdy’s Discount Wine & Liquor
📌 ICYMI…
📚 IN THE NEWS
‘People’ mag’s exclusive reveal of Saratoga author’s next book
Not only does author Nic DiDomizio live in Saratoga, but he told the Dispatch earlier this year that his new novel — This House Has a Murder Problem, excerpted above in People — takes place in Upstate New York. While officially it’s an undetermined town, he assures me that it’s “Saratoga coded.”
If you haven’t read his first (witty, fun) crime fiction book — A Murder Most Camp, which takes place in (the real) Lake George — now’s a great time to catch up.
👉 SEE HIM FRIDAY NIGHT: He’ll be at Northshire with fellow author Elle Cosimano to discuss her hilarious Finlay Donovan crime books (Tina Fey is developing them into a TV series).
🍽️ DISH
Good things happen in threes … When Johanna Geldern, the owner of Glens Falls hotspot restaurant Mint, took her three daughters out for breakfast at — wait for it — Saratoga Arms’ restaurant Three Daughters, she had no idea that on her way out she’d meet owner Kathleen Smith and two of her three daughters.
Saratoga’s Broadway Deli took to Instagram to detail how families facing food insecurity can receive a free chicken dinner on Thanksgiving.
Artisanal Brew Works just celebrated its 10-year anniversary with the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. Cheers to 10 more!
🗓️ WHAT TO DO
Search by “free” or “family-friendly” · Got an event? Add it to the calendar.
SOME HIGHLIGHTS
FRIDAY · NOV. 6
🎶 Caffè Lena: TrueSongs 2026 · Universal Preservation Hall
Original songs and first-person stories spotlighting the work of local nonprofits.
SATURDAY · NOV. 7
🎃 Pumpkin Smash · Pitney Meadows Community Farm
Smash pumpkins at a seasonal community gathering.🍷 Fall 4-Course Wine Dinner: Around the World · Franklin Square Market, Restaurant & Bar
Four courses paired with wines from Italy, Txakolina, Switzerland, France and Portugal.🏠 Open House: 31 Oak Ridge Boulevard · Saratoga Springs
Tour a customized four-bedroom, three-bath home with a gourmet kitchen, private library and finished basement.
MONDAY · NOV. 9
🏈 Hot Dish Hootenanny Cook-Off · Gurtler Brothers VFW Post 420
Enter or just eat: a hot dish cook-off during the Bills vs. Vikings game, with proceeds supporting the VFW.
WEDNESDAY · NOV. 11
🕯️ Create the Scent of Fall · Petal + Hive
Make a personalized, fall-inspired essential-oil candle to take home.
📰 IN BRIEF
Tuesday’s City Council meeting included a public hearing about the proposed 2027 budget — including the proposed 18% property tax levy increase — and public comments about the city’s Flock cameras; Saratoga Civic Pulse has the details.
A house on Saratoga Lake fetched the highest price for a single-family home on its shores in years, reports Albany Business Review.
Cardona’s made a Times Union list of top meals for under $15 bucks.
🕶️ Psst. Paid subscribers already got today’s Incognito Mode. For $10/month, you’ll never miss the next one — and you’ll help keep the Dispatch free for everyone.
