The dish on Lago’s 🥂 1st-ever event
And what to do this week if the warmer weather has you ready to fly the coop.
A little short today, because I’m off to the Torch Club to talk about…this Substack! Small, friendly group if you want to join us — 7 p.m. at the Saratoga Springs Holiday Inn.
— Abby
Lago’s 💞 1st-ever event was a smash success, and there’s more on the way.
Temps spiked to 30: perfect day for a party.
By 2 p.m. Sunday, the parking lot at Saratoga Lake was as full as on a warm summer’s day, the music was pumping, the party was partying.
And the women were tipsy.
Lago by Druthers’ first-ever event was underway: a Galentine’s Day celebration that packed more than 200 pink-bedecked “gals” into the stunning, lake-view venue.
“It was amazing,” says Lexi Cunniff, marketing director for Druthers Brewing Company. “It went from negative temperatures to 30, and you could feel the energy — everyone was excited to be free.”
The Galentine’s Day Sip & Sing-Along Brunch (noon to 4 p.m. yesterday) was Lago’s first official event despite opening in spring 2024 (replacing 550 Waterfront)— and it was quite an auspicious start to a brunch-party plan for the summer hotspot’s shoulder seasons. The brunch buffet was $35/person (including one mimosa), with a $25 bottomless mimosa option and all kinds of pink treats available at the cash bar.
“We’ve hosted weddings, fundraisers, company parties and other private events,” Cunniff says. “So this time, we were going in and planning something start to finish for us. And we were going to make it big.”
And they did.
DJ Tigertay was in charge of the sing-along playlist, which ranged from the obvious girl power pop hits to the Wicked soundtrack. (Think singing and dancing with blow-up microphones and all kinds of heart-shaped glasses and head adornments.) Between sets, guests could munch as they liked from the buffet.
“It was so beautiful,” Cunniff says. “We had a charcuterie table, and Druthers classics — mac and cheese and beer cheese dip. But then we also had breakfast pizzas, little frittata egg cups, and mini-tomato soups with grilled cheese sticks for dipping. Later in the afternoon we brought out a bunch of desserts, including handmade chocolate-covered strawberries and peanut butter pie. I had too many lemon squares; they were delicious.”
The February event also allowed the venue to show off what’s been sort of a hidden gem: the winter wonderland view.
“Of course we had the fire pits going outside also,” Cunniff says. “The lake is beautiful in the summer, but when it is frozen over like it was Sunday, with the snowmobile tracks and the new ice skating rink out there? It’s just gorgeous.”
Sunday’s success has Lago eager to fire up the next event.
“This is just the beginning,” Cunniff says. “We’re already talking about potentially doing another brunch event in March. Summer is so busy, but when it’s cold out, we all need something fun to do, an excuse to leave the house and let our hair down for a little bit.”
🗓️ WHAT TO DO
The Crucible at Home Made Theater
Lies ignite; truth burns — who’s ready for Home Made Theater’s run of The Crucible? The Arthur Miller classic runs Feb. 20 to March 1.
To buy your $30 tickets, visit homemadetheater.org.
✅ REMINDERS
Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation presents: In Conversation with Amy Godine (tomorrow!)
Amy Godine will be discussing her book The Black Woods: Pursuing Racial Justice on the Adirondack Frontier. In the book, the esteemed scholar and author chronicles the history of Black pioneers who migrated to the Adirondacks from the late 1840s to the 1860s.
Spring Street Gallery, 7 p.m.
🎷 Fresh NYC jazz at Caffè Lena this Thursday
Bassist Ben Wolfe has toured with Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr. and Diana Krall — and now he’s headed to Saratoga this Thursday with his Ben Wolfe Trio, part of Caffè Lena’s Peak Jazz Series.
Visit caffelena.org for more info and to grab your ticket.
📌 ICYMI…
Do ‘starter homes’ still exist in Saratoga?
Face card, activated: an esthetician answers your burning questions