As we continue to mourn the 17 horses we lost early Tuesday morning, Saratoga Casino Hotel has announced the following:
A $100,000 donation to the Saratoga Harness Horsepersons Association to support horsemen, trainers, staff and backstretch workers impacted by the fire.
Upcoming fundraising efforts throughout the Sunset Saturday Series (July 11-August 29)
A memorial service (details will be announced soon)
🙏 The horses to be honored at the services: Arlanda, Conquest As, Crazy Jet, Five Star Lou, Free Willy Hanover, Gimlet Hanover, Influencer, Lyons Dukey, Muscle Dynasty, Our Father Lindy, Perfect Bang, Quite Like Me, Race Me Bombshell, Shalamar Hanover, Trackstar, Tropical Cyclone and Red.
☔ It’s going to be a very rainy week — remember to call ahead if you’re worried about cancelations or postponements. Be safe out there!
☀️ Summer doesn’t officially start until Sunday, but Saratoga’s social season has been in full swing for weeks now. Cheers to adrenaline!
In this issue:
Polo! (tonight at 7)
Kickoff to Summer: Ladies’ Shopping Night (tonight 4-8 p.m.)
Sobro Solstice Celebration (Saturday morning)
Whitman Fantasy Faire (all day Saturday)
Opening night: My Fair Lady (Saturday evening)
Got an event to share?
(And if you’re one of the three events I missed while I was organizing this enormous endeavor that I completely underestimated, reply to this email — I owe you a featured event. 🙏 My apologies.)
FEATURED EVENT: THEATER
iTheatre Saratoga’s It Can’t Happen Here
iTheatre Saratoga will take the stage at Saratoga Arts June 26 and 27 with its world premiere play reading of It Can’t Happen Here. “This one is incredibly timely,” says the troupe’s founder, Will Severin. “It’s a cautionary tale about the rise of fascism in the United States, and we have a large ensemble cast. Come out and see us!”
Adapted from the iconic Sinclair Lewis novel by Severin’s wife, Mary Jane Hansen, the story unfolds during the presidential election of 1936. Our protagonist, Doremus Jessup, is a small town newspaper editor — a true “foot soldier of the first amendment,” as my journalism profs would say. He’s gutted as he watches Buzz Windrip run on an authoritarian platform — and win.
A $10 donation made online guarantees you a seat; go to itheatre.saratoga.ticketspice.com.
FEATURED EVENT: GALA
Yaddo Summer Benefit
It’s the party of the century! Literally: Yaddo is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Plus, the storied artists’ retreat will be honoring (and bidding farewell to) President Elaina Richardson, who is stepping down after an extraordinary 26 years. Presented by the Michael and Stacie Arpey Family Foundation, the June 25 (next Thursday) soirée will kick off with a President’s Circle pre-gathering and a VIP reception before the main event begins at 7 p.m. Special nights like this one offer a rare chance to see the mansion (so much history!) … see you there?
To purchase your ticket to the June 25 event, visit yaddo.org.
Beyond Saratoga County: For a listing of events across the greater Capital Region, visit our friends at ishbulletin.com.
Tonight, June 18
🛍️ Kickoff to Summer: Ladies’ Shopping Night — Petal + Hive | 4 p.m.
Cocktails, mocktails, shopping — and the launch of handmade cosmetic bags by the great Olivia Mancini.
First Anniversary Party — Innovation Center at Saratoga | 5 p.m.
Free and come-as-you-are for this first year celebration.
Flow on the Farm Yoga — Pitney Meadows Community Farm | 6 p.m. (recurring)
Weekly outdoor yoga practice for connecting with nature. All levels welcome.
Pride Stories Collaborative LGBTQIA+ Storytelling Event — Spring Street Gallery | 6:30 p.m.
“Bring a story to share, or an object that holds meaning – photos, t-shirts, posters, flyers, zines – your favorite piece of local LGBTQIA+ history.”
🐴 Polo Under the Lights — Saratoga Polo School, Stillwater | 7 p.m. (recurring)
Enjoy an action-packed evening of Arena Polo at the beautiful Spa City Polo Club.
Saratoga Film Forum Weekly Screening — Dee Sarno Theater at Saratoga Arts | 7 p.m.
This triumphant comeback of a beloved film forum soon breaks for the season. So come on down: Tonight’s movie is Sirat.
Peak Jazz Series: Edmar Castañeda Quartet — Caffè Lena | 7 p.m.
Castañeda is one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary jazz — a Colombian-born harpist who plays the instrument with the attack and range of a bass guitarist.
Music & Mingling 2026 — Siro’s Restaurant | 7 p.m.
Join the Saratoga Senior Center’s signature event. An open bar, live music, silent auction — and delectable food from the storied restaurant.
Euclid String Quartet — Arthur Zankel Music Center | 7:30 p.m.
A chamber performance at the Zankel Center in preparation of a brand-new documentary and album release about the string quartet.
Friday, June 19 (Juneteenth)
5th Annual Juneteenth Celebration — Saratoga Springs YMCA | 11 a.m.
Now in its fifth year: music, poetry, interpretive dance, historic performance, speakers & more.
Frederick Douglass Remembers Ulysses S. Grant — Grant Cottage State Historic Site | 1 p.m.
Join Historical Interpreter Nathan M. Richardson in this first-person portrayal of Abolitionist Frederick Douglass in a conversation about his memories of President Ulysses S. Grant.
Live Music: Jeff Brisbin — Henry’s Irish Tavern | 5 p.m. (recurring)
A local legend at a Saratoga institution.
Friday Night Art Market on Beekman — Beekman Street Arts District | 5 p.m.
Summer’s monthly evening market.
Clay Night Out — Saratoga Clay Arts Center | 6 p.m.
Open studio session (BYOB if you’d like, plus that potter’s wheel!).
Pride Golf League Invitational and Reception — 58 Roosevelt Bar and Grill | 6 p.m.
Pride in the Park mixer
Pints and Punchlines — The Parting Glass | 7 p.m.
Stand-up comedy night at The Parting Glass.
The Heavenly Echoes Gospel Band — Caffè Lena | 8 p.m.
A gospel act almost six decades strong brings a beautiful tradition of “faith, harmony and community.”
Saturday, June 20
👩🔬 Serum Bar — Petal + Hive | 8 a.m.
Walk in any time between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to make your custom serum! Learn from founder and Cosmetic Chemist, Jillian Ehrenberg, about different skincare ingredients and how each product gets made. No RSVP necessary, $34 per person.
☀️ Summer Solstice Celebration — SoBro Triangle, 209 S. Broadway | 9 a.m.
Kick off your summer and enjoy the beauty of the SoBro Triangle in its early summer glory by head to the garden for a brief celebratory unveiling of the new educational signs. There will be garden tours, a plant scavenger hunt and refreshments, followed by the unveiling, with brief remarks, at 9:30. (Parking is available at the Strike Zone lot.)
Goat Yoga — Into The Woods Farm | 10 a.m.
Outdoor yoga with goats, surrounded by forest and a stunning farm.
Open Barn — Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga | 10 a.m.
An open barn day at Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga, which has been providing equine-assisted therapy to people with disabilities and trauma for years. Family-friendly event.
Royal Ascot Tea Party — National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame | 10 a.m.
A tea party in honor of England’s Royal Ascot week in England. Light bites, tea and live racing on the Hall of Fame’s famous screens.
Grand, Gilded and Glorious: A Saratoga Stroll — Saratoga Springs Heritage Area Visitor Center | 10:30 a.m.
The glam! The scandals! Walking tour exploring Saratoga in the Gilded Age.
Opera Saratoga Presents: Family Show — Universal Preservation Hall | 11 a.m.
Free for children, this 45-minute show involves music from “My Fair Lady” and “The Elixir of Love” in a new plot devised by Opera Saratoga’s Festival Artists.
Wilton Community Day Parkfest — Gavin Park | 12 p.m.
An annual, all-ages community gathering with rides, live music, food and more.
Beats & Brunch — Standard Fare | 12 p.m. (recurring)
Vinyl-spun brunch vibes: brunch, cocktails, and beats by DJ Jackson.
🍻 Whitman Fantasy Faire — Whitman Brewing | 12 p.m.
Show up in costume to this free, family-event to unlock special deals and vie for prizes. Plus: local vendors showing off their odds & ends, live themed folk music acts, light street performances, fair foods (turkey legs, fried dough), and beer!
The Wesley Community 2026 Toasts & Tides Gala — The Lodge at Saratoga Casino Hotel | 6 p.m.
A glam evening with “timeless coastal charm” vibes, raising money for the enhancement the quality of life for the community’s residents by bringing new technologies into their daily care.
🎭 Opening Night: Opera Saratoga’s “My Fair Lady” — Universal Preservation Hall | 7 p.m.
One of the most beloved musicals of all time. Featuring timeless songs like “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” and “I Could Have Danced All Night,” Opera Saratoga’s production is a love letter to theater itself.
Season Finale: Mostly Modern Orchestra & Gershwin’s “An American in Paris” — Arthur Zankel Music Center | 7:30 p.m.
The Mostly Modern Festival closes its season with one of the most ebullient pieces in the American orchestral canon.
Saratoga Pride Karaoke — Bibulous | 8 p.m.
“Take a little sip, sing a little song, or just sit back and sing along!” Small bites, cocktails, desserts, oh my.
Amanda Pascali — Caffè Lena | 8 p.m.
A singer-songwriter on the Nordlys Global Voices Series, she’s “an adventurer with endless curiosity, a sultry voice, and rock solid guitar chops.”
Sunday, June 21
Father’s Day Brunch — Boca Bistro | 10 a.m.
A special brunch menu in honor of Dad — reservations strong recommended.
Sunday Stroll: Broadway in 1874 — Congress Street & Broadway| 10:30 a.m. (recurring)
Step back into the vibrant summer of 1874, a time when the city was at the height of its fame, on a guided walking tour of Broadway led by Gloria May.
Opera Saratoga Presents: “The Elixir of Love” — Universal Preservation Hall | 2 p.m.
Donizetti’s most beloved comic opera, about love potions and a bumbling (yet transforming) paramour. Will love’s magic prevail?
Opera Saratoga Presents: “Drift” — Universal Preservation Hall | 7 p.m.
Opera Saratoga’s first-ever mainstage commission from an all-female creative team: the haunting story of a young woman caught between the fragments of her past and the forces that seek to define her memory.
The Soul Rebels — Caffè Lena | 7 p.m.
The New Orleans brass band that has spent three decades pushing the form into funk, hip-hop, and soul territory without losing its street-parade roots.
Silent Wings: Raptor Rehab and Education — Saratoga National Historical Park | June 21
A raptor education program at the Battlefield, which adds a natural history dimension to one of the region’s most significant historic sites.
Monday, June 22
Martini Mondays — Chianti Il Ristorante | Recurring
Kick off your week with Martini Mondays! Enjoy classic & creative martinis for just $10.
Live Music: Jeff Brisbin — The Hideaway at Saratoga Lake Golf Club | 5:30 p.m. (recurring)
Monday evening residency!
Creative Writing for Adults with Piet Marino — Saratoga Springs Public Library | 7 p.m.
A creative writing workshop with a local celeb. Discover the joy of writing in a collaborative, energizing environment.
📌 ICYMI…
Pet adoption, love potion and fixing Sunday evening couch inertia.
Saratoga film 🎬 goes Hollywood
The Spa 🏇 saved the best for last: 17 reasons I love Saratoga, Belmont edition
Tuesday, June 23
Joy Circle — Petal + Hive | 10 a.m. (recurring through June)
A weekly gathering focused on cultivating joy as a practice rather than a feeling.
$1 Oyster Night — Henry Street Taproom | Recurring
Just what it sounds like — slurp $1 oysters all day.
Rich Ortiz — The Hideaway at Saratoga Lake Golf Club | 5:30 p.m. (recurring)
Two residencies in the same night? This is your man. Catch him at The Hideaway if happy hour time is your jam.
Opera Saratoga Presents: “The Elixir of Love” — Universal Preservation Hall | 7 p.m.
Donizetti’s most beloved comic opera, about love potions and a bumbling (yet transforming) paramour. Will love’s magic prevail?
Wednesday, June 24
Live Music: Jeff Brisbin — The Iron’s Edge | 5:30 p.m. (monthly )
Brisbin’s self-proclaimed “NEVERENDING TOUR” continues … “Love to see some of your familiar smiles out there sometime soon.”
Ladies Night — Standard Fare | Recurring
“Girl Dinner” special: Crunchy Caesar salad, truffle fries, and a Tiny ‘Tini for $30 bucks.
Harvey’s Famous DJ Trivia — Harvey’s Restaurant and Bar | 7:30 p.m. (recurring)
A Saratoga tradition with resident DJ Aiden. Win prizes provided by Harvey’s and swag from our monthly rotating sponsors.
🎭 Opening Night: Opera Saratoga’s “My Fair Lady” — Universal Preservation Hall | 7 p.m.
One of the most beloved musicals of all time. Featuring timeless songs like “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” and “I Could Have Danced All Night,” Opera Saratoga’s production is a love letter to theater itself.