Photo of Philip Matthews via Paul Smith’s College Athletics.
LAKE PLACID — Halfmoon native Philip Matthews, currently a junior at Paul Smith’s College in the Adirondacks, was crowned Overall Individual National Champion at the 2026 U.S. Collegiate Ski & Snowboard National Championships in Lake Placid last week.
Matthews’ title is awarded to the athlete with the best combined results across all championship races. He became the third Bobcat in program history to win the overall individual title, joining two-time champion Aidan Ripp and 2024 champion Dolcie Tanguay.
“This past week was a huge challenge for us as a team, but I think we handled it amazingly,” Matthews said. “For the first race, I told the boys we needed to come out of the gate swinging and we carried that energy throughout the week… Winning the overall individual championship was something that I wanted to do since I was a freshman and [I] really focused on that all year.”
Matthews is a graduate of Shenendehowa High School.
Photo of Josh Groban and still from “Star Wars” provided by the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC).
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) will host the Philadelphia Orchestra for a three-week summer residency from Aug. 5 to 22.
Led by Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nezet-Seguin, the season pairs classical masterworks with SPAC premieres and performances by world-renowned artists, including Tony, Emmy, and five-time Grammy Award–nominated singer Josh Groban; Grammy–nominated indie-folk singer Gregory Alan Isakov; and two-time Tony Award–winning Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell.
Additional performances include screenings of “Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows — Part 1” and “Star Wars: A New Hope,” which will be projected onto screens in HD while the orchestra performs the accompanying film scores live; Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony; “The Four Seasons” by Vivaldi and “The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” by Astor Piazzolla; the Tchaikovsky Spectacular; Mozart & Mahler; “Pictures from an Exhibition” with Daniele Rustioni; Emanuel Ax Plays Beethoven; and Gershwin’s “An American in Paris.”
“Our 2026 Philadelphia Orchestra season marks a milestone celebration—60 years of extraordinary music at SPAC with the Orchestra,” said Elizabeth Sobol, CEO of SPAC. “Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, which opened the Orchestra’s first season here in 1966, returns as the centerpiece of this summer’s season, led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. This monumental work, with its transcendent choral finale, offers our community a stirring experience that celebrates six decades of artistry and the enduring partnership between SPAC and the Orchestra.”
Highlighting the season is the Philadelphia Orchestra debut of Josh Groban on Aug. 14. Groban will perform a special Stage, Screen & Symphony program that blends musical theater hits, cinema classics, and symphonic arrangements. Groban has sold more than 35 million albums worldwide, headlined legendary venues on multiple continents, and entertained audiences with acclaimed film and television appearances.
Indie-folk singer Gregory Alan Isakov will make his SPAC and Philadelphia Orchestra debut to close the season on Aug. 22. The Johannesburg-born songwriter brings songs such as “Miles to Go,” “Liars,” “Big Black Car,” and “Amsterdam” to the stage in sweeping orchestral arrangements. Isakov has collaborated with many symphonies, including the Colorado Symphony, as well as the Los Angeles Philharmonic—the latter of which was hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “a singular experience.”
Philadelphia Orchestra Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin will return to the podium on Aug. 15 to anchor SPAC’s 60th anniversary season with Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, featuring a cast that includes soprano Leah Hawkins, mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges, tenor Issachah Savage, and bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green, alongside Albany Pro Musica. The program will open with the SPAC premiere of William Grant Still’s rarely performed “Wood Notes,” a pastoral orchestral suite inspired by the natural beauty of the American South and the poetry of Joseph Mitchell Pilche. Continuing the 60th anniversary theme of “Seasons,” the residency will also feature paired performances of “The Four Seasons” by Vivaldi and “The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” by Astor Piazzolla, with concertmaster David Kim serving as leader and soloist on Aug. 19.
Kicking off the season with three performances is Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Guest Conductor Marin Alsop (Aug. 5-7), including the popular “Tchaikovsky Spectacular” program, followed by an evening featuring the SPAC premiere of Mozart’s “Piano Concerto No. 23,” with pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason in her SPAC and Orchestra debuts, and Mahler’s “Symphony No. 1.”
Returning for the first time since 2014, two-time Tony–winning Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell will lead, on Aug. 7, an “American Dreams” program highlighted by his narration of Aaron Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait,” a reflection on unity, equality, and democratic responsibility. In honor of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, the program also draws inspiration from Marian Anderson’s landmark performance of the work at SPAC 50 years ago. The evening features Broadway favorites, including “Wheels of a Dream” from Ragtime, in which Mitchell originated the leading role, and concludes with Dvořák’s “Symphony No. 9,” written during the composer’s time in the United States and inspired by American musical traditions.
Continuing this exploration of American music, New Zealand conductor Gemma New will make her SPAC debut on Aug. 20, leading Gershwin’s “An American in Paris” paired with Ravel’s “Piano Concerto in G” and Florence Price’s “Piano Concerto in One Movement,” performed by pianist Michelle Cann, who will also appear on the SPAC stage for the first time.
Also highlighting the season is the return of pianist Emanuel Ax on Aug. 13, performing Beethoven’s “Piano Concerto No. 5,” one of the composer’s most iconic works, under the baton of newly appointed Principal Guest Conductor of The Metropolitan Opera Danielle Rustioni, making his SPAC debut. On Aug. 12, Rustioni will lead Musorgsky’s “Pictures from an Exhibition” and Korngold’s “Violin Concerto,” featuring the SPAC and Orchestra debuts of celebrated violinist Bomsori Kim.
Finally, the popular film nights will return with “Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows — Part 1” on Aug. 8 and “Star Wars: A New Hope” on Aug. 21.
“August at SPAC will bring three remarkable vocalists across genres—Josh Groban, Gregory Alan Isakov, and Brian Stokes Mitchell—alongside classical music’s most in-demand artists, from Saratoga favorites and icons like Marin Alsop and Emanuel Ax to rising stars making their SPAC debuts, including Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, following the recent debuts of her siblings Isata Kanneh-Mason and Sheku Kanneh-Mason,” said Christopher Shiley, president of SPAC. “From masterworks and SPAC premieres to programs inspired by the themes of ‘Seasons’ and America’s 250th anniversary, this summer promises to inspire, uplift, and connect our community through music.”
Tickets are already available for members (tiered by level) and will be available to the general public on March 25 at 10 a.m. Visit spac.org for details.
A tree-tapping ceremony at Hop City Maple in Ballston Spa celebrated the beginning of New York’s maple season in 2024. Photo by Super Source Media for Saratoga TODAY.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — March is Maple Month in New York State, and the nation’s second-biggest maple producer is ready to party.
New York’s 2,000-plus maple sugar makers produced 829,000 gallons of the sticky substance in 2025, and the state has the largest resource of tappable maple trees in America.
To celebrate these sweet achievements, Maple Weekends will be held on March 21-22 and March 28-29.
“Maple Weekend is a tradition and celebration we all look forward to, especially after a snowy winter,” New York State Maple Producers Association Executive Director Helen Thomas said in a press release from the governor’s office. “For the 160 farms taking part in Maple Weekend, it’s an opportunity for them to open their doors and share the skill and passion behind what they do… Every participating farm offers an educational presentation or a demonstration, showing firsthand how maple syrup and maple products are made. For visitors, there’s nothing like tasting fresh maple syrup right from the source.”
Here’s a roundup of local maple-related events occurring this weekend and next.
• Hop City Maple in Ballston Spa is inviting people to experience the world of maple on both Maple Weekends. See the sap run down the tubing system to where the maple syrup comes out in the evaporator. Taste maple sap along with all the end products: maple syrup, candies, lollipops, maple fudge, and more. Pet the GOATs, taste maple, drink beer, and eat crepes. Dickinson Delight’s will be there serving their crepes and other food. Dancing Grain Brewery will be on site offering their farm craft brews, all New York grown and certified. Saratoga Wild Roots’ certified wild mushroom forager will be there as well.
• Twin Leaf Farms in Greenfield Center will host a special New York State Maple Weekend event on March 21 and 22. The family-friendly event will include a $5 pancake breakfast, guided farm tours, live maple-making demonstrations in the sugarhouse, local vendors, and live music. Guests can learn about the traditions and modern processes of maple sugar making, explore working farms, and taste maple products straight from the source.
• Sugar Oak Farms in Malta will be celebrating both Maple Weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. See firsthand how maple syrup is made, from tree to table. There will be fresh maple coffee, free samples of maple syrup, and all of the farm’s products will be available for purchase. At the sugar house, chat with “Sap Commander” Erich to hear more about the family operation. Events include: 12 p.m. tapping demonstration, 1 p.m. sawmill demonstration, and a 2 p.m. sugarbush walk.
• Maple Valley Farm in Corinth will feature live music by Keanen Stark and Orion Kribs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its 30th annual Maple Open House, occurring both Maple Weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Take part in maple tours and learn how the 6th generation farm makes maple syrup from tree to table. Visitors can also enjoy a pancake breakfast, featuring the farm’s pure maple syrup, as well as lunch items. Kids can enjoy pony rides, and there will be a variety of local vendors offering unique goods and treats.
• Taste NY at the Adirondacks Welcome Center in Queensbury will feature Maple Bingo and will offer weekly maple product sampling on Thursdays in March from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. They will also host an event, ‘From Sap to Syrup,’ on March 20 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will allow attendees to sample maple products, such as sap water, light syrup, dark syrup, maple sugar, and a hard maple cube, from local producers Wild Hogs Sugar Shack and Holly & Vine Farm & Winery. In addition, the Adirondacks Welcome Center will have educational and interactive displays, and samples of maple lattes and locally made maple hot cocoa, which will also be sold on site.
AIM Services will be the lead agency responsible for implementing Supported Decision Making Statewide (Aidan Cahill).
Dwight Joyner said that Supported Decision Making has allowed him to live his life independently and safely. (Aidan Cahill).
A new statewide system to help those with disabilities make their own choices will be led by a Saratoga County-based company.
AIM Services Inc., located in the Town of Wilton, was awarded a contract to facilitate New York’s Supported Decision-Making (SDM) model for people with developmental disabilities. The model is designed to allow those with developmental disabilities to have control over things like finances and relationships while receiving support from third party organizations.
AIM Services CEO Chris Lyons said that the SDM approach is a relatively new concept which emerged out of concerns regarding how people with developmental disabilities were traditionally treated under guardianships.
“If you have guardianship, despite the well intention of the guardian, you’re not really in control,” Lyons said. “Supported Decision Making gives you legal capacity to make your own decisions that would be recognized by the outside world as your decisions, but you agree to use your supports. They don’t replace or substitute their judgment for yours. They just help you make full, informed decisions.”
New York’s SDM model was first piloted in 2016 by Supported Decision-Making New York and CUNY Hunter College using funding from Council on Developmental Disabilities. The pilot was expanded in 2021 by the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) using federal funding. In 2022, the framework for SDM was signed into law, granting statewide recognition of the model.
Under the new contract, AIM services will be the lead agency responsible for implementing and facilitating SDM statewide.
“Anyone with a developmental disability can reach out to AIM Services and have their assistance in using their natural supports and trusted loved ones in their life to just give them that little extra support in making a decision, giving them the autonomy and the dignity to live their own lives,” OPWDD Commissioner Willow Baer said.
Both OPWDD and AIM Services stressed the benefits of SDM for those with disabilities and their caregivers. Lyons said the program allows parents with adult children with disabilities to be parents and not just caregivers. Baer emphasized that SDM helps those with disabilities be able to live their lives with dignity.
“Legal capacity to make decisions,” Baer said. “It is at the core of our human dignity to enjoy our successes in life, the natural consequences of our choices, our decisions, our experiences, the mosaic of our choices that make us who we are. At the core of our human dignity is our ability to own our own successes, and we can only do that if we’re allowed to own our own failures.”
One of the people currently benefiting from SDM, Dwight Joyner, spoke about his experience with AIM and SDM. Joyner said that SDM allows him to make his own decisions without having to completely rely on others.
“Decision making means that I can make my own choices and do the things I want to do,” Joyner said. “Make my own meals, take a walk down the street. Be able to have a relationship without someone telling me I can’t be in the relationship.”
New Saratoga Film Forum logo provided by Spencer Sherry.
Photo of Saratoga Arts’ newly renovated theater via the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Film Forum is being revived and will return to Saratoga Arts on April 9.
This means that for the first time since the early days of the pandemic, locals will be able to munch popcorn and gaze at independent films here in the Spa City. They’ll do it inside a newly-renovated theater replete with an updated projector and sound system. They might even, to paraphrase Nicole Kidman’s famous AMC ad, witness dazzling images on a silver screen with sound they can feel.
Every Thursday night for at least 12 weeks, an independent film will be screened inside Saratoga Arts’ 110-seat theater. One of the first films will be A24’s “Sorry, Baby,” the Sundance-premiering, Golden Globe-nominated tale of a reclusive college professor that was helmed by, written by, and stars Eva Victor.
“I heard stories about the [Saratoga Film Forum] and people were kind of clamoring for it,” said Spencer Sherry, who works at Saratoga Arts, runs the Saratoga Film Showcase, and presides over the 518 Film Network. “Ever since working [at Saratoga Arts], I’d get questions about it all the time, then decided to figure out how to get it back up and running with a structure that works and makes sense.”
The first iteration of the Saratoga Film Forum began in 1993, when an alliance of Saratogians decided their hometown needed a theater that would screen harder-to-find indie flicks not already viewable at multiplexes. Today, with Hollywood forever altered by the rise of streaming services, enticing moviegoers to actually leave their homes can be a tall order. But the success of the recent Saratoga Film Showcase (also held at Saratoga Arts) proved there’s an appetite for both independent films and locally produced work.
One unique way the revamped Film Forum will hope to sell tickets is by collaborating with Joseph Masher, the CEO of Scene One Entertainment, which owns the movie theater inside the Wilton Mall. Sherry described Masher as a “friend” who has been “really, really good to the local film scene.” Scene One will be a promotional partner with the Film Forum, Sherry said. The two cinemas will advertise each other’s screenings, and at each Film Forum event, two free tickets to Scene One will be raffled off. The partnership works, in part, because the two theaters will screen different types of films.
“We both agree that we have kind of different audiences between the mall and downtown,” Sherry said. “So, if there’s any way that we can help each other get each other’s audiences to maybe favor Scene One over AMC, make that little extra trek and support someone local instead of a giant chain, then [I’d] just love to help any way I can.”
In addition to Sherry and Masher, some of the other local film fans working behind the scenes to resurrect the Forum include Amy Godine, who served on the Forum’s board from 1993 to 2016; Field Horne, an acting director/curator for the Saratoga County History Center; Amy Bloom, executive director of Saratoga Arts; and Susan Bokan, who made a sizeable donation.
“The support seemed to really be there, and we had a team of people that were saying, ‘We’ll form a programming committee. We will volunteer on the day. We’ll do the popcorn.’ So, it felt like we had enough support to give it a swing,” Sherry said.
With a team and theater in place, expect to see an array of narrative films, foreign flicks, documentaries, and perhaps locally made shorts. The Film Forum will also aim to book in-person appearances, from either people who worked on the films being screened, or from experts and academics who can speak about the topic of a documentary being screened.
Those interested in the Film Forum’s offerings can purchase a $100 membership pass that’ll be good for the first 12 films/weeks of programming. Individual tickets for each screening will be $10 apiece. For these tickets and future film announcements, keep an eye on the Saratoga Arts website and Facebook page.
“I think that this is a huge step in service of bringing back a film culture here, making this a really great place to live and to see independent stuff,” Sherry said.
Anderson Baird at the state meet in Ithaca. Photo provided by Elizabeth Baird.
ITHACA — Saratoga Springs High School swimmer Anderson Baird had a spectacular showing at the state championships in Ithaca last weekend.
Baird returned home as the New York State public and federation title holder in the 200 individual medley, earning him automatic All American status with a winning time of 1:48:81. The Section 2 sportsmanship winner also placed fourth overall in the 100 breaststroke with an All-America consideration time of 55:73.
Four additional Blue Streaks competed at states. Preston Arnold swam the 100 butterfly individual event. The 200 medley relay team of Baird, Loic Goffioul, Jordan Nyatome, and Arnold earned a spot in the bonus final and placed 24th overall in the state. The 400 freestyle relay team of Baird, Arnold, Goffioul, and Magnus Lohse placed 20th overall in the bonus final.
The Saratoga Springs boy’s varsity swim team is coached by Bill Asay.
At last year’s state championships, Baird placed fourth in the 200 individual medley with a school record-breaking time of 1:50:72. He also placed seventh in the 500 freestyle with another school record-breaking time of 4:38:70.
The Lady Saints basketball team had a .500 winning percentage when they fought for their first-ever Section 2 Class D championship. The team had suffered misfortunes that included bouts with the flu, an injured ankle, and mono. But those obstacles weren’t enough to stop a squad determined to make history.
“We were clearly the underdog in a lot of ways, but we didn’t let that affect us going in,” Coach Athena DiLorenzo-Ryan told Saratoga TODAY. “You’re on a high when you’re winning, but then when you go on some type of losing streak, I think the important thing is to look ahead to better days and keep working hard in the gym, keeping your head held high. I try to instill that in them. This isn’t over. We’ve got to keep pushing through. And that’s what happened.”
On March 7, Saratoga Catholic narrowly defeated the two-time defending champions Northville, 43 to 41, in a game that was decided in its final moments. The victory clinched the Lady Saints’ first sectional title in program history.
Sophia Ryan, who broke her school’s all-time scoring record earlier this season, led with 30 points. In other words, she netted almost 70% of her team’s point total. It was a dominant performance but an unsurprising one from a standout who once told Saratoga TODAY that she most admires players who can maintain their composure in big moments.
To secure the W, Lady Saints Leanna Scaperrotta, Lily Norton, Madison Norton, Maggie Durfee, and Margaret Crowe all added digits to the scoreboard.
“I just told these girls, look what you’ve done, it’s totally amazing,” DiLorenzo-Ryan said. “They deserve it. They really do.”
Dancer Itzkan Barbosa. Photo by Gabriel Bienczycki, provided by SPAC.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) announced Wednesday that BalletX, Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet company, will present the SPAC premiere of “The Four Seasons Reimagined” in a special one-night, pavilion-only performance on Thursday, June 11.
The immersive, evening-length work marks BalletX’s first full-company, headlining engagement on the SPAC Amphitheater stage and arrives just days after its world premiere. The company previously performed in the Spa Little Theater and appeared as a guest with The Philadelphia Orchestra on the main stage.
“This season at SPAC, we are reflecting on The Four Seasons—an idea that resonates deeply with our home in Saratoga Spa State Park and with SPAC’s evolution as a vibrant, year-round organization,” said Elizabeth Sobol, CEO of SPAC. “We are proud to have supported the creation of this bold and ambitious work, which beautifully reflects our commitment to environmental awareness and sustainability, inspiring audiences to consider both the majesty and fragility of the natural world that surrounds us. We are also thrilled to welcome regional organizations dedicated to conservation and sustainability, offering them the opportunity to share their work with our audiences and join us for this shared artistic experience.”
“The Four Seasons Reimagined” is a new production that ushers audiences into an immersive landscape shaped by sound, movement, light, and design. Composer and electronic musician Dan Deacon creates and performs an original score live on stage with his nine-member band. Four choreographers—Morgann Runacre-Temple (Summer), Penny Saunders (Fall), Jamar Roberts (Winter), and Trey McIntyre (Spring)—each bring a distinct season to life, revealing nature as the driving force at the heart of the story: fragile, fierce, and magnificently alive.
“We are so grateful to work on this larger-than-life project with Saratoga Performing Arts Center,” said BalletX Artistic and Executive Director Christine Cox. “The Four Seasons Reimagined” is a celebration two years in the making and we’re honored to premiere it as part of America250. Creating alongside Dan Deacon, Penny Saunders, Jamar Roberts, Trey McIntyre, Morgann Runacre-Temple, Emma Kingsbury, Christopher Ash and our company of dancers has been the experience of a lifetime and the result is truly unique – four world premieres, one epic score, one beautiful love letter to Mother Nature.”
At the heart of the project is a newly commissioned score by Deacon. Known for his genre-defying sound and epic-scale live performances, Deacon will reinterpret Vivaldi’s iconic work with an avant-garde, modern edge. Performed live alongside his nine-piece ensemble of musicians, several taking on multiple instruments, the score reflects the shifting seasons and our relationship with the natural world.
Scenic and costume design is by designer Emma Kingsbury, whose work spans theater, dance, opera, and film, including collaborations with Opera Australia and La Scala. Lighting is brought to life by Christopher Ash, whose work has been seen at The Met, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Canadian Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and across numerous Broadway productions.
Extending this commitment beyond the stage, SPAC has invited regional organizations dedicated to conservation and sustainability to attend and engage with audiences prior to the performance. Participating partners include the Agricultural Stewardship Association, Albany Pine Bush Preserve, Mohawk Hudson Land Conservation District, New York State Parks & Historic Preservation, Pitney Meadows Community Farm, Saratoga PLAN, SoBro Conservancy, Southern Adirondack Audubon Society, Spa City Farmers’ Market, Sustainable Saratoga, Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park, and Capital Region PRISM.
Tickets will be available beginning March 6 at 10 a.m. for members (tiered by level) and on March 12 at 10 a.m. for the general public. All tickets for this performance are pavilion only and start at $29. Visit spac.org for details.
