Summer: Sunny days, clear skies and open calendars. When the kids say I m bored, or you find yourself with a free day, know there is plenty to do to make this season memorable.
Saratoga Performing Arts Center
SPAC presents critically acclaimed Doug Varone and Dancers modern dance company to kick off the 2016 season at 8 p.m. Friday. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the company resides at the 92nd Street Y in New York City and has performed on all the major stages and festivals across the country, as well as in Europe, Asia, Canada and South America. Tickets are $19.66 for adults; $10 for children. There is a pre-performance talk. Tickets are available at spac.org[1].
Twyla Tharp Dance will perform at 8 p.m. June 30. Tharp will present a world premiere performance choreographed in residency at the Catskill Mountain Foundation. Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for children.
Museums, galleries
Chapman Historical
The story of Irene Betar will be brought to life at 2 p.m. Sunday by Judi Gross and Dave Lundgren in a new production of the Chapman Literary Society. Irene Betar, a daughter of Syrian immigrants in South Glens Falls, worked for 50 years at Binch s Lace Factory. She designed lace and trained GIs while putting three children through college and traveling the world. The Chapman Literary Society is a group of area writers that focuses on historical subject matter. Following the performance will be an opening reception for the new exhibit, Help Wanted: Female.
The 2016 Chapman Golf Outing will feature a best-ball format and will include a hole-in-one sponsored by D Ella Auto Group. The June 16 tournament includes a lunch at noon, shotgun start at 1 p.m. and steak dinner following play. Team and individual awards will be given. Entry fee is $125 per person and $480 for a foursome. For more information, call Timothy Weidner at 793-2826. The Chapman hosts its annual Plant & Tag Sale from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 18. The sale features donated perennials and household goods. It will be held on the museum grounds, rain or shine. The work of Seneca Ray Stoddard s contemporaries will be discussed in Not Stoddard Stereoviews at 7 p.m. June 21. The talk features 19th-century photographers George W. Conkey, George S. Irish, A. Orr & Son, L.H. Fillmore of Ticonderoga and others.
The Hyde Collection
The Hyde offers Community Day from 1 to 4 p.m. June 11. Bring the whole family for a fun afternoon at The Hyde, full of art, a Bali steel pan drum demonstration and Stewart s ice cream. Enjoy creative activities inspired by the Christo and Jeanne-Claude exhibition. Bring your own object to wrap like Christo and help build a sculpture of Glens Falls. Admission is free.
Christo & Jeanne-Claude: The Tom Golden Collection features more than 125 original drawings, sculptures, collages and photographs, tracing the career of the renowned artistic duo. The exhibition runs through June 26. The grounds of The Hyde will feature Camp Iris, an outdoor installation by Glens Falls artist Victoria Palermo, until Sept. 5. Camp Iris is a lounge-in, walk-through sculpture filled with prismatic color and light. Join a docent-led gallery talk June 18 on the exhibition Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Tom Golden Collection, followed by tea/coffee and conversation. Treat your dad or son to a special day at The Hyde. Members invite your father, father figure or son to a complimentary Tour Talk Tea and visit to The Hyde.
NorthCountryARTS
See work by some of the region s finest artists in NorthCountryARTS Summer Creations Exhibition. An opening reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Art in Chestertown Gallery, 6378 state Route 9 in Chestertown. The exhibition runs through July 23. NorthCountryARTS opens its Great Expectations Exhibit at noon June 16 at its Shirt Factory Gallery, Suite 114, in Glens Falls.
Widlund Gallery at Tannery Pond Center
Carved: An Inaugural Solo Exhibition by Julia Koerner Johnson starts with an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday. The artist s first show features a 50-piece body of work that includes etched plexiglass, block prints, ink drawings and wood burning.
Little Theater on the Farm
Greenwich s Bob Warren Band will perform at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Little Theater on the Farm, 27 Plum Road in Fort Edward. Warren s music reflects a poetic artistry that is articulate and evocative, with roots in the folk troubadour tradition. Tickets are $10; $7 for seniors and students. Refreshments and 50/50 raffle available. Little Theater on the Farm presents an Afternoon with Pat Patterson and his gospel group for a singalong of gospel and traditional music. Admission is $10; $7 for seniors and students. Refreshments and 50/50 raffle available. Basket Party open from 2 to 4 p.m.
Marty Wendell and his Rock-a-billy Show Band will perform at 7 p.m. June 18 with Nashville recording artists Linda McKenzie and Jerry Fox. Tickets are $10; $7 for seniors and students. Refreshments and 50/50 raffle available. Basket Party open from 6 to 9 p.m.
Opera Saratoga
Opera Saratoga presents A Mozart Lierdeabend at 7 p.m. Saturday at The Hyde Collection. While best known to opera lovers for his many extraordinary works for the stage, Mozart also wrote some of the most beautiful songs of the 18th century. Join us for an intimate evening of song in Italian, German and French by the great master.
Young Artists from Opera Saratoga present a preview of the upcoming 2016 mainstage season at 7:30 p.m. June 15 at The Sembrich. The repertoire for the evening includes selections from Mozart s The Marriage of Figaro, Il Postino by Daniel Cat n and The Witches of Venice by Philip Glass. Tickets are $25; free for members. Country music star Craig Morgan starts the Charles R. Wood Park Festival Commons concert season off with a show at 9 p.m. Saturday, headlining the Americade concert series. Tickets start at $25 for the general public; $20 for Americaders. Visit americaderocks.com[2] for ticket information. See a full list of performers throughout the day and information about a pre-concert party on the website.
Pianist Inga Kashakashvili will perform with special guest Anna Keiserman in a Voyage to Europe concert at 6 p.m. June 12 at Hudson River Music Hall, 10 Maple St. in Hudson Falls. Tickets are $12 for general admission, $8 for seniors and students. For more information, call 832-3484. For Flag Day, the Chenaults, the world s premier duo-organists, offer Patriotic Pipes: An Organ Concert at 7:30 p.m. June 14 at First Presbyterian Church, 400 Glen St. in Glens Falls.
The Kings Highlanders Pipe Band will perform at noon June 17 at Fort William Henry Museum, 48 Canada St. in Lake George. The show is included in the cost of admission to the museum.
The second annual Shake The Lake for Vets Sake, a benefit for The Adirondack Vets House, kicks off at 5 p.m. June 17 and 18 at King Neptune s Bar in Lake George. Featuring a live performance from The Adam Ezra Group, admission is $5 at the door and all the door sales will be donated directly to The Adirondack Vets House. There will be a Veterans Biker Rally on Saturday morning; it ends at King Neptune s Pub, with a barbecue chicken buffet. A silent auction will be held from noon to 6 p.m. The event also includes a Battle of the Bands, featuring six local bands, from 2 to 6 p.m. June 18. Formula 5 will close out the weekend with a performance. See The Georgie Wonders Orchestra perform live with opener Red Shift at 4 p.m. June 24 at Shepard Park, as part of the Fridays at the Lake Concert Series. Evenings will feature a craft beer and a wine garden, a food caterer and children s activities. Enjoy the beach, swimming and the playground. This venue is family- and dog-friendly. The free outdoor concert series takes place from 4 to 8 p.m. Fridays from June 24 to Sept. 2. Free admission.
Capital Zen will perform at 10 p.m. June 24 at King Neptune s Pub, 2 Kurosaka Drive in Lake George. Zen strives to consistently surprise their fans. With a variety of covers sprinkled throughout each set, accompanied by an entrancing light production, every show is an event. Luzerne Music Center holds a Student Solo Showcase Concert at 7 p.m. June 25 at the Lake Tour Road, Lake Luzerne, camp. The event will showcase the incredible talent of students from all over the world who come to the Luzerne Music Center to further their musical enrichment. A child-friendly evening.
Lake George Community Band will perform a free concert at 8 p.m. June 30 in Shepard Park in Lake George. Hear the band before the fireworks.
Saratoga Performing Arts Center
The Dixie Chicks perform at 7 p.m. Saturday, with The Heavy and John Hebert opening. Tickets range from $35 to $200, and are available through livenation.com[3] or by calling 584-9330.
Mumford & Sons perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The show is sold out.
Dead & Company play at 7 p.m. June 21. Featuring Bill Kreutzmann, John Mayer and Bob Weir. With Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti. Tickets range from $40 to $149.50.
Miranda Lambert brings her Keeper of the Flame Tour to SPAC at 7:30 p.m. June 24. With special guests Kip Moore and the Brothers Osborne. Tickets are $30 to $64.75.
The Sembrich
The Sembrich presents the Young Performers Showcase at 2 p.m. Saturday at its 4800 Lakeshore Drive, Bolton Landing, venue. This annual season opener brings together some of the region s most promising high school and college students for an afternoon of vocal and instrumental music, in both classical and popular styles. Italian-born violin wizard Luca Ciarla owns the stage with his fiddle and a few toy instruments in The Sembrich s Fiddler in the Loop at 1:30 p.m. June 22. Step by step, with a loop pedal, he performs all the parts live, playing the violin like a guitar, a cello or a percussion instrument. In this imaginative landscape, Luca sings, whistles, plays other instruments and adds new virtuoso passages; music is continuously evolving into a dazzling solo string band. Tickets are $15 and are available by calling 644-2431, ext. 101. Seagle Music Colony offers a Season Preview at 1:30 p.m. June 29 at The Sembrich. Seagle Music Colony is the oldest summer music training program in the United States and the premier opera and musical theater producing organization in upstate New York. This year, the talented young singers from the Seagle perform selections from The Most Happy Fella, The Elixir of Love, Roscoe and The Music Man. Tickets are $30.
Gear Jam wraps up from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at Mettowee Off Road Extreme Park in Whitehall. All types of vehicles and vendors are welcome. The admission fee is $25 per day for vehicle and driver and $10 for passengers or spectators. Ages 6 and younger are admitted for free.
ESTRA Tow Show returns to Six Flags Great Escape Lodge for its 33rd annual show, which runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Tow trucks of all shapes, sizes and colors will be rolling into town. This is a fun event for the family, with children s activities including face painting, balloon creations and a tow truck rodeo. Admire custom paint jobs, special features and the personality each tow truck showcases.
The Cambridge community wraps up another year of its annual Cambridge Valley Balloon Festival, with activities throughout the village Sunday. For a complete schedule, visit cambridgenychamber.com[4].
St. James Church Spring Fair runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the 172 Ottawa St., Lake George, church. More than 20 vendors with hand-crafted and vintage items. Flea market vendors also. Variety of soups, sandwiches and home-made baked goods for sale.
Americade, the motorcycle rally that descends upon Lake George every summer, runs Tuesday to Saturday. The event features concerts, parades, barbecues, cruises, parties, contests, judging and more. See americade.com[5] for a complete schedule.
DirtDaze Adventure Bike Rally speeds into Painted Pony Ranch in Lake Luzerne from Tuesday to Saturday. The DirtDaze Adventure Bike Rally is an adventurous and educational multi-day festival for dual-sport and adventure motorcycles. The event offers on-site KTM factory demos and vendors, professional riders offering training, dual sport rides to far-off destinations with lunch, fun nighttime activities, riding games and contests. Check out dirtdazerally.com[6] for more information.
The 24th annual Whipple City Festival kicks off with a Fairy Tale Parade at 6 p.m. Friday at venues throughout Greenwich. The weekend continues with concerts, vendors, artisan markets, re-enactors and children s activities throughout the day Saturday. Visit www.greenwichchamber.org/whipplecityfestival.asp[7] for details. A Perennial Plant Sale will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Parks-Bentley Place, 53 Ferry Blvd. in South Glens Falls. Experienced gardeners will be on hand to assist with plants and answer questions. The sale is fundraiser for the historical society. The inaugural Regional Women s Conference will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at First United Methodist Church of Warrensburg. The keynote speaker will be Kathy Hammond, featuring Wade Hammond as the musical guest. The theme is When Life Gives You Lemons. The program focuses on how to overcome the trials and tribulations of everyday life through the teachings of Jesus Christ. The program costs $20. Register by sending a check to North River United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 218, North River, NY 12856. For more information, contact Amy Sabattis at 251-2519.
Parks-Bentley Place celebrates Flag Day at 1 p.m. June 12. The American Legion of South Glens Falls will retire the historical society s old flag and raise a new one. This will be followed by live musical entertainment by Celtic band Craic Agus Ceol, which will perform a program of patriotic music as well as their regular traditional, contemporary, original Irish, Celtic and American folk songs. Visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. The program is free. Lake George holds its Spring Restaurant Week from June 12 to 18, when for $20.16, participating restaurants offer a special three-course meal. Participating restaurants include Adirondack Bar and Grill, Adirondack Pub & Brewery, The Algonquin, The Boathouse Restaurant, The Lobster Pot, Log Jam, Mario s Restaurant and Giovanna s on the Lake at The Georgian Lakeside Resort. To learn more, call Lake George Chamber at 668-5755.
The Hudson Valley Volunteer Firemen s Association Convention will be held June 16 to 18 throughout Lake George. The weekend features a Mardi Gras Parade at 7 p.m. June 17 on Canada Street; a Dress Parade at 1 p.m. June 18 on Canada Street; live music at 7 p.m. June 18 in Shepard Park; trophy presentations at 8 p.m. June 18; and fireworks over the lake at 9:30 p.m. June 18.
The North Country s Second Largest Garage Sale will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 18 at the First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls, 400 Glen St. Nettle Meadow Farm hosts a Cheese and Spirits Pairing from 5 to 7:30 p.m. June 18 at the farm, 484 S. Johnsburg Road in Thurman. Enjoy some of the farm s nationally distributed cheeses with some of the region s finest wines, beers and ciders, artisan breads, maple products and live music all in the majestic hayloft of the restored century-old barn. Tickets are $25 before June 14; $30 afterward, and are avaialble at NettleMeadowCheeseandSpirits.com[8].
An Adirondack Woof Stock A Weekend of Peace, Paws & Music will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 18 and 19 at 6301 state Route 9 in Chestertown. The weekend features disc dog competitions, a doggie chasing course, pets for adoption, police canine demonstrations, blessing of the animals, a talent show, food vendors, light shows, a bonfire, live music and more. Admission is $1 per person; free for those younger than 12. For more information, call 494-3016 or email