Hey, my name’s Ariel, and I’m the softest, most lovely little lady. I’m a little bit shy still but if you sit with me and give me neck scratches, soon I’ll be rolling into your hands for more! I have a sweet, soft purr that I only let my most favorite humans hear. Most kitties get bored of talking, but your gentle conversation really calms me and makes me feel safe. If you’re patient and willing to give me the time I need, I promise I’ll never leave your side.
QUEENSBURY, NY — Embrace the spirit of the season with our Winter Wonderland Tree Competition, an enchanting event set to spread joy and festive cheer. Join us on Thursday, December 14, from 4 PM to 7 PM at 436 Quaker Rd, Queensbury, for a magical evening filled with music, hot cocoa, and a visit from Santa Claus!
Highlights of the Event
Festive Atmosphere: Immerse yourself in the holiday spirit as you stroll through our two locations, adorned with more than 45 beautifully decorated holiday trees.
Hot Cocoa Delight: Sip on complimentary hot chocolate as you wander through the Winter Wonderland. Warm up your heart and hands while enjoying the delightful decorations.
Sweet Treats: Indulge in candy canes, adding a touch of sweetness to your winter evening.
Musical Magic: Let the sounds of holiday tunes serenade you throughout the event, creating a harmonious backdrop to the festive festivities.
Vote for Your Favorite Tree Online
Don’t just be a spectator; become a part of the magic by voting for your favorite tree online. Your voice will contribute to the excitement as we crown the Winter Wonderland Tree Champion!
Donations Welcome
In the spirit of giving, we welcome any donations to support and enhance this community event. Your generosity will help make future celebrations even more magical.
Free Family-Friendly Community Event
This Winter Wonderland Tree Competition is a free, family-friendly event open to all. Bring your loved ones and share in the joy of the holiday season.
Please join Temple Beth El on Sunday, December 10, 2023 from 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm for their Annual Latke Fest! It’s time for another year of food, music and fun! Now in its thirteenth year, Latke Fest continues to be a Glens Falls community celebration with music, contests, latkes and more. Cooks and eaters of all ages, faiths and cooking abilities are welcome.
If you would like more information, or to join the cooking competition, please contact the Latke Fest organizers at latkefest@glensfallstemple.com. The deadline for cooks is December 4, 2023, but spots are going fast. Join teams from Glens Falls community organizations and businesses, as well as aspiring cooks of all ages, faiths and cooking experience. The winning team earns the coveted title of “Golden Latke” along with prizes and bragging rights for the year. Awards also go to the best condiment. Cooks are encouraged to get creative with their tasty toppings.
In addition, the organizers are always seeking volunteers for the day of the event, along with sponsors at all levels for both monetary and in-kind donations. You don’t have to be a member of Temple Beth El, or Jewish, to participate. It’s time to come together and celebrate our community and the spirit of the holiday season. All are welcome!
Tickets are available at the door and tables can be reserved by calling the Temple office.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for kids ages 5-11, and $200 for a reserved table (includes 8 tickets plus goodies). All proceeds go to support Temple Beth El and the Glens Falls Jewish community. Cash, check, PayPal or credit card accepted.
For more information, please contact latkefest@glensfallstemple.com or call the Temple Beth El office at 518-792-4364.
Latkes and Hanukkah
Hanukkah means “re-dedication.” The holiday is an eight-day celebration commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
Fried foods such as latkes and donuts are traditionally eaten on Hanukkah in commemoration of the day’s worth of oil that miraculously burned for eight days. This custom of eating fried foods on Hanukkah is at least nine hundred years old.
About Temple Beth El
Founded in 1924, Temple Beth El invites all traditional, inter-married, and non-traditional Jewish families and singles in our community and neighboring communities to join in our congregation. The mission of the congregation is to worship God in accordance with the faith of Judaism; to cultivate a love and understanding of Jewish heritage; to stimulate fellowship in the Jewish community and to strengthen the bonds of loyalty with the Jewish people everywhere; to practice the principles of righteousness, justice and unity in society at large; and to follow and further the teachings of Reform Judaism.
‘Tis the season to immerse yourself in the festive melodies of the Glens Falls Symphony at their Holiday Pops! Concert. They will be performing their long-time holiday favorites on December 10 at 4pm. Joining the musicians and Music Director Charles Peltz on stage will be NewsChannel 13’s Mark Mulholland, who will be reading “’Twas the night Before Christmas”. Musical magic will unfold with timeless pieces by Johannes Brahms (“Lo, how a rose e’er blooming”), the classic J.S. Bach composition “Wachet Auf,” and crowd-pleasers such as Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
Music Director Charles Peltz has invited his director colleagues who lead the choruses of Glens Falls, Hudson Falls, and Queensbury High Schools to bring their top voices to join in the music-making. Each high school chorus will sing a work with the orchestra alone, and then they will join together for the finale.
The Symphony is also reviving a much-beloved holiday tradition of inviting local celebrities to campaign for the baton to conduct the orchestra. This year, after a 4-year hiatus from the silly fun of this event, the conductor candidates who have put their hat in the ring are: Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, GF Hospital VP and Musician Ray Agnew, and Glens Falls School District Superintendent Dr. Krislynn Dengler. Each one has already begun vying for the baton by posting on social media and attracting “voters” at the fall Symphony concerts. Each vote costs $10, and all proceeds go to the Glens Falls Symphony educational and performance programs.
In celebration of the Symphony’s 40th anniversary season, the holiday concert will be joining forces with the WAIT House, which serves runaway and homeless youth in upstate NY. Families and any audience members who come to the concert are encouraged to bring items that the center can use, such as: dish soap, laundry detergent, tall and small garbage bags, batteries, light bulbs, cereal, canned soups, rice, tortilla shells & taco seasoning packets, pasta sauce and tomato sauce, peanut butter, jelly, salsa, canned tuna, or canned fruit/vegetables/beans.
Executive Director Jennifer Brink shares, “This holiday concert is a favorite tradition for so many people in our region and beyond. We are especially delighted this year to be joining forces with the choral students from the three high schools to bring musical joy to so many people. This year, tickets are selling sooner than they ever have, so we encourage people to get their preferred seats soon. We invite people in the community to bring new items to donate for the homeless youth in our region, and in this way, we can all celebrate the spirit of giving at this special time of year.”
Concert Sponsor: Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Company
Program
Christmas Fantasy
A Holst Christmas – with Glens Falls High School Chorus- Meredith Reed, Director
Lo, how a rose e’er blooming Johannes Brahms
Night Before Christmas – with Narration by News13 Anchor Mark Mulholland
Homeward Bound – with Queensbury High School Chorus-Matt Gaulin, Director
Wachet Auf, ruft uns die stimme
Intermission
Christmas Eve
There’s Christmas in the Air
The First Noel – with Hudson Falls High School Chorus- Diane Havern, Director
All I Want for Christmas is You!
Sleigh Ride – with Conductor’s Contestants: Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, GF Hospital VP and Musician Ray Agnew, Glens Falls School District Superintendent Dr. Krislynn Dengler vying for the chance to conduct Leroy Anderson’s beloved “Sleigh Ride”
O Come, All ye Faithful
Christmas Festival
We Wish you a Merry Christmas
About Glens Falls Symphony
Since Maestro Charles Peltz’ arrival in 2000, the fully professional Glens Falls Symphony has performed a dynamic repertoire, regularly including musical premieres and world-renowned guest artists while expanding musical offerings to include family concerts, summer pops programs and more. Cited as “one of the great orchestras of our country” by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Joseph Schwantner, the orchestra comprises professional musicians who come from all over the Northeast to perform.
Glens Falls Symphony 2023-24 Season All concerts on Sunday at 4pm Glens Falls High School Auditorium Free Pre-Concert Talk at 3pm (FREE with price of Ticket)
TICKETS
Season and single tickets are priced in three tiers: (Tier 3/2/1)
Season Tickets: $105/$90/$72
Adult: $26/$33/$39
Student: $10
NEW! Family Season Ticket: Two Adults and Two Children: $165 for all Three Remaining Concerts.
Location: Glens Falls High School Auditorium, 10 Quade St, Glens Falls, NY 12801
For information regarding ticket pricing and seating for season, visit www.theglensfallssymphony.org, call the Symphony office at (518) 793-1348 or stop by the office, upstairs in the LARAC Gallery building: 7 Lapham Place in Glens Falls. Office hours are Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Glens Falls Symphony presented a special performance of Lucinda y Las Flores de la Nochebuena by Evan Mack and Josh McGuire, American composers, librettists, pianists and friends.
The opera stars of Seagle Festival, in Schroon Lake, NY vocalists Laura Santamaria, Tiffanie Trujillo, Daniel Esteban Lugo, and Dante Mireles along with our fully professional symphony musicians presented this coming of age, Christmas opera based on the Mexican folktale of the poinsettia.
Students from Queensbury, Lake George, Warrensburg, Ticonderoga, Indian Lake and the Kings School attended this school-day concert at the Warrensburg Middle School/ High School Auditorium on Friday, November 17 with three 42 min performances starting at 9:00am.
Executive Director Jennifer Brink says “Sharing the tremendous range of the orchestra sounds with young people who may never have heard these instruments before is a wondrous thing. We are delighted that after several years of planning, the children in our region can hear the talented musicians of the Glens Falls Symphony in a concert designed just for them. We hope to continue this program with new concerts each year so that the Glens Falls Symphony forms a critical piece of every local child’s cultural education. We feel we have a duty to share this great art with children, and to contribute to building the arts audiences of tomorrow.”
Music Director Charles Peltz shares, “If we ever wonder whether what we do or what we stand for is “real”, if we ever question whether the human spirit responds naturally, genuinely, to great classical music, this past Friday, November 17 is the answer to the question. Children responded to the production with wonder and amazement – you could hear pins drop throughout the performance. They were riveted. They clapped with great enthusiasm at the ends of arias and laughed at the humorous parts of the story. These were young people in their most natural state, ready to be engaged by something unique and good. We were so proud to produce such meaningful musical experiences.”
Each character in Lucinda was represented in brilliant fusion of the opera with a traditional children’s Mexican story regarding the birth of the poinsettia flowers! This could have been the first and only opera that many Adirondack Park students have ever experienced. This beautiful opera educates children, touches their hearts and illuminates the understanding, and true meaning behind the power of gift giving. One objective of presenting live music by professional musicians in this way is to inspire more young people to take up band and orchestra instruments when the opportunity comes.
The concert is supported by a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts. The Charles R. Wood Foundation, and the JM MacDonald Foundation.
About Glens Falls Symphony
Since Maestro Charles Peltz’ arrival in 2000, the fully professional Glens Falls Symphony has performed a dynamic repertoire, regularly including musical premieres and world-renowned guest artists while expanding musical offerings to include family concerts, summer pops programs and more. Cited as “one of the great orchestras of our country” by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Joseph Schwantner, the orchestra comprises professional musicians who come from all over the Northeast to perform.
About Seagle Festival
Seagle Festival is the premiere opera and musical theater producing organization in the Adirondack Region of upstate New York, and the oldest and one of the most distinguished summer vocal training programs in the United States, founded in 1915 by renowned singer and voice teacher Oscar Seagle. Over our 100+ year history, Seagle Festival has transitioned from a successful family-run business to a well-established non-profit organization, run and staffed by leaders in the field of opera and musical theater performances and vocal training, and overseen by a committed and diverse board of directors.
The non-profit corporation Seagle Music Colony, Inc. doing business as Seagle Festival has deep roots in the town of Schroon Lake, New York but serves a much larger community of artists and staff that have participated or worked at Seagle Festival and now live and work across the country and around the world. The mission, vision and values of Seagle Festival include a commitment to the highest quality performances for our devoted audiences and top-notch vocal training for aspiring vocalists of all backgrounds and identities.
About Evan Mack
Believing that opera should be theater grounded in climatic expression that delivers larger-than-life stories and music that harnesses the full athletic thrill of singing, Evan Mack has devoted much of his compositional life to opera and song. His first major operatic composition, where he served as both composer and librettist, was Angel of the Amazon. “Angel” premiered in May of 2011 by Encompass New Opera Theatre at the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York City and was subsequently released on CD worldwide by Albany Records. Two years later, Fresno State Opera Theater premiered The Secret of Luca. This was the first of several collaborations with librettist Joshua McGuire. In August 2016, their American grand opera Roscoe premiered at Seagle Music Colony to rave reviews. Roscoe received its orchestral world premiere with the Albany Symphony starring Metropolitan Opera star Deborah Voigt. In between the two large scale projects, Mack & McGuire found time to write the first ever opera for Twitter #IsOperaDead – an opera in 5 acts lasting one minute and forty seconds.
Their Christmas opera for children, Lucinda y las Flores de la Nochebuena is quickly becoming a holiday standard with yearly productions by San Francisco Opera, Opera in the Heights and Fresno State Opera, who commissioned the opera. The one-act opera The Ghosts of Gatsby premiered by Samford Opera in Birmingham, AL in 2019 and won the National Opera Association’s Argento Chamber Opera Competition. Mack & McGuire’s latest, Yeltsin in Texas! premiered in 2020 by TCU and Opera in the Heights. It’s now in development to become a musical comedy!
Evan Mack has proven as deft at song writing as he is in opera. His song A Little More Perfect is a setting of Justice Anthony Kennedy’s final paragraph of the Marriage Equality Decision by the Supreme Court in 2015. Premiering at Seagle Music Colony in 2015, it has quickly become a favorite of many baritones including Michael Mayes, Daniel Okulich and Michael Miller to name a few. The song had its professional premiere at the Glimmerglass Festival in 2016 and the orchestral premiere at the Fort Worth Opera Festival in 2017. His new cycle If Only Lenny Were Here, which celebrates the life of Leonard Bernstein had its world premiere with the Schenectady Symphony in October of 2018.
Evan was named “2018 Professional of the Year” by Musical America, was a composing fellow at the John Duffy Composers Institute and a resident artist at Yaddo. He is currently published with Hal Leonard, Alfred, and Amazon. Evan is a Teaching Professor at Skidmore College. He lives in Ticonderoga, NY with his wife, Kristin and two sons, Carter and Henry.
About Joshua McGuire
Joshua has written librettos for The Secret of Luca, (based on the novel by Ignazio Silone) and Roscoe (based on the novel by Pulitzer Prize winner William Kennedy) with music by Evan Mack. In October 2016, Roscoe received a full performance by the Albany Symphony featuring soprano Deborah Voigt in the lead role of Veronica. His collaboration with Mack also produced Lucinda y Las Flores de la Nochebuena, a children’s opera commissioned by the Fresno State Opera Theatre. Since premiering in 2016, the opera has played for over 25,000 children, including annual performances by the San Francisco Opera Guild. Mack & McGuire’s one-act opera The Ghosts of Gatsby, based on the life of Zelda Fitzgerald, won the the National Opera Association’s 2019 Dominick Argento Prize for contemporary opera, with subsequent productions by Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory and Opera Las Vegas, among others.
Yeltsin in Texas! — a comedy about the fall of the U.S.S.R. commissioned and premiered by Opera in the Heights and Texas Christian University in February 2020 — is currently being expanded and developed into a full-length musical theatre piece with The Blueprint Project. McGuire is currently developing A Nearer Mother with Evan Mack (based on the life of AIDS activist Ruth Coker Burks), as well as a multimedia opera entitled Siddhartha (after the novel by Hermann Hesse) with composer Murray Hidary.
In 2015, McGuire was commissioned to write a libretto for Washington National Opera’s American Opera Initiative, and the resulting one-act opera, Alexandra, with music by David Clay Mettens, was premiered at the Kennedy Center. He is also the author of The Secret of Music: a look at the listening life, a book of essays on music and mindfulness. McGuire is the recipient of fellowships from Yaddo, Opera America, and the the American Center for New Works Development.
McGuire currently teaches at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music. He studied at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he pursued Master’s work in both guitar and orchestral conducting, holding assistantships in both areas. As an undergraduate at Vanderbilt University, he took the Bachelor of Music summa cum laude as well as High Honors in English Literature for his thesis on musical structures in the work of James Joyce. He currently resides in Nashville with his wife, pianist and conductor Jennifer McGuire, their son Thomas, and a basset hound.
Glens Falls Symphony
2023-24 Season
All concerts on Sunday at 4pm
Glens Falls High School Auditorium
Free Pre-Concert Talk at 3pm (FREE with price of Ticket)
TICKETS Season and single tickets are priced in three tiers: (Tier 3/2/1) 3-Concert Season Tickets: $105/$90/$72 Adult: $26/$33/$39 Student: $10 NEW! Family Season Ticket: Two Adults and Two Children: $165 for all Three Remaining Concerts.
Location: Glens Falls High School Auditorium, 10 Quade St, Glens Falls, NY 12801
For information regarding ticket pricing and seating for season, visit www.theglensfallssymphony.org, call the Symphony office at (518) 793-1348 or stop by the office, upstairs in the LARAC Gallery building: 7 Lapham Place in Glens Falls. Office hours are Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Amira knows she’s a gorgeous girl! She is confident, intelligent, an excellent mouser and quite chatty, announcing her presence so everyone will stop and take notice of her. Amira can be a tad aloof toward new people, preferring to explore her surroundings on her own terms. She’s a lady who values her independence. If you do as well, perhaps you’d make a good match! She will benefit from a quiet, understanding home and a family who is content with a kitty who shows affection to for you in unconventional ways.
Event Includes Shopping, Complimentary Coffee and Cocoa, Cookies with Mrs. Claus, and Custom Photo Cookie Ornaments
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — Dive into the festive spirit of the season at the 2nd Annual Artisans Christmas Market, proudly presented by Ladylily’s Place. Join us on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023, from 11 am to 5 pm, at the enchantingly decorated Ladylily’s Place, 4300 NY-50 Suite 106 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. In case of snow, catch the magic on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, from 11 am to 5 pm.
Saratoga Springs, recently listed as one of the Most Festive Christmas Towns in the USA by House Beautiful sets the perfect backdrop for this extraordinary event. Immerse yourself in a wonderland of creativity as we showcase some of the region’s top artisans, each contributing to the festive atmosphere.
Shop unique, locally-produced and hand-crafted items. One-of-a-kind gifts including cookies, candles, jewelry, leathercraft, and more for everyone on your list. Sip complimentary coffee and cocoa while you shop! Looking for something uniquely special this year? Come to our Christmas market and have your photo taken in our charmingly decorated bakery. Shop while you wait for us to print your photo on a delicious cookie ornament. You can gift it as a keepsake, hang it on your tree or eat it on Christmas Eve. Check out our website for more details: www.ladylilysplace.com.
Join Mrs. Claus for delightful cookies from 2 to 4 pm. Admission is free, making this event accessible to all.
Specializing in delectable, cookie-masterpieces, our brand is centered on creating community through cookies. We’re looking forward to bringing local artisans together, providing a place to shop local and support our community this holiday season.
ABOUT LADYLILY’S PLACE
For over three years, we have served businesses and private clients by creating custom-cookie gifts. We take immense pride in our business and the quality of our product. We think baked goods should be delicious, while also being artistic and interesting. We believe there is nothing better than enjoying a freshly baked cookie with your best friend, celebrating an accomplishment, or sharing a laugh. We started this adventure with the goal of crafting magical moments and personalized cookies for you to share with the people you love. Each cookie you taste is a memory… we want them to be great ones!
If you’re looking for a handsome and professional headbutter, let me introduce myself. I’m Fred, and I’ll be attached at your feet as soon as we meet! Truth is, I’m one of those kitties that you’ll fall in love instantly with. When I was rescued, I had terrible dental disease, and the fine folks here helped me get that fixed. I have no teeth now, but that makes no difference to me, I still love my treats and snacks. You’ll know when I want attention, treats, food, or just to hang out together in the same room because I’m kind of a little bit vocal. If we really get along, I’ll show you my trick of “dancing” before I drink my water! Come meet me and make me your furever friend.
In a heartwarming tribute to Veterans Day, Adirondack Brewery has crafted something truly special this year. A group of veterans, led by Adirondack Brewery Brewer Bob Shafer, who himself served 6 years in the US Air Force, came together to create a limited-edition beer: DD-214, a blonde IPA.
This unique brewing initiative began in 2020 as Brewer Bob Shafer’s way of honoring fellow veterans. The result is DD-214, a flavorful and distinctive blonde IPA that pays homage to the camaraderie and shared experiences of those who have served.
Behind the scenes, the veterans at Adirondack Brewery poured their dedication and passion into the brewing process. The attached behind-the-scenes photos capture the spirit of collaboration and the artistry involved in crafting this special beverage.
Tomorrow, on November 11th, Adirondack Brewery is extending a heartfelt thank you to veterans by offering them a complimentary pint of DD-214 with the purchase of a food menu item. This gesture is a small token of appreciation for the immense sacrifices and contributions made by our servicemen and women.
For those eager to savor DD-214, the blonde IPA will be available on draft and in cans for take-home enjoyment. Additionally, it will be proudly served at the Lake George American Legion Post 374.
The return of DD-214 on Friday is a celebration of craftsmanship and camaraderie. Adirondack Brewery expresses gratitude to Brewer Bob Shafer and the group of veterans whose collective effort brings this limited edition blonde IPA to life.
GLENS FALLS, NY — Renowned quilter Connie Harris Farrington, with over five decades of quilting expertise, presents a captivating collection of 18 whimsical quilts. These masterpieces, created over the past 30 years, pay homage to women from all walks of life, spanning various eras. They vividly encapsulate the aspirations, achievements, and grievances of these remarkable women. Using a medley of fabric, thread, and ink, Connie Harris Farrington skillfully weaves a thought-provoking narrative that combines vibrant visuals with colorful language.
Connie’s unique and innovative approach to quilting has garnered her over 100 awards and prizes in both national and international competitions. Her creations have been featured in numerous magazines, attesting to her exceptional talent and creativity.
A distinguished alumna of Green Mountain College, Syracuse University, and Yale Divinity School, Connie’s passion for quilting is only rivaled by her love for genealogy and tending to her bountiful organic vegetable garden in Queensbury, NY.
To showcase this extraordinary collection, the Crandall Public Library presents the “Two-Sided Quilts” Pop-Up Exhibition, which coincides with the Folklife Center’s 30th anniversary. The exhibition will be held from November 16th to 18th, 2023, with a special reception on Thursday, November 16th from 5-8pm. Informal gallery talks will be conducted at 10am and 2pm each day.
Event Details:
Pop-Up Exhibition: November 16-18, 2023
Reception: Thursday, November 16, 5-8pm
Informal Gallery Talks: 10am and 2pm each day
Location: Crandall Public Library, 251 Glen Street, Glens Falls, NY 12801
“Two-Sided Quilts” is proudly presented by the Folklife Center at Crandall Public Library, an institution renowned for its innovative programs, gallery exhibitions, and research special collections. It is committed to showcasing the rich history and cultural heritage of the upper Hudson valley and southern Adirondacks of upstate New York. This event is made possible in part by funding from the New York State Council on the Arts, supported by the Governor’s office and the NYS Legislature.
About Crandall Public Library: Crandall Public Library is a hub for community engagement, offering a wide range of programs, exhibitions, and research collections. It is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the cultural heritage of the upper Hudson valley and southern Adirondacks of upstate New York. The library’s mission is supported by funding from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the generous support of the Governor’s office and the NYS Legislature.
