Category Archives: Holiday Shopping

Holiday Gifts Of A More Personal Nature Can Be Found In Many Small Ballston Spa Shops

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Downtown Ballston Spa is decorated to welcome shoppers for the holidays. There are many shops in the downtown area where people can find out-of-the-ordinary gift options.
©2017 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Rachel Phillips

It’s that time of year again. Amidst all the joy and happiness that comes with the holiday season, it’s also a hectic time for many people. Finding the perfect gift for everyone can be stressful.

Big chain stores offer a seemingly endless selection of pre-packaged gift sets and generic knickknacks. For those seeking a more personal touch, however, these gifts may fall short.

Fortunately, Saratoga County is home to an array of local businesses selling items that make for a personalized gift-giving experience. Ballston Spa is home to many of those kinds of shops.

Those shopping for antique lovers have a few options in the area.

In Ballston Spa, 91 Milton Ave., is the Two If By Sea Gallery, owned and operated by Gregory Tkal. The gallery is a showroom of antique lighting fixtures, as well as vintage art, prints, ornaments and stained-glass panels. The light fixtures, which include chandeliers, table lamps and more, have each been fully restored, rewired and cleaned, and are “ready to be used for another 100 years,” said Tkal. “The pieces I carry are very unique. Each light fixture is an older piece, and you just can’t get the quality of workmanship in a modern fixture.”

Tkal’s wares are also displayed on an online gallery, at twoifbyseagallery.com, and on his Etsy shop by the same name.

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SPAC Offers Customized Ticket Packages For 2018 Varied Calendar Of Concerts, Events

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In time for the holiday season, Saratoga Performing Arts Center is offering customizable gifts for music lovers through Dec. 31.

The 2017 holiday collection includes the ultimate classical season pass, which features a lawn seat for all performances of the New York City Ballet and the Philadelphia Orchestra and the opportunity to upgrade to the best available amphitheater seat for $5 for any performance, up to five times ($165 through Dec. 31); gift certificates that can be redeemed for tickets to any SPAC performance, Live Nation show or the Saratoga Wine & Food Festival; the flex ticket option for the Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival ($56 through Dec. 31); and holiday gift subscriptions to Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center at SPAC and Opera Saratoga.

“The ultimate classical season pass is the best kept ‘SPAC insider’ secret. What’s well known about these lawn passes is that they offer the opportunity to experience SPAC’s world-class programming for the entire classical season at an average ticket price of just $7 per performance, less than a movie ticket,” said Elizabeth Sobol, CEO of SPAC.

‘What’s not well known, and a terrific bonus is that classical season pass holders can also upgrade their ticket to best available seats five times per season, for just $5. It is our version of ‘rush’ ticketing and often results in fabulous amphitheater seats. And the pass holder can still attend all other concerts on the lawn.”

Sobol said, “Whether you sit on the lawn to enjoy a picnic with the exhilarating sounds of the Philadelphia Orchestra, or use the upgrades to witness the unparalleled beauty of New York City Ballet in premium amphitheater seats, the classical season pass is the perfect gift for anyone who wants to experience our rich and diverse classical programming.”

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Ballston Spa Holiday Parade Is Scheduled For Friday Night, Dec. 1, Down Milton Avenue

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Santa Claus rides atop a fire truck at last year’s holiday parade on Milton Avenue in Ballston Spa. After this year’s parade, Santa will preside over the annual tree lighting ceremony.
Courtesy BSBPA

The Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association’s annual Ballston Spa Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting will takes place, Friday, Dec. 1.

The step off time is 6:30 p.m., proceeding on Milton Avenue and ending in Wiswall Park on Front Street with Santa lighting the Christmas tree.

The parade features fire trucks, floats, animals, kids and Santa parading down the main street of the village.  Once again this year, the parade will spotlight the Toys for Tots campaign, in partnership with the Ballston Spa Community Emergency Corps, Saratoga County Sheriff Department and U.S. Marine Corps.

Volunteers from these organizations will be on hand to collect donations of new, unwrapped toys from spectators along the parade route as well as at the tree lighting.

Organizations, groups or businesses that would like to take part can visit www.ballston.org to register, or contact Ellen Mottola at the BSBPA office at 518-885-2772 or info@ballston.org.

The parade headlines a holiday-themed First Friday, Ballston Spa’s signature monthly event, which celebrated its 13th year in 2017.

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Downtown Saratoga Springs Offers Great Variety For People Doing Holiday Shopping

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Holiday gift items like these are available at the Crafter’s Gallery in Saratoga Springs. Owner Christina Lowes also oversees the Santa’s Workshop booth on Broadway. Courtesy Crafter’s Gallery

By Maureen Werther

With the holiday season at hand in, businesses in downtown Saratoga Springs are readying their shops and restaurants to welcome visitors.

Many downtown businesses have long been part of well-attended events such as the Victorian Streetwalk and Christmas tree lighting, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Restaurant Week. There are also new businesses and new owners of existing businesses who are eager to become a part of seasonal festivities.

Impressions of Saratoga among the businesses that has been part of the holiday scene since 1978. Maryanne Barker, co-owner and past president of the Downtown Business Association, stressed the importance of bringing people into the downtown area to shop, dine and be entertained.

“All of our employees are local. We pay rent and we purchase as much inventory locally as we can,” she said. Dollars that stay in the city help to maintain the vibrant local economy. Her new business partner is Maddy Zanetti, who started working at Impressions as a teenager. The team has some new events planned for the upcoming season.

One of them is a shopping night dedicated solely to local teachers.

“This was Maddy’s idea,” said Barker. “We are going to offer finger foods from local food partners and tastings from local artisanal producers of hard cider,” she said. Teachers will have the store to themselves to enjoy some pampering while they browse and shop through the store. There will also be a raffle and door prizes.

Zanetti said Impressions will be hosting other groups throughout the season. Working in concert with the Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau, they are going to host a similar event in early December for a group of about 80 people from out of the area. Zanetti echoed Barker’s comments about the importance of stimulating local shopping and dining, noting that at least $80 of every $100 dollars spent in town, stays in town.

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The Saratoga Marketplace Has Eclectic Offerings For Shoppers During The Holidays

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The Saratoga Marketplace at 454 Broadway in Saratoga Springs is home to more than a dozen eclectic shops and galleries s offering an assortment of gifts for people doing their holiday shopping. ©2016 Saratoga Photographer.com
The Saratoga Marketplace at 454 Broadway in Saratoga Springs is home to more than a dozen eclectic shops and galleries s offering an assortment of gifts for people doing their holiday shopping.
©2016 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Maureen Werther

Downtown Saratoga Springs in the 1970s was a different place than what it is today. Shop owners and business people were vacating the historic buildings that lined Broadway in favor of shopping malls and corporate business parks.

Today, the city has thriving downtown community, which has become a destination for people.

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