By Paul Post<\/p>\n
With another successful New Year\u2019s Eve celebration still fresh, Spa City officials are already looking ahead to ways to build on the event in 2027.<\/p>\n
More than 3,000 people braved freezing temperatures to close out 2025 with activities and entertainment for both children and adults.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I love most is seeing familiar faces from the community and how happy people are to be there,\u201d said Ryan McMahon, executive director of the Saratoga Springs City Center. \u201cEveryone takes something different from it, but there are always things we can improve on.\u201d<\/p>\n
McMahon, who also serves as treasurer of the Downtown Business Association, said the group works with the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, Discover Saratoga and Proctor\u2019s Collaborative to stage the event.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey now secure the performers, manage ticketing, and help with event supervision and staffing,\u201d said Todd Shimkus, president of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. \u201cThis transformed the event into one that is professionally run and managed from start to finish.\u201d<\/p>\n
Because of extreme cold, organizers opted not to stage outdoor music before the fireworks this year, Shimkus said. Performances were held at the City Center, Universal Preservation Hall and Caffe Lena.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cold weather meant a later-arriving crowd for the fireworks,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s always hard to measure because shooting fireworks from the top of the City Center parking garage means they can be seen throughout downtown and even in residential areas. We don\u2019t have final ticket numbers, but we were tracking close to last year.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span>Shimkus said future calendar placement could help boost attendance. Next year\u2019s event falls on a Thursday, followed by a Friday the year after that.<\/p>\n \u201cThursdays and Fridays tend to be more convenient for people to spend a night out,\u201d he said. \u201cHotels did well this year for a winter Wednesday night, and it certainly looked like people were out for dinner and drinks downtown. The crowds were good inside each venue.\u201d<\/p>\n Children\u2019s activities were hosted at the YMCA, and more than 700 people participated in the First Day 5K on Jan. 1.<\/p>\n Before the pandemic, Saratoga Springs hosted a large-scale First Night celebration featuring dozens of performers at venues throughout the city. That model came to an end during COVID and was replaced by a smaller, rebranded Saratoga Springs New Year\u2019s Eve Celebration.<\/p>\n \u201cThe truth is that the old model had run its course and was no longer financially viable,\u201d Shimkus said. \u201cNone of the organizations that ran that event planned to bring it back after COVID.\u201d<\/p>\n He said the current model allows organizers to generate revenue from multiple sources, including sponsorships and VIP ticket pricing tied to the caliber of performers.<\/p>\n \u201cWe did expand offerings this year thanks to the Saratoga YMCA, the Children\u2019s Museum and the Saratoga Springs Recreation Center,\u201d Shimkus said. \u201cWe\u2019re always willing to talk with other venues that see a benefit to hosting free, family-friendly activities.\u201d<\/p>\n The current New Year\u2019s Eve celebration costs about $140,000 and featured 14 performers, headlined by the Allman Betts Band at the City Center.<\/p>\n \u201cWe really worked hard to bring it back four years ago,\u201d McMahon said. \u201cWe\u2019re growing it a little bit every year. Performers cost more than they did five or eight years ago, and everything has gone up. We do this with as little money as we can.\u201d<\/p>\n McMahon said organizers would like to expand to additional locations but not at the expense of artistic quality.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery bar and restaurant is doing something already on New Year\u2019s Eve,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n While officials do not expect future celebrations to match the size of the former First Night, they are focused on making the event feel special and relevant.<\/p>\n Discover Saratoga President Darryl Leggieri said the emphasis should be on evolving rather than recreating the past.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s less about getting back to what First Night was and more about fitting today\u2019s audience,\u201d Leggieri said. \u201cTastes have changed, expectations are different, and people like experiences that are flexible and walkable.\u201d<\/p>\n Leggieri said feedback from both attendees and business owners was positive, particularly regarding the 6 p.m. fireworks, which helped draw people downtown earlier in the evening.<\/p>\n \u201cRestaurants and bars reported strong traffic throughout the night,\u201d he said. \u201cMany appreciated having a New Year\u2019s Eve that brought people downtown without feeling overwhelmed.\u201d<\/p>\n He said the event also helps build momentum for other winter programming, including Saratoga Snow Day, Chowderfest, winter restaurant week and seasonal downtown events.<\/p>\n \u201cEvents like this help drive overnight stays, dining and retail spending during a traditionally quieter time of year,\u201d Leggieri said. \u201cIt reinforces that Saratoga Springs is active and open year-round.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Paul Post With another successful New Year\u2019s Eve celebration still fresh, Spa City officials are already looking ahead to ways to build on the event in 2027. More than 3,000 people braved freezing temperatures to close out 2025 with activities and entertainment for both children and adults. \u201cWhat I love most is seeing familiar […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-news"],"yoast_head":"\r\n