Want To See Your Favorite Artist Live?

Overview:
The next activity I will be discussing in my blog is the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

Better known as SPAC, is located within Saratoga Spa State Park and is a venue for all different

kinds of performances. The venue is very unique, containing inside seating but is also viewable

from the outside lawn (Fig. 3).

The lawn is a hill behind the

inside seating that acts as a place

that people can stand or bring

folding chairs to be able to watch

the show. SPAC holds concerts as

well as shows like comedians,

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plays, and speakers. The season
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in which SPAC runs is from

about March all the way through to the beginning of September. The number of shows a month

varies but can be very busy during the summer. For example, there are 18 events set to take place

at SPAC in August of 2023! The popularity of the events will differ based on the show, but you

can always expect a decent showing for whatever is taking place.

The good:

Saratoga Performing Arts Center offers such a wide variety of shows that makes it such

an attraction for all age groups. They range from all different kinds of music from Kidz Bop to

The Grateful Dead, to the Philadelphia Orchestra makes it easy for people to find a performance
that interests themselves. SPAC attracts some big names to come and perform in the summer.

Artists such as Meek Mill, Cardi B, Dave Matthews Band, Morgan Wallen, Dead & Company,

and Luke Bryan are all example of big named artists that have performed at SPAC. Many artists

such as Dave Matthews Band and Luke Bryan come almost every year, so if they are artists that

you enjoy, you can almost count on that they’ll be at SPAC at some point in the year. All the

concerts are announced much in advance which makes it easy to plan trips around the events.

Another positive is the main part of the SPAC season overlaps with the Saratoga Racecourse

meet. Being able to go to both awesome attractions, even in the same day, is very doable and

makes for an awesome experience. One positive to the SPAC experience is the different seating

that attracts to the different needs.

Inside seating is available to those

that want to get up close with the

performer and get a great view of

the action. Those who want to

save some money and take in

more of the SPAC atmosphere,

lawn tickets are available at a

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cheaper cost compared to inside

seating. There’s a total of 5,200 seats inside and 20,000 more people are allowed on the lawn.

They used to not cap entry, but in 1985 they had a show out of 40,231 people at a Grateful Dead

concert. Rarely does a concert fill up but their occasions where they do. This past summer,

Morgan Wallen was arguably the busiest show the venue has seen since they put a cap on

attendance. SPAC is an awesome place for many kinds of people to have a lot of fun. For high
 school and college students, it’s a popular event to drink at with friends. It can make for a fun

day tailgating with friends and then heading in to see the show. This is also true for people of all

ages (except kids of course), not just people in their 20’s. Depending on what interests you, it’s

almost guaranteed that you can find an event for you. If music isn’t your thing, they also have

some great comedians that come such as Bill Burr and John Mulaney.

For Kids:

SPAC is something that is kid friendly. Some events more than others but there are many

events every year that would be something kids would love to see depending on their age. Some

events with popular artists can sometimes be more of a rowdy crowd. Like any event where

people drink, there’s a risk of someone saying or maybe doing something you may not want your

child to see. Sitting inside in the seats will most likely cause you to miss anything like that. The

lawn is the place where things can sometimes get out of hand or inappropriate. Beside that there

are some events that are totally kid friendly, such as Kidz Bop that came recently.

The Bad:

There isn’t much negative to SPAC that would cause people to not attend. Some things that any

busy event would have such as

traffic, long lines, and long lines

to leave driving out take place but

is something to expect at any

event like a performance. Another

negative can be ticket sales for big

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named artists. When big named
artists come, sometimes tickets can sell out very, very quick. When Morgan Wallen came last

summer for example, tickets sold out absurdly fast making the only way to get tickets beyond

that point is through resale. For that concert (which is way out of the ordinary) the cheapest

ticket to get in, not even a seat, was north of $200. Making sure you plan out your trip and are

ready for when tickets are released can avoid that issue.

Personal Rank: 2

This is a very close second to the Saratoga Racecourse for me. Being able to go ad

hangout with friends, and then being able to see a great show makes for an awesome night. For

someone that lives nearby, and especially for someone that is in high school or was recently, it’s

very common to see a lot of people you know, and it makes for a fun atmosphere. I would highly

recommend trying to catch a concert at SPAC if you have the chance.