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May 14, 2025SPAC Announces The Adirondack Trust Company Festival of Young Artists
Saratoga Performing Arts Center announced that “The Adirondack Trust Company Festival of Young Artists” will return for its eighth annual event on Sunday, June 1 from 2 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Following the theme Wonder – inspired by the work of 24th U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón – the festival will celebrate the collaborative creativity of more than 700 of the Capital Region’s brightest young dancers, musicians, singers, poets, and visual artists all in support of SPAC’s mission to provide free and accessible arts programming for local youth.
Featuring students from local schools and organizations such as Empire State Youth Orchestra (ESYO), Capital District Youth Chorale, Saratoga Springs Youth Ballet, Narthanalaya School of the Arts, and the SPAC School of the Arts, the afternoon will include individual pop-up performances and art displays, culminating in a large-scale, coordinated production on SPAC’s stage. As part of the production, an original musical composition by festival student, Siyi Guo (Guilderland HS, Grade 12), will premiere on the SPAC stage, performed by the ESYO Symphony Orchestra.
SPAC also revealed the “Outstanding Artist” award winners: Jenny Fang (Shenendehowa HS, Grade 11) for visual art; Gianna Zhang (Shaker HS, Grade 9) for literary art; and Audrey Bedell and Iris Yang (Saratoga Springs Youth Ballet, Grade 12) for performing arts. Students in each category will receive a $500 scholarship to support the further development of their craft at the festival. The complete online student gallery is available at www.spacfoya.org.
“We are proud to see the festival continue to grow and evolve this year with the addition of a sensory area and ASL interpretation. These efforts reflect our ongoing commitment to fostering greater inclusion and accessibility for all members of our community,” said Dennis Moench, VP of Education.
“Nothing is more life-affirming than witnessing the joy and talent of our region’s youth. Inviting these students to perform on our campus is the perfect way to celebrate the opening of our summer season,” said Elizabeth Sobol, Chief Executive Officer of Saratoga Performing Arts Center. “We are grateful to The Adirondack Trust Company for their continued support of this exuberant, signature SPAC event, now in its eighth year.”
Kicking off at 2:00 p.m., SPAC’s grounds will be transformed into a festive celebration and will feature individual pop-up performances by student ensembles from the Capital Region, fine art displays, food stands, poetry readings, lawn games and immersive art activities, plus free ice cream provided by Stewart’s Shops. At 4:45pm, hundreds of young artists will gather to present a celebratory concert on SPAC’s main stage, featuring large-scale productions that combine music, song, poetry, visual art, and dance.
This event is free to the community; however, registration is required for admission. Visit spacfoya.org for details.
