SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) — A free neighborhood music festival is set for Sunday, May 22 in downtown Saratoga Springs. The Sing in the Streets festival is to celebrate Caffè Lena’s 62nd anniversary.

“Sing in the Streets celebrates our venue’s history but it’s also a celebration of the community that helped our historic venue survive the turmoil of the last couple years,” said Carolyn Shapiro, a Caffè Lena staff member and one of the performers for the afternoon.

Performances are set to take place at six locations in the downtown Saratoga Springs neighborhood. Each site will feature a display of photos and memorabilia associated with one decade of the venue’s 62 years of operation.

“We have a lot to celebrate this year,” said Kira Favro, Caffè Lena’s Board president. “We marked our 60th during the peak of the pandemic. Now it’s time to gather in person and enjoy music and survival. Caffè Lena has a long history, but its future is going to be even longer.”

The performances will be from noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday. In case of inclement weather, all the performances will take place at Caffè Lena.

Locations

  • Impressions at the corner of Broadway and Phila Street
  • The west side of the Saratoga Springs Public Library on Putnam Street
  • The Henry Street side of the library where there will be an enclosed area with music for children
  • Ben and Jerry’s at the corner of Putnam and Phila
  • The Caffè Lena courtyard at 47 Phila Street
  • The Caffè Lena stage.

Caffè Lena said the festival will feature a variety of musical styles, including pop, country, folk, bluegrass, jazz, and children’s music. “We’re encouraging people to visit every stage and get their Folk Passport stamped for a chance to win an Emcee Membership, which entitles you to two free shows a month for an entire year,” said Shapiro.

Performers

  • Girl Blue
  • The Bluebillies
  • Hot Club of Saratoga
  • North and South Dakotas
  • Jes Hudak
  • The Lost Radio Rounders
  • Reese Fulmer
  • Russel the Leaf
  • Cassandra Kubinski
  • Karl Bertrand
  • Carolyn Shapiro
  • The trio of James Gascoyne, Oona Grady, and Dan Berggren. 

“Anyone can come down to the neighborhood and enjoy music for free,” said Favro. “There will also be opportunities to make a donation to our non-profit to fund our community service. Donations fund free shows for kids, music in nursing homes and homeless shelters, free music lessons for families in need, and all-ages, alcohol-free open mics.”

Sing in the Streets is made possible by the support of Twin Leaf Farms, Jim Mastrianni, Ten Eyck Group, Eric Gordon LLC, Impressions of Saratoga, G. Willikers, Ben & Jerry’s, and Nippertown.