Brown Bag Lunch Lecture Series
This monthly educational seminar, originally produced by the Saratoga Heritage Area Visitor Center, began in the early 1990’s and has remained popular for over 30 years. In the early 2000’s, the program outgrew the capacity of the Visitor Center and a partnership was formed with the Saratoga Springs Public Library. This partnership allows us to offer more seating for attendees, provide research guidance for speakers, utilize presentation equipment and arrange for IT support on the day of the program. This community lecture series is meant to highlight the rich history, culture and traditions of our city and Heritage Area. Programs attract an audience of mostly locals who are interested in area history and learning about their community.
- This lecture series takes place eight times per year during the spring and fall seasons: March – June and September – December. There are no programs in July and August.
- Programs are offered in-person at the Saratoga Springs Public Library, 49 Henry Street, Saratoga Springs, NY
- All programs run from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Attendees can also choose to attend virtually and need to register via the library website to receive the Zoom link: https://www.sspl.org.
- All programs are FREE and open to the public.
- We encourage attendees to check the library website for more information and guidelines.
2024 Spring Dates:
Thursday, March 14, 2024: “Women’s Suffrage: The Saratoga Connection” March is Women’s History Month! In honor of this important designation, the focus of our March program is women’s suffrage. Join Charlie Kuenzel, Educator for the Saratoga Springs History Museum as he traces the timeline that outlines the fight for Women’s Suffrage. In the process to pass the 19th Amendment, many people were instrumental in the success of the movement including several people from Saratoga Springs
Thursday, April 18, 2024: Local Author Panel. We’ve invited a few local authors to talk about their work. The authors will be speaking with our audience about their books, the processes of publishing, and what inspired them to write about their subject genre. Please join local authors Maddy Zanetti, JPV Oliver, Gent and Richard Lovrich for this unique and stimulating program!
Thursday, May 9, 2024: “Let's put on a show: The soup to nuts of producing live, local musical theater.” We’re celebrating our local theater company and their upcoming 40th anniversary in 2025! Join Eric Rudy, Executive and Artistic Director of Home Made Theater, the Saratoga Springs based Community Theater company as he takes us through the process of creating a live musical theater experience. Using their upcoming production of The Secret Garden as an example, we will learn all the steps and planning that go into what we see on stage. We’re proud of our history and grateful to our community for their support!
Thursday, June 13, 2024: “The Saratoga Heritage Area Visitor Center: A Landmark Location for History, Health and Hospitality” Today’s Heritage Area Visitor Center has served as a gateway to the city of Saratoga Springs for over 100 years. Join speaker Charlie Kuenzel and travel through time! Get on board and hear the stories of this grand historic building and the people it served. Discover the history of hospitality established in 1915 and learn how we continue to serve leisure travelers and residents today. We invite you to explore the ways in which your Visitor Center can serve you.