What's Happening in Saratoga Springs, NY This Week: Halloween Weekend, Candlelight Concert & More (Oct 28 – Nov 3, 2026)
Last updated: Wednesday, October 28, 2026 · Saratoga Springs, Saratoga County, New York 12866 (Capital Region / Upstate NY)
Quick answer: This week in Saratoga Springs, NY brings a free Trunk or Treat at the Saratoga Automobile Museum (Wed, Oct 28), haunted Canfield Casino ghost tours (Thu, Oct 29), the FAB5 Concert by Candlelight fundraiser at Saratoga Arts (Fri, Oct 30, 7 PM), a downtown Halloween night and free Breeders' Cup Watch Party (Sat, Oct 31), and live music all weekend.
Fall in the Spa City is a good time to be downtown. Here is a day-by-day guide to the best things to do in Saratoga Springs this week, with times, addresses and links so you can plan your visit.
This Week at a Glance
Day | Event | Time | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Wed, Oct 28 | 2–6 PM | Saratoga Automobile Museum, 110 Avenue of the Pines | Free | |
Wed, Oct 28 | 6 PM | CulinaryArts@SPAC, 108 Avenue of the Pines | Ticketed | |
Thu, Oct 29 | 5–7 PM | Canfield Casino, 1 E. Congress St. | $25 | |
Thu, Oct 29 | 7 PM | Saratoga Arts, 320 Broadway | Season ticket | |
Fri, Oct 30 | 7 PM | Saratoga Arts, 320 Broadway | Ticketed | |
Fri, Oct 30 | Warren Miller's Days Off | 7 PM | Maple Ave Middle School | $20 advance / $25 door |
Sat, Oct 31 | Halloween night downtown | Evening | Downtown Saratoga Springs | Varies |
Sat, Oct 31 | 3:30–6:30 PM | National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame | Free | |
Sun, Nov 1 | Live music: Melissa Ferrick, Sinatra and Friends, Latin Night | 6–7 PM | Caffè Lena, Panza's, Putnam Place | Varies |
Tue, Nov 3 | 6:30 PM | Saratoga Arts, 320 Broadway | Free (register) |
Featured Fundraiser: FAB5 Concert by Candlelight at Saratoga Arts
On Friday, October 30, 2026 at 7:00 PM, the string quartet FAB5 hosts a candlelit fundraiser for Mostly Modern Projects at Saratoga Arts, 320 Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs. Mostly Modern Projects is a Saratoga Springs-based nonprofit that brings modern classical music to audiences in fun, accessible ways, and CBS6 Albany reported that the night will feature hundreds of flickering candles and a spooky finale.
Expect calming, restorative music, finishing with a Halloween closer of Michael Jackson's Thriller, according to Saratoga Living After Hours. Tickets and details are on the Mostly Modern Projects event page.
Make a night of it downtown: Saratoga Arts sits on Broadway, steps from the shops, restaurants and bars of downtown Saratoga Springs. Pair the concert with dinner beforehand, and check Saratoga Arts' events page for more shows, films and exhibitions.
Also at Saratoga Arts: The organization's annual gala, held Oct. 15 at The Night Owl on Maple Avenue, celebrated Saratoga Arts' 40th anniversary and honored founder and first executive director Dee Sarno. You can still support the nonprofit year-round through its donation page, which funds classes, exhibitions and regrants across Saratoga, Fulton and Montgomery counties.
Funding news: 2027 Community Art Regrant applications are open until November 20, 2026.
Day-by-Day Guide to Saratoga Springs Events
Wednesday, October 28
- Trunk or Treat at the Saratoga Automobile Museum, 2–6 PM, 110 Avenue of the Pines. Costumed families trick-or-treat among decorated cars. Admission to the event and the museum is free, and families decorating a trunk bring their own candy.
- How to Cook Everything Vegan with Mark Bittman, 6 PM, CulinaryArts@SPAC at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, 108 Avenue of the Pines. The cookbook author leads a plant-based evening. Read the Saratoga Living interview with Bittman.
Thursday, October 29
- Halloween Ghost Tours of the Canfield Casino, 5–7 PM, 1 E. Congress Street in Congress Park. Tours leave every 20 minutes, tickets are $25, and the Saratoga Springs History Museum says they sell out fast.
- Saratoga Film Forum, 7 PM, Dee Sarno Theater at Saratoga Arts, 320 Broadway. Weekly independent, foreign and documentary screenings.
- Nearby in Ballston Spa: Paul Grondahl on Andy Rooney: A Lucky Life, 7:30 PM at Brookside Museum.
Friday, October 30
- FAB5: Concert by Candlelight & Fall Fundraiser, 7 PM, Saratoga Arts, 320 Broadway. See the featured section above.
- Warren Miller's Days Off, 7 PM, Maple Ave Middle School. Alpine Sport Shop's annual ski-film kickoff, with tickets at $20 from the shop on Clinton Street or $25 at the door. Proceeds benefit Double H Ranch's winter adaptive program and the Saratoga Springs High School ski team.
- Trick-or-Treat at City Hall, 1–4 PM, per the City of Saratoga Springs.
- Live music: Michael Jerling at Caffè Lena (8 PM) and Dead Again at Putnam Place (8 PM), per the Saratoga Springs live music calendar.
Saturday, October 31 (Halloween)
- Downtown Halloween: Saratoga City Tavern's Monster Mash, Pint Sized's costume karaoke, The Night Owl's House of Horrors, The Thirsty Owl's Halloween Party, and Putnam Place's 3rd annual Voodoo Ball with The NolaNauts and Tops of Trees.
- Breeders' Cup Watch Party, 3:30–6:30 PM, National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Free, with trivia, a 50/50 raffle, a Ted's Fish Fry food truck, wine and a live screening of the races at Keeneland.
- Deadgrass at Caffè Lena, 8 PM.
Sunday, November 1
- Melissa Ferrick at Caffè Lena, 7 PM; Sinatra and Friends at Panza's, 6 PM; Latin Night with Rafy Cabrera Band & DJ Boy Boy at Putnam Place, 7 PM. See the live music calendar.
- Spa City Farmers' Market, Sundays 10 AM–2 PM, Warming Hut Field in Saratoga Spa State Park.
Tuesday, November 3
- Popeye the Slayer Man free screening and Q&A, 6:30 PM, Saratoga Arts. Producers discuss making the slasher film in Oneonta; registration is free.
Coming Up Next Week
- The Universality of Katrina Trask, Nov. 5, a living history performance at the Saratoga Springs History Museum marking 100 years of Yaddo.
- Artist Talk, Sat., Nov. 7, 12–2 PM, Saratoga Arts, free.
- Saratoga Farmers' Market winter season at Wilton Mall, Saturdays 9:30 AM–1:30 PM, November through April.
Plan Your Visit to Downtown Saratoga Springs
- Where things are: Saratoga Arts (320 Broadway), the Canfield Casino in Congress Park and most Halloween bars sit within the downtown core. SPAC and the Saratoga Automobile Museum are on Avenue of the Pines in Saratoga Spa State Park, a short drive south of Broadway.
- Eat before the show: For a picnic in Congress Park, Saratoga.com's weekend itinerary suggests Putnam Market, Spring Street Deli or The Bread Basket Bakery.
- Book ahead: The Canfield Casino ghost tours sell out every year, and the museum's trolley tours for October are already sold out.
- Check before you go: Times and ticket details can change, so confirm on each event page linked above.
Saratoga Springs is in Saratoga County, about 30 miles north of Albany, in New York's Capital Region.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is happening in Saratoga Springs, NY this week?
From October 28 to November 3, 2026, Saratoga Springs hosts a free Trunk or Treat, Canfield Casino ghost tours, the FAB5 Concert by Candlelight fundraiser at Saratoga Arts, Halloween night downtown, a free Breeders' Cup Watch Party and live music at Caffè Lena and Putnam Place.
When is the Saratoga Arts fundraiser this week?
The FAB5: Concert by Candlelight & Fall Fundraiser for Mostly Modern Projects is Friday, October 30, 2026 at 7:00 PM at Saratoga Arts, 320 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY.
What are the free things to do in Saratoga Springs this week?
Trunk or Treat at the Saratoga Automobile Museum (Oct 28, 2–6 PM), the Breeders' Cup Watch Party at the National Museum of Racing (Oct 31, 3:30–6:30 PM), and the Popeye the Slayer Man screening at Saratoga Arts (Nov 3, 6:30 PM, free registration).
Where are the Halloween events in Saratoga Springs?
Ghost tours run at the Canfield Casino in Congress Park on Oct 29 from 5 to 7 PM ($25). On Halloween, Oct 31, downtown bars host parties, including The Night Owl, The Thirsty Owl, Saratoga City Tavern and Putnam Place.
Where is Saratoga Arts located?
Saratoga Arts is at 320 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, and its office is open Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM.
