SPAC - Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Author: Chad H
Summary:
Saratoga Performing Arts Center, or SPAC, is a summer concert venue located just south of downtown Saratoga Springs. SPAC is the premiere venue in the area for everything from concerts to ballet and symphony, including summer movie nights with the soundtrack played by the Philadelphia Philharmonic Orchestra. Whatever your taste for live entertainment, SPAC is sure to have you covered during the warmer months. SPAC boasts a capacity of 25,000, of which 5,200 are in covered seats and the remainder are on their first-come first-serve lawn. It is an outdoor venue that features multiple clean restrooms, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, concession food and often features outside food trucks and other vendors from the area. They also allow some outside food and non-alcoholic drink to be brought in - check the restrictions for your specific event before attending. Lawn seat holders may bring in chairs with heights of no more than 43 inches, as well as blankets for your comfort. There is ample on-site parking and rideshare/taxi drop offs as well. We recommend arriving at least 30 minutes before your event start time to account for parking, security and ticketing. For larger events, plan 45 min to an hour for entry.
Date: Observations and data recorded on August 1, 2023 at the Foreigner Farewell Tour
Site/location: Just south of downtown Saratoga Springs - 108 Avenue of the Pines, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Distance from Camp Hudson Pines: 18 Miles (approximately a 30 minute drive)
Participants: 30 year old male, 27 year old female
Length of Observation: Approximately 6 hours
Links: https://spac.org/
Activity: Driving in, you’ll be directed to the parking lot by the on-site attendants. There are two parking lots, and the one across the highway has a pedestrian-only bridge to cross safely to the venue. Parking costs $10 and they accept debit or credit cards ONLY. Tailgating before shows is a staple at SPAC. No alcohol is allowed in the parking lots or venue, however.
For the Foreigner concert, we arrived at 6:30 for a 7:00 show time. That is a bit later than we’d typically recommend, however, the opener (Loverboy) did not begin until 7:15. Foreigner eventually came on around 8:30. We parked and headed to the entrance by 6:45 and made it through the security and ticketing lines by 7:05. For LiveNation organized concerts, rules regarding what you can bring in are a bit more restrictive. Expect security to check your lawn chairs, hand bags, and anything else you bring in. Symphonies and orchestra events are a bit more lenient. Generally, you can bring a small amount of food in to snack on. Check specific rules and restrictions on their website here: https://spac.org/saratoga-performing-arts-center/your-visit/ground-rules/
Once inside, depending on your ticket type, you can make your way to your seats. Seats in the amphitheater are assigned and lawn tickets are first-come first serve. Lawn seats have a more difficult view of the stage, however, there are large screens surrounding the venue to ensure you don’t miss any of the action.
Concessions and restrooms are located behind the lawn area. It is a large open area so if you need to step away to take a phone call or just take a breather, there’s plenty of room to move around. This is one of the best venues I’ve ever experienced for customer enjoyment. The open-air environment allows you to seriously enjoy the Saratoga summer without ever compromising on your concert or event experience.
Description and photographs:
All photos credited to the park website at spac.org
Reflections: For our show, we saw Foreigner perform on their farewell tour. The concert was fantastic! They played all their hits and had two encores. We had lawn seats which made dancing and picnicking a fun part of our experience and the sound projection was perfect - never too loud and certainly never feeling like we weren’t getting the most out of the experience. Whether you choose to sit in assigned seating or on the lawn, SPAC is a treat for all. We also highly recommend visiting nearby Ballston Spa for food and shopping on your way into the venue.