Vibe Check: Single in Saratoga, Speed Dating Edition
Attention: everyone who wants to know how Thursday's event went. (Stop texting me and read this!) PLUS: The Philly Orchestra's star-studded return and...kindness.
When it comes to the local dating scene, Saratogians are invested. I realized this when my recap of our last singles night landed in the top three most-read stories of 2023; while we had about 60 people in attendance, more than 3,400 readers wanted to know how it went. I expect this story to do even better.
That’s because while we had about 50 people at Thursday’s speed dating event, it seems like everyone is dying to know what happened.
I had more than one person ask me if they could “chaperone” the event (aka spy on the dates), and more still posted up on the first floor of City Tavern just to be near the action happening two floors above. One woman poked her head in halfway through the event to check on her (male) friend, and another actually delivered her (female) friend to the event. “Why do I feel like you’re dropping me off at preschool?” the friend said. Multiple guys were signed up for the event by women—family members or friends who want them to find love—and one woman “accidentally” purchased a male ticket when the female ones were sold out. “Dating’s been so tough, I might just take a girl home tonight,” she said, jokingly. (She came armed with flashcards of questions she wanted to ask men, so we let her stay.)
In recent weeks, Single in Saratoga: Speed Dating Edition has been the talk of not only Saratoga, but the entire Capital Region. Every time I bring it up, people already know about it. The female tickets sold out in a matter of days, and while the men took convincing (I brought flyers to the police and fire stations, implored women to peer pressure the single men in their lives, and even offered a MANUP25 discount code), we eventually sold out of their tickets, too. (Shout-out to saratoga.com’s Facebook push—that was liked by only men.)
The evening started with the 40+ crowd, some of whom thanked me for putting them in the earlier slot so they could get to bed at a reasonable hour, and some of whom thanked me for putting on an event IRL. (Everyone, it seems, is sick of online dating.) At least one guy came prepared: “I rewatched The 40-Year-Old Virgin last night to remind myself how speed dating works,” he said before changing subjects. “If any of the ladies ask if I’m from Saratoga, I’m going to say, ‘I am for tonight 😏.” (I took the liberty of adding the emoji, but he definitely made that face.)
Indeed, quite a few attendees traveled in from outside the Spa City: Ballston Spa, Schenectady and Delmar were all represented. “Am I even supposed to be here?” one woman from East Greenbush wondered aloud.
Others backed out before the event, emailing us that they were “sick” (I kid, I kid—the last thing we need is someone with germs literally going around from person to person), and a few women even left after the dating had begun. “I’m planning my exit strategy,” one flustered woman told me before peacing out. Their departure left me with a better man to woman ratio—only one woman was off each round, giving her a chance to sample pre-made margaritas, mules and cosmos by the locally owned GOLD-N-GO Real Cocktails—so I didn’t try to convince them to stay. And after the initial jitters wore off, there was a literal buzz to the room. It felt exciting.
By the second session (ages 26-40, to be sure everyone is off their parents’ health insurance), we were a well-oiled machine, having found an ancient-looking bell in the depths of City Tavern that we used to signify the end of each four-minute date. “I have bell-ringing anxiety,” said one woman, who kept fearing she’d run out of time mid-sentence. Some complained that four minutes wasn’t long enough, while others said it felt like an eternity during the dates they didn’t see going anywhere.
“Inviting them downstairs to continue the conversation works pretty well,” one wise man told me of the woman (or women?) he was interested in. While he failed to turn in his form at the end of the night with his yeses and nos, we later learned he managed to make plans to meet up with a woman he met at the event on his own. Sneaky.
Oh, right. The forms. We gave everyone a form to fill out with a column for each date’s name, any notes on the person, and a place to indicate if they’d be interested in seeing that person again. “Have you seen Love on the Spectrum?” one woman asked me. Of course I have. “That’s what this entire event was based on,” I said.
For those who haven’t seen the Netflix series that follows individuals on the autism spectrum on their journey to find love, there’s a speed dating scene in season two in which a young man marks “no” on his form—in plain sight of his date, who looks on, seemingly heartbroken. The filmmaker suggests he wait until his date has left the table before checking yes or no, but I, an aspiring speed dating organizer, was horrified. I designed our forms so that the top of the paper would fold over, hiding whatever was written.
While most of the notes on the forms people turned in are illegible, my favorite is the gentleman who wrote “very nice” under everyone he said yes to and just “nice” under the singular woman he turned down. Sorry, girl—I guess you’re just not nice enough. Some people got nos just because they have kids, while the two 40-ish-year-old women who stuck around for the second session killed it with the younger crowd. They were seen afterwards at Tavern’s first-floor bar surrounded by suitors. We didn’t stick around long enough to see what came of the evening, but at least one woman—a shy member of the 26-40 group—was singing karaoke on our way out. “A ballad, no less,” GOLD-N-GO’s Justin Feinman said, marveling at her confidence behind the mic. “I’ll dance,” someone said to a new friend, “but not sing.”
All in all, it was a successful evening, with quite a few matches made, at least within the younger group, which saw four times as many matches as the older group. What’s the story there? Are older singles less open and more stuck in their ways? Or was it just a coincidence? That requires some more research, possibly—YUP—at a follow-up speed dating event in the not-so-distant future.
“How often are these?” someone asked on their way out. “I’ll be at your next one. Unless I don’t have to be…”
—Natalie
Don’t miss the next Single in Saratoga event! Follow Saratoga Living on Facebook, Instagram and Eventbrite to be the first to know about future singles nights.
Quote of the Week
“You look like Buzz Lightyear. In a good way.”
—Overheard at Single in Saratoga: Speed Dating Edition
I Feel Like a Legend
It’s going to be a star-studded summer season when the Philadelphia Orchestra hits SPAC beginning July 31. A-list R&B/soul singer-pianist John Legend will play at what promises to be a packed night; the EGOT winner’s An Evening With John Legend—A Night of Songs and Stories will feature his greatest hits, stories from his life and career, and selections from his most recent album, LEGEND. Internationally acclaimed Yo-Yo Ma will return by popular demand to perform Dvořák’s Cello Concerto, and the family-fun movie nights will this year feature Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Disney’s The Lion King (celebrating its 30th birthday!). The dazzling summer program also includes a 100th anniversary celebration of Rhapsody in Blue with Marcus Roberts Trio, and an impressive roster of international conductors including Fabio Luisi, Dalia Stasevska and Anthony Parnther all making their SPAC debuts. Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin—who is fresh off his fourth Grammy win—will also return to the SPAC podium, to lead a program that includes the SPAC exclusive An Alpine Symphony (Strauss) and the SPAC premiere of Robert Schumann’s Konzertstück for horns and orchestra.
Soup-er Saturday
If temps hit 55 degrees this afternoon as predicted, it will be the warmest Chowderfest in history..by a whopping five degrees. According to the Chowderfest Queen—Discover Saratoga’s Connie Crudo—the weather for the soup-a-thon has reached 40 degrees only three other times: 41 in 2014, 40 in 2017 and 46 in 2022. And the year it hit 50? 2016—just one year after Chowderfest temps hit a record-tying low of 14. So count your blessings today, chowder lovers, and relish in the crowds—they come with the non-freezing temps. Have a soup-er time!
Speaking of Chowderfest…
If you’re out and about downtown today or tomorrow, pop on over to The Broadway Grind—which is hosting a brunch pop-up with chef Brandon Schatko, aka Chef Humble. The coffee shop normally carries drinks and prepared foods, but this weekend from 9:30am-1:30pm Chef Humble will be slinging breakfast sammies made with hash browns, egg, cheddar and spicy breakfast aioli; smoked salmon and scallion cream cheese with baby cucumber on a homemade english muffin; chia and Greek yogurt bowls; and pineapple upside-down pancakes.
One Day at a Time
Did you know that Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce President Todd Shimkus founded an international day that’s now celebrated in 200 communities nationwide and as far away as Senegal and The Netherlands? If you answer “no,” maybe you just don’t remember—the last one happened in 2020. Leap of Kindness Day happens every four years on February 29 as a way to use our extra Leap Year day to—you guessed it—do something kind for someone else. This year, Stewart’s Shops, a Kindness Day partner, is urging locals to volunteer at Franklin Community Center’s Project Lift, Lifeworks Community Action’s meal delivery program, or The Wesley Community. Other ideas include: expressing gratitude to first responders and organizing a drive for essential items to personally deliver to a local charity on February 29. Striking out on your own? Share your kindness plans with others.
ICYMI
The Adelphi Residences: Luxury as a Lifestyle
Behind the Lens: Frozen in Time
Everything We Know About the Belmont at Saratoga so Far
Chowderfest today, Super Bowl tomorrow…aaaaaand high temps all weekend. Have fun, and stay safe, Saratoga!