Mini Review: The Scholastic Summer Reading Road Trip

Our biggest challenge with the kids and reading during the summer? Getting them to actually read! That's why when the Scholastic Summer Reading Road RV pulled into town we had to jump on!

Northshire Bookstore partnered up with the Saratoga Springs Public Library and Scholastic, to bring the 2017 Scholastic Summer Reading Road Trip RV to the Saratoga Springs Public Library with a fabulous “pop-up” reading festival where kids got a chance to meet some of their favorite authors and engage in fun reading activities.

There were games galore and an activity station filled with reading activities, Clifford the Big Red Dog® and Geronimo Stilton made special appearances, there was photo booth fun and the kids even got a special tour of the RV where authors had all signed (and doodled) on the table!

It was a great way to get the kids re-engaged with reading and to also discover something new. We went home with a bagful of books and bookmarks and fun printables and photos and their walls are currently covered with Captain Underpants posters.

There's still time to get the kids started on a reading adventure this summer, kids and families can read and log minutes all summer, unlock activities and earn rewards and even enter for a chance to win Klutz books!

Click the button below to find out when the will be pulling into your town and to get info on the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge 2017!

Enter to Win SPAC Family Four Pack to The Philadelphia Orchestra!

Mini Review: Farmers Hardware :: Saratoga Springs

Over the weekend we checked out a brand new spot in town, the new "brunch hall" Farmers Hardware, located at 35 Maple Ave in a gorgeous historic 1925 brick warehouse.

Modeled after the open and airy American food halls like Boston's Quincy Market or Union Market in Washington D.C. Farmers Hardware has big communal tables (with great outdoor seating in a sweet little courtyard) and 3 floors. The service is quick especially because of their counter service (you go up to the third floor to place your order and they bring it to your table) and the atmosphere is comfortable and relaxed.

WHAT WE GOT: We tried the garden fritatta with a side of fruit (for the baby) and loved both. The fruit cup had a little bit of a mint drizzle on it that was so refreshing, and the fritatta and greens was actually enough for two of us to split as a light brunch. Another favorite? The iced tea! The one we had was a combination of cinnamon and raspberry and a bunch of other things and it was SO GOOD we could have had an entire pitcher of it.

MINI RATING (1-3 RAINBOWS):

FAMILY + KID FRIENDLY: 🌈🌈🌈

STROLLER FRIENDLY: 🌈🌈🌈

VALUE: 🌈🌈🌈

ATMOSPHERE: 🌈🌈🌈

Special children's menu will be coming soon (according to the menu) but there were plenty of child friendly options already on the menu too. Would definitely recommend this to a family out looking for a laid back and delicious brunch. Grab and outdoor table and enjoy! xoxo MINI CITY

Scholastic Summer Reading Road Trip :: Saratoga Springs Public Library {photos}

We had such a blast at the Scholastic Summer Reading Road Trip yesterday at the Saratoga Springs Public Library! Click the link below to see more info on the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge!

Shop :: And They're Off {New Styles}

There are so many brand new goodies in the Stick Pony shop just in time for summer in Saratoga. Click the button to shop now, and don't forget, the red white and blue design is ONLY in the shop through the 4th and then it will be gone for good. Now get going!

SPAC Loves Families :: 2017 Pre-Performance Events

One of the most popular events of the SPAC season are family nights and special pre-performance events that combine fun and learning. Events are free for ticketholders to the evening's performance.

CDPHP Family Night Series

Fridays, July 7 & 14 and August 4, 11, 18

Join us for a night of world class entertainment for the whole family! Experience strolling magicians, FREE Stewart's ice cream, free balloon animals, chalk contests, family games and more!  Featuring photobooths by Saratoga Photobooth Company, open every Friday!

Albany Medical Center Childrens Workshop on the Lawn

Fridays, July 7 & 14 and August 4, 11, 18

Principal NYCB dancers and The Philadelphia Orchestra principal musicians lead these engaging and interactive workshops on the lawn at 7:00 p.m. on Family Nights.

American Girl Night

July 7 (6pm)

SPAC and American Girl Place proudly present our annual celebration for girls and their families. Girls can bring their dolls and experience an eve­ning of music, pink lemonade, sugar cookies, free photo booths, special American Girl crafts, plus enter for a chance to win an American Girl doll. (All kids on the lawn $10 this night)

Celebrate the newest Girl of the Year from American Girl, Gabriela McBride, a dancer, artist and poet. Help us transform SPAC’s grounds with dancing, artistic murals, and music from SPAC’s Instrument Petting Zoo.

Tea Party Sponsored by Price Chopper Supermarkets
Enjoy complimentary refreshments at the Pink Lemonade Stand and Cookie Shoppe courtesy of Price Chopper! Gluten-free and Nut-free options are available at the Cookie Shoppe.

Special thanks to Times Union, our media sponsor.

Instrument Petting Zoo

Fridays, July 7 & 14 and August 4, 11, 18

Every Family Night features a hands-on, unique experience for kids and families on the lawn. The Instrument Petting Zoo offers the chance for children to sample and play a variety of different orchestral instruments with guidance from professional musicians. Don't miss the fun!

click the button below to purchase tickets online:

Get Your Circus Smirkus Tickets {before they sell out!}

Join Circus Smirkus at the Saratoga Casino Hotel grounds on July 11th and 12th at 1pm and 6pm as they celebrate their 30th Anniversary Big Top Tour with Midnight at the Museum—a wild and wonderful adventure through the hallowed halls of a magical museum! Embark on an enchanted journey with Jurassic jugglers, astonishing aerialists, courageous clowns, and wily wirewalkers as they explore a museum that springs to life when the clock strikes midnight. Circus Smirkus is presented for the 11th year by the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs who invites you to witness ultra-talented kids from across the country - ages 12 to 18 - who star on highwire and trapeze, as clowns, jugglers, acrobats and more.  This is the International youth circus featured on the Disney Channel, the circus that The New York Times called "exuberant" and "joyful." 

Tickets are $20 for children 2-12 and $25 for 13 and older.  Children under 2 are free on an adult's lap.  Tickets can be purchased locally at The Children's Museum at Saratoga and G. Willikers or online at www.smirkus.org.  Contact Fran at 518-365-3459 for group sales and for more information.

4th of July in the Capital Region :: Local Events Round Up

Intro 11 on Biteable.

Click the photos below to see the great local 4th of July events in your area!

Mini Pick: GoodPops

Okay we have to admit, we are OBSESSED with GoodPops and we don't wanna share with the kids! We picked these up in the freezer section at Healthy Living Market and Cafe in Saratoga Springs because HELLO? Coldbrew coffee ice pops?! But we had to try all the flavors (that banana cinnamon one is our fave and they also come in Hibiscus Mint, Strawberry Lemonade, Chocolate Milk, Watermelon Agave, Strawberry, and Coconut Lime) especially since they are made with non-GMO, Fair Trade Certified, rBST-free, and organic ingredients.

Plus, GoodPops don’t use any fruit concentrates, extracts or natural flavors, so you’re only getting real, whole foods (you can taste the difference!) and GoodPops are all OU kosher and naturally gluten free.

So grab some the next time you are at Healthy Living Market and Cafe, but if it's the last box of Banana Cinnamon, we might have to fight you for it. ;)

Get Crafty at AC Moore

Click the button below for more info:

Build a Bug House at Home Depot 7/1

Join this hands-on workshop and you and your child can celebrate Home Depot's 20th Anniversary of Kids Workshops by building a bug house you can use to get a closer look at some many-legged friends in your own backyard, 9am - 12pm on Saturday July 1st, 2017. Once the project is complete, your child can personalize their bug house with paint. All kids get to keep their craft, receive a FREE certificate of achievement, a Workshop Apron, and a commemorative pin while supplies last. Children must be present at the store to participate in the workshop and receive the kit, apron and pin.

Click the buttons below for locations:

The BIG Bubble Party Photos!

A huge thank you to Ashley Wilbur Photography for capturing the awesomeness that was The BIG Bubble Party!

Click the button below to see more from Ashley Wilbur Photography

Meet Julianna!

The Mini City team is growing! Meet Julianna, the newest Mini City mom...

SPAC Winner Announced LIVE at 11!

Click below to watch the LIVE video at 11 today!

LAST DAY for Bubble Sponsors!

This is it, folks, the LAST DAY to get in on the BIGGEST free kids event around, the BIG Bubble Party and Flash Mob at Congress Park on June 23rd! Click the button below for more info and get at us at hello@minicitylife.com before the weekend to be part of it!

THANK YOU TO OUR LOCAL SPONSORS

What's Happening in Mini City This Week?

What is a "Bubble Flash Mob"?!

HAPPY JUNE!

The kids have started their Last Day of School countdown which also means the countdown to The BIG Bubble Party and Flash Mob happening on June 23rd from 3-6 in Congress Park in Saratoga Springs, which is the LAST DAY of SCHOOL for Saratoga kiddos!

This event is free and open to the public thanks to our awesome local sponsors, and guess what? There is going to be a BUBBLE FLASH MOB, the first of it's kind in our area! So what IS a "Bubble Flash Mob" exactly? Read on to get all the deets...

THE BUBBLE FLASH MOB WILL START AT 4PM...

So that means we need YOU guys to be there before then starting at 3 so we can all make sure we have bubbles at the ready.

Because of our generous sponsors we WILL be giving away bubbles, but with a Bubble Flash Mob the more bubbles the merrier so that means BYOB (Bring Your Own Bubbles) TOO so we can make sure we have the biggest, craziest bubble flash mob upstate NY has ever SEEN!

Here's how it's going to work: We are all going to gather in the park space right behind the Carousel at 3:55pm. At 4pm SHARP we are going to all blow our bubbles and let the kids go crazy running through them. We want the MAXIMUM BUBBLE ACTION happenin' right then at 4pm. Have a bubble machine? Bring it! Have a huge bubble wand? Bring that bad boy too. We want ALL THE BUBBLES!

This event is open to all ages, from babies on up. Bring the strollers, the babies, the toddlers the schoolkids the big kids and yourselves. This event is all about spreading positive vibes (and major bubbles) on the last day of school to help our kids celebrate and kick off the summer with big smiles!

Picnics are welcome, lawn games are welcome, and we will also have activities for the kids (AND we will be giving away bubbles from our sponsors). More details are gonna be rolling in soon, but mark your calendars and get your bubbles ready because you are NOT going to want to miss this!

Stay in the loop on our event page by clicking below:

Want to be a BUBBLE SPONSOR? Email us at Hello@Minicitylife.com and we'll give you the scoop!

Memorial Day Mini City Guides

Click the links below to see the Memorial Day Guides for your area!

The Mini City BIG Bubble Party! June 23rd 3-6pm

Don't miss this awesome way to kick off the summer right in the heart of downtown Saratoga Springs! This event is FREE and for all ages! Click below for the event page and stay tuned for more details coming SOON!