The 2026 Stewart’s Signature Series unveils a premier list of summer events, open to the public this June and July. The summer series, organized yearly by Skidmore College’s Office of Special Programs and made possible by a generous grant from Stewart’s Shops and the Dake Family, celebrates community through music, readings, and discussion by acclaimed artists and scholars.
“Saratoga Springs is blessed with a wide array of live, interactive entertainment. We are proud to support the Stewart’s Signature Series, which brings exceptional performers and educators to our community while reinforcing Skidmore’s role as a cultural hub for all,” said Susan Law Dake ’71, president of Stewart’s Foundation and member of Skidmore’s Board of Trustees.
The series kicks off at 8 p.m. Monday, June 29, with a New York State Summer Writers Institute reading featuring Hannah Lillith Assadi and Honor Moore. Assadi’s most recent novel, “Paradiso 17,” inspired by the life of her late Palestinian father, received a glowing review from The New York Times. Moore’s latest book, “A Termination,” a lyric memoir about her decision to have an abortion, was named one of the Best Books of 2025 by Publishers Weekly.
Additional highlights include two performances presented by the Skidmore Jazz Institute at the Arthur Zankel Music Center. National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Kenny Garrett and Sounds from the Ancestors will perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, followed by a concert featuring Grammy Award-winning composer and pianist Billy Childs with bassist Matt Penman and drummer Ari Hoenig at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 7.
Stewart’s Signature Series has been an essential part of the Saratoga Springs summer cultural scene since 2017.
“Stewart’s and the Dake family are proud to support Skidmore’s contribution to Saratoga’s arts community,” said Bill Dake, chairman of the board of Stewart’s Shops. “Saratoga’s eclectic mix of live events, from the excitement of horse racing to the enchantment of theater, dance, and music, encapsulates the essence of our city’s charm. The Stewart’s Signature Series plays an important part in the Saratoga summer experience, and we strongly encourage everyone — local residents and visitors — to seize the opportunity to attend these unique events at Skidmore.”
All events are free and open to the public and will take place on the Skidmore College campus. The full lineup, as well as ticket information, is available on the Skidmore Summer Events 2026 website.
Stewart’s Signature Series 2026 lineup
Reading with Hannah Lillith Assadi and Honor Moore
8 p.m. Monday, June 29
Davis Auditorium
Hannah Lillith Assadi’s latest novel, “Paradiso 17,” inspired by the life of her late Palestinian father, received praise from The New York Times. Honor Moore’s newest book, “A Termination,” was named one of the Best Books of 2025 by Publishers Weekly, which called it “a triumph.” Presented by the New York State Summer Writers Institute.
Concert with Kenny Garrett and Sounds from the Ancestors
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 30
Arthur Zankel Music Center
National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Kenny Garrett has a 30-year career that includes hallmark stints with Miles Davis, Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, and the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Reserve tickets online. Presented by the Skidmore Jazz Institute.
“Consciousness, Neurology, and Literature” discussion with Rick Moody and Sean Pauzauskie
11 a.m. Saturday, July 11
Davis Auditorium
A dialogue between Rick Moody and Sean Pauzauskie about the latest medical understanding of where — and whether — consciousness is located in the brain, differing ideas of “thinking,” and the implications of these ideas for representations of the self in contemporary fiction. Pauzauskie also will discuss his pioneering work in “neurorights,” including ownership of brain waves and brain-related health data, as well as emerging advances in neural imagery and technologies that are approaching the ability to monitor human thought. Presented by the New York State Summer Writers Institute.
Concert with Billy Childs Trio
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 7
Arthur Zankel Music Center
Grammy Award-winning composer and pianist Billy Childs performs with bassist Matt Penman and drummer Ari Hoenig. Presented by the Skidmore Jazz Institute.
Reading with Joanna Scott and Jay Rogoff
8 p.m. Tuesday, July 14
Davis Auditorium
Joanna Scott received a MacArthur Fellowship in 1992 and has earned numerous honors, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Lannan Literary Award for Fiction, the Aga Khan Prize for Fiction from The Paris Review, the Ambassador Book Award from the English-Speaking Union for her novel “Liberation” (2006), and an award from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award.
Jay Rogoff, Saratoga Springs poet laureate, is the author of six poetry collections, including “The Art of Gravity,” “Venera,” “The Long Fault” and “The Cutoff.” He received the Lewis P. Simpson Award in Literary Criticism for “Becoming Poetry.” His recent poems have appeared in The Paris Review and other publications.
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