Press Release: Saratoga Performing Arts Center Announces CulinaryArts@SPAC: Family Meal! with Holistic Health Coach Barb Biagoli
February 8, 2023
Saratoga Performing Arts Center Announces
CulinaryArts@SPAC: Family Meal!
with Holistic Health Coach Barb Biagoli
Curated for the whole family including a meal planning workshop for adults, “Food as Art” activities for children in partnership with The Children’s Museum at Saratoga, and an all-inclusive Family Supper at The Pines at SPAC
Sunday, March 5 from 3-7PM
Saratoga Springs, NY (February 8, 2023) – Saratoga Performing Arts Center announces its first family-style CulinaryArts@SPAC event: Family Meal! with holistic health coach and nutrition consultant Barb Biagoli on Sunday, March 5 from 3-7pm. Designed to cultivate healthy appetites and palates with meal planning strategies, recipes, and activities for the whole family, the event includes a 90-minute whole foods family meal-planning workshop for adults at the SPAC School of the Arts, and “Food as Art” activities for children at the neighboring Children’s Museum at Saratoga, culminating in a festive all-inclusive family-style dinner at The Pines at SPAC.
“Our CulinaryArts@SPAC initiative has continued to grow and expand with the newly launched Food as Medicineseries — and now, with Family Meal!, we are delighted to present our first culinary arts event dedicated to families,” says Elizabeth Sobol, President & CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center. “Education is at the forefront of SPAC’s mission and we are excited to partner with The Children’s Museum at Saratoga to continue to bring the community opportunities to learn and engage with the arts – whether it be performing, literary, visual or culinary.”
“Feeding a family can be hard. But it doesn’t require perfection, it requires love, commitment, and consistency. Family mealtimes are not only critical for increasing children’s exposure to new and healthy foods, but they help to build memories around the dinner table,” says Barb Biagioli, board-certified holistic health coach and nutrition consultant. “In my work, I inspire the inclusion of real whole plant foods on your plate, in new and fun ways, that support where you are in your health journey.”
Kicking off at 3 p.m. at the SPAC School of the Arts, Biagioli will lead a 90-minute whole foods family meal-planning workshop for adults who want to cook healthier meals at home. Topics will include: how to add more whole plant foods to your plate, how to build your own seasonal whole foods meal at home, how to plan, prep, and batch cook for the week. Biagoli will offer resources, handouts, and recipes to simplify making healthy meals for every night of the week. Attendees are encouraged to bring their calendars or planners.
While parents participate in the pre-dinner workshop, children ages 5-12 are invited to participate in “Food as Art” activities like cabbage watercolor painting at The Children’s Museum at Saratoga, led by Museum and SPAC Education staff. SPAC Education team members will escort the children to and from the museum, adjacent to SPAC School of the Arts, in coordination with the adult workshop. While this program is recommended for children ages 5-12, children of all ages are welcome. Any child under the age of 5 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Attendees will then gather for an all-inclusive family supper in the Nancy DiCresce Room at The Pines, on the SPAC campus, from 5 – 7 p.m. to enjoy dishes including chickpeas three ways, chicken fajitas and tacos, and kid-friendly red lentil dahl. Wine, craft beer and mocktails will also be served. There will be activities for restless diners and a special “dessert surprise,” inspired by artist Jackson Pollock, that participants will help create. Recipes will be available to recreate at home.
Beyond its amphitheater stage, SPAC has become a year-round gathering place celebrating the artistry of food in building community while empowering individuals to understand how what we eat influences our communities and our planet. The CulinaryArts@SPAC initiative, founded in 2020, combines culinary excellence and education with exquisite food that emphasizes socially conscious cultivation and consumption, local procurement, and fair wages. Most recently, CulinaryArts@SPAC hosted “Brain Health Kitchen” as part of its newest initiative, Food as Medicine.
CulinaryArts@SPAC: Family Meal! is produced by Kim Klopstock of Lily and the Rose and Pam Abrams. Additional support is provided by Four Seasons Natural Foods.
Tickets cost $50 per adult and include admission for one child under the age of 12. Tickets for each additional child under 12 cost $25. Visit spac.org for details.
CULINARY ARTS@SPAC: Family Meal! Schedule:
Sunday, March 5 | 3:00-4:30 p.m.
Family Meal Planning Workshop for adults
SPAC School of the Arts
Led by board-certified holistic health coach and nutrition consultant Barb Biagioli
“Food as Art” Workshop and Creative Exploration for children
The Children’s Museum at Saratoga
Recommended for children ages 5-12, led by SPAC Education and Children’s Museum instructors.
Any child under the age of 5 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Sunday, March 5 | 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Family-style Dinner
The Pines at Saratoga Performing Arts Center
An all-inclusive dinner designed for the whole family
*Menus may change according to market availability.
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About Barb Biagioli
Barb Biagioli is a board-certified Holistic Nutritionist and Consultant. She works with families to improve their health through lifestyle modification.
She received her nutrition training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in 2014 and has since been working with clients one-on-one and in group coaching workshops. She also curates wellness focused herbal teas for Saratoga Tea and Honey. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Pre Law from Siena College. Combining her expertise in food policy, nutrition and holistic health; while drawing on her firsthand experience and knowledge of prenatal and postnatal health, and childhood health and wellness, she works with families to help them make sustainable lifestyle changes that produce real results and reach optimal health.
With a love for cooking and eating healthy food, Barb loves to share her passion for a plant forward– whole foods lifestyle, prenatal and postpartum health, hormone health and women’s health, and believes in a balanced approach to health and nutrition. She is a mother of three children.
Saratoga Performing Arts Center
The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), located in the historic resort town of Saratoga Springs in upstate New York, is one of America’s most prestigious summer festivals. Its tranquil setting in a 2,400-acre park preserve surrounded by hiking trails, geysers, and natural mineral springs draws vacation crowds and arts connoisseurs each year for immersive experiences of performances by resident companies New York City Ballet, The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival, and concerts by Live Nation. SPAC also hosts the annual Saratoga Wine and Food Festival in addition to imaginative programming such as CulinaryArts@SPAC and Caffè Lena @ SPAC.
SPAC is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Donations and proceeds from fundraising events benefit the Center’s children’s education programs and support the vibrancy of its classical season. For more information visit spac.org.