This week, we caught up with Chris Ristau, who you’ll likely recognize as Executive Director at The Park Theater. He shares what continues to draw him to Glens Falls, some fond memories of businesses we likely all miss downtown, a concert series he’s looking forward to, and more…
Tell us about yourself!
Hello there! My name is Chris Ristau and I find myself wearing many hats. Most notably, I’m husband to the greatest gal in all the land, Mrs. Carly Schiavone, and dog dad to a mutt named Gizmo.
In Glens Falls I have the privilege of holding the title of Executive Director of The Park Theater Foundation, a non-profit that operates The Park Theater’s community entertainment (a wide variety of concerts spanning genres from jazz and folk to classical and rock-and-roll and comedy, too!) as well as education initiatives that we’ve just kicked off within the Glens Falls City School District with hopes to expand to neighboring districts in the near future.
On Life In and Around Glens Falls
Despite spending the vast majority of my time in Glens Falls now and in the past, I’ve never lived within the city limit. I grew up on the east side of Lake George in Pilot Knob at the foot of Buck Mountain and went to school at Lake George. Not much of a winter sports person, I found myself drawn to Glens Falls to pass the time during the chilly season and have always been enamored with all the little city has to offer.
College brought me to (then) ACC and later SUNY Oneonta, where I met my Carly and received my degree in Music Industry. I was pleased to find a music studio and lesson space called the Glens Falls Music Academy, where I completed my internship and was hired on as Studio Manager - getting to know local music educators and students (many of whom are professional musicians that have played at The Park!), teaching clarinet lessons, organizing recitals at The Hyde Collection and sitting in on some recording sessions. I even recorded an album of my own with The WonderBeards!
After a brief stint in the non-profit art world in Troy, the opportunity arose at The Park Theater to become the Front of House Manager.
Some Glens Falls Favorites
Throughout my life in this area I’ve been thankful for what Glens Falls offers and represents. From the many arts organizations, to the growing craft beverage and dining businesses, there’s always something to do or enjoy. It’s also conveniently located between my current home in Ballston Lake and my parents’ place in Lake George.
Glens Falls is more than just a sum of its parts with so many people working together - and so many of them volunteering - to make it what it is today, with a vision to keep improving, growing, and overcoming obstacles. There’s a certain magic in seeing a city change over time, and in being a part of that growth and all that lies ahead. There’s so much here, I just never felt the need to leave, and it’s why I am in this city more than I am in my own home.
A Perfect Glens Falls Day
I love the great outdoors, and you don’t have to leave the city to experience some great trails in Coles Woods or the Feeder Canal Trail. After a run or a ride, a stop at Kru Coffee to rest and caffeinate is a must before stocking up on some new gear for the next outdoor adventure at Fountain Square Outfitters and laughing out loud while shopping for some gifts at Rude Betty.
If I’m not too tuckered out from all the activity in the morning, I love showing off all the new public art along the Arts Trail, which spans from the Chapman Museum to the Hyde Collection and features those beautiful new murals off the circle and plenty more along the way.
In the peak of the summertime, you can’t go wrong during Take a Bite where you can make a meal sampling from the best of all our downtown restaurants (and beyond!). But I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shoutout to the team at Park & Elm that has been my work family since before outgrowing Doc’s Restaurant. Ethan is incredible behind the bar and Matt makes a mean…well…everything!
Beyond my across-the-street neighbors, I love the folks at [farmacy] for their creative dishes and stellar cocktails, and after one (or two) of those on a night out, Mean Max Brew Works is the perfect place to round out the night with a tried and true Artist Rock Red Ale (or for the more adventurous, the Rum Barrel Aged Pineapple Coconut Sour, which I’m mostly mentioning here in hopes they’ll bring it back!).
On the Past
As much as I’m happy for Matt Funiciello and the expansion of The Shirt Factory with the new Rock Hill Bakehouse, I do miss their old location on Exchange Street. And their old-old location on the circle. I had many moments playing their open-mic nights that gave me the confidence to play out on my own, meet friends to play with, and enjoy some delicious coffee and sammies along the way. The WonderBeards became "The WonderBeards" when Tom Miles and I became the hosts of said open-mic nights and later, the house band — in no small part due to the fact that my partner in musical crime had a literal hand in baking their bread.
And speaking of coffee, I met so many members of our community serving friends from Trampoline and the Glens Falls National Bank while I worked mornings at the North Country Coffee Cafe in the Empire Theater building on South Street. Fun fact: while I've always loved the aroma of a coffee shop and freshly ground beans, I never enjoyed a cup of java until I tried a Frappuccino, and then a Mocha, a Latte and now, a daily cup or two of that sweet nectar - black.
A couple honorable mentions — I certainly miss the old Red Fox bookstore and I don’t know why it left such an impression, but the Pungent Pod was a killer name for a store that for some reason sold sand-filled lizards and frogs that everyone who was a kid in the 90’s absolutely had to have.
On the Future
I’d love to see a new local bookstore back in town and I’m just very excited for the transformation of South Street with the DRI Initiative. I think Glens Falls has a lot to be proud of and a lot to look forward to — including the new Park Theater neighbors on the corner of Park & Glen, Go Play With Your Food.
Oh, By the Way…
Back when I was a student at ACC, before SUNY ADK times, I had the pleasure of taking a class with Jonathan Newell (who owns the Strand Theatre in Hudson Falls) and Nick Buttino (relatively recently retired ACC teacher and community leader) called simply, The Music Business. During that class, we were tasked with a project developing a concert series that later inspired the Summer Series Concerts at the Crandall Park Bandshell that the Park Theater Foundation now hosts. It’s hard for me to separate the business and personal these days because I love what I’m doing and where I’m able to do it, so — shameless plug to come check out our third season starting June 30th! See you downtown!
