Saratoga News

'Market Days' will promote local business

Special events scheduled at shopping areas

By Julie Mehta

Saratoga Market Days, a joint effort between the city's four shopping areas to draw more customers and give the city a fun image, went from a vision to a reality last Saturday. The concept is designed to draw visitors to the Farmer's Market in Saratoga Village and to the Quito, Argonaut, and Gateway shopping areas with a series of special events and activities.

Nearly 50 businesses are involved in the project, which got final City Council approval for a waiver to some provisions of the city's sign ordinance on April 23.

The organizers are displaying balloons, banners, and other types of signs with the slogan "Saturdays Just Got Better" to let the public know about the festivities. The series of events is operating on the following schedule: first Saturday of each month, special sales; second Saturday, children's events; third Saturday, music and entertainment events; fourth Saturday, food sampling and wine tasting.

Special events, such as a health and fitness fair at Quito Shopping Center in June, are slated for fifth Saturdays. This Saturday, there will be a fire engine on display at Quito and storybook reading in the Village. Almost 20 businesses are paying $250 apiece to help publicize the event. The city and chamber are sharing some of the marketing bill.

The council approved the sign ordinance exception for the event by a 4-1 vote at its April 23 meeting after amending the original resolution to disallow 40-square-foot area banners and to prohibit any display from exceeding building height.Mayor Paul Jacobs voted no on the proposal because he said he felt the proposal violated city sign laws.

"I don't believe signage is the cure to business problems," Jacobs said.

Councilmembers Don Wolfe and Ann Marie Burger favored allowing the event to proceed with larger banners. "I think we need to take a proactive stance to help business. I don't think we will be buried in banners," said Burger, adding that she believed the merchants would police themselves.

But Councilmembers Gillian Moran and Karen Tucker expressed concern over the potential for sign proliferation and the prospect of the area banners being visible for nearly six consecutive months. Therefore, the amendments were added to the resolution.

Market Days will continue until Oct. 26.