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September 17, 2003
Saratoga, California Since 1955 |
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Photograph by Autumn Cruz
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Partygoers mingle during one of Saratoga's biggest and loudest events.
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People were dancing in the streets at Celebrate Saratoga!
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My Ngo
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Nothing could have prevented Saratogans from taking part in the city's largest and loudest affair—not even the blistering heat or the slow traffic along Saratoga Avenue and Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road. There were good vibrations in the air, not to mention the aroma of barbecued chicken and authentic stir-fried cuisine, as revelers drank fine wine, ate gourmet food and danced the night away at Saratoga's 15th annual Celebrate Saratoga! Street Dance.
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Photograph by Autumn Cruz
Five-year-old Nour Bizri (above, left) and poses with cousin Safia Khouja for a picture during the Celebrate Saratoga! fiesta.
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Adults, children, babies in strollers and leashed four-legged friends from all over the city, as well as former Saratoga residents and party-goers from neighboring towns, crowded the streets along Big Basin Way at the Sept. 13 event, drawing a turnout of more than the expected 30,000 people throughout the five hour fiesta.
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Photograph by Autumn Cruz
San Jose resident and bride-to-be Kristy Fazzio held her bachelorette party with friends at the Celebrate Saratoga! Sept. 13 event.
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The downtown area was transformed into an outdoor nightclub with more than 30 restaurants, wineries and organizations serving signature dishes and wines. Street dancers sampled a variety of dishes from the more traditional pizza and hotdogs to fancier meals such as salmon ravioli, shrimp gumbo and pad thai noodles. For dessert, food enthusiasts indulged in a banana beignet with Tahitian vanilla caramel and fruit with crème fraiche and brown sugar.
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Photograph by Autumn Cruz
Mountain View's Seyhmus Gokce heats things up with his Persian style kebobs.
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Food and entertainment went hand in hand at the celebration as movers and shakers did the electric slide to the beat of the 1970's hit "Ladies Night" performed by the returning band, The Hitman. Spectators took a trip down memory lane as the band, as well as the other five talented groups—Red Beans and Rice, CF's Swing Society, The Hearbeats, Flashback and Brickhead—rocked the streets with popular tunes from the 1970s to the 1990s from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
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Photograph by Autumn Cruz
Flashback drummer, Michel Amaral, entertains revelers with his drumming and vocal talents.
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There were a lot of activities for children as well at the Buy & Save Market parking lot. Kids gathered around the rock-climbing booth—a new attraction managed by the Boy Scouts—to see who could climb the highest. Others walked around with pictures of flowers and American flags painted on their faces while bouncy girls and boys demonstrated acrobatic moves inside the inflatable jump houses.
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Photograph by Autumn Cruz
Out-of-towners Therese Petralia and Kevin Duffy engage in a romantic slow dance under the cool air during Saratoga's 15th annual Celebrate Saratoga! Street Dance.
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As the night continued, the crowd became livelier and more social under the cool air and well-lit trees. It was definitely a night where all worries were left behind; it was a night to be free.
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