The annual festival in downtown Saratoga is organized every fall by the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce and is a medley of music, food and other events. Chamber representatives, however, say that they won't be able to plan for the event until the Saratoga City Council decides on budget cuts for the next fiscal year.

The Chamber, like many other organizations in the city, is facing the prospect of reductions in city funding.

In discussions so far, city officials have indicated that they might have to cut $13,000 in services they provide to the Chamber on the day of Celebrate Saratoga! The services provided include putting up barricades for the event and street cleaning.

The kids fun zone, a play area for children, has been part of Celebrate Saratoga! for a long time and is usually sponsored by the city. Chamber officials say that they are not sure if the city is going to sponsor it any longer.

What they do know is that the city will continue to provide the $10,000 it gives to the Chamber every year for operational expenses.

"We do not have a lot of sources of income. We make money from membership fees and from Celebrate Saratoga!" said Sheila Arthur, the interim executive director of the Chamber.

She said that once the Chamber had a better idea about the budget cuts, they would make a push for more sponsorship. In the meantime, Arthur has submitted a detailed report of the services that the Chamber provides.

"We have a lot of walk-in traffic. Sometimes one person has to work full-time just to answer queries from visitors," said Nomita Shahani, president of the Chamber.

Arthur said that people from all over, including international visitors, come to the Chamber office for information and maps.

"We are a nonprofit membership organization. At the city's request, we answer queries made by tourists," Arthur said. "Our website is also very popular."

She said that some 10,000 people view the website every week.

"We also receive inquiries from people who want to invest in the city or buy property," said Shahani.

Both Arthur and Shahani said that if the Chamber's financial situation worsens, the organization might be forced to move to a less noticeable location. "We will not have the walk-in traffic that we have now," said Shahani.

The biggest concern revolves around Celebrate Saratoga!

"It is one of the safest events in the South Bay. I am told that sheriff's deputies sign up for the event in advance because they want to be here," said Shahani.

This is the 17th year that Celebrate Saratoga! will be held. Some 30,000 people come to the city during the event each year.

"This really puts us on the map. People keep calling us for information about Celebrate Saratoga!" said Shahani. "In fact, I know of many local families who do not go on vacation at that time, so that they can come to Saratoga for the event."

Arthur said the Chamber would love to organize the event on its own but still needs the city's help.

"All these years, we have been able to organize the event successfully because the city has been so supportive," said Arthur. "This year is going to be a huge challenge for us."