Saratoga News
News
Put on your Easter bonnet, join the Village Promenade
By Jason Sweeney
A chiropractor in a bunny suit? It may sound strange, but he'll be in the Saratoga Village on April 15, complete with long ears and a cotton tail, just in time for the Easter Promenade on Big Basin Way.
Village chiropractor John Marian will be wearing the bunny suit. Brian Berg, secretary of the Saratoga Village Development Council, said Marian is the right man for the job. "He's kind of a ham," Berg said. "He'll do well, I think."
The SVDC, a group of merchants and local residents concerned about downtown Saratoga, has a special event planned for each month of the year to help commemorate the 50th anniversary of the city. In March, the SVDC had a St. Patrick's Day party in the Village, which attracted a big crowd. If subsequent events have the same success, the SVDC is considering making them annual events.
The upcoming Easter Promenade is the next SVDC-sponsored event scheduled for downtown. It will run from noon to 5 p.m. on the sidewalks on Big Basin Way. A barbershop quartet, mimes, Keystone Kops, an organ grinder with a monkey, an Easter bonnet contest, a puppet show, banjo players, an antique doll show, Marian as the Easter Bunny and other attractions are set to take over the downtown.
The event kicks off when M.E. Benson's Antiques donates a Saratoga flag to the Saratoga History Museum. Lillian Benson, who works at M.E. Benson's Antiques, is helping to organize the Easter Promenade. "It's going to be a very busy street," she said. "The town will be lively and jumping. It's going to be a fun day."
Benson said people who want to eat at downtown restaurants should make reservations because she is expecting a big turnout.
"We hope everyone will come in their Easter finery and stroll the sidewalks," Benson said.
Marilyn Marchetti, an SVDC member, has taken an active role in promoting the Village. "We want to bring people into town to socialize," she said. "That's our main little scene down there. We're hoping events like this will encourage people to come downtown and make the Village our social meeting place, and bring attention to our downtown businesses. Our local merchants need our support. The Village really is the social and cultural heart of Saratoga."
Chris Oakes, president of the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber would be open for the Easter Promenade. "A lot of people came down for St. Paddy's Day. It was a special night. We'll be open for the Easter Promenade, too, to let people know that we're part of the community, and to let them know what Saratoga has to offer."
"There are a lot of families with kids in town now," Berg said. "If we can draw the families to the Village, it will create a better awareness of our downtown. We want everyone to come on down and we're hoping the weather will be good.
"And if things are successful, if it creates momentum, it could be something we do for the long term."
The SVDC has booked dates for the Village through the remainder of the year. The Village historical scavenger hunt is scheduled for May 20. Garden tours are June 3 and 4. A pet parade is set for July 4. A summer fling is in August and the progressive dinner and car show is Sept. 10. The Witchy-Walk-About returns in October, followed by a fashion show in November and the Holiday Open House on Nov. 24.
