Saratoga News
News
Saratoga's 50th gives residents a 'golden' excuse for a celebration
By Shannon Burkey
With everything from hiking and biking to high tea and dancing, the celebration of Saratoga's 50th anniversary of its incorporation is gearing up to be an event with a little something for everyone.
The month-long golden anniversary celebration will kick off Sept. 1 with dinner and dancing at Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyard and continue throughout the month with more than 20 different types of events sponsored by various community groups.
"Everyone will find something they can participate in and feel comfortable with," said Saratoga Chamber of Commerce office manager Charmaine Nunes.
The Chamber will host the 18th annual Celebrate Saratoga! Street Dance, one of the largest events. Organizers expect it to be bigger than those of past years.
"In the past we have had around 35,000 people," Nunes said, "but this year we are anticipating around 45,000 people because of the anniversary."
Five stages in the downtown area will feature different bands playing throughout the evening. There will also be booths set up to showcase local wines, beer and gourmet food.
"We are trying to make the event as inclusive as possible and we are trying to get a variety of music for people of all different generations to enjoy," Nunes said.
The street dance will feature something new this year--a drug and alcohol free teen zone.
After receiving complaints from festival goers last year that the large number of teens congregating on the street made it difficult for families to move around, the Chamber decided to designate an area specifically for teens.
The Saratoga Youth Commission will help to run the "Teen Scene" event and has booked five bands--all high school kids--from the area to perform.
Another large event will be the Neighborhood Block Parties, sponsored by the Saratoga Faith Communities. The parties are designed to encourage neighbors to get out and meet each other. Organizers hope to have around 200 block parties in neighborhoods all over Saratoga during the weekend of Sept. 8, 9 and 10.
"This is a way for people to get to know each other," said Barbara Silverstein of Saratoga Federated Church. "Knowing your neighbors means a safer and happier neighborhood."
The original idea of the block parties was for one neighbor to host and invite everyone else in their neighborhood. But Silverstein said people are really getting involved and "running with their imaginations," including one resident who rented the North Campus for her block party.
For those interested in taking a walk down Saratoga's memory lane, the Hakone Foundation is hosting a Founders Day reception as its contribution to the anniversary celebrations.
The event will honor those who lived in Saratoga in 1956 and before and will feature a visual and oral tour of Saratoga's rich history spanning over a century. Willys Peck, a Saratoga historian and Saratoga News columnist, will also lead a discussion of historic events and characters in Saratoga's past.
If Founders Day leaves you wanting more Saratoga history, the recreation department will host its "Biking Backwards (Through Time!)" event.
"On the tour, people will be able to visit 11 historical sites all over central Saratoga," said recreation supervisor Adam Henig.
The tour will cover roughly 4 to 5 miles, and a docent will be on hand to answer questions at each of the historically significant sites.
The women of the Saratoga Area Senior Coordination Council are planning to break out their finest hats for their Golden High Tea, which will include hat judging. While nibbling on homemade delicacies, participants can also take in some of the fine china place settings from Saratoga homes.
Saratoga is home to many wineries and award-winning restaurants and the Saratoga Village Development Council is bringing them together for the first "Taste of Saratoga" Progressive Wine Dinner.
Six restaurants and four wineries will come together to offer participants a unique food and wine experience that will start at one restaurant with appetizers and end at the last with dessert.
No celebration can be complete without a parade, and the 50th anniversary celebration is no exception.
The Saratoga Rotary Club will host the parade that will take place Sept. 24 and travel from Saratoga Avenue down through Big Basin Way. Six marching bands will make up a part of the 120 parade entries.
For a complete list of all the 50th anniversary events and for more information on each event visit www.saratoga50.org.
