Saratoga News
News
It's party time in Saratoga as city celebrates its 50th!
By Shannon Burkey
After more than a year of preparations, Saratogans are finally putting on their party shoes as the month-long 50th anniversary celebrations get under way.
"Things seem to be running smoothly so far," said anniversary committee chairman Paul Conrado, whose committee has been meeting since July 2005 to plan for the event.
Each event is sponsored by a different organization and is financially independent, according to Conrado.
The celebration, which kicked off over Labor Day weekend, is expected to draw thousands of people throughout the month of September to the 29 events taking place.
One of the larger events, the neighborhood block parties, is expected to bring the community together.
Arvin Engelson, pastor of care ministries at Saratoga Federated Church, said his goal was to create community and encourage people to be hospitable with their neighbors. He thought the anniversary celebration was a good place to start. He came up with the neighborhood block parties as a way for people to get to know and mingle with their neighbors. The idea is for residents of Saratoga to hold as many block parties over the Sept. 8-10 weekend as they can.
"It is remarkable how many people literally do not know their neighbors," Engelson said. "Through the block parties, we literally will have hundreds of families that will either have been on the receiving end of an invitation or will have their own party."
Engelson said residents are really getting into the spirit of the block parties; some are planning neighborhood parties after the anniversary celebration has ended.
The block parties are not the only events that encourage people to get together. The Saratoga Street Dance, hosted by the Chamber of Commerce on Sept. 16, is expected to draw around 45,000 people to downtown Saratoga. Five stages will be located in the Village area along Big Basin Way with several different bands playing throughout the evening. Thirteen local wineries and 19 local restaurants are participating in the event.
"Everyone will find something they can participate in and feel comfortable with," said Saratoga Chamber of Commerce office manager Charmaine Nunes.
Since it is a 50th anniversary celebration, the history of Saratoga is a big part of what the event is all about. The Hakone Foundation's Founders Day is a great opportunity for Saratogans to learn about their heritage.
The event, set for Sept. 14, 5:30-7:30 p.m., will honor those who lived in Saratoga in 1956 and earlier, and will feature a visual and oral tour of Saratoga's rich history spanning more than 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.
Lon Saavedra, executive director of the Hakone Foundation, said he hopes people will want to get up and tell their stories about Saratoga's past. The Hakone Foundation is also looking for guests to bring any old photos or memorabilia they may have.
"Saratoga has such a unique history that dates back," Saavedra said. "We want to pool the resources and memorabilia of people who have live here over time. I am sure there are photos that people have in their basements that we could add to the archives."
Another community event that will round out the anniversary celebration is the Rotary Club's 50th anniversary parade on Sept. 24. With 65 entrants and between 25,000 and 26,000 people participating in the parade to date, Warren Lampshire, the Rotary Club parade coordinator, said the parade promises to be a good community event.
For more information on Saratoga's 50th anniversary events, visit www.saratoga50.org.
