Spa City and partners announce upcoming special events
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » A first-time event called Cars on Union is coming to the Spa City on Father’s Day weekend, amid a full season of special events hosted by the City of Saratoga Springs and its partners.
Presented by the city and the Saratoga Automobile Museum, Cars on Union is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 18 along Union Avenue, between Nelson and East avenues, in Saratoga Springs.
Eventgoers will have the opportunity to browse exotic and rare classic automobiles along with food, music and more.
This family-friendly event is intended to become a new annual tradition.
“Whether you drive a super car or you want to see them — bring the family out. It’s going to be a fabulous day,” Saratoga Automobile Museum Executive Director Carly Connors said at a press conference held on Thursday at the museum. “So come downtown on Union Avenue on June 18 to see some cars that I promise the whole city will be talking about.”
Officials from the city and partnering organizations also announced several other new and returning summer events among the local lineup, including the city-wide arts festival All Together Now happening throughout this weekend, the Cantina Kids Fun Run on June 5, the Flag Day Parade on June 11, the Beekman Street Art Fair on June 12, the Mostly Modern Festival featuring classical music from June 8 through 24 and the month-long Saratoga Pride Festival.
In July, the Firecracker 4 race will return on Independence Day, followed by the start of Discover Saratoga’s annual summer concert series, Art in the Park and the Congress Park Craft Festival as well as the return of Celebrate Saratoga, which will bring music to the streets of downtown Saratoga Springs on Thursday, July 14, the opening day of the 2022 meet at Saratoga Race Course.
Saratoga Springs Mayor Ron Kim, at the press conference, spoke about the importance of community events. “We’re coming out of a pandemic. We have lots of challenges out there,” he said, “but the most important this to get through those challenges is building community.”
Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Accounts Dillon Moran agrees. “We’re at a time now where our community needs to reopen. The opportunities to gather together, I think we all know are incredibly important, not only to the fabric of our community, but us as individuals,” he said at Thursday’s event. “We want to be able to experience each other’s company.”
Moran shared how the city has made its special events process easier and less costly for event organizers, as many of them are nonprofits using the events as fundraising mechanisms. “We want to make sure that we’re doing the best we can to help them be successful as an event sponsor and host, and also as an organization that’s benefitting from that event,” he said.
Firecracker 4 founding race director Peter Goutos attested that this year’s permit process was the most streamlined he has experienced in the race’s 16-year history.
Goutos also pointed out how unique events like the Firecracker 4 attract people to the region. “They get here, and they see Saratoga and all of the things we can offer,” he said. “So we’re proud to contribute.”
The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, too, recognizes what special events can do for the local economy, and chamber president Todd Shimkus hopes the
city can host new events, more events and bigger events in the future. “The City of Saratoga Springs is open for business and eager to collaborate with local organizations to host special events for the remainder of 2022 with several exciting first-time events in June alone,” he said in a press release. “We have a great lineup so far, and we hope others will reach out to the City to begin planning additional events.”
Beyond the summer event season, Moran noted that Saratoga Springs will bring back its popular First Night celebration on New Year’s Eve, headlined by Grammy award-winning artists set to be announced later this year.