ALL-AMERICAN
Spa City shows its patriotic spirit with its 10th annual celebration
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » The Spa City showed its patriotic spirit this Independence Day at the 10th annual Saratoga’s All-American Celebration.
The two-day festival, held Monday and Tuesday throughout downtown Saratoga Springs, included the Firecracker4 Road Race, an AllAmerican Parade down Broadway, a barbecue and dessert food competition, historical tours of the city, meet and greets with Ben Franklin and General Burgoyne, a classic car show, live music and, of course, fireworks.
Saratoga Springs Mayor Joanne Yepsen recalled how the city’s Fourth of July festivities have grown over the years thanks to the community’s efforts.
“It has really blossomed into all of this,” the mayor said after the Firecracker4 Road Race
and before the All-American Parade, “with a lot of help, a lot of hard work from volunteers and the community businesses who sponsored all of these different events.”
Yepsen continued, “It’s such a great promotion for downtown Saratoga Springs, but it’s also just a great way for families to get the spirit of the national holiday right here locally.”
The celebration kicked off on Monday with a children’s program called All American Afternoon with Benjamin Franklin. The historical figure, played by local actor and Saratoga Springs native Michael Wilcox, read a picture book about his life to kids at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga. The next day, he was scheduled to read the Declaration of Independence to a much larger crowd just before the fireworks show in Congress Park.
Later than evening General John Burgoyne, played by Lake George resident Bruce Venter, joined eventgoers for a fireside chat during which he recounted his vantage point of the Battle of Saratoga, the turning point of the American Revolution.
“I think that people should have a sense of the history associated with Saratoga,” Venter said. “The Battle of Saratoga is very important, not only in this area, but to the United States and to world history.”
Both men marched in Tuesday’s All-American Parade, one of the festival’s largest family attractions.
The holiday’s extensive event schedule started in the morning with the 11th annual Firecracker4, a fourmile road race that draws thousands of runners each year.
One special race team included veterans from all five U.S. military branches. For the second year, these runners carried the American flag throughout the mileslong course. The participants were members of the Veterans Business Council of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce and Team Red, White & Blue, an organization with a mission is to enrich the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity.
“We partnered up today, we’re trying to show a little bit of military presence this morning on Independence Day,” said team member Dan Colvin, chairman of the local Veterans Business Council.
“We did it last year and there was an overwhelming desire for us to do it again,” Colvin said, adding that this year the group had 25 runners and good camaraderie.
“It was really good to have that representation, and just to see us gel like we did,” Colvin continued after the race. “It was good teamwork throughout. All the right things on this Independence Day.”
After an activity-packed morning, by lunchtime many people were ready to taste some of the cuisine in the 2017 All-American BBQ & Dessert Fest. More than a dozen downtown businesses competed in this year’s contest, including Park Side Eatery on Phila Street. Owner Michael Hoyt was manning the grill, cooking 300 pounds, 160 racks of applewood smoked pork ribs throughout the day. For the dessert side of the competition, the eatery had a variety of donuts, including the popular maple bacon flavor. “It doesn’t get better than donuts and ribs on the Fourth of July,” Hoyt said.
Over in Congress Park, 15-year-old Sierra Rechak of Schuylerville was dressed in an elaborate red, white and blue dress handing out American flags to event attendees. She’s been doing this since she was just two years old, when her mom first put her in a patriotic dress and decided to bring her out with toys and goodies to share. Today, Rechak still likes continuing this tradition. “I like giving stuff to people because it makes them happy,” she said.
Saratoga’s All-American Celebration concluded on Tuesday night with live music by local band The Audiostars, followed by a fireworks display set to patriotic music.