It’s a party the Village of Ballston Spa has waited 200 years to throw. Everyone is invited, and best of all, it’s all free.
This year’s bicentennial celebration will culminate in a homecoming event, a parade, and a family day of outdoor activities.
First, the village’s bicentennial committee is hosting a homecoming gathering on Friday, Aug. 17 at the Factory, the restaurant inside the former Bischoff’s chocolate factory at 20 Prospect St., from 7 to 10 p.m. There will be live music, food provided by the Bicentennial Committee and a cash bar.
We’re hoping all returning Ballstonians, their friends and family, and really anyone interested in celebrating the 200th birthday of the village will join us, said Frank Griffin, a member of the committee. `It’s a chance to see friends, old and new, and help us celebrate. We anticipate seeing lots of former residents returning home for this occasion.`
The fun continues on Saturday with the Bicentennial Family Fun Day.
At 3 p.m., the largest parade since 1957 will wind through town. In 1957, lots of onlookers wore hoop skirts, top hats and carryied parasols. Stop by Brookside Museum and take a peek at the black and white pictures in the lobby for a blast from the past.
Organizers are saying this parade may be three hours long, as was the 1957 parade. Most of the groups working on floats have been keeping their plans under wraps.
`There will be a lot of surprises,` said Bicentennial Committee chairman John Mancini. `Even committee members don’t quite know what to expect.`
Jim and Dolores Taisey have set aside space on the balcony of the Medbury Inn and Spa for judges to view the floats and cast their votes for the standouts. Lots of photos will be taken to be included in the time capsule to be sealed up at the end of the bicentennial year.
At the Saratoga County Fairgrounds there will be a mini-carnival from Amusements of America, the same company that brings in the midway during the county fair.
Organizer Meg Stevens said there will be rides and more than one inflatable bounce house. You can come up close to creepy crawly things at a reptile show, see a juggler, have a balloon turned into a poodle hat, watch a pantomime show, or ride a pony.
There will be old fashioned activities including a sack race, a pie-eating contest, a hula-hoop contest, and everyone’s favorite childhood summer game, kick the can. There will also be a planetarium by Chris Grubb and a toddler driving school. All family members can participate in a scavenger hunt. At 5:30 p.m., bikes will be given away to 12 children.
Food will be sold all day. Ballston Area Community Center will be selling its famous fair food from the 4-H building. Union Fire Company, Eagle-Matt Lee Fire Company, and the FANS will be selling food also. The Civil Air Patrol will have a fun activity for kids, and a local scout will be hosting a safety clinic as his Eagle Scout project. The clinic will include car seat and pedestrian safety, child ID, railroad safety and trailer safety.
`They’re going to actually bring in a big tractor trailer and have people sit behind the wheel so they understand where the blind spot is and how to drive with large trucks on the road,` said Village Mayor John Romano.
There will be a Bicentennial costume contest with several categories, including Bicentennial Belle, Junior Belle, Brother of the Brush, and Little Shaver. Brothers of the Brush refers to the villagewide commitment among adult men to sprout facial hair including goatees, handlebar moustaches, and full, Santa Claus-style beards for 2007. There is no pre-registration required for the costume contest, but the committee requests participants not wear costumes from a rental shop.
John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band will play at night. The band is best known for the music behind the movie `Eddie and the Cruisers,` and for the hit song, `On the Dark Side.` `The Back 40 Band` will also play, and there will be a performance by the newly crowned Saratoga Idol, Debbie Tai.
`This is my favorite event of the year, and with all the wonderful family events that this community has each year, that’s a strong statement,` said Stevens of the annual party. `Watching the kids and their parents enjoying a great day outdoors, hearing the laughter and seeing the smiles on the children’s faces makes this a fun day for me. It is a lot of work, but somehow it doesn’t like work when the reward is everyone having a great time.`
The evening will conclude with what Romano is calling the `biggest fireworks display ever.`
`Our fireworks show will put the annual July 4 show at the plaza in downtown Albany to shame,` said Romano.
The event is sponsored by the Village of Ballston Spa, The Town of Milton, the Town of Ballston, the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, and the Saratoga Youth Bureau. A grant from Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco, R-Schenectady, helped fund the event. “