Schenectady’s SummerNight fills the street with entertainment
Schenectady brimmed with celebration Friday, July 9, as people filled State Street to partake in the food, fun and music of SummerNight, the county’s annual summer celebration .
The fifth annual event took place from 5-10 p.m. Both the event and all parking in downtown Schenectady was free. As the sun started to set, more people joined in the fun.
When we first started this event, we didn’t know if anyone would come, said Susan Savage, D-Niskayuna, chairwoman of the Schenectady County Legislature. `It was something that I wanted to start to build community spirit.`
State Street also has come a long way in five years, said Savage, because now many businesses have moved in around Proctors to reinvigorate the downtown area.
During SummerNight, Jay Street businesses kept their doors open and some had booths out in front of their store. At the end of the street was an Ice Cream Truck, which didn’t need to play any music to attract customers to cold treats on the hot day.
The number of activities and attractions crammed in and around State Street was almost overwhelming. Picking up an entertainment schedule helped sort out where and when everything was occurring.
A main attraction to some at the event was returning sand sculpture artist Matt Deibert from Atlantic City. This year he created a castle-themed sculpture, which was far from traditional. Bright and early at 9 a.m., Deibert started the sculpting process, and spectators were able to watch the mound of sand transformed dramatically over the day.
Music seemed to surround the event, whether inside Proctors or out on the street. There was a mix of big-name and local acts with a variety of music styles.
Headlining music acts were Electric City Horns, Filming Ohio, Tommy V and the Works, The Bill Dexter Quartet, Scotia-Glenville Pipe Band, and Ernie Williams returned for the fifth year with his band.
Former Schenectady High School students made up
Filming Ohio
, which played in the Robb Alley Stage inside the Muddy Cup at Proctors Arcade. The group formed in 2006 when Josh Mlodzianowski, saxophonist, and Will Dobson, bassist and vocals, decided to start a band. The remaining three members were later added to the mix.
`[The event] is such a great thing Schenectady has done down here,` said Justin Friello, singer and acoustic guitarist of Filming Ohio.
Friello told the story, even if `anti-climatic,` of how the band name got its name. Four days before the their first show in 2007, the members realized they still didn’t have a name so they made a list of words they liked ` eventually coming up with Filming Ohio.
Another music performance actually parted the streets momentarily.
The Scotia-Glenville Pipe Band paraded with instruments resonating down State Street as onlookers watched them make their way to the main stage. This group is also the only competing juvenile pipe band in the Northeastern United States.
At the other end of the street from the main stage was the MVP Health Care Kids Korner holding a variety of family friendly activities. Balloon artists, face-painters and Radio Disney Live were some of the attractions. Pai’s Tae Kwon Do Academy also held a couple of performances and a board-breaking challenge.
Roaming down the street was Sparkles the Tall Juggler, raised up on stilts, and Patrick Ferri, physical comedian, on a unicycle high-fiving kids and performing tricks.
The man closing the night, though, was Ernie Williams and his band, which was followed by a fireworks display concluding the event. Since the first SummerNight, Williams hasn’t missed a performance.
`Ernie Williams loves this event and the community loves Ernie Williams,` said Savage.“
