By Khalida Sarwari
It might be worth changing Black Friday to include the city of Saratoga’s Dickens-themed holiday event and wine stroll on Nov. 28.
The 13th annual Holiday Tree Lighting and Wine Stroll, sponsored by the city in partnership with the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce, kicks off at 5 p.m. and includes an open house of Village businesses, many of which will be open for extended hours. Craftspeople will also be selling unique handcrafted items. Registration for the wine stroll is $40 in advance and $45 on the day of the event.
The tree lighting portion of the program starts at 5:30 p.m. in Blaney Plaza with an introduction by city dignitaries and a performance by Marshall Lane Elementary School’s Mustang Chorale.
Throughout the evening, live holiday music and carolers in Victorian attire will greet visitors all throughout the Village while Father Christmas strolls the streets. Free horse-drawn carriage rides, a children’s fun zone with a bounce house and cookie-decorating activity are also on the agenda.
The fire station will hand out cookies and hot cider along with the opportunity to meet local firefighters, and the Book-Go-Round will hold a sale of gently used books and special holiday books. The store will be open from 5 to 9 p.m.
The Saratoga History Museum will unveil a special holiday exhibit of toys from the 1950s to the ’70s and offer cookies and hot cider from 6 to 8 p.m. while the Skillet Lickers perform Christmas carols. The gift shop will also be open and the museum will be accepting unwrapped toys to donate to Sacred Heart Community Service for children in need.
The exhibit runs through Jan. 25.
For more information about the tree lighting and wine stroll, visitsaratoga.ca.us/treelighting.
Link: Saratoga holiday season begins with tree lighting, wine stroll, more
