By Khalida Sarwari
As spring draws to a close, one event that’s sure to be on the minds of many Saratogans is the Blossom Festival. Taking place at the Saratoga Civic Center and Heritage Orchard on March 23, the festival will offer residents a nostalgic trip down memory lane in vintage cars and music from the 1930s and 1940s.
Produced by the Saratoga Historical Foundation, the day will feature other reminiscences of the past, including a Maypole dance and a parade of blossom paintings. Festivities are free and will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
One of the city’s oldest and most popular festivals, the Blossom Festival was started in 1900 by retired Congregational minister Edwin Sidney “Sunshine” Williams to celebrate the end of a two-year drought and the resulting beauty of the blossoming orchards.
Annette Stransky, president of the Saratoga Historical Foundation, said this year’s event might remind folks of the original festival that was popular for more than 40 years.
“We want to commemorate and preserve the memory of its historic celebration of Saratoga’s agricultural and community-focused life,” she said. “The valley was once the leading producer of prunes, and agriculture was an important industry. By holding the event in the Heritage Orchard and the surrounding area, we can remember not only the beauty of the orchards but the importance.”
The foundation has planned a wide range of activities that will blend the old with the new and will appeal to all age groups, Stransky said.
Six local entertainment groups will take the stage, including the Saratoga Taiko Drums; Sunrise, a country and western duo; Steven Gary; Casual Sax; and the Rhythmaires Dixieland jazz band. Wandering musicians such as Angelina and Alicia Cress, Sandra Whelan and Tina Liddie will add to the ambience, said Stransky.
For those interested in crafts, local craftspeople will have tables selling a variety of items from plants to jewelry. Organizations such as the Santa Clara Valley Beekeeper Guild, Master Gardeners, the California Native Plant Society, Saratoga Heritage Tree Society and Ecopia will have informative displays.
For the little ones, the activities include a petting zoo, story hour every hour in the historic Warner Hutton House, old-fashioned children’s games led by the costumed Saratoga History Museum docents and three activity tables organized by the Girl Scouts, Saratoga Federated Church and the Japanese American Museum. A scavenger hunt, with prizes, is also planned for all ages.
More than 20 folks portraying Saratoga historical figures, including Sunshine Williams, will be available from noon to 2 p.m. to answer questions about the past. The Vintage Tea Dance Society will also come dressed in vintage apparel, and all attendees who would like to get in the spirit of the day are invited to come dressed in period clothes from the 1900s to the 1940s.
From 11 a.m. to noon, Los Gatos Poet Laureate Erica Goss will attempt to capture the beauty of the orchard in verse. Docents will lead walks through the orchard from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. by the Saratoga Historical Foundation.
Artists from three local art organizations will showcase paintings of the blossoming orchard during a “parade of blossoms” in the Heritage Orchard. Participating organizations include the Saratoga Community of Painters, Saratoga Contemporary Artist and Los Gatos Art Association En Plein Air. Some will be selling paintings, cards and other items, in addition to demonstrating en plein air painting.
Vintage vehicles, such as the Santa Clara Valley Model T Ford and the Santa Clara Model A Ford will also be on display, as will five vintage bicycles including a 1900s high wheeler from a private collection. The Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association will be showing cars and motors.
As if all that wasn’t enough to keep most people occupied during the day, there will also be all-day screenings of two films depicting the Santa Clara Valley in the 1930s and the history of prunes in the Warner Hutton House. After the screenings, people can taste prunes.
Concurrent with the event, the Saratoga History Museum is paying homage to the festival in a free exhibit titled, “Blossoms, Sunshine, and Saratoga: Remembering the Blossom Festival.” The exhibit is expected to run through the end of May.
For more information about the festival, visit saratogahistory.com/blossomfestival or call 408.867.4311.
