Saratoga Heritage Day shows off local history

According to history teacher Matt Torrens, today’s students live in a world of “iPods, online gaming and Chipotle.”

And so every spring he tries to ground them in something more tangible and closer to home: the history of their town. As part of this effort, Torrens advised his students to attend The fifth annual Heritage Day festival on May 21 in downtown Saratoga.

The festival gives local residents and students the opportunity to dress up and assume the roles of historical figures from the town’s history, according to museum education programs director Linda Hagelin.

“Students really aren’t expected to know about the community in which they live,” Torrens said. “[Heritage Day] gives them that opportunity to learn about the key figures of Saratoga’s history and culture.”

Hagelin believes this event gives residents a bigger understanding of their town’s history.

“Many local residents don’t know about how many interesting people are part of Saratoga history,” Hagelin said. “Actresses Olivia DeHavilland and Joan Fontaine; Theodore Wores, famous artist of the 1920s; Mary Brown, wife of John Brown of Harper’s Ferry, to name a few.”

This year, senior Jaemyeong Lee and juniors Eric Wang and Jennifer Yang volunteered to dress up.

“Initially, it was all about the extra credit,” Lee, who assumed the role of Sgt. Lou Sing Kee, a World War I soldier, said. “I agreed to participate because it was an opportunity for me to use my proclivity toward performing for a more instant educationally beneficial purpose. I liked to romanticize about the idea of moving lots of students and instilling in them pride in Saratoga.”

Wang and Yang dressed up as Ohlone Indians for the event. According to Wang, he enjoyed talking to all of the other dressed up community members because they were very spirited.

At the event, students and other attendees participated in a mulProxy-Connection: keep-alive
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tude of games. Visitors were also given an autograph book that contained information on all the historical figures present at the festival. This book served as a token of remembrance in which visiting residents could receive and store the signatures of the significant Saratogans.

Hagelin felt the event was very successful and included a lot of involvement.

“Many residents learned something about our history by talking to the costumed characters and filling [the] autograph book with those signatures,” Hagelin said. “I heard several comments from adults yesterday that they had no idea there was so much interesting history in Saratoga! People from all around the Bay Area attended, and the attendance grows every year.”

Lee also recommends student involvement in the festival, even though preparing for the role can be a lot of work.

“This event has at least made me more proud to call myself a Saratogan,” Lee said. “And I figure if, during one of these years, I instill that pride in at least one other person, it’s worth it.”