Saratoga Springs’ gala life isn’t just for the big kids. The Saratoga Automobile Museum is proving just that with its first annual Kids Gala this Saturday, January 25. This family-friendly event, which was completely planned by children from kindergarten to sixth grade, will feature lots of fun—basketball, a live DJ with dancing, pizza and ice cream—plus a little something for adults, too.
“It’s been so much fun working with these kids,” Carly Connors, the museum’s executive director, tells saratoga living. “We had almost 20 kids at our first meeting, and they were so into it. One of them said, ‘If we’re going to have all this food for us, we should probably have a bar for the parents, too.’” And SAM listened. The event will feature a cash bar for parents, so that they can relax and mingle while their children enjoy everything from balloon sculpting and a face-painting station to a junk-food smorgasbord that includes popcorn and pizza from Mama Mia’s. Kids will also get two “bars” of their own, one featuring candy, the other, ice cream, courtesy of Stewart’s Shops. There will also be a silent auction toward the end of the event.
The Kids Gala was inspired by the success of the Saratoga Automobile Museum’s Kids Days—free, activity-packed days for children at the museum. A committee of 18 students from 10 different local elementary and middle schools planned the gala. “The kids made all the decisions and even went out to the community to get silent auction items and sponsorships,” says Connors. “They’re so excited for it, and so are we.”
Proceeds from the auction and the event will benefit the museum’s Distracted Driving Safety Initiative, which reduces dangerous driving habits through driving simulators. For tickets and more information, click here.
