Saratoga Springs businesses dress their windows to impress as part of Saratoga 150 contest

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Lifestyles' Saratoga 150-themed window. (ERICA MILLER/emiller@saratogian.com)

By LUKE FLOOD
news@saratogian.com
Twitter.com/SaratogianNews

Lifestyles Assistant Manager Stacey D?Andrea-Goodman puts the final touches on the clothing boutique?s window display. The Saratoga 150-themed window display features a horse on a bicycle covered in red and yellow flowers for the Flower Fete Promenade, a major city celebration scheduled to take place Aug. 2. (ERICA MILLER/emiller@saratogian.com)

SARATOGA SPRINGS ? A number of local businesses are showing off artistic window displays, their entries into a Saratoga 150 contest celebrating 150 years of racing in the city.

Judges on Saturday were canvassing the streets, looking for the display with the most originality, as well as one with a dominant 150th anniversary presence.

?Even though it is deemed a contest, I don?t see it as one. We?ve been decorating these windows for years. The only difference is that now we can truly honor the town that has shown us so much love,? said Linda Ambrosino, owner of G. Willikers toy store on Broadway.

G. Willikers has been open for more than

20 years. It is best-known for its Christmas window displays in December.

Ambrosino said the majority of the store?s display for the Saratoga150 contest is handmade. She believes one feature, in particular, will give G. Willikers an edge over its competition.

?Motion is key in a good window display because it brings everything to life,? Ambrosino said. ?I wanted to have the 150th anniversary sign in constant motion because one, it?s the most important aspect of the display, and two, it just looks cool.?

But, she said, above all, it was most important to stay true to the store?s values.

?We wanted to make everything ourselves because that?s what we want to teach the children,? Ambrosino said. ?You don?t need to buy a toy to play with, but you can make your own. So if we want our children to learn from us, we must teach them accordingly.?

Across the street, Stacey D?Andrea-Goodman, assistant manager of Lifestyles clothing boutique, said doing the window display is a great way to honor the community. Continued...

?Ideally, I think judges will be looking for the three H?s to be present in each display,? D?Andrea-Goodman said, referring to the city?s ?health, history and horses? moniker.

D?Andrea-Goodman said this year, the store went for a New York City-like display.

?With the help of the fantastic Catherine Wagner Minnery, a local artist, we were able to put together a layered display that holds true to our fashion sense but can also show how dedicated we are to this town and its history,? she said.

The winner of the window display contest will be named at 11 a.m. Monday and will be featured on The Saratogian website soon after the announcement.

Source: http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2013/07/13/news/doc51e1fd921e0a9210114090.txt

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