Betsy Ross Is Alive, Well And Living In Saratoga: Saratoga Celebrates Flag Day

The skies may have been gray but on the streets, it was red, white and blue as far as the eye could see. 

Thousands of spectators and participants showed up to this year’s Annual Saratoga Flag Day Parade put on by the Saratoga-Wilton Elks Lodge #161 which took place Saturday June 14. It followed its normal path starting on North Broadway and traveling one mile south to its conclusion in Congress Park. 

Flag Day is a federal holiday which celebrates the adoption of the US flag by the Continental Congress in 1777. It was first made a holiday by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1937 with nationwide recognition by the federal government coming in 1949. This year’s parade was the 56th annual parade in Saratoga — following the same route it did in 1968. It also coincided with the 250th anniversary of the formation of the US Army. 

This year’s parade featured dozens of civic groups, businesses, marching bands, drumlines and everything in between. There were slapstick routines from the Oriental Shriners, many groups were handing out flags and many first responders and military in class A Uniforms. 

While pets and other animals might not have been allowed at the Broadway on Belmont Festival, it wasn’t the case for the parade. Dogs, ponies, llamas and even a unicorn or two doted the parade route — as both participants and spectators. 

The largest single organization in the parade was Indivisible ADK/Saratoga who had 1,500 people march in the parade carrying flags. This was in coordination with demonstrations across the country. There were also a few demonstrators around the Saratoga Springs City Council building representing both sides of the political aisle.