Saratoga Race Course will host the Belmont Festival from June 6 to 9. (File photo)
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — For the first time in horse racing history, the Belmont Stakes will be held at Saratoga Race Course, bringing international attention to not only the Spa City but the entire Capital Region.
According to Todd Shimkus, president of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, the landmark event is expected to generate $50 million in economic impact, based on past attendance figures at Saratoga Race Course during a typical 40-day run.
“This is a historic event,” said Daryl Leggeri, president of Discover Saratoga, also known as the Saratoga Convention & Tourism Bureau. “We’ve never had an event like this here before, so I’m personally excited to watch this all unfold. There are so many small businesses that have been working hard to buy inventory, add staff and just keep the excitement level up.”
“I’m excited to see our community thrive and I’m excited to see people discovering our destination for the first time.”
Throughout the week, events are planned and organized to bring people together to enjoy the festivities, ranging from galas to viewing parties to the first-ever free concert, “Belmont on Broadway,” featuring Blues Traveler. The concert will take place on Broadway, closing off the street for an unprecedented event.
“We’re really working with different entities – city officials, private entities, county officials – to create opportunities to attract visitors to our destination,” Leggeri said. “We see this as an opportunity for us to showcase our beautiful destination, so we want to make it a big success.”
Leggeri says his and his team’s hope with Discover Saratoga is that people who visit Saratoga Springs and the many surrounding cities will love it so much that they’ll come back and bring friends and family back again and again. The event brings eyes from all over the world to the Capital Region, and they hope those experiencing the area for the first time get a great first impression.
“I want people to know that we’ve taken the time to plan, work together and put in the time to provide a truly special experience in upstate New York,” Leggeri said.
Discover Saratoga has dedicated ample space on their website to assist people visiting the area looking for information about Belmont, places to eat and stay, and other such things.
While local businesses have had plenty of time to prepare for the upcoming Belmont Festival, Shimkus said they’re still sprinting to get ready, and with all the buzz around the festival, he wants to assure people it’s not sold out yet, and there are still plenty of ways to enjoy the festival without having to go to the racetrack.
“We have 180 bars and restaurants, so it’s not like they’re all sold out. Not everyone can come on Saturday, so a lot of the restaurants will have viewing parties,” Shimkus said. “In fact, I think Saturday on Broadway will be a great time for people to come and shop during the day while the race is on.”
“Even if you don’t have a ticket, come here, shop, eat out. You’re not competing with the visitors who are here because they’re all at the track.”
Leggeri wants people who are in town during the racing festival, out-of-town visitors, longtime residents or anyone in between to keep in mind that the four-day racing festival will draw a much larger crowd than the typically crowded horse racing weekends in the summer. Tips he shared include being patient and getting out and exploring other cities in the county.
“We anticipated a surge in demand and have been preparing for it,” Leggeri said. “Our local lodging partners are experiencing strong demand but still have space available, which shows that people are coming from all over the county, not just Saratoga Springs, but all the way south to Albany and as far north as Glen Falls and Lake George to experience our destination.”
“This is something that will have an impact on the whole region, and it’s a wonderful thing.”
Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Todd Shimkus said during the event that the Saratoga summer meetings and horse racing are major league sports in New York. (Emma Ralls — Media News Group File)
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