September 2019 Discover Upper Union Street Upper Union Street BID Harvest Fest to be held on Oct. 12 The Upper Union Street BID is thrilled to announce that Harvest Fest 2019 will be held on Saturday, Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year’s festivities will include vendors, food, kids’ activities and live music. Vendors will be located near the corner of Union and Dean Streets. Flowers by Jo-Ann Celebrates New Location Owner Jo-Ann Mingo talks about what brought New this year is a BID-wide Scarecrow Contest. her to Upper Union Street and what makes her Visitors will be invited to visit all of our Upper work unique. Read our conversation on page 3. Union Street businesses during the Harvest Fest to vote for their favorite scarecrow and enter to Your Ad Here win great prizes. Support the Upper Union Street BID and place your ad For more information and to learn how you can in future newsletters like this one. To place an ad, please participate, visit: www.upperunionstreet.com/harvest. email: [email protected]. 2 UPPER UNION STREET BID NEWSLETTER: SEPTEMBER 2019 IMPORTANT MESSAGE: Attention BID members! If you haven’t already signed up to participate in the Harvest Fest Scarecrow Contest, please let us know before Sept. 10 by emailing Sarah Bilofsky at [email protected]. Business that have already signed up to participate include: • Flowers by Jo-Ann • Musler’s Fine Women’s Clothing • Ed’s Barbershop • Hartz Family Cleaners Upper Union Street’s • Union Café • Sondra’s Fine Harvest Fest 2019 Jewelry • Green Leaf Live Music • Kids’ Activities • Food • Vendors Wellness Co • City Squire Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019, 10AM to 3PM • Trustco Upper Union Street, Schenectady • Northeastern Fine Jewelry Scarecrow Contest • Sophia Sabella Vote for your favorite scarecrow Photography and enter to win great prizes! • Gershon’s Deli • DiCocco & Learn more by visiting: Associates www.upperunionstreet.com/harvest • Adirondack Tire (rain or shine) UPPER UNION STREET BID NEWSLETTER: SEPTEMBER 2019 3 number. People today are ordering more online. Some will still pick up the phone, they’re usually A Conversation with on my website when they do. So we have to duplicate what that looks like and they’ve kind of Flowers by Jo-Ann taken the creativity away from the designer. So with my design, I’ve gone in a different direction. I’m finding that my people like that. My regulars owner Jo-Ann Mingo will call and ask for Jo-Ann’s style instead of the We sat down with Jo-Ann Mingo, owner of network pieces, which are great, too, but it takes Flowers by Jo-Ann, who is now at home in her the fun away from us. new location at 1711 Union Street. How long have you been here and what Tell us about your business brought you to Upper Union Street? We’re a full-service florist. We pretty much touch I’m on my fifth year now. I was four years in the every part of this industry. We do local deliveries other location. My boyfriend/partner is from and we’re affiliated with four different networks. Schenectady. This is my second time around We do daily deliveries, wedding work, funerals, owning a flower shop. I owned a flower shop fresh flowers, silk flowers. I was a greenhouse and garden center in Massachusetts with my ex- grower, I have that background as well, so we husband. I was looking in Latham around Route do fresh live plants as well. Food baskets, fruit 9. But my boyfriend kept telling me to come to baskets, gourmet, custom. We carry fresh cut Schenectady. Competition can be good, but it flowers. I love to build cut bouquets. A lot can also be stressful, which is why I branded my of people like to do their own thing, they like own style here. So we scouted out State Street to play with flowers, too. We have pre-made and Central Ave. But he told me to check out arrangements ready to go, if they need something Upper Union Street. We came up a couple times in a vessel. We also sell greeting cards. It’s a and watched the traffic and foot traffic. I agreed pretty cool place to come for gifts. We do it all. with him and said, “you’re right, this is where And we deliver locally, nationally and overseas we need to be.” There’s a lot going on up here with other members of our networks. right now and with the construction of the new medical building, the new City Squire, you’ve got Who is part of your team? Northeastern Fine Jewelry, Head to Tail. We’re all I have a group of people who work with me. I have close business owners, everyone bounces off one two other designers with me. One gentleman, another. That’s why I settled here. we worked together at a prior flower shop for many years. Arthur has been in the industry for (article continues on page 7) 40+ years. Jim is also with me. He and his mom owned a flower shop for many years, he went to mass market and then he retired. Now he’s back here. He has 30+ years. I have 35 years, so combined, we have more than 100 years of experience in this industry. I’m very fortunate to have great design help. Tell us how you stand out? I pride myself on unique design -- think outside of the box a little bit. So that’s how I’ve branded my business. With the network orders that come in, the way they come to us today is with a catalog 4 UPPER UNION STREET BID NEWSLETTER: SEPTEMBER 2019 Strawberry Festival Highlights The Upper Union Street BID Board would like to thank all the businesses, vendors, volunteers and visitors for making the 2019 Strawberry Festival our best festival yet! UPPER UNION STREET BID NEWSLETTER: SEPTEMBER 2019 5 Domani Day Spa, located at 1606 Union Street, is honored for their 20-year commitment to Upper Union Street and the City of Schenectady. Head to Tail Pet Wellness Center, located at 1604 Union Street, is honored for their decade-long commitment to Upper Union Street and the City of Schenectady. Gershon’s Deli, established in 1954 and now located at 1600 Union Street is honored for their 65-year commitment to Upper Union Street and the City of Schenectady. 6 UPPER UNION STREET BID NEWSLETTER: SEPTEMBER 2019 Upcoming Events GE Realty Plot History Schenectady’s Stockade is capture your imagination Your Listing Here Walking Tour the oldest registered historic and transport you to Sept. 21, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. district in New York State. another place, time, and Join Chris Leonard, The Stockade Walkabout world. Each year the Place your business event Schenectady City Historian invites visitors to step inside Dream Team designs an listing in future newsletters and author of Schenectady’s privately owned homes in the exciting new event based like this one. General Electric Realty neighborhood, accessible to on an imaginative theme Plot, on a walking tour the public for one day only! that engages guests with To place a listing, email: of the historic GE Realty Schenectadyhistorical.org. entertainment, visually [email protected] Plot neighborhood. Visit stunning decor, glamorous schenectadyhistorical.org. Glenville Oktoberfest attire, and elegant food Sept. 28, 12 - 9 p.m. and cocktails. We want to Build-A-Bash 2019 Maalwyck Park break the mold of charity Sept. 26, 6 p.m. Glenville Oktoberfest returns galas by creating a one-of- Schenectady Armory Center to Maalwyck Park on the a-kind event in the Capital Habitat for Humanity of last Saturday in September. Region, where everyone Schenectady County’s Build- Join us for the 10th Annual has a fabulous experience A-Bash will celebrate its 7th Glenville Oktoberfest. while raising money and anniversary. It will be another We plan to again feature awareness for Ronald Union College Concert incredible evening of fun and multiple Oktoberfest bands McDonald House Charities Series 2019-2020 Season thrills. The screams, shouts as well as more surprises! of the Capital Region. and applause will boom Oct. 20, 3 p.m. throughout the Armory as 2019 Wing Walk Niskayuna High School Paul Lewis, piano our contestants compete Oct. 5, 12 - 5 p.m. Craft Fair for the 2019 Trophy in Downtown Schenectady Oct. 27, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Oct. 27, 3 p.m. the infamous Tug of War Stroll around Downtown Niskayuna High School Grace Clifford, violin Challenge. You can watch or Schenectady and sample The Niskayuna High School Joseph Liccardo, piano join in the Hammerschlagen unique chicken wing PTO organizes this long- contests, going shoulder to recipes at a variety of standing annual event to help Nov. 3, 3 p.m. shoulder with others. Visit restaurants, then vote fund teacher and student- Brentano Quartet schenectadyhabitat.org. for your favorite during related programs. Free this year’s 8th Annual admission. Peruse handmade Nov. 24, 3 p.m. Stockade Walkabout Downtown Schenectady items ranging from kitchen to Pierre-Laurent Aimard, piano Sept. 28, 32 Washington Ave. Wing Walk! holiday decor, children’s gifts, Ever wanted to peek inside sewn creations and more! Or Dec. 8, 3 p.m. the beautiful homes that Capital Masquerade shop your favorite vendors Roman Rabinovich, piano grace the Stockade? Mark Oct. 25, 5 - 11 p.m. like Pampered Chef, Avon, your calendars! The Stockade Schenectady Armory Center Tupperware, Thirty-One Gifts, For more information, visit: Walkabout is your chance! This event was created to and more! unioncollegeconcerts.org.