18 Holiday Festivals around the Adirondacks and Beyond

Around the Adirondacks local stores and businesses aren’t feeling the pressure to celebrate early. They are saving their energy and pulling out all the stops for a Black Friday and Small Business Saturday weekend that is uniquely Adirondack.  These events give you enough time to let your turkey dinner settle down while festive enough to gesture in the Christmas spirit.  As you can see from the schedule at the end of the page, various towns stagger the events so you can attend one or all!

Children will be able to make crafts to give as gifts, enjoy horse wagon rides or participate in free puppet shows, movies and treasure hunts. We always took advantage of those free activities to slip away and get a bit of our holiday shopping completed. 

Speculator is hosting its Holiday stroll on November 28 with gift certificates, give-aways and discounts topped off with Victorian carolers while Lake George plans on making the village glow with over 15,000 lights on November 29.  

Indian Lake is celebrating their 17^th annual Country Christmas Tour November 28-29. Over 31 different businesses, crafters, artisans and vendors will be set up throughout Indian Lake for annual Country Christmas tour. The event will kick off on Friday at 9 am with artisan and crafter tours. Don’t forget to check out the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts production of “The Sound of Music.” Willemsen’s Train Exhibit will once again be available as well as Mrs. Claus storytime, The Puppet People variety show and candy cane hunt. Children can feed Pygora goats or participate in a holiday workshop creating their own gifts to give. History buffs can take a step back in time and tour The Hedges in Blue Mountain Lake. 

In Inlet and Old Forge, an Adirondack Christmas on Main Street, November 28-30, is a true small town celebration with all the quaint shops and unique merchandise available that can’t be found in a big box store. 

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In Old Forge some events, like the ADK Christmas train from Utica, have an admission while most events are free. There are horse drawn wagon rides, face painting and special animal encounters with the Utica ZooMobile. Children can have their picture taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus and even meet Santa’s Reindeer in front of Walt’s Diner. Throughout the weekend shops are open offering all sorts of Adirondack made items that will fit nicely under your Christmas tree.

All Inlet stores will be open all weekend. There will be plenty of free activities including the annual candy cane hunt in Arrowhead Park. There is also face painting as well as dog parade, tree lighting and caroling around the Town Hall tree. A few specials activities are a Santa Drop Box for letters with a request for a return address to Santa can write back as well as a basket raffle. Participants receive a free raffle ticket for every $10 spent in Inlet so save receipts and bring them to the Inlet Town Hall.

Lake George will celebrate the holiday season on November 29 fro 5 -7 pm with an amazing light show of over 15,000 holiday lights. Shops will be open, Santa will come to the Lake George Fire House as well as some children's activities.  

Ticonderoga starts a weeklong North Country Christmas celebration on November 30th and will continue through December 6.  Holiday in Hague, December 6 10 am - 8 pm, will include tree lighting, children's activities and holiday traditions. 

Each town is also hosting special holiday workshops for children to be able to take time and make a homemade craft. These area businesses support local artisans and make gift giving special and easy.

Just beyond:

Check out the Imaginarium Children's Museum in Plattsburgh event on December 6 with Santa, games, crafts and horse-drawn carriage rides. Drive through Albany's Washington Park from November 20 - January 3 to see over 125 light displays and scenic dioramas. Check out the Albany Empire Plaza Holiday Tree Lighting with ice skating, outdoor mini-golf and fireworks!   Glens Falls will continue its annual Home for the Holidays celebration on December 5th from 5 - 8 pm will carolers, shopping discounts, tree lighting and more. The North Country Festival of Trees in Queensbury consists of children's formal dance and Saratoga Festival of Trees, held at the Saratoga Springs City Center ($) from Dec 3-7 is a convention center filled with homemade items to purchase. Look for lower admission during the Victorian Walk and Family Day. 

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Here is a list of Holiday events by date

November 28- 30
Speculator Holiday Stroll (Nov 28)
Indian Lake Country Christmas Tour (Nov 28-29)
Old Forge Christmas on Main (Nov 28-30)
Inlet Christmas on Main (Nov 28-30)
Lake George Lite Up the Village (Nov 29) 

November 30-December 7
Ticonderoga North Country Christmas (Nov 30 - Dec 6)
Christmas in Warrensburg (Dec 6-7)
Long Lake's "Celebrate the Season" (Dec 5-7)
Plattsburgh's Imaginarium Holiday Celebration (Dec 6)
Albany Capital Lights at (November 20- January 3)
Glens Falls Home for the Holidays (Dec 5)
Ballston Spa Tree Lighting (Dec 5)
Holiday in Hague (Dec 6)
North Country Festival of Trees, Queensbury (Dec 6)
Saratoga Festival of Trees (Dec 4- 7)

December 12-14
Lake Placid Holiday Stroll with food tastings, free activities, movies, music and more
Oak Mountain Holiday Fair, Speculator with $10 dog sled rides, crafts and more (Dec 12)

Joy of Giving at Paul Smiths College, Paul Smiths (Dec 13)

© Diane Chase is the author of the Adirondack Family Activities™ guidebook series, Adirondack Family Time™guidebooks have easy Adirondack family hikes, Adirondack swimming holes, Lake Placid Olympic activities, Adirondack trivia, Adirondack horseback rides, Adirondack snowshoe family trails and more. Look for the Adirondack family guidebook online or bookstores/museums/sporting good stores. Diane is currently working on the next Adirondack Family Activities™ guide.