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Showing posts with the label Saranac Lake

REVIEW: PENDRAGON THEATRE’S ARCADIA SHINES!

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Clare Paulson as Thomasina Coverly and Miles River Willow as Septimus Hodge in Arcadia “ Forget this world and all its troubles and if possible its multitudinous Charlatans—every thing in short but the Enchantress of Numbers .”  ~Charles Babbage, 1833 What:   Arcadia , by Tom Stoppard, is a conundrum set in two time periods where the past and future collide when scholars at an old English estate try to prove theories by piecing together the past.  Where : Pendragon Theatre , 15 Brandy Brook Ave, Saranac Lake, 518-891-1854,  Advanced tickets price:  $30/adult, $25/senior, $15/student with ID, $20/matinee At Door ticket price : $35/adult/senior, $25/student, $20/matinee When:   Saranac Lake: August 26,27 28 at 8 pm Tyler Nye as Valentine Coverly and Shamus Hunter McCarty as Bernard Nightingale in Arcadia (Saranac Lake) There are only three chances left to see Pendragon Theatre’s performance of  Arcadia  and it shouldn’t be missed. This high-energy comic drama by

Saranac Lake: Bass Season Opens with Father’s Day Fishing Derby

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Father’s Day is just around the corner, June 21, and the Saranac Lake Fish and Game Club wants to get all anglers under the age of 16 on the water with their father. This year the event coincides with the opening of Bass Season . The rules are simple. Participants are expected to demonstrate good sportsmanship and respect for other people. The purpose of the free event is to get people outside, to enjoy the morning and have fun together.  I contacted members of the Fish and Game Club and started quite a discussion on the exact number of years that the annual Father’s Day Fishing Derby has been taking place. The general consensus is that this annual event has provided almost 30 years of fun competition for children. The Father's Day Fishing Derby will be held from 8 a.m. to noon on Lake Colby and is open to all children fifteen years and under, who don’t require a fishing license. Registration is at the Lake Colby Beach prior to fishing that morning.  There are five

Keep Children Head Safe with Free Bike Helmets at the Bicycle Rodeo

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I wonder sometimes if I’m the only parent that thinks her children are hardheaded. My kids can be sassy and sweet then rapid fire my words back to me in one-line quips. I realize they get tired of “Safety Mom” and the other titles they so eloquently bestow upon me. The bottom line is as stubborn as they can something be, their heads are not truly hard. So to make sure children’s noggins stay safe numerous organizations in Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake have joined together to host their annual Bicycle Rodeos.  The Saranac Lake event takes place June 6 from 10 am – noon at the SL Civic Center, 22 Ampersand Ave while the Tupper Lake rodeo will be held June 13 from 10 am to 2 pm at LP Quinn School, Hosley Ave. The schedules of the two activities are similar with free bike obstacle course, bike raffle, free helmets, refreshments and bike repairs. Tupper Lake will also host Flutterbug the Clown, face painting, a bounce house and other games.  

Lake Placid/Saranac Lake Staycation or Vacation

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Though it may not feel like spring, things are starting to wake up around the Adirondacks. We’ve even been lucky enough to observe a few bald eagles! We are waiting for maple sap to run so we can begin producing. Our seedlings are starting to sprout. This is also a great time to explore the area’s museums and ski hills before the snow finally melts for good.  Whether you are visiting or taking a staycation, here are a few ideas to keep yourself active during an Adirondack spring break.  Snow Tubing (weather permitting) Lake Placid Jumping Complex   (weekends only) Call 523-8830 Titus Mountain   Snow Tubing, Malone. Call 518-483-3740

Free High School Play Writing Competition For Adirondack Park Students

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DEADLINE EXTENDED: February 16 Last year Saranac Lake’s professional theatre company Pendragon Theatre provided a unique opportunity to any high school-aged young adults living within the whole Adirondack Park, The Pendragon Young Playwrights’ Festival. The Festival focuses on a competition for high school students to submit a one-act play (up to three plays per playwright or team) on any subject. The February 1 st  deadline is quickly approaching so I want to encourage young adults to take advantage of the chance to have their winning play performed at the March festival.  I’m always a bit skeptical of writing competitions. There always seems to be some hidden fee involved, but Pendragon Theatre’s competition is free. The winning playwrights are also given the chance to meet with a creative team to further develop their submission for the stage before the March production.  

"Pippi Longstocking: A Family Musical" Brings Adventure to Saranac Lake's Pendragon Theatre

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(Saranac Lake) This year’s Rising Star Productions has found a new home for its fall children's musical at Pendragon Theatre . Over 30 area kids will be on stage to dance and sing their way through the pages of the classic 1945 Swedish book series “Pippi Langstrump” by Astrid Lindgren. This family-friendly show is a fun kids' activity, appropriate for all ages. The book series was adapted for the stage by Sebastian and Staffan Gotestam and became “Pippi Longstocking: The Family Musical.” This two-act play is directed by McCayla Quinn and focuses on the free-spirited adventures of the red-haired, self-reliant character Pippi (played by Robyn Rutgers) who lives with her horse and pet monkey in the Villekulla Cottage while her sea captain father (Simon Thill) is out at sea. “There are all sorts of hijinks throughout the show,” says Quinn. “Pippi stops thieves from stealing her pirate gold. She takes over the circus where she is stronger than Mighty Adolf, the strongest

Keeping track of Saranac Lake’s History

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It isn’t just nature, hikes and water activities that keep me active. It is an overwhelming interest in its vast history. Every summer I try to schedule in one of Historic Saranac Lake’s walking tours. Each Thursday a different section of the Saranac Lake story is unfolded. My daughter joined me last week for a tour around the American Management Association (AMA) property.  During school she’s learned about the contribution Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau made to the community and was interested to learn more about his influence. There is always so much more information given on these tours and not enough space to write about it. I learned from Margaret, our wonderful volunteer guide, that the AMA space was originally the Trudeau Sanatorium. Sanatoriums were institutions geared toward those that couldn’t afford the private cure cottages in town.   

Saranac Lake: Bicycle Safety and Free Helmets at the Rodeo

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A bicyclists making a stop hand signal  Yippee-Ki-Yay, it’s time for the rodeo. Well, not all rodeos are with horse and cowpokes, folks. It’s the annual Bicycle Rodeo at the Saranac Lake Civic Center. It still calls for a bit of a “yeehaw,” but instead of riding wild bulls, children will use their own power to ride around traffic cones and avoid obstacles, in the form of other bicyclists.    Last year my daughter got a refresher course on bicycle hand signals and bicycle road rules. While other children chose to go around the course as fast as possible, she took her time. There is a sense of relief to watch my young child cautiously approach the stop sign while attempting to use a bicycle safety hand signal.  Police volunteers are there to help coach children with proper technique. For anyone needing a refresher course, a bicyclist is supposed to go with traffic, but stay close to the painted line on the right side of the road. Use the left hand for all directional signals

Northern Lights School Mayfaire at the Adirondack Carousel

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By Diane Chase It was a long winter, though I did enjoy every minute of it. My family was able to ski, snowshoe and skate through most of those cold winter months. As Chaucer wrote, “…all things have an end,” so there goes winter in the Adirondacks leaving us to celebrate spring with all its most delightful changes. It is easy to let the seasonal changes go by without appropriate fanfare. When blackflies start biting or mud washes out our favorite trails, we want to remember the flower buds, robins and rock-hopping adventures rather than focus on the negative. One annual event that emphasizes the change of season is the Northern Lights School (NLS) Mayfaire. For the second year the NLS Mayfaire has joined forces with the Adirondack Carousel in Saranac Lake for its May 31 st  (11:00 am – 3:00 pm) celebration of spring. The schedule is set for an afternoon of community art, nature crafts, and live music. Green Goddess Natural Foods will have an array of their wonderful food a

Three (3) Weekend Family Events for the Lake Placid area

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A Farm to School Festival , Lake Placid School Carniva l and Saranac Lake Mayfaire are just a few events happening around the Tri-Lakes (Lake Placid, Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake) this weekend. In addition to the plethora of hiking, kayking and canoeing opportunities, make one or all of these three (3) great events a stopping place for children of all ages.  The 2nd annual Adirondack Farm to School Festival will take place on May 30 from 4-7 pm at the Lake Placid High School Oval. The event is free and open to the public, but donations will be accepted to support the Adirondack Farm to School movement The event will have local farm products, crafts, games and even a "farm to school" dinner. Music will be provided by local band, Big Slyde with a 6-7 pm presentation at the Lake Placid High School Auditorium by  Essex Farm' s Mark and Kristin Kimball , author of The Dirty Life .  The ADK Farm to School Initiative works in collaboration with Adirondack North Countr

Pendragon Theatre’s Announces Winners of First Annual Young Playwrights’ Festival

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Pendragon is pleased to announce that Witter Swanson, a student at Saranac Lake High School, will receive a full production of his play “Elmer.” The runner-up receiving a reading of her piece is Amber Baker, a student at Beekmantown, for her play "The Esteemed Institute."  Pendragon would like to thank all of the young playwrights who submitted their work and making this festival a success. Please join Witter, Amber, and the Pendragon crew at the theatre on  April 5  for a full day of festival activities: From  10 a.m. to 12 p.m.  Pendragon invites children in grades 1-6 to join Jessica Deeb and Executive Artistic Director Karen Lordi-Kirkham for a workshop entitled “Playwriting on Your Feet.”

Historic Saranac Lake presents Spring Event Series

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March 24:  Special Tour Marking World TB Day: Tour the grounds of the former Trudeau Sanatorium. Meet at 1 pm  inside the Park Avenue gates, where street parking is available. Tour is free of charge. Call  518-891-4606  to reserve a spot .  May 1: Daffest Walking Tour:  A walking historic tour will leave Riverside Park at 10:30 am  led by Director of Historic Saranac Lake, Amy Catania. Your group will stroll from Riverside Park along the shores of Lake Flower to the Bartok Cabin. $5/person, free to Historic Saranac Lake members. In May -- History Matters Seminar Series: We are planning our third annual spring seminar series, featuring topics of local history. Stay tuned for a schedule of talks. May 13:  Preservation Celebration: featuring workshop sessions on window preservation, the National Register and the rehabilitation tax credit program, followed by a hard hat tour of the Hotel Saranac. More details and registration information coming soon. Stay tuned to  hotelsaranac.

First Adirondack Paintball Biathlon of Season

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The first paintball biathlon of the season was held this weekend at Dewey Mountain in Saranac Lake. To celebrate Sochi, the kids braved cold weather to follow in the heels of Dewey mountain alumni Annelies Cook, Tim Burke and Bill Demong.  Dewey Mountain is known in the Adirondacks as being the place that gave those Olympians there start. 

Adirondack Paintball Biathlon Series 2014

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No one has to wait for the Sochi Winter Olympics games to participate in an Olympic sport. Once again all young adults have an opportunity to be part of the Adirondack Paintball Biathlon.                                                        The entry is $10/event for the first six events ($5 for NYSEF, NPSC, ORDA Pathfinder, Dewey Mt and TLNS athletes). There is a $20 admission for anyone participating during the Grand Finale as part of the NYSEF Nordic Kids Festival on March 23.                                                Any child from 8-14 can register and compete in any or all of the 2014 Adirondack Paintball Biathlon Series. Any child competing in all seven events gets a free event t-shirt. No experience is necessary though each participant must have his/her own cross-country ski gear. Some kids race against each other while others just try to pull a personal best. Each race will vary depending on the location. Each venue will have a slightly different f

Streetcar Lecture Series at Pendragon Theatre in Saranac Lake

An exciting multi-media lecture series with scholar John Dileo will take place  on Sunday  afternoon July 14 th called “T. Williams and Company: His Essential Screen Actors” and  on Monday  evening July 15 th  entitled “Streetcar…is that you?: The On-Screen Imitators of William’s Masterwork”. Book signing will follow the lectures. John DiLeo  is the author of five books about classic movies: And You Thought You Knew Classic Movies!: 200 Quizzes for Golden Age Movie Lovers  (1999); 100 Great Film Performances You Should Remember But Probably Don’t  (2002);  Screen Savers: 40 Remarkable Movies Awaiting Rediscovery  (2007);  Tennessee Williams and Company: His Essential Screen Actors  (2010);  Screen Savers II: My Grab Bag of Classic Movies  (2012). John has presented his Tennessee Williams programs at the Williams festivals in Provincetown and New Orleans. You can follow him at his blog ( screensaversmovies.com ), website ( www.johndileo.com ), and on Twitter (@JOHNDiLEO).  

Adirondack Farm to School June 6

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Adirondack Kids at Carousel Birthday Bash

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This is not just any birthday party for the Adirondack Carousel ; it is coming up on its first. What an amazing first year it has been. Offering carving workshops, art exhibits, birthday parties, field trips or just a unique carousel ride, the people involved have given much to the community and have much to celebrate.    Instead of throwing a private little affair, the Adirondack Carousel is opening its doors and asking the public to stop by on Saturday and enjoy what the entire Carousel has to offer. On May 25 th  there are a variety of events happening from 10 am – 3:00 pm. Enjoy face painting and balloon animals with MerriLoons the Clown, book signings, and free carousel rides from 10 am – noon. At noon, top it all off with a piece of birthday cake. Ride tokens will be available for purchase for the remainder of the day.

Pendragon Theatre presents New Directions

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Each March Pendragon Theatre offers to the public something new whether introducing a new director, play or original work.  For me this opportunity highlights the importance of live theatre. When seeing a movie the audience misses all that goes into the making of the film and can only catch a glimpse when the credits role with job descriptions that most of the time have little meaning.  Theatre gives us the chance to see a collaborative effort where special effects are not computer generated.   Pendragon Theatre, Saranac Lake, is presenting its annual New Directions Series  Friday, March 22 nd  at 7 pm and Saturday, March 23 rd  at 2 pm and 7 pm. General Admission tickets are $5.

Andy Flynn publishes an Adirondack Park User's Guide Ebook

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Andy Flynn, publisher of Hungry Bear Publishing in Saranac Lake and author of the popular Adirondack Attic book series along with  friends from the Adirondack Forest Preserve Education Partnership (AFPEP)  has published a Kindle ebook titled New York's Adirondack Park: A User's Guide .  According to a press release from Flynn the book includes 13 of Flynn’s stories from the “Adirondack Attic” book series, straight from the archives of the Adirondack Museum, to help illustrate the “how-to” aspects of using the Forest Preserve and give a historical perspective.

Adirondack Carousel Grand Opening

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© Diane Chase, author of the Adirondack Family Activities™ guidebook series:  Adirondack Family Time™: Tri-Lakes and High Peaks (Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities) for the towns of Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Jay/Upper Jay, Wilmington, Keene/Keene Valley which is available online or bookstores/museums/sporting good stores.