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Showing posts with the label old forge

18 Holiday Festivals around the Adirondacks and Beyond

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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.   I

Old Forge Sunday Summer Concert Series

July 1 The Joe Bolton Band  July 4 Floyd Community Instrumental Ensemble  (Fireworks)  July 8 Easy Money (Big Band Jazz)  July 15 Soul Injection (Light Jazz)  July 22 Al Nathan Band  July 29 Johnson & Company  August 5 Joe Angerosa “The Elvis Show”  August 12 Horseshoe Lounge Playboys (Acoustic Backwoods Americana)  August 19 Gwen Tracy Band  August 26 Al Nathan Band   September 2 Paul Case Band & Fireworks  Sundays at 7:00 p.m. Rain location—Hiltebrant Recreation Center Pavilion On North Street (except 7/1 & 7/29)  ©  Diane Chase is the author of Adirondack Family Activities™ guidebook series  Adirondack Family Time™ available online or bookstores/museums/sporting good stores. 

Adirondack Birding Festival Schedule Central Adirondacks

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The Adirondack Birding Festival is taking place throughout Hamilton County June 8-10, 2012.  Hamilton County is the third largest and least populated county in New York State. The county is entirely within the Adirondack State Park. Over 60% of our land area is either Wilderness or Wild Forest. There is not a single stop light in the entire county . The county’s million acres of forest, 1,500 miles of rivers and streams and over 56,000 acres of lakes and ponds provide birding and wildlife watching opportunities unequalled. Our towns and hamlets are located at 1,200 – 1,500 feet above sea-level and our mountains approach 4,000 feet. Normally in June we enjoy warm days and cool evenings. It could be hot. It could snow. Check the forecast before you come and bring clothing for a wide range of weather conditions and temperatures. Nesting birds, rising trout, rushing water, wildflowers and newborn of many species make the woods and waters of Hamilton County a place of springtime

Old Forge: SnoFest and Snowmobile Specials

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SnoFest in Old Forge will take place this March 10-11, 2012 with demo rides, vendors and raffle prizes. Gates to the North Street Recreation Center will be open on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and on Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Admission is free. There will be Freestyle Snocross Shows all three days, with a Back-Flip Fireworks Finale on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. Special SNOFEST Trail Pass Purchase a Town of Webb & Inlet 2011-2012 snowmobile trail pass during SNOFEST weekend (March 10th-13th) for $65 per sled. Thats a $15 savings off the regular price trail pass plus ride the rest of 2011 for FREE! Only valid 3/10-3/13, must purchase in person at the Old Forge or Inlet Visitor Info Centers.

Old Forge: Ski McCauley Mountain

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By Diane Chase, Adirondack Family Activities™   For a family mountain, Old Forge’s McCauley Mountain can’t be beat.  With an elevation of 2,330’ McCauley has something to offer everyone in our family.  The terrain park is the first thing we see as we pull into the parking area but we quickly pass it to the lifts and make the most of the day.  There is one double chairlift and one T-Bar that access all 20 trails and a Rope Tow for the Mighty Mite. The second T-Bar is at the terrain park area. My kids are well past the Mighty Mite but it is still sweet to see that special place right in the middle of the mountain for those beginner skiers.

Adirondack Family Fun: Adirondack Movie Theaters

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By Diane Chase One thing we like to do is to enjoy a small intimate theatre experience. Not just live theatre, though that plays (no pun intended) a prominent role in our lives. No, it’s escaping for a few hours and going to “The Movies.” At one time many towns in the Adirondacks had their own movie houses. Sadly most have made way for the multiplex. Some theatres have retained their original architecture so the movie is not always the only thing to observe. Take a moment and enjoy a small slice of history. Each theatre offers a unique experience that a larger cineplex may not. These theatres are independently owned and operated and can offer a less expensive ticket price. 

Adirondack Theatre: Pendragon Theatre takes To Kill a Mockingbird on the Road

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Pendragon Theatre in Saranac Lake, the Adirondacks only year-round professional theatre is taking its production of "To Kill A Mockingbird" on the road.

Adirondack Ski Mountain Ski Swaps

By Diane Chase, from my weekly Adirondack Almanack post Being an active family, my kids seems to outgrown their sporting gear before I’ve finished tying up the laces. For other parents looking to outfit their children for the winter ski season, a ski swap is a nice starting place. A ski swap can also be a much-needed opportunity to clean house Generally the ski swaps are consignments where you drop off your gear, helmets, and winter clothing a day before the event. If the gear sells then you will receive 80% of the set sale price. Usually the funds generated benefit a special organization like ski clubs or ski patrols so the 20% commission goes to support the sport. It is best to ask what each ski swap's arrangement is, as it varies with location. Keep in mind no “collector’s items” like wooden skis and only clothing in good condition.   Lake Placid: November 5, 9:00 a.m. – noon In Lake Placid, the   Lake Placid Ski Club/NYSEF Ski Swap   is asking for any winter gear from

Adirondack Museums: Goodsell Museum in Old Forge

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By Diane Chase The Goodsell Museum in Old Forge is free to the public and open all year. Visit the Floating Letters exhibit until October 31 st  or enjoy the other items that provide an historical blueprint of the area. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. At the Goodsell Museum children are encouraged to mix and mingle throughout the various exhibits. On the ground floor there are glass cases and cordoned-off taxidermy animals but a pack basket set to the side is marked with a yellow circle, handprint and “OK.”. Children know anything marked with that symbol is fair game. My children examine all the animal pelts gingerly and even try on a few fox collars. Upstairs they examine some medical equipment in a different “please touch box.”  

Old Forge Art Center Gala Weekend Schedule of Events

New Building Gala Opening Weekend July 7 - 10 Thursday, July 7: Gala Fundaraising Dinner Limited seating please call to check availability ($250 pp.) 5:30pm Cocktails, Music, and Silent Auction 6:30pm Dinner 8 - 10pm Dancing, High Definition Band Friday, July 8: Dedication & Postal Cancellation 10 - 10:30am Dedication & Ribbon Cutting followed by refreshments and music with Al Nathan 10:30 - 11:30am Special Commemorative Postal Cancellation 10am - 4pm Open House and Workshop Demonstrations Saturday, July 9: Open House and BBQ 8am Hiking Safely Lecture 10am  Nature Walk Led by Gary Lee 10am - 4pm Open House and Workshop Demonstrations 6pm Fulton Chain Gang Concert & Barbecue (tickets $15/$10 members) Sunday, July 10: Family Day Noon - 4pm Open House Workshop Demonstrations (Including Iron Pour) Live Music by Jim & Bonnie Tracy Utica ZooMobile Tie-dye (fee for t-shirts) Clown, Face-Painting Food Concessions (Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Ice Cream)

Adirondack Family Fun: Adirondack Storytelling Festival

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By Diane Chase “What’s the difference between a lie and a tall tale?” asks Bill Smith. “You don’t get a lickin’ for telling a tall tale.” That is how the storyteller recounts his youth at last year’s Adirondack Storytelling Festival in Old Forge at the McCauley Mountain Chalet. My son sits openmouthed while stories, yarns and tall tales range from Bill Smith’s folklore to author Joseph Bruchac’s Abenaki Indian heritage. The stage is set with a backdrop of a lean-to while storyteller after storyteller took the stage. My kids have grown up on audio stories. No matter their age, they are still enthralled with the magic of stories. The opportunity to watch the Bruchac books that my children have borrowed from the library come to life and to meet the author is a bonus. Adirondack nature walks and storytelling workshops, songs and craft centers were all around. One woman sits by her spinning wheel while a wood carver gave a brief lesson on whittling. The tone is casual and we hav

Adirondack Fun: Old Forge Model Airshow

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By Diane Chase Fighter planes and dogfights are just part of the program for the Mountain R/C Club’s annual air show in Old Forge this July 31st. The sky will be humming with replica WWII radio-controlled planes like the Spitfire, P51 Mustang, B25 Mitchell, F6F Hellcat as well as a few jet aircrafts and other more recent models. Event Director Walt Throne says, “ We are looking forward to having the same format as in years past. There will be a variety of planes and helicopters on the 31st.” Read more

Adirondack Family Time: McCauley Mountain Chairlift

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There are only 60 chairs on the double chairlift at McCauley Mountain, down about 20 from its winter route. All the unused chairs are lined up freshly painted and repaired waiting for the start of the winter season. It is a smooth and steady 2, 200’ ride to the top. It does seem odd to be riding a chairlift in autumn. The children are lined up waiting their turn, pretending they are going to hit the moguls on the way down. We even encounter the prerequisite lost lift item request from a couple already lift bound. We retrieve the shoe and are thankful it’s just a kicked off flip-flop and not a ski buried in the snow. It is a leisurely ride to the top so we are able to glance around at the view of the Fulton Chain of Lakes, Old Forge and Grey Lake. Our exit is uneventful without the cumbersome addition of ski gear. Cinderella is patiently waiting at top for her lost shoe. Picnic tables and Adirondack chairs are scattered about. The children run about finding playmates to explore the bac