Enjoy indoor & outdoor winter activities throughout the region
From fun to zany to enchanting, there is no shortage of things to do all winter in the Upstate New York towns across the Adirondacks, where communities love to celebrate the season. See below for a list of things to do this winter to enjoy all that the Adirondacks have to offer!
2023-2024 Events
Holiday Fair at Oak Mountain, Speculator
This annual one-day holiday fair is a great time for those with children. Santa will make an appearance and kids will have a chance to make a gingerbread house and have their faces painted. There will be live music, vendors, crafts, a Festival of Trees silent auction and samples from Common Roots Brewing Company. Head to Speculator for Oak Mountain's Holiday Fair on December 9th - the mountain's projected opening date for skiing too!
Adirondack Holiday Festival, Glens Falls
The Adirondack Holiday Festival is a European-style Christmas festival and a hometown holiday festival rolled into one special weekend. Held in downtown Glens Falls, the event includes live music, activities for kids, food vendors and local artisans selling their homemade and handcrafted gifts in heated tents in Glens Falls City Park. Look for Santa at the bandstand during the weekend, 12- 3 p.m. The Adirondack Holiday Festival takes place December 1 from 3pm-8pm and December 2 & 3 from 9am-6pm.
Holiday Village Stroll, Lake Placid
One of the most beloved Lake Placid traditions is the Holiday Village Stroll. Every December the village comes alive with holiday spirit. During the Holiday Stroll, visitors and locals can expect fun activities for kids, a chili-chowder Main Street cook-off, wine tastings, craft making, live entertainment and multiple Santa sightings, including his debut entrance to Main Street on a firetruck! For added fun, skiers and boarders at Whiteface receive free lift passes if they show up dressed as Santa! Come stroll and celebrate December 8-10, 2023.
First Night Saranac Lake
If you're looking for a safe, family-friendly way to celebrate New Year's Eve, come out to First Night in Saranac Lake! With live entertainment at venues all around the village and food concessions at various locations, First Night goers will have plenty to do to keep busy while awaiting the countdown to midnight. Cap the night of festivities off by ringing in the New Year with a fantastic fireworks display over Lake Flower!
Phil Edwards Hockey Tournament, Tupper Lake
One of the Adirondack's fastest growing hockey tournaments hits the ice at the Tupper Lake Memorial Civic Center, January 5-7, 2024. The 7th Annual Phil Edwards Memorial Hockey Tournament is an 18+ Adult Men's Tournament. Don't miss the fun. Enter a team or simply come out and enjoy some fast-action hockey. Proceeds benefit The Phil Edwards Memorial Scholarship.
Funky Ice Fest, Lake George
The Adirondack Pub & Brewery hosts two weekends of funky ice fun! Not only is everything made out of ice, but it's also BYOV (bring your own vinyl) so you get to decide what music is played! Warm-up by the bonfires, chow down on great food from the food truck and enjoy winter-inspired cocktails and ADK beer all while being surrounded by ice. This seriously cool (no pun intended) event is family-friendly, dog-friendly and handicapped accessible so everyone is welcome to join the fun! Held January 19-20 & 26-27, 2024.
Glacier Ice Bar & Lounge at the Sagamore
Bundle up and visit the Sagamore Resort for a glacially good time at its winter spectacular Glacier Ice Bar. Everything will be made out of ice - the bar, seating, tables, glasses, etc. For this year's Arctic Wild theme you can even rent a Garden Igloo on the La Bella Vita deck for a private spot to gather with friends. Enjoy seasonal cocktails, ice sculptures like you've never seen and warm delicious chowders and chilis. They call the Glacier Bar the "hottest and coolest lounge" in the Adirondacks.
Winter's Dream, Lake George
A playful winter world brought to life through music, lights, projections, and interactive moments. Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the season, with Winter’s Dream, a playful journey by Montreal’s award-winning studio Moment Factory. Created for all ages, this nighttime multimedia experience will light up Fort William Henry, in the village of Lake George. Step into a series of dreamlike installations, inspired by the warmth of winter, the beauty of nature, and the magic that transforms the world each
year.
Empire State Winter Games, Adirondack Region
Calling all winter sports enthusiasts, athletes and spectators alike! The Empire State Winter Games is a community-driven event that celebrates athletes of all ages and abilities, February 1-4, 2024. With a 700-mile torch relay and 25 winter sports, including bobsledding figure skating, adaptive skiing, sled hockey and winter biking, the games are a destination event for the whole family! Events take place at multiple venues and in multiple Adirondack towns, so be sure to check the games' official website for a schedule of events!
Saranac Lake Winter Carnival
A time-honored Adirondack tradition dating back to the late 1800s, the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival is an event not to be missed. The town waits all winter (or all year, if we're being honest) for this two-week event to return, and we don't blame them! There's live entertainment, unique competitions like frying pan throwing and curling plus races, kids activities, a huge parade and impressive fireworks displays throughout the week. And who could forget the centerpiece of it all, the infamous Ice Palace built from blocks of ice taken straight out of Lake Flower! It's an event that you'll always remember and, hey, it might just become your own winter tradition to attend! The 2024 carnival takes place February 2-11.
Remington Wine, Beer, Cheese, Chocolate, & Artisan Festival, Ogdensburg
If you're in the Ogdensburg area in early February, consider a visit to this food tasting and shopping festival on Sat., February 3, 2024. Admission is $5 per person and gets you into the Frederic Remington Art Museum for this unique event. You can sample wine, beer, cheese, chocolates and more and browse and buy handcrafted artisan goods.
Northern Challenge Ice Fishing Derby, Tupper Lake
The first Saturday in February is a perfect time to visit Tupper Lake for the annual Northern Challenge Ice Fishing Derby. With over $40,000 worth of prizes to be won, attendees won't mind braving the cold for a day of friendly competition. If you're an avid angler, you won't want to miss out on one of the largest ice fishing tournaments in NY State!
Lake George Winter Carnival
Visit Lake George's Winter Carnival, hosted every weekend throughout February. Each weekend there will be unique events including a Polar Plunge, outhouse races, food cook-offs, 4x4 truck races, the Glacier Golf Tournament and many other activities for guests of all ages. You'll want to make a long weekend out of it! Lake George's Winter Carnival offers wonderful events, including firework displays and dog talent shows. Don't miss out on this Adirondack winter event series!
Adirondack WhiteOut Winter Weekend
An annual winter festival held over President's Day Weekend in the St. Lawrence County community of Clifton-Fine, WhiteOut Winter Weekend kicks off on Friday night with an ice luminary woods walk and ice jamboree. This free weekend event offers something for the whole family, whether it's "glow" ice skating, joining the annual snowmobile ride, contra dancing, snow shoeing, taking an art class and more! (Traditionally held on President's Weekend.)
Snocade in Indian Lake
Visit the village of Indian Lake this President's Week for its annual community winter celebration. Snocade celebrates winter with activities such as cardboard sled & kayak races, "kitty kat" snowmobile races, ice carving demonstrations, horse-drawn wagon rides, dog sled rides, ice skating and a grand finale event featuring music, hot cocoa bar, s’mores and fireworks. Most activities are free. Many participants can be found shuttling from activity to activity on snowmobiles!
The BrewSki, Tupper Lake
Held at the James C. Frenette Sr. Recreational Trails, the Tupper Lake BrewSki is perfect for snowshoers and cross country skiers who appreciate fresh air and craft beer. Participants ski or snowshoe to brew stations interspersed along 1.5 miles of beautifully maintained cross-country ski trails. Sample beers from Adirondack region breweries as you gather and mingle by fire pits set up at each location. The Brew-Ski is scheduled for February 24, 2024.
Brant Lake Winter Carnival
Have an all-day blast on beautiful Brant Lake. The Brant Lake Winter Carnival features Outhouse Races--decorated and occupied outhouses that are pushed on skis--and its annual Fry Pan Toss competition for all ages. Winter sports activities include broomball, Adirondack curling, ice bowling, a human foosball competition plus hockey and skating all day long. Bring your ice skates, and don’t forget sleds for the children’s sledding hill! Go for a free horse-drawn carriage ride! Enjoy music, food and beverages throughout the day, and cap off the winter fun with fireworks at dusk. Stay tuned for 2024 date in mid-February.
Frozen Fire & Lights, Inlet
Held annually on the last Saturday in February, Inlet's Frozen Fire & Lights celebration is a day dedicated to winter fun for families and friends. Enjoy free sledding, ice skating, snowshoeing and cross country skiing at Fern Park plus two crowd favorites--the Cardboard Sled Race and Outhouse Race--and a kite making and flying event! Enjoy food, drinks, crafts, live music and, to wrap up a day of fun, fireworks at dusk. This year’s Frozen Fire & Lights is scheduled for February 24, 2024.