Adirondacks, USA - The 2021 Great Adirondack Garage Sale will be held at the end of the month, on May 28 - 30, 2021. After health and safety concerns moved the event to August last summer, the event is now returning to its traditional Memorial Day weekend date. This annual event consists of residents selling their items along a 100+ mile trail stretching from Tupper Lake to Speculator, and Old Forge to Newcomb. With offerings of vintage antiques, rustic furniture, jewelry, kitchen items, toys, clothing, and more, there is always something for everyone. The weekend sale includes towns located along State Routes 28, 30, and 3, including: Old Forge, Inlet, Raquette Lake, Indian Lake, Blue Mountain Lake, Long Lake, Tupper Lake, Cranberry Lake, Piercefield, Wanakena, Newcomb, and Speculator. An event website, GreatAdirondackGarageSale.com, includes an interactive map that showcases the sale locations for easy navigation. The listings also include a list of the sale items, entered by the seller. For those interested in adding their garage sale to the event, simply go to the website and click the “add your sale” button. The listing is free. Each community will also have a printed map to hand out during the event with mapped garage sale location based on the website data. For questions about sales in your community, check the community contact information on the website. For further information, contact the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism’s Hamilton County and Tupper Lake Marketing Manager Katie LaLonde at katie@roostadk.com. Both buyers and sellers taking part in the Great Adirondack Garage Sale should continue to follow health and safety guidelines including social distancing, wearing a mask, and washing hands often. The regional garage sale originated in 2010 when Long Lake linked up with Old Forge, Inlet, and Indian Lake to promote 70 miles of garage sales. The expanded event was initiated by Hamilton County in partnership with the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism. ###

Looking for employees? Here’s a great opportunity to promote your job openings! We are launching the WorkPlayADK campaign to entice people to come work and play in our region this summer. Add your available job opportunities to Indeed.com at no cost and you’ll be included in the WorkPlayADK campaign. Be sure to include the following in your listing: Any incentives for new employees Any employee referral incentives Housing availability or subsidies Discounts on food and beverage WE NEED HOUSING! We're looking to help find housing for summer employees throughout the region, including rooms, apartments, dorms, etc... Please email Info@ROOSTadk.com with any options/suggestions!

Lake Placid, NY - Lake Placid is getting ready for its spectacular 4th of July celebration, complete with a parade down Main Street and the "Set the Night to Music" fireworks extravaganza. All are invited to participate in Lake Placid's annual July 4th Independence Day parade. Build a float, bring out that classic car, or just don some patriotic duds and march. To participate, contact Bethany Valenze at the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) at 518-621-3662 or email: bethany@lakeplacid.com for an entry form. Parade announcers will recognize individual entries as they pass by Mid’s Park. Line-up for the 2021 parade will be at 4:30 p.m., and the parade start time is 5 p.m. Lake Placid's fireworks show, "Set the Night to Music,” is legendary in Northern New York. Residents and visitors alike gather to watch fireworks explode over Mirror Lake in the center of the village. Fireworks are choreographed to music and will broadcast live over Adirondack 105 and LakeFM. The show begins promptly at 9:30 p.m. In accordance with CDC and state protocols all COVID-19 guidelines will be followed. Currently, masks are not required for those with vaccinations. Unvaccinated adults and children should wear masks. When around large crowds, social distancing is still highly recommended for everyone. ###

Please join us for an update on Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. We will have updates on the following: Summer construction activities Summer eventsJuly 4 celebration Updated state guidelines Video conferencing link: https://zoom.us/j/96715695378 Call-in alternative: (929)-205-6099 Meeting ID: 967 1569 5378

Adirondacks, USA - 2020 was an unprecedented year. Visitation and social trends during 2020 were noticeably different in some areas due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Visitation by respondents from New York State jumped to 79%. With the border closing and travel restrictions, only 2% of respondents indicated visiting from Canada, and only 5% of out-of-state visitation was from outside the Northeast. The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) contracted with an independent third-party research firm, PlaceMaking, to conduct the 2020 Leisure Travel Study (LTS), which includes a regional return on marketing investment analysis, plus traveler data for Essex and Hamilton counties. One pronounced change from prior years’ research is the increase in average party size. This could be another pandemic-related change, with families or friend groups traveling together. The results of LTS study contribute to ROOST’s always evolving data-driven decisions. “We can leverage numbers and insights and incorporate trends into our marketing strategies. This is a great opportunity to better understand leisure travelers in our region,” said James McKenna, ROOST’s CEO. The total estimated trip expenditure was $1,667, which represents a nearly 30% increase in average overall spending per visitor group. Reported spending on lodging, meals, and shopping all showed substantial increases from recent years of data. “Of course we have to evaluate trends in 2020 differently,” said Mary Jane Lawrence, ROOST’s COO. “We can’t directly compare the results of the 2020 survey with previous years due to the circumstances. Still, survey results demonstrate key demographic and traveler insights we can use moving forward.” Travelers are coming to the area to play and stay, according to the survey. Average stay length increased across the board. In Essex County, average stay length roughly doubled the average from the last five years to 6.5 nights. Hotels / motels remained the most reported lodging choice at 47%. Short-term rentals grew in reported use substantially, coming in as the second most popular choice. In Hamilton Country, short-term rentals had less of a shift than other regions or even nationwide. Hotels / motels and camping / RV were each reported by 28% of respondents in Hamilton County. “The differences in some of the individual county results highlight the need to continue to promote the unique product offerings throughout our regions,” said McKenna. Hiking of all levels was a huge draw for those seeking outdoor activity. 90% of respondents who indicated that they came to the area for outdoor activities stated that hiking was an activity they sought. The breakdown of hikers is an estimated 69% day hikers, 48% leisure hikers on hard man-made trails, 38% family hikes, 35% high peaks (46er) and 8% backpacking. Canoeing or kayaking also nearly doubled from prior years across all regions. Outdoor activities in general were the main draw to the regions. In Hamilton County, 87% of respondents selected this as their most reported attraction to visit the area, up from 69% in 2019. Essex County also increased to 89% in 2020 compared to 74% compared to 2019. “It’s no mystery there’s a growing popularity in outdoor recreation,” said Janelle Hoh, ROOST’s Communications Coordinator. “The results from the survey support that. This just makes it more important for us to focus marketing efforts on responsible recreation and to promote the Love Your ADKs campaign.” It is important to note the travelers surveyed do not represent all the travelers to the region, only the ones that saw ROOST marketing, follows ROOST’s Facebook destination pages, or subscribes to its weekly email. The entire 2020 LTS report, which includes data on day trip travelers, short-term rentals, and additional ROOST research, is available for download at www.RoostADK.com/Research. The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism is the destination marketing and management organization for Hamilton and Essex counties, along with the communities of Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake, all located within the Adirondacks in New York State. ### 2020 Leisure Travel Study Cover