New Tupper Lake businesses will celebrate recent openings during event. The fifth annual Party on Park, organized and presented by Tupper Arts, will take place on Saturday, May 25, from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Organizers are celebrating the arrival of summer with live entertainment, activities, vendors, information from local organizations, food and more. Many recently opened businesses will celebrate with ceremonial ribbon cuttings to commemorate new locations, or their establishment as part of the Tupper Lake business community, beginning at 11:00 a.m. These businesses include: Battlefish Charters; McClelland Family Farmstand and Adirondack Sky Center and Observatory. According to Evie Longhurst, executive director of the Tupper Lake Arts Center, Party on Park is considered to be the official kickoff to summer in Tupper Lake. “This event has become a great opportunity to celebrate our community,” she said. “It offers a wonderful opportunity for people to show their excitement about our community, and also to learn about various businesses, activities and attractions.” The event welcomes many people from the region, with many traveling to Tupper Lake, specifically for the event. Coinciding with Memorial Day weekend and the Great Adirondack Garage Sale, Party on Park offers one more opportunity to celebrate the local community. The Tupper Lake business community is always excited about the annual event, offering specials and special merchandise exhibits to those who visit. Representatives from many local organizations will also be on-hand to share information about their important work within the community. Park Street businesses, along with approximately 30 vendors including the ADKX The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake and The Wild Center are planning activities and exhibits. Local food and craft products, artists, including an artist offering caricature skills, balloon sculptures and face painting will also contribute to the day’s exciting atmosphere. Park Street will be closed to traffic, creating a festival-like atmosphere, so that attendees can mingle with friends, neighbors, business owners and visitors. Throughout the day, stores will be welcoming shoppers and browsers as they showcase new products and services. Vendors will be offering a diverse selection of products and services. Entertainment will take place at locations along Park Street and within businesses. Food and beverages will be provided throughout the day by a number of community-based restaurants, food trucks and breweries. According to Longhurst, Party on Park has become very successful over the years due, in large part, to the support it receives from the entire community. “This event is so inclusive of everything our community offers - the people, the businesses within it, our artisans, local restaurants, music, and our amazing attractions. We want to share that with everyone in the region,” she said. “Tupper Lake has so much to offer. It’s exciting to showcase, and it’s even more fun to celebrate.” The annual event will also feature live music by recording artist and local favorite, Brock Gonyea along with food specials from local restaurants and vendors. Beer lovers will have an opportunity to try some of the best beer in the region, with free tastings by Raquette River Brewing throughout the afternoon. Party on Park is a joint initiative of Tupper Arts and the Park Street business community.

Celebrate Paddling ADK, an annual month-long festival celebrating the paddling culture of the Adirondacks, officially kicked off on Friday, May 10. Paddlers gathered to share their love for the water with a paddling mixer hosted at Sunset Bistro in Saranac Lake. The energy carried through to Saturday's highlight event, the 2024 'Round the Mountain Canoe and Kayak Race, hosted by the Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT). Drawing 102 boats, this annual tradition saw a record-breaking turnout. Following the race, attendees continued the festivities at the Freshest Film Festival at The Waterhole Music Lounge. The festival takes place throughout Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake and will continue until July 7 with paddling events, guided trips, races, and other events. Since 2016, Celebrate Paddling ADK has been dedicated to commemorating the paddling heritage of the Adirondacks through engaging lectures, a river cleanup initiative, and an array of paddling events on nearby waters. The festival was created through a collaboration between many partners including the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, Adirondack Lakes and Trails Outfitters, MAC’s Canoe Livery, St. Regis Canoe Outfitters, Raquette River Outfitters, Guide ADK, Northwest River Supplies, Saranac Lake Area of Commerce and the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism. Kenzie Marine, Saranac Lake regional manager at ROOST, expressed her enthusiasm for the festival, stating, "Celebrate Paddling ADK embodies the spirit of community and adventure that defines our region. We're excited to welcome paddlers of all backgrounds to experience the magic of our local waterways.” ADK ArtRise is offering creative art classes such as guided watercolor painting, nail string art, and solar-powered printing. Adirondack Lakes and Trails Outfitters is offering a guided night kayak tour every Tuesday during the festival. Other fun events include a cardboard race, a guided birding paddle, and free community paddles with various outfitters. The Adirondack Paddling Symposium takes place from June 14-17. Scheduled during Celebrate Paddling ADK, it offers a comprehensive weekend of paddling instruction with beginner and intermediate course tracks for kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddleboards, and pack boats. Celebrate Paddling ADK culminates with the Willard Hanmer Races on July 7. The festival offers a diverse range of events and activities including races, educational presentations, and guided trips, attracting paddlers of all ages and skill levels. Celebrate Paddling ADK offers something for everyone passionate about exploring the region's pristine waterways. Further details about the festival and its schedule of events can be found at celebratepaddlingadk.com.

The sixth annual Lake Placid Community Day celebration will take place on Sunday, June 2, from 1-4 p.m. at the North Elba Horse Show Grounds. The free event features live entertainment, exhibits, activities and refreshments. Residents, seasonal homeowners, those who work in the town and those who volunteer their time and effort for various events are encouraged to attend. The annual celebration features live music by locally based band Big Boss Sausage. Representatives from more than 30 not-for-profit organizations will be on-hand to share information about their work within the community. Food and beverages will be provided throughout the day by representatives from the Lake Placid Olympic and Paralympic Training Center. Lake Placid Community Day celebrates all who contribute to various community-based initiatives, within the Village of Lake Placid and the Town of North Elba, that enhance the quality of life for community members and visitors. It is a day to celebrate all who contribute to the community’s success. One important tradition of Lake Placid Community Day is the announcement of the “distinguished volunteer of the year” awards, recognizing efforts of those who have made significant and important contributions to the community by giving their time and talent to activities and events in the area. Award recipients are recognized in two categories: distinguished volunteer of the year, youth and distinguished volunteer of the year, adult. The 2024 award recipients are JT Wint, youth and Debbie Erenstone, adult. According to Organizing Committee Member Val Rogers, the event celebrates the community, and especially those who work within the community throughout the year. “This event really provides an opportunity to celebrate the place and the people,” she said. “We are able to come together and acknowledge the important role that not only our volunteers play, but the role we all play. We all work hard to make this a special place not only to visit, but also a special place to live and work. We continually open our arms and welcome the world. We rarely give ourselves a pat on the back. This is our pat on the back.” Lake Placid Community Day is a joint initiative of the Lake Placid / North Elba Community Development Commission and the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST). Visit the Lake Placid Community Day Celebration Facebook page or for additional information.

The Tupper Lake Tinman Triathlon will take place on Saturday, June 29, beginning at 8 a.m. Established in 1983, the race welcomes approximately 700 participants each year and features 5 different races: tinman (1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run); aquabike (1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike); team relay (1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run); Olympic (0.94-mile swim, 24-mile bike, 6.2-mile run); and a sprint (0.6-mile swim, 12.4-mile bike, 3.1 -mile run). The event attracts participants from the local region along with many who travel great distances to take part. This year, we have registered participants from Virginia, Maryland, Illinois, Indiana, Colorado, and California, along with many from Quebec, Ontario and even Manitoba, Canada. Triathlon club members from Saratoga, Central New York, Rochester, Buffalo, the Capital District and Vermont take part each year. The Tinman Triathlon is one of the community’s premier summer events, and one of the most popular races in Northern New York. According to Race Director Wendy Peroza, it has been embraced and supported by the local business community which encourages participants and their families to take part in all that Tupper Lake has to offer. “This race attracts athletes who appreciate a challenging course and who also enjoy the region’s outdoor activities and community events,” she said. “Participants often extend their time in Tupper Lake beyond the Tinman Triathlon to enjoy even more time here, taking part in music at Raquette River Brewing or P-2s Irish Pub, Riverpigs professional baseball games, paddling, hiking, visiting the area beaches, stargazing at the Adirondack Sky Center and Observatory, visiting The Wild Center - there’s so much to do before and after the race. Tupper Lake has a lot to offer.” The Town of Tupper Lake will host an expo during Friday’s athlete check-in at the Tupper Lake Civic Center, where High Peaks Cyclery will be on hand to assist with any last-minute items that the racers may need. Tinman is sponsored by the Town of Tupper Lake Recreation Department, which also organizes and deploys hundreds of volunteers to help manage event logistics. Peroza explained that the event would be virtually impossible without local support. “Tinman is truly a community event,” she said. “Volunteers help to assemble race bags, manage aid stations along the route, help with transitions between the swim, bike and run, assist with athlete check-in, provide race-day direction and information and help to ensure that participants are safe when in the water from their kayak and paddle board vantage points. More volunteers are always welcome.” Peroza credits the high participation to outreach efforts and word-of-mouth from the participants themselves. “Based on post-event surveys conducted by the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism, we know that Tinman participants consistently have a great experience,” Peroza said. “Quite often the athletes will share their day’s progress in real time during the event, along with photos and personal accounts of the race through their social media channels after the event is complete. This network of athletes has been instrumental in assisting with the growth of the event and the number of triathletes from unexpected locations who have added Tinman to their annual race calendar.” Check-in for the race begins on Friday, June 28 from 11:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. There is limited check-in available on race day, beginning at 5:30 a.m. Visit TupperLakeTinman.com or the Tinman’s Facebook page for more information about the race.

2024 Fourth of July Parade Call For Participants Lake Placid is planning its annual Fourth of July celebration, complete with a parade down Main Street. The organizing committee is encouraging organizations, civic groups, individuals, businesses and others to participate in this year’s parade on Thursday, July 4, at 5:00 p.m. According to Organizing Committee Member Catherine Ericson, there are some exciting changes to the parade this year. “We are working to make this parade bigger and better than ever,” she said. “The committee is encouraging businesses and organizations to enter floats in the parade. Floats should center on the theme of the ‘peoples’ parade,’ which allows for a wide range of creative ideas, ultimately showcasing the people in our region, who contribute to the fabric of our incredible community. We are encouraging creativity — friend groups, neighbors, official or even non-official clubs — anyone can participate.” All parade floats and participants will be automatically entered into a contest, with trophies awarded in a variety of categories: civic; volunteer; school; business; independent; and most patriotic. Those interested in taking part should contact Catherine Ericson at the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) via email: catherine@roostadk.com. Parade registration should be received by June 20 and should indicate if participation will include a float or if your group will walk in the parade. Parade participants will prepare at 4:45 p.m. on Parkside Drive; parade announcers will recognize individual entries as they pass by Mid’s Park.