More Than 6,000 Visitors Expected to Celebrate Lake George’s Booming Craft Beverage Scene at 4th Annual Wine and Food Festival
(LAKE GEORGE, N.Y.) Adirondack Festivals LLC is pleased to announce the 2018 Adirondack Wine & Food Festival will be held Saturday, June 23, and Sunday, June 24, at Charles R. Wood Festival Commons, in the village of Lake George.
The fourth-annual, family friendly wine and food tasting event will feature more than 85 of the finest New York state wine producers, craft beverage makers, artisan food vendors, food trucks and more. More than 6,000 people are expected to travel to Lake George for the festival, which last year broke all previous attendance records and had more than a $1 million economic impact on the greater Lake George region.
“We are thrilled to once again bring exposure to the amazing locally-made wines, craft beverages and foods produced all across New York state, including those made right here in Lake George,” said Sasha Pardy, founder of the Adirondack Wine & Food Festival and co-owner of the Adirondack Winery in Lake George. “This event has quickly become the premier wine and food tasting event for our region, complementing established festivals in the Finger Lakes and Hudson Valley areas, and our research shows visitors are willing to travel a long way to taste the diverse products New York has to offer.”
New attractions at this year’s event include a new VIP Ticket experience including early and dedicated entry and a festival goodie bag. Under the popular Culinary Tent, the Festival welcomes a new chef: Finger Lakes Celebrity Chef William Cornelius will conduct hourly culinary demonstrations using his own hand-crafted sauces, locally sourced foods, and will be both cooking with and pairing his recipes with Adirondack Winery wines and Adirondack Brewery beers. Area bartenders will be mixing up cocktails with locally made wines and liquors available for purchase at the festival, and each day will end with a “Fest Taste Test” of smoked meats cooked on Big Green Egg grills provided by Culinary Tent Sponsor, Marcella’s Appliance Center.
An attendee survey from the 2017 Adirondack Wine & Food Festival showed 58 percent of festival attendees drove more than one hour to attend the two-day wine and food tasting event. These visitors came from 31 states and Canada and booked an estimated 3,380 hotel room stays in the Lake George region. About 90 percent of 2017 festival attendees ate at a local restaurant and 75 percent shopped or visited local attractions. The festival is also popular among millennials. An estimated 55 percent of attendees were born after 1977.
This year’s festival will feature 25 wineries, 12 distilleries, five breweries, seven cideries, a meadery, 10 food trucks, 30 artisan food vendors and eight specialty vendors. With a tasting ticket, visitors are given a souvenir wine glass, which they can use to sample wines, beers, spirits, ciders, and other unique food products. Guests can also utilize a convenient Drop-Off / Pick-Up Tent, where they can store their purchases until they are ready to leave.
Designated driver and underage tickets are $15 and include food sampling, a bottle of water and a souvenir wine glass upon the guest’s exit. Admission for children younger than age 15 is free. There will be a children’s activity tent sponsored by The Fun Spot on site, as well as the Lake George Skateboard Park and a playground located just outside the festival gates.
A portion of all ticket proceeds this year will be donated to the newly designated beneficiary of the festival, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks (BBBS). Volunteers from BBBS will also raise money at the festival from the sales of “Drink Local, Eat Local, Think Local” souvenir festival T-shirts and water donated by Lake George Premium Brand.
When:
Saturday, June 23 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (VIP Ticket Holders can enter at 10:30 am)
Sunday, June 24 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (VIP Ticket Holders can enter at 10:30 am)
Where:
Charles R. Wood Festival Commons
17 West Brook Road, Lake George, NY 12845
Ticket Information:
- One-Day Standard Tasting Ticket: $35 Gate Price / $27 Pre-Sale (Limited Time Remaining). Includes sampling at all booths, a souvenir wine glass, a festival entry bag, and a program guide.
- Two-Day Standard Tasting Ticket (Pre-Sale Only): $47. Get everything in the one-day ticket for both Saturday and Sunday.
- VIP One-Day Tasting Ticket (Pre-Sale Only): $50. Includes everything in the standard ticket, plus early entry and dedicated check-in, a festival goody bag, a food truck voucher, a coupon book and more.
- VIP Two-Day Tasting Ticket (Pre-Sale Only): $70. Includes everything in the VIP one-day ticket, plus entry into the festival on Sunday as well.
- One-Day Designated Driver / Underage Ticket: $15 (Gate or Pre-Sale). Includes sampling from 30 artisan food vendors, an entry bag, a program, a bottle of water and a souvenir wine glass.
The Adirondack Wine and Food Festival is presented by Adirondack Winery in partnership with the Village and Town of Lake George and Warren County Tourism.
About Adirondack Festivals LLC:
Founded in 2014, Adirondack Festivals LLC is based out of Queensbury, N.Y., and owned by Sasha Pardy, who is also the co-owner and president of Adirondack Winery, the presenting sponsor of the Adirondack Wine & Food Festival. The festival is held annually, the last weekend of June, at the Charles R. Wood Festival Commons in Lake George, N.Y.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks:
Since 1975, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks has changed the lives of children by matching them with caring adults who guide them on a path to success throughout Warren, Washington, and northern Saratoga counties. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
