Precautionary Measure Taken to Help Limit the Spread of COVID-19
(LAKE GEORGE, N.Y.) In light of current CDC social distancing guidelines, Adirondack Festivals LLC today announced it has rescheduled the 6th Annual Adirondack Wine & Food Festival to Sept. 26th & 27th, 2020.
The festival is normally held the last weekend in June and is a highly anticipated kickoff to the summer tourism season in Lake George, New York. The decision to reschedule was made to help protect the health and safety of festival attendees and vendors, while providing an alternative date in 2020 with favorable weather, said Sasha Pardy, owner of Adirondack Festivals LLC.
“Nothing is more important than the well-being of our attendees and vendors,” said Sasha Pardy, owner of Adirondack Festivals LLC, “but we remain hopeful that come September, we are able to host our festival barring any federal, state or local regulations that would prohibit it. We are treating this pandemic very seriously and we will do everything we can to make our event as safe as possible for everyone in attendance.”https://player.vimeo.com/video/411578218
The festival’s new dates in September provide an opportunity to add a fall wine and food festival to the already exciting slate of events in Lake George.
Moving the Adirondack Wine & Food Festival to September also allows the event to continue its support of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks. This is the third consecutive year BBBS is the beneficiary of the festival. Last year, the festival raised $15,000 for this amazing organization.
BBBS will receive a portion of every ticket sold and proceeds from water sold at the event. The impact of COVID-19 has hundreds of BBBS children and families in need of support now more than ever, and a successful festival fundraiser would be a tremendous step toward that goal, said Bill Moon, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks.
“Funding to support our organization is being jeopardized as we all experience these economic uncertainties,” Moon said. “It is only through our partnerships with those like the Adirondack Wine & Food Festival that we are able to continue to support the youth of our community.
“We like so many are saddened that we will have to wait to enjoy the festivities of the wine festival, however it also gives us something to look forward to in September! What could be better than enjoying the beauty of Lake George in September with friends, wine, and helping to raise money for our community’s youth! We look forward to seeing everyone in September. Stay happy, healthy, and safe!”
Adirondack Festivals LLC will continue to monitor COVID-19 guidelines and do everything they can to provide a safe, enjoyable experience for all guests in attendance.
The Adirondack Wine & Food Festival features 120 of New York’s best wineries, breweries, distilleries, cideries, artisan food vendors, food trucks and more. Held in a gorgeous setting, with beautiful Lake George as its backdrop, the festival is a try-before-you-buy farmer’s market style event that also generates a tremendous economic impact on the surrounding Lake George region.
Last year’s festival generated a $3.5 million economic impact, with over 4,000 hotel room nights generated in the area – and this year’s festival attendance was expected to surpass 7,250. Survey data shows 85% of festival attendees plan their trip to Lake George specifically around the dates of the ADK Wine & Food Festival, further pointing out its importance to the regional economy.
Lake George Mayor Robert Blais supports the decision to reschedule.
“The Adirondack Wine and Food festival is one of our region’s premier annual events. We are extremely grateful that they have chosen to reschedule the event until September rather than cancel for 2020,” Blais said. “This popular event that features craft vendors from across the state will be an added boost to our September lineup and bring their loyal patrons to our region during our spectacular fall season.”
New York State Senator Betty Little said, “The Adirondack Wine and Food Festival has been a wonderful success, an event that will continue to grow in popularity. Rather than simply cancelling, deciding now to reschedule the event for later this year is the right move. This gives everyone plenty of time to plan for an early autumn event and to have something to look forward to — the chance to sample some incredible wines and enjoy some delicious food later this year.”
Gina Mintzer, executive director of the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce & CVB said, “The Adirondack Wine & Food Festival has become a model event for use of the Festival Commons at Charles R. Wood Park. We have enjoyed watching this fun weekend event grow to the point of generating more than 4,000 room nights, bringing tourists with higher than typical incomes to the area. Late September will provide a beautiful autumn backdrop for this premier festival. Fall is a great season to visit the area as it can be less crowded than the summer yet provide great weather. Many of the same activities people enjoy in the summer can be enjoyed in the fall in Lake George.”
Joanne Conley, tourism director at Warren County Tourism said, “As a relative new comer to the annual events calendar in the Lake George area, the Adirondack Wine & Food Festival has quickly established itself as a premier event that significantly impacts our early summer economy. Sasha and her team have given careful consideration to rescheduling and we are thrilled she has decided not to cancel. We look forward to welcoming back guests who have enjoyed this as a June event and a new audience who will discover a September Wine & Food Festival.”
The 2020 Adirondack Wine & Food Festival will be held at the Lake George Festival Commons at Charles R. Wood Park on the Lake George waterfront. The original dates were June 27th and 28th, 2020.
Ticket holders will be contacted about the change in dates. More information about ticket sales for the September dates will be provided on social media and adkwinefest.com. Newsletter subscribers will also be notified of the changes and you can sign up for our newsletter at adkwinefest.com/signup
We are very hopeful that ticket holders will continue to support the festival to ensure it can be held this year and for years to come and to support an incredible organization like Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks.
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. It is generously supported by Warren County Tourism.
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.
