DELIGHTS OF SUMMER
Adirondack Wine & Food Festival returns this weekend
LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. » More than 6,000 people are expected to sample items from 85 vendors at this weekend’s Adirondack Wine & Food Festival at Charles R. Wood Park’s Festival Commons in Lake George.
The event is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Dozens of New York state wine producers, craft beverage makers, artisan food vendors and food trucks.
“Our research shows visitors are willing to travel a long way to taste the diverse products New York has to offer,” said Sasha Pardy, festival founder and co-owner of Adirondack Winery in Lake George.
One of this year’s new attractions is Finger Lakes celebrity chef William Cornelius who will conduct hourly culinary demonstrations using his own hand- crafted sauces and locally sourced foods. He will cook and pair his recipes with Adirondack Winery wines and Adirondack Brewery beers.
Also, 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.
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 festival. 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 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. Volunteers from this nonprofit 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.
The following ticket options are available:
• One-Day Standard Tasting Ticket: $35 Gate Price/$27 PreSale (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, and coupon book.
• VIP Two-Day Tasting Ticket ( Pre- Sale Only): $70. Includes everything in the VIP one- day ticket, plus entry into 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.