Grafton Lakes State Park to host 34th annual Winter Festival next month
CROPSEYVILLE, N.Y. >> Grafton Lakes State Park and the Friends of Grafton Lakes State Park is set to host the 34th Annual Winter Festival on Saturday, January 26, 2019.
Organizers said that the Winter Fest will feature outdoor events along with indoor exhibits, food vendors, and family-friendly recreational activities.
The event is free of charge and runs from 10:00 AM-4:00 PM.
According to a news release, adults can join in a guided snowshoe or cross country ski outing, or borrow snowshoes for a free demo around the park.
Fans of four-legged creatures will enjoy horse- drawn carriage rides, a guided morning walk for dogs, as well as a demonstration by the Parks K9 Unit. For the kids, Winter Fest offers its popular snow bowling hill, snowshoe races and a snowball toss, as well as sled rides with the charming Northland Newfoundlands. Other outdoor offerings this year include free snowmobile rides, snow fort building, and an ice dive demonstration.
The Polar Plunge, benefiting Our Lady of the SnowParish’s food pantry, kicks off the main events at 10:30 a.m.
Organizers said that the Plunge includes a playful prize for the silliest costume offered by the Friends of Grafton Lakes State Park.
To pre-register for the Plunge, call Ray Dozois for more information at 518- 663- 5648, or call the park office at 518-279-1155.
People can also stop inside to enjoy indoor exhibits in a new Welcome Center.
Other activities include, kids’ nature crafts, a bal-
loon artist, and a variety of regional community and conservation organizations, whose displays will educate and entertain patrons.
For those who enjoy wildlife, New York raptors and North American reptiles are this year’s live animal presentations at the Festival.
Refreshments will also be available, from hot chili to hot cocoa.
Officials said that this year’s Ice Fishing contest is being held on the weekend before, Saturday, January 19th. Please call the park for more information: 518-2791155.
GraftonLakes State Park is located off of Route 2, twelve miles east of Troy, New York. Please use the park’s main entrance on Grafton Lakes State Park Way for this year’s event and pick up event information at the ticket booth as you enter. There is no entrance fee for the Winter Fes-
tival. For more information about this event, please call the park at 518-279-1155.
A full schedule of events will be available in early January at the park’s website (www.nysparks.com).
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation over-
sees 180 state parks and 35 historic sites, which are visited by 60 million people annually.
For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.