Lake George, NY - Lake George is firmly on the map as a popular summer destination, but its…read morebest-kept-secret might be the Winter Carnival, a beloved Adirondacks tradition since 1961. It takes place every weekend in February and into early March, and most events are free, low-cost, family friendly, and centered in the heart of Lake George Village around Canada Street, Shepard Park, and on the lake itself! We attended week 3 of this 5-week festival, and there was no shortage of things to do! The event lineup is delightfully eclectic. Highlights include decorated outhouse races (yes really lol), car/truck/motorcycle/ATV races on the frozen lake, cookoff competitions (different theme for each of the 5 weeks - we got chowder), polar plunges for the brave & hypothermic, dog talent contest, campfire s'mores, ice bars, keg & skillet tosses, daily live music at local bars & restaurants, art exhibition, horse & carriage rides, fireworks over the lake, and many kids activities and family fun like snow tie-dye shirts, hot chocolate bar, bouncy house, coloring & crafts, etc. The schedule is pretty packed, so best to go in with a plan: check the listings, pick what you like to do, and have an itinerary. Ticketed events such as the cookoff tastings, special tours, and souvenir mug hot chocolate bar tend to sell out in advance. Word to the wise: arrive early to the cookoff lines or you'll be doing the frozen shuffle for 45 minutes. (Ask me how I know.) If you have a ticket, you're guaranteed a tray, but warm food and warm body are two different things. In addition, I did an evening ghost tour at Fort William Henry (preceded by fireworks), which was atmospheric and fun. Our family also did a snowshoe hike at Up Yonda Farm (see my separate review for this) - one of my favorite activities all weekend and absolutely recommended! We missed the naturalist-led hike which was sold out, but were still able to rent snowshoes including a child-sized pair and had a great self-guided hike through the trails. Both of these are technically year-round activities folded into the carnival lineup, and I greatly enjoyed both experiences. Sadly, I missed the walk across a frozen lake to Dome Island!! Tix went fast and for good reason: the island is normally off-limits to the public except for occasional guided tours like this one, so it's a rare opportunity. (Not suitable for young kids unless they are capable of walking a mile each way across a frozen lake - or if you're up for carrying them.) We saw many snowmobiles and ATV/UTVs zipping around so you can probably rent those too, but mind the road rules and check the designated access map. The website is somewhat unwieldy to use so I recommend downloading the beautiful and comprehensive brochure (or grab one when you arrive town - they're everywhere) to see all the activities on offer as well as the events schedule for all five weekends (subject to change). Check the website for last-minute updates or location changes, since ice-dependent events are subject to the weather's cooperation. 2026 brochure: https://lakegeorgewintercarnival.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lgwc-2026-sponsorship-booklet-compressed.pdf I'm rating this annual festival 5 stars for the variety, length, and the sheer organizational scale - especially considering it's 100% volunteer-run so really speaks to the heart and community spirit of this operation. If you're looking for an easy weekend getaway in the dead of winter for some charming cold air fun, LGWC's got you covered!

I've realized that I am not really a racetrack guy. Perhaps it's because I always lose whatever I…read morebet. But it's not the Saratoga Race Course's fault that I'm not a racetrack guy, because I've been to other racetracks and this is about as good as it gets. It's just a fun day when you bring your family out. There is SO MUCH food to get down with. There's excellent pizza, barbecue, seafood (lobster bisque was money), Hattie's fried chicken, pastrami from Carnegie Deli, gyros, tacos, ice cream, and about a thousand different sandwiches. There's cocktails, and wine, and beer (a whole tent just for Guinness). There's all kinds of places to post up and hang out between races. You can get tickets for the grandstand, sit in one of the many areas available, or get into the fancier club spots. And although most of these things cost more money than they should (like everywhere else these days), you can also bring in a picnic, drinks of your own, and make a day of it having just bought a ticket to the show. Like I said, it's not really my thing, but it's hard to have a bad time.

Went to the Alabama Stakes, and it was a classic American experience. Watching the horses race live…read moreis something that can only be truly appreciated in person at the track. The horses were incredibly powerful, the races were close, and the energy was electric! We hired someone to arrive early and reserve a picnic table for our group. The table was near the path the horses took from the barn to the track, so it was very cool to see the horses and jockeys up close before each race. I bet on all 11 races, which elevated the experience because I had a stake in each one. I will definitely be back!

If wasn't raining would be a very fun time. Only improvement could be food samples as part of…read morepurchasing the 'buttons', the restaurants could be participating in this way. Lots of activities for toddlers. Would come back again when not raining.

When you arrive at a place you don't know well, and people start talking about an upcoming event…read moreand how great it is, you can't help but wonder about their basis for comparison. Is it great for Saratoga? Or great on a scale that might rival big-town events? First Night Saratoga, which happens on New Years Eve starting at around 5:30 pm and runs till a little after midnight when the fireworks go off in Congress Park, was world-class great this past December 31. There were so many simultaneous acts, probably 20 of them at any point in time if you count all the people performing in store windows, that you sink into a delirious panic realizing there is more good stuff than you can possibly see. There seem to be different philosophies on how to manage the evening. Some folks focus on the "headliners", solid rock and roll cover bands, at the civic center. There are youth-specific venues at Lake Ave school (young kids), the Y (middle school) and the high school. After hopping around and seeing maybe 15 acts the first 3 hours, I found myself in the sanctuary at First Baptist Church and realized this was the cool place to be, not least because you are watching and listening to vintage Woodstock-style rock in a baptist church in front of biblical quotes, stained glass windows and a huge pipe organ. I happily headed home at 11:45 but turned back to watch the fireworks in the 3 degree weather. They were world class too.

I have been attending for years. The plays are always great and the food is tasty, can hardly wait…read morefor the 2026 season.

We saw the opening night performance of Shear Madness at Lake George Dinner Theater. The show is…read moreabsolutely spectacular! We couldn't stop laughing the entire time. If we can give it 10 stars, we would!! Also, the actor playing Tony is fabulous! Broadway talent level!! Don't miss this show when you're in town. It's a must see!!!

The tour guide was absolutely amazing. He kept making jokes and was keeping us entertained almost…read morethe entire time. It was Sir James. He did a phenomenal job and he showed us around, telling us how to take the best photos. I got to be a demonstration. A truck show was making sound the entire time but that did not stop him. He did an excellent job and overall the tour was amazing and the history was interesting and a bit unnerving but it kept me hooked.

My wife Laurie and I visited Fort William Henry on August 7, 2026. CJ had just finished the musket…read moredemonstration. I asked him when the next demonstration was and he suggested that we go and watch the cannon demonstration and firing, which we did and then after that he would give us a private demonstration of the musket. The cannon firing was expertly explained by Ted O., who explained technically what a soldier did to fire a cannon, but also engaged members of audience and made it fun! Then we went back to see CJ and he gave us a great demonstration on how to fire a musket. He also explained the parts of the musket to us, including the novel way that it is cleaned. But CJ didn't stop there, he shared with us that he is a 6th and 8th grade history teacher and since I'm a teacher too, I found his explanation of how he engages his students to bring history alive fascinating! CJ said that the colonists might have not won the war against Britain, if it hadn't been for all the military experience they acquired by fighting alongside the British in the French and Indian War for seven years. Then we went onto the 12 noon talk by Ted O., who gave a very enthusiastic and informative talk about the Fort it's construction, the history leading up to the French and Indian War and the surrender of the fort to General Montcalm and as he did in the cannon demonstration engaged the audience in his talk! Then we went and talked to Bob the carpenter. He explained to us how he was in Lake George when the fort was reconstructed in 1954 - 1955. He told us how he acquired the wood he uses to make everything made of wood that the soldiers and their families use at the fort, like chairs, tables, wooden spoons, etc. Bob was very interesting to talk to! After interacting and talking to CJ, Ted O. and Bob, my wife and I felt we were back in the 1750's and truly enjoyed our visit, which was the highlight of our vacation! We're looking forward to returning for another visit in the future! Sincerely, Tom & Laurie DeVivo Berlin, CT

I took my 7 year old son here while it was raining out. We LOVED it!! Very friendly, knowledgeable…read morepeople greeted us. They gave us clip boards with scavenger hunts.. This was so much fun for both of us. We both learned so much with hundreds of visuals and write ups about all the history of Warrensburgh. The student who helped us said it was her first day at the museum. She was so knowledgeable and friendly you would never have guessed it was her first day. This museum is free. They sell great books and postcards but bring cash or check. No plastic.

This is the first time we have been here since BowTie was here! It didn't seem the same, we…read morecouldn't put our finger on it. No one behind the counter even knew there was a rewards card which I have saved in my phone and they couldn't figure out how to use it, however they were kind enough to honor my Birthday popcorn. Guessing my card is too old for the new updated systems. They stated it was missing numbers.... The popcorn was good and happy to be able to get a bunch of he white ones... less sodium. The inside if I remember correctly looked pretty much similar to what it was the last time we were there.

I had a really great time watching a double header here at this AMC theater. The staff are friendly…read moreand the theaters are well taken care of as well as the facilities. I definitely recommend it. For the XL theater I recommend watching rows H and upwards.

Our 3 year old loved the museum! It was clean and well maintained. Staff were amazing and super…read morefriendly! Highly recommend!

This museum is so awesome for kids. It's small but has so many unique exhibits and is very hands…read moreon. I brought my two kids here and as usual was worried about what the baby, who is 1 year old, would want to do or try to get into since this is a museum. The very friendly woman at the desk was so encouraging of letting the baby explore and touch everything. This museum is very educational but kids can touch and play with everything. It's not one of those museums where you are constantly reminding your kids not to touch something. There are exhibits representing many different places and cultures, and the kids can play in all of them. There is a Central American kitchen with items stocked in the kitchen that would commonly be found in that region. There is a Japanese tea house, a Parisian cafe, a West African market (my personal favorite as there are so many fruits and vegetables that one wouldn't see here and cards describing what each plant is), a rainforest where you can learn about how chocolate is made and hold and smell a real cocoa pod. Such a cool place. If we lived closer, I'd take the kids every weekend. Still plan on going multiple times a year. It's just such a unique place.