Lake George Winter Carnival 2025 kicked off Saturday under sunny skies with air temperatures well below freezing. “We are so excited,” said Carnival Committee Co-Chair Nancy Nichols speaking at the Opening Ceremonies. She swept an arm over the landscape and added, “Look what we have out there!”
“Out there” was a frozen Lake George blanketed with a half foot of new-fallen snow. Ice shanties dotted the lake and ATVs buzzed across its surface. “For the first time since 2022, we have a full lake of ice,” said Village of Lake George Mayor Ray Perry.
The ceremony opened with Steve Burns performing the National Anthem as the VFW Post 374 Color Guard stood on MacDonald Pier holding the Star-Spangled Banner. Father Joseph Busch of Sacred Heart Church gave the blessing asking those in attendance to be grateful for the beautiful Adirondacks and keep in their prayers the victims of recent tragedies, the airplane crash in Washington, D.C., and the California wildfires, and he asked for prayers to end the wars in Ukraine and Isreal.
February 2025 marks the 64th anniversary of the Lake George Winter Carnival, which Perry describes as “a community event and, by far, the best one on our calendar.” Each speaker at the Opening Ceremonies praised the Winter Carnival Committee, a volunteer organization, for their work in bringing the event to Lake George each winter, with Town of Lake George Supervisor Vincent Crocitto saying, “The winter carnival has been the major winter attraction for 64 years and that’s been done throughout the years by volunteers.”
The Winter Carnival is held each weekend in February, and for 2025, a fifth weekend has been added to the schedule, March 1 and 2. Each weekend has a full schedule of activities and events including cook-offs, races, children’s activities, karaoke, Bonfires, pony and wagon rides and polar plunges into the open waters off Shepard Park Beach. A live schedule of events may be found on Google Calendar.
Opening Day featured a chili cookoff with 19 area restaurants competing for votes from carnival attendees who sampled each entry. TR’s Restaurant at the Holiday Inn took first place, Barnsider BBQ came in second and Adirondack Pub & Brewery secured third place for their chili.
Each Saturday of the Carnival will feature a different cookoff. Feb. 8 will be BBQ, Feb. 15, chowder, Feb. 22, Chicken Wings and March 1, Mac & Cheese. Tasting tickets, which entitle the holder to samples of all entries, are $15 and may be purchased online.
Saturday also featured the Lake George Winter Carnival Outhouse Races, which were held in Battlefield Park. Teams of five pushed, pulled and rode outhouses across the snow in a quest to win some of the $4,000 in cash prize money. The Lagoon restaurant organizes the races and will be holding outhouse races again in Week Four, Feb. 22.
Opening weekend activities continue Sunday with Make Your Own Sundaes and cupcake decorating, karaoke, Lake George Dogs Got Talent show, polar plunge, keg toss and skillet toss competitions.
Photos: Lake George Winter Carnival 2025 opening day
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Gillian, You had such patience yesterday! You captured some great photos. You really shared the scene.
Thank you, Kathy