The 2018 Adirondack Wine & Food Festival was the biggest yet, with a record 6,376 tickets sold and an estimated $1.87 million economic impact on the Greater Lake George Region, according to organizers of the event.

Despite a weekend filled with rain, the event sold 8 percent more tickets than last year. Counting festival vendors and volunteers, 6,393 passed through the gates over the course of the festival’s two days, breaking the previous attendance record for Charles R. Wood Festival Commons in the Village of Lake George.

The event was held June 23 and 24.

“Our festival has grown every year and we are thrilled that so many people came to support it and enjoyed some of the best wines, craft beverages and foods New York has to offer,” said Sasha Pardy, festival owner and co-owner of the Adirondack Winery in Lake George. “I am so proud of the impact this event has on the economy of the Lake George region and am looking forward to doing it bigger and better yet again next year.”

Mark Behan of Behan Communications is this year’s recipient of the ninth annual Henry Crandall Award given by the Crandall Public Library.

The award will be presented at the library’s annual gala on Sept. 28 at the Hiland Park Country Club, 195 Haviland Road, Queensbury.

Each year, the award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated the values and legacy of library founder Henry Crandall (1821-1913), including generosity, perseverance, loyalty, compassion, civic pride, and philanthropy. Recipients have affected the improvement of the community and demonstrated commitment to Crandall Public Library.

Behan, a former member of the board of Crandall Library, founded the public relations firm Behan Communications in Glens Falls 30 years ago after a career in the newspaper industry. Active in the community, he serves as vice chairman of the board of governors of Glens Falls Hospital; co-vice chairman of the board of trustees of The Hyde Collection; a member of the board of the Glens Falls Foundation, and a director of Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Co. and Arrow Financial Corp. 

By Maureen Werther

The Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce is working with Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council (LARAC) and the Adirondack Folk School to assemble a new holiday event, the Adirondack Christkindlmarkt.

The event is scheduled to take place in Festival Commons at Charles R. Wood Park Friday through Sunday, Dec. 7-9. It will run 3-8 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. that Sunday

The event will be free to the public.

The European-style festival translates to mean “Christmas Market,” according to special event and convention sales director Kristen Hanifin.

“The idea initially came from a meeting that the executive director of ADK Folk School, Scott Hayden, and I had over coffee about a year ago,” said Hanifin. She lived in Europe for 12 years and has attended several German Christkindlmarkts. The events had music, food, rides, entertainment,  handmade ornaments and crafts from artisans located in the region.

Tickets are on sale for the 2018-19 season of the Adirondack Thunder.

The price of a season ticket remains unchanged at $13 per ticket per game. The total for a season ticket is $540 including all taxes and fees. A season ticket includes tickets to the preseason game on Oct. 5, all 36 regular season home games and the first two 2019 Kelly Cup Playoffs contests. Children aged 12 and younger can have their own season ticket at a youth rate of $387 for the 2018-2019 season.

For the second year in a row, all Thunder season ticket holders will be offered a ticket to a New Jersey Devils game at no additional charge.

“We are very excited to once again be able include an NHL ticket to our parent club in our full-season ticket package,” General Manager Jeff Mead said. “We would like to thank Tom Fitzgerald, Ray Shero and the Devils organization for again extending this offer, one of the biggest season ticket holder perks we have seen across the league. We have an amazing season ticket holder base in Glens Falls and it feels great to be able to give something like this back to them.”

The Silver Bay YMCA Conference and Family Retreat Center and Hudson Headwaters Health Network recently agreed to partner to increase the positive community impact each organization has on the Adirondack community.

According to Steve Tamm, chief executive officer of Silver Bay YMCA, the organization is expanding its already successful cancer respite program with their newest partner, Hudson Headwaters.

“Several years ago, Silver Bay launched a community outreach program specifically designed to support patients who are actively being treated for cancer,” said Tamm. “By providing temporary respite to patients and their immediate families at no cost, this program gives these individuals the opportunity to reconnect with their loved ones and enjoy a reprieve from the stresses and financial challenges associated with a battle against cancer. A few wonderful days on the restorative shores of Lake George is one way we try to make a difference.”