Category Archives: Business News

After a two-year hiatus due to COVID, the 2022 Adirondack Wine & Food Festival returned in June. Organizers said more than 6,800 people attended.

Officials estimated the event had a $4.1 million economic impact on the Greater Lake George Region.

The festival was held Saturday, June 25, and Sunday, June 26, at Charles R. Wood Festival Commons in the Village of Lake George. 

The sixth-annual event sold out with over 4,000 attendees on Saturday, despite a weekend of unusually high temperatures. 

“After two years off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we weren’t sure what to expect; so we were thrilled when we sold out Saturday before the weekend hit, especially considering the 90 plus degree temps we had,” 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 our small family-owned producer vendors. I am looking forward to doing it bigger and better yet again next year,” she said.

Spirit Halloween has opened in the former TJ Maxx space at Aviation Mall in Queensbury.

Spirit Halloween specializes in costumes, décor and accessories for children, teens, and adults, as well as providing the greatest selection of exclusive animatronics. Guests are encouraged to shop early and celebrate all season long, the company said.

According to the company, Spirit Halloween is the largest Halloween retailer in the country with over 1,400 locations across the U.S. and Canada. Celebrating more than 38 years of business, Spirit is a destination for all things Halloween, offering one-stop shopping for costumes, accessories, home and outdoor décor, party goods and exclusive animatronics.

At the heart of Spirit Halloween is the organization Spirit of Children, which brings fun and funding to local hospitals at Halloween and all year round. Since 2006, Spirit of Children has raised over $77 million to support the Child Life departments at hospitals across the United States and Canada to make hospitals less scary for kids and their families, the company said.

By Jill Nagy

Hallwear, a company producing screen-printed and embroidered clothing and novelties, settled into new permanent quarters at 76 Lawrence St. in Glens Falls. 

They had a soft opening in August and formally cut the ribbon at the new location Sept. 1.

The company has been in business for 26 years, 20 at the same location. They were forced to move from their long-time home when a fire in a nearby apartment caused extensive smoke damage and some minor dismantling of their shop. 

“We got lucky. We were able to save a lot of items,” said Kevin Hall, second generation owner of the business. Before moving out, they held a fire sale at the old location. 

The business took up temporary quarters at the Shirt Factory for about a month while looking for a permanent site. The business was interrupted “very little” as they moved into the busy fall season, Hall said. 

The company’s customers include area schools and sports teams. Hall said even businesses not on a school schedule seem to like to order in the fall. 

Ryan J. Moore has joined Behan Communications as CEO.

He will work closely with owner Mark Behan and vice presidents John Brodt, Bill Callen and Bill Richmond to serve clients, expand business, and lead our firm into the future, Behan said.

He will help new and existing clients on state and local government matters, community relations, political strategy and crisis management, areas where he has deep experience.

He comes to the company from Warren County  where he served as county administrator and earned statewide and national praise for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moore developed a model response that was admired and adopted by many other local governments. 

He developed a strategy to protect the local economy and local government services during and after COVID.  Warren County’s vaccination rate was among the highest in New York state and its economy improved during the crisis.

Throughout his career, Moore has been an  adviser to federal, state, and local officials of all political parties. He is recognized for his leadership in designing and implementing practical policy solutions to benefit the public.  He traveled the country with former  Gov. George Pataki, serving as his principal daily briefer, speech writer, and communications assistant. He worked with former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld on his gubernatorial campaign and was a senior advisor on Alexander (Sandy) Treadwell’s Upstate New York congressional campaign. 

The multi-year project to repair and upgrade critical water infrastructure on Lake George that officials said is crucial to protecting the long-term health of the lake is complete, state officials announced. 

New York state invested nearly $15 million in the state-of-the-art improvements to the village of Lake George’s wastewater treatment plant that will significantly reduce the amount of pollution that enters the lake and create lasting environmental and economic benefits for the region.

“New York state is committed to working with our local communities to safeguard the quality of our lakes throughout the state, making record investments to protect public health and the environment,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “Lake George serves as one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Northeast and a beloved location for family vacations, sustaining annual traditions that span generations. 

“The critical upgrades made to the village’s wastewater treatment plant will protect the future of this majestic water body while promoting economic growth and tourism throughout the region.”

Lake George is one of New York’s most popular tourist destinations. Nicknamed the “Queen of American Lakes”, the 28,160-acre water body located in the southeast corner of the Adirondacks that has served as a major tourism destination since the Revolutionary War era. Lake George residents and visitors take advantage of the myriad opportunities for outdoor and aquatic recreation in the region.

By Andrea Harwood

After 30 years in business, Fish307.com is relocating to a larger facility in Lake George.

The store is moving to 814 Goggins Road in Lake George, the old location of the Adirondack Mountain Club right off Northway Exit 21. 

Jeff Goldberg, owner and operator, said the company has simply outgrown the space they are currently in, located at 6 Route 149  at the end of the Million Dollar Mile near the outlets. As the brick-and-mortar business has grown and the online ecommerce site has expanded, the space is no longer large enough.

“I didn’t have any intention of moving. In fact, I really want to retire. My people came to me and said, ‘Look, this building is for sale’. It was the perfect location and a nice building. So I said, ‘Well, I guess I’m not gonna retire any time soon’,” he said.

The building on Goggins Road is being renovated, with ceilings removed and raised, walls removed, bathrooms being brought up to ADA compliance and space in general being opened up. The back wall was moved 16 feet into the warehouse, creating a 3,500-square-foot showroom. Because the building is on 4.5 acres, Fish307.com can expand in the future without having to move again.

Goldberg anticipates being able to open doors for business by the end of September. The original location is still open and operating. 

The inaugural Queensbury Wizard Fest will be held on Sunday, Sept. 18, at Ridge/Jenkinsville Park in Queensbury that will include games like Quidditch, also known as Quadball, based on the broomstick sport from the “Harry Potter” books and movies.

It will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

College teams will participate in Quidditch, including those from the University of Rochester, Cornell University, Vassar College, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).  

Volunteers from the Rochester Institute of Technology/Syracuse University mixed team will offer a “kidditch clinic” for kids of all ages to learn how to play the game. 

The event will feature actual Quidditch Quadball games, entertainment, vendors with wizard wares, food vendors and more.