9th annual ADK Wine & Food Fest brings $3.6M to region

LAKE GEORGE | Following 30+ straight weekends of rain in the region, the sun shone on June 28th and 29th in Lake George, N.Y., during the 9th annual Adirondack Wine & Food Festival. Over 6,000 visitors attended throughout the weekend to enjoy samples from over 120 New York wineries, distilleries, cideries, breweries, non-alcoholic beverage producers, artisan food vendors, and more! "We were blessed with ideal weather in Lake George for the Festival for the first time in several years," said Adirondack Festivals Owner and Adirondack Winery Co-Owner, Sasha Pardy. "It put attendees in a great mood to make the most of their festival experience, which translated into great sales for our vendors. I know at our own Adirondack Winery Booth and Extreme Heights Cidery Booth, we had one of our best sales weekends yet; and that's why we started this festival – to support small family-owned craft beverage producers like us by giving them a platform to sample their amazing products to customers they wouldn't otherwise have access to," Pardy added. "Each year, the Festival concludes with the People's Choice Vote Grand Prize Giveaway survey, where attendees vote on their favorite vendors and answer critical questions that help us improve the festival for future years; as well as determine the demographic and economic impact the festival has on the area," said Brad Willett, Festival Director. "This year, we welcomed many new festival vendors, which keeps it fresh for attendees returning year after year. The non-alcoholic beverage People's Choice winning vendor was 'Witches Brew,' presented by Dark Hollow Productions, which offers an interactive experience featuring delicious non-alcoholic drinks," Willett Added. *See the full list of People's Choice Votewinners at the end of this release. "As a first-time vendor at the Adirondack Wine & Food Festival, we were pleasantly surprised. The staff and volunteers were extremely helpful. This was one of the most well-organized and vendor-friendly events we've been a part of. We were thrilled with the customer response to our booth and drinks," said Matt Lipke, President and Creative Director of Dark Hollow Productions. Paul Alteri, Owner of Alteri Vini in Watertown, said, "It was an absolute pleasure having my wine booth for the very first time at the Festival. It was very organized, the large crowds were upbeat and thirsty, and the environment was electric!" Throughout the weekend, attendees enjoyed Culinary and Cocktail demonstrations and competitions featuring both nationally recognized and local chefs, mixologists, sommeliers, and food and beverage social media influencers. Festival Vendors supplied ingredients utilized in the competitions. The weekend's Chef lineup included: • Chef Ciarán McGoldrick, Food Network CHOPPED Champion & Owner of Glenmere Farm in Florida, NY. • Chef Noah Frese, Winner of the 2023 Rising Star Chef Competition at the Albany Chef's Food & Wine Festival; Executive Chef at Siro's Saratoga & Owner of Noah's Italian, opening soon in Saratoga • Chef Carl Weiner of Sans Souci Restaurant in Cleverdale, NY • Chef John Holmes of the Fort William Henry Hotel Sunday's Ultimate Culinary Showdown featured the two winners of Saturday's two Iron Chef-style competitions – Carl Weiner and Ciarán McGoldrick. In the end, Chef Weiner was the Ultimate Showdown Winner. The Mixology competition featured resident Mixologists, Kelli Hatin and Jenn-Berry Youngs of Mixaritas Mobile Bartending, going head-to-head against Ethan McKee and David Joseph of Park & Elm in Glens Falls. Ethan and David came out on top as the Mixology Showdown Winners. "The festival wasn't just for adults," said Festival Director Brad Willett. "We saw more families attend than ever before. Younger attendees enjoyed our kids' tent games and activities, and all our non-drinkers and underage guests also got to sample from over 40 nonalcoholic beverages and artisan food vendors while also enjoying our entertainment options,"he added. The festival entertainment line-up was chock-full, featuring local acoustic musicians, the impressive street magic of TJ Clancy, and jaw-dropping stilt walking and aerial work from Jessica Black. New this year was the Mobile Dairy Experience from the New York Animal Agriculture Coalition, which set up an innovative, state-of-the-art, 1,000 square foot exhibit, tucked inside a 53' tractor trailer, where individuals of all ages learned about the vital role dairy farming plays in New York's economy, food systems, and everyday lives. Taste NY showed its continued support of the Festival as the Official Wine Glass Sponsor. The festival aligns with Taste NY's mission to promote the quality, diversity, and economic impact of food and beverages grown, produced, or processed in New York State. "Food Truck Alley" and the "Biergarten" have been favorite features of the festival for the past three years in a row. Food Truck Alley, located on Westbrook Road, is open to the public and hosts 13 food trucks offering a wide variety of unique foods. At the Biergarten, presented by Adirondack Brewery, attendees could purchase full glasses of beer or wine while they enjoyed live music. The Adirondack Wine & Food Festival continues to attract a wide range of attendees and brings a younger and more affluent demographic to the Lake George area than most local events. Our 2025 attendee ticket demographics and post-event surveys show that 48% of our attendees are under 40 – this compares to an average age of 51 to 56 years old for a Lake George Tourist – and 57% have a household income of $100,000 or greater. "I am proud to share that this year's festival generated a $3.6 million economic impact for the Lake George region, through over 6,000 attendees who generated over 7,400 room nights. Not only did they stay, but 75% of them shopped at local stores and visited local attractions, while 62% patronized local restaurants and bars while in town," said Festival owner, Sasha Pardy. "We know from our post-event survey that 90% of our attendees came specifically to attend the festival and that we continue to foster growth in the region with this event, as nearly 2,000 people said they had either never been or hadn't been back to Lake George in over 2 years," she added.The Festival has now cumulatively raised over $115,000 for beneficiaries like Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks & Soroptimist International of the Adirondacks. Funds raised for BBBS, now in their 7th year with the fest, benefit the youth in our community, while funds raised for Soroptimist transform the lives of women and girls in our community through volunteering, education, & social connection. Bill Moon, BBBS CEO said, "It takes a village to raise our kids, and the festival provides everyone with a way to help us make an impact. We have over 200 youth waiting for a mentor to invest in their future and all the funds raised will go towards matching these young people with a mentor to help them set a path for their future and provide them with a mentor for a lifetime. Together, we can make a lasting difference." Soroptimist Treasurer Wanda Smith said, "We express our heartfelt gratitude for partnering with our not-for-profit organization for this outstanding event." The 2026 Adirondack Wine & Food Festival will take place June 27th & 28th. Tickets are anticipated to go on sale Black Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. Attendee Metrics & Demographics • Total Attendance: 6,053 • Gender 73% Female | 26% Male • Attendee Age: >20: 10% | 20s: 18% | 30s: 20% | 40s: 21% | 50s: 17% | 60s+ 20% • Attendee Location: 33 States | 38% traveled 3+ hours to attend • 57% Had a household income of $100,000 or greater Key Results • $3.6 Million Economic Impact • 7,419 Total room nights generated • 47% Stayed 1-14 nights in the region. • 90% Planned their trip or chose the dates of their trip to Lake George specifically to attend the festival. • 72% Shopped at and/or visited local stores and attractions. • 13% Had never been to Lake George and another 18% hadn't returned to Lake George in 3+ years • 62% Ate or drank at a local bar or restaurant. • 97% Would attend the Adirondack Wine & Food Festival again. People's Choice Winners by category, winner, runner-up, 2nd runner up Wineries: Adirondack Winery, Weis Vineyards, Thousand Islands Winery Distilleries: High Peaks Distilling, Cooperstown Distillery, Do Good Spirits Cideries: Extreme Heights Cidery, Awestruck Ciders Sundog Cider Breweries: Adirondack Brewery, Mean Max Brew Works, Hex & Hop Meaderies: The Bull & Bee Meadery, Helderberg Meadworks Non-Alcoholic: Witches Brew by Dark Hollow Productions, The Wine Slushie Guy, Caribbean Hibiscus Artisan Food: Cheese Filled Company, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Little Cheese Shop Food Truck: The Mac Factor, The Brussels Boys, Lobster Rolls & More Specialty Craft: Besties Beyond the Bookmark, House of Cork, Belle's Barkery Activity/Sponsor: Adirondack Thunder, Fun on the Water, Henna Squad

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9th annual ADK Wine & Food Fest brings $3.6M to region

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