Courtesy Lake George Chamber of Commerce
The Lake George Chamber of Commerce says the winter of 2021-22 promises to be unlike no other in the area as a new venture—Ice Castles—brings its display of sculptures, caverns, ice slides, lighting and more to Charles Wood Park’s Festival Space.
The new winter event that has drawn hundreds of thousands of visitors to numerous communities around the country, officials said, with ice displays that feature LED lights that change color.
Lake George will be its sixth location in the United States, joining sites in New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Utah and Colorado.
The event was formally introduced at a news conference on Oct. 5.
“We are excited to bring the magic of Ice Castles to Lake George this winter,” said Ice Castles CEO Kyle Standifird. “Our mission is to create a fun and safe outdoor experience where people can escape from the hustle of daily life for a moment and step into a frozen fairy-tale world.”
Ice Castles is scheduled to open in Festival Commons in Lake George in early January, with the opening date dependent on weather conditions, officials said. It will combine with Lake George Winter Carnival and Lake George Winterfest.
Local officials hope the new event has a major impact on extending the tourism season into the winter, helping local businesses.
At a virtual meeting following the news conference, streamed on YouTube, Warren County Tourism Director Joanne Conley said Ice Castles “hopefully will entice people to keep their business open in the winter. This could be a game changer this year. We would like you to understand that and consider keeping your business open this year.”
Jared Henningsen, vice president for events for Ice Castles, said the company’s experience is that it is a huge draw for restaurants and hotels.
“We anticipate a huge influx of requests for accommodations at the local hotels,” he said.
Ice Castles is expected to draw up to 90,000 people from around the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states for its ice-borne attractions. Construction of the elaborate ice structures will start in the fall, and run into December, according to the company.
“We are thrilled to have Ice Castles choose the Lake George area to grow their event brand. This event will complement the current activities offered around the region while enhancing the winter experience for which visitors come to the region,” said Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce & CVB Executive Director Gina Mintzer. “Lake George is a perfect fit for an event like this that incorporates our natural winter beauty while also being family friendly.”
Depending on the weather, most locations open in early January and remain open until early March.
Each castle is built by hand and takes thousands of man hours to create. The immersive structures are made entirely from ice. Each castle is approximately 1 acre in size and consists of more than 25 million pounds.
Officials said the daily process consists of growing 5,000-12,000 icicles that are harvested by hand and individually sculpted into existing ice formations. The blend of icicle placement, temperatures, water volume, and wind result in an ever changing variety of ice formations.
The company said all Ice Castles sites are located next to a natural water source so the water returns to the environment each spring to be used again by wildlife, people, and plants.
“We can hardly contain our enthusiasm over welcoming Ice Castles to Lake George,” said Conley. “Visitors know us as an iconic summer destination, and now we invite them to experience all we have to offer in the winter months. Complementing our popular Winter Carnival, Ice Bars, and incredible winter recreation, we expect this magnificent attraction’s frozen spires of light and color over the south shore of our beautiful lake, against the dramatic backdrop of the Adirondack Mountains, to dazzle spectators’ senses. It certainly will be a sight to see.”
Said Rachel Seeber, Chairwoman of the Warren County Board of Supervisors welcomed Ice Castles to Lake George “for an event like no other that promises to ‘wow’ residents and visitors this winter in Warren County. This commitment is yet another step by our community toward building our year-round tourism, 365 days a year.”
Ticket prices will range from $16 for children on weekdays to $28 adult weekend admission.
For more information, visit icecastles.com.