Lake Placid Winter City Guide

Nestled in the heart of the Adirondacks, Lake Placid becomes a winter wonderland shortly after Thanksgiving! The snow brings new activities for every age.  Winter is in the life blood of Lake Placid with the town being home to two winter Olympics, 1932 and 1980. The 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid is known as the Miracle On Ice where the USA defeated an unstoppable USSR hockey team. Visitors are welcomed into the Olympic spirit with multiple events, outdoor adventures, shopping and dining.

Lake Placid Winter Guide – Events

Lake Placid winter brings in a mixture of events from World Class sporting contests to festive celebrations of the season. Some of the events to look out for are:

North American Cup 2023 – November 16-18

Come view the next generation of international sliders who are striving to be top finishers in Bobsled and Skeleton at Mt. Van Hoevenberg!

Adirondack Health 5k Turkey Trot – November 23

Get ready for your Thanksgiving meal by going for a 5k walk/run at 8:30 am to benefit local school food pantries and Adirondack Health’s Fit for Life Program. Top finishes even receive prizes!

The Nutcracker Ballet – November 25-26

Finish your Thanksgiving weekend with two opportunities to see The Nutcracker Ballet at the Lake Placid Center For The Arts.

ADK Tour De Ski – December 2

Experience a brand new exciting cross country ski race throughout the Adirondacks! These races occur on the weekend and features 6 different venues with multiple distances. The December 2nd race occurs at Mt Van Hoevenberg.

FIL World Cup Luge – December 8-9

Excitement will be in the air as Mt. Van Hoevenberg opens up the FIL Luge World Cup Season.

Holiday Village Stroll – December 8-10

A tradition in Lake Placid, the Holiday Village Stroll is a 3-day event for friends and families to come together downtown. Enjoy the Lake Placid winter wonderland with a skating party, free movie showing and parade with Santa.

Adirondack Winter Invitational  – December 29-30

Lake Placid invites some of the best men’s collegiate hockey players to participate in the Adirondack Winter Invitational at the Olympic Center. This year’s invitational will feature UMass, Arizona State, Cornell and Clarkson.

Empire State Winter Games – February 1st – 4th

Come view some of the best amateur talent in New York at the Empire State Winter Games. Here’s where to catch the different sports at venues around town:

• Mount Van Hoevenberg Sliding Center – Junior Bobsled, Adaptive Bobsled, Luge and Skeleton
• Mount Van Hoevenberg Ski Center – Ski Orienteering, Adaptive Biathlon, Cross Country, Biathlon
• Olympic Ski Jumping Complex – Ski Jumping/ Nordic Combine
• Olympic Center – Figure Skating, Girls Hockey U12, Girls Hockey U14, U10 (Squirt) Hockey
• Olympic Oval – Long Track Speed Skating, Short Track Speed Skating

FIS World Cup Ski Jumping – February 9-11

Excitement will be buzzing throughout Lake Placid as it hosts another FIS World Cup Ski Jumping event featuring current and future Olympians. This event caused a stir last year bringing spectators from around the world to cheer on and support the athletes.

ADK Tour De Ski – February 10

Experience a brand new exciting cross country ski race throughout the Adirondacks! These races occur on the weekend and features 6 different venues with multiple distances. The February 10th race occurs at Scotts Cobble in Lake Placid.

ADK Tour De Ski – February 25

Experience a brand new exciting cross country ski race throughout the Adirondacks! These races occur on the weekend and features 6 different venues with multiple distances. The February 25 race occurs at Cascade Welcome Center.

ECAC Men’s Ice Hockey Championship – March 22-23

A Lake Placid Hockey Classic! The ECAC Men’s Ice Hockey Championship will be storming the 1980 Herb Brooks Arena featuring the top Division 1 ECAC hockey players.

Total Solar Eclipse – April 8th

Lake Placid, as well as most of the Adirondacks, falls in line perfectly to view the total solar eclipse! Total solar eclipses only happen in the same location once every 400 years, so this is a truly once in a lifetime opportunity to see it. This rare occurrence begins at 2:13 pm and lasts until 4:37 pm.

US Figure Skating National Intercollegiate Finals – April 12-14

Come experience some of the top Intercollegiate Figure Skaters competing at the Olympic Center!

Lake Placid Winter Guide – Activities

While scheduled events are nice, the Adirondacks are also all about exploration! Try a new sport, explore nature, or find some fun indoor activities throughout the winter season.

Skiing and Snowboarding

While the town of Lake Placid does not have a place to downhill ski or snowboard, Whiteface Mountain is a short 10 minute drive from Main St. and provides the highest vertical in the east!

Cross Country Skiing trails can be found throughout Lake Placid from the Jack Rabbit Trails offering a traditional cross country ski to Mt. Van Hoevenberg with groomed and lined trails.

Backcountry skiing is also an option if you are looking to stay close to Lake Placid. Some adventures to consider are Mount Marcy, Dix Mountain Slides and Avalanche Pass.

Snowshoeing

Whether you are looking to step out your door to snowshoe or take a little trip,  snowshoeing is bountiful in Lake Placid. Here are some places to explore:

• • • • • • • • • Henry’s Woods
            • Heaven Hill
            • Jack Rabbit Trails
            • Mount Van Hoevenberg

Ice Fishing

Looking for a slower more relaxed paced? Ice Fishing is always a calm time where friends and families can catch up while waiting to hook a memorable fish! Anglers should check out Connery Pond and Copperas Pond.

Connery Pond is just 4 miles out of the village and offers anglers 83 acres to search for brown trout, yellow perch, sunfish, splake and pumpkinseeds.

Copperas Pond requires a little more effort to get to with a steep half mile hike before you arrive. This provides the perfect quiet spot for you to fish.

Skating

Olympic Oval – Bring your own skates or rent! Open almost every day during the winter (weather/ event dependent), visitors and locals are able to skate around the oval. It does cost money to skate, but they offer season passes making it an affordable way to enjoy skating on a manicured surface.

Olympic Center – Offers open skates on the 1932 & 1980 arenas so visitors and locals alike can feel the magic of the Olympics. Similar to the Oval, it does cost money.

Mirror Lake – Open all season (weather dependent), visitors and locals are able to enjoy skating around Mirror Lake or on one of the rinks set up for pond hockey.

Hiking

Completed the 46 high peaks in the summer? Now it’s time to complete the Adirondack High Peaks in the winter! Grab your crampons or snowshoes, some poles, a pack and bundle up to explore nature in the Lake Placid winter!

Lake Placid Center For The Arts

The Lake Placid Center for the Arts is a great option during the winter with a variety of performances and shows. It is the perfect way to spend chilly nights. Visit LPCA’s event calendar to see what events are coming up.

Palace Theater

While Lake Placid is outdoor focused, some days are just too snowy or cold to truly enjoy the Adirondack beauty. Stop by the Palace Theater on Main Street to stay warm while enjoying the newest movie releases!

The Peaks Paint Bar

Another fun venue for those cold & snowy days or nights The Peaks Paint Bar  on Main Street.  Gather up your friends and family to join in  on paint and sips. Offered almost daily. Owner/ Master Artist instructor, Ismael Rodriguez is a lifelong artist who has had several exhibitions in New York City. He also has over 30 years experience in the human services field giving him the skills to make every artist feel comfortable. The Peaks Paint Bar also offers a good variety of images to paint versus your normal paint and sip fare.

Faizy’s Fun House Arcade

A brand-new addition to downtown Lake Placid is Faizy’s Fun House Arcade! The arcade has a selection of over 30 games on the main floor with a combination of classic and new unique games! They are currently renovating the other two floors to add an axe throwing floor and a bar floor with even more games!

Lake Placid Winter Guide – Where To Eat

Whether your big adventure for the day is about to start or you are just finishing up, there are many options to fuel up with good eats in town.  Here in our Lake Placid Winter Guide, we’ve shared some of our favorite restaurants. Grab a bite and enjoy some of the best culinary delights Lake Placid has to offer!

Breakfast

Breakfast Club

2431 Main St  |  Everyday 8 AM – 1 PM

The Breakfast Club is open during the breakfast/brunch hours offering a good mixture of breakfast items and sandwiches. Their location overlooks beautiful Mirror Lake making it a great place to enjoy the waterfront over breakfast.

Bluesberry Bakery

2436 Main St |  Everyday 12 PM – 9:30 PM

Right across the street from Breakfast Club, you will find Bluesberry Bakery. This bakery is the perfect stop to pick up your morning coffee, muffins or pastries.  Everything made fresh daily!

Capisce Coffee

5659 Cascade Road  | Mon – Tues 6 AM – 4 PM   Thurs- Sat  6 AM – 6 PM   Sun 6 AM – 2pm

Capisce Coffee is a new coffee and espresso bar in Lake Placid. This women owned and operated business offers latte flights, artisanal lite bites, and an array of Italian & seasonally inspired specialties.

Lunch

Players Sports Bar

2405 Main St  |  Everyday 12 PM – 9:30 PM

What’s better than a sports bar overlooking the lake? Players is open for lunch and dinner featuring two decks that overlook Mirror Lake and an array of TVs for rainy days.

Generations Tap & Grille

2543 Main St |  Everyday 7 AM – 9 PM

Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner this family friendly restaurant also overlooks Mirror Lake. Generations menu features many foods that are grown and raised locally to keep it fresh as possible. It is a classic American & North Country Style cuisine with a pop of German influence.

The Cottage

77 Mirror Lake Dr |  Tuesday – Thursday & Sunday 11 AM – 9 PM    Friday & Saturday  11 AM – 9:30 PM

The Cottage is situated directly on the shores of Mirror Lake with a spectacular view of the Great Range! This is the perfect place to hang out, enjoy some cocktails and have a nice lunch that is sourced from across the Lake Placid region.

Simply Gourmet/Big Mountain Deli

2099 Saranac Ave / 2475 Main Street    |    Everyday 8 AM – 3 PM

Two locations with some of the best options of sandwiches and soups in the area. Simply Gourmet  (Saranac Ave) & Big Mountain Deli (Main St.) feature 46 sandwiches based off the 46 high peaks in the Adirondacks that you can have on freshly made rolls.

Dinner

Caffe Rustica

1936 Saranac Ave |  Everyday 5 PM – 9 PM

Serving Mediterranean dishes in the Adirondacks, Caffe Rustica is most known for their delectable entrees and wood fired pizzas prepared fresh by chefs who trained at the Culinary Institute of America.

Interlaken Inn & Restaurant

39 Interlaken Ave |  Wednesday – Monday 5 PM – 9 PM

Newly re-opened  – the Interlaken Inn is not to be missed! Our office is excited that this restaurant is back open. The new chef Justin (JD) Daw is a classically trained chef who moved here from New Orleans. He decided to keep local favorites while also adding his New Orleans flair to new dishes. We highly recommend stopping in to try his wonderful cooking!

Top Of The Park

2407 Main Street  |  Everyday 3 PM – 12 AM

Top Of The Park offers small plates, craft spirits, beer and spectacular views! Enjoy Field, Land and Sea small plates and drinks while looking over Mirror Lake from the deck.

Smoke Signals

2489 Main Street  |  Everyday 4 PM – 9 PM

A local and tourist favorite for barbecue in Lake Placid! Smoke Signals recently changed up their menu, but still features some of the classic favorites of locals and tourists. They also feature a large back deck that overlooks Mirror Lake. Perfect to enjoy the summer weather in the Adirondacks.

Jimmys 21

2425 Main Street  |  Everyday 11 AM – 10 PM

Italian and steaks overlooking Mirror Lake! Jimmys 21 is the perfect family friendly restaurant to fuel up before the next day of adventures in the Adirondacks.

Winter is just around the corner and we hope our Lake Placid Winter Guide helps you take full advantage of our wonderful area to pack your calendar full of exciting activities.  Whether you are looking to rent or buy a home or investment property in the Lake Placid region, there is so much to enjoy and draw folks here.  Call one of our agents today to learn more about the local area and real estate opportunities available.