Fall is such a lovely time in the Schroon Lake Region. Our acres of forest blaze into visual action. Then they are reflected from our crystalline lakes and reached via our miles of hiking paths or some of the most scenic drives in all of the Adirondacks.
There are also some wonderful events that might give you new ideas for how to best enjoy this crisp and colorful time of year.
Most rowdy
Every September, Newcomb celebrates our bigger-than-life U.S. President, Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, with their annual Teddy Roosevelt Weekend. This year it spans September 15-17, 2017.
This is a three-day celebration of Theodore Roosevelt’s historic journey from Newcomb to the White House, adjusting to suddenly becoming America's 26th president.
Then-President McKinley was at the Pan-American Exposition on September 6, 1901 when he was shot by the anarchist Leon Czolgosz. His vice president, Roosevelt, got the news during a luncheon with the Vermont Fish and Game League. He immediately left for Buffalo. After a few tense days, McKinley's surgery had gone well, and Roosevelt was urged to get back to his arranged schedule. It was thought the sight of him hanging around would make the public worry that a transition was imminent.
Roosevelt then left for the Tahawus Club near Newcomb, and was climbing New York's highest mountain, Mount Marcy, when the Tahawus Club received the message that McKinley's condition had suddenly, and dramatically, worsened. Club guide Harrison Hall managed to find Roosevelt, who returned to the Tahawus Club to await further word.
Teddy Roosevelt was not a person who could wait patiently. At midnight he decided to set out for the North Creek train station. In 1901 this 35-mile trip would take at least seven hours in daylight. Roosevelt was in a buckboard wagon with a driver. He changed wagons and drivers three times, arriving at the station around 4:45 a.m. It was there that he learned McKinley had died, and he was now president.
With the help of Joe Wiegand, premier Teddy impersonator, the thrilling moments are re-enacted and events fill all three days, each of which has their own historic theme:
- Friday: Women’s Suffrage Movement and the Centennial of Women Winning the Right to Vote in New York State
- Saturday: United States Enters World War 1
- Sunday: Upper Works and Tahawus Day
Most beautiful
The Adirondack Marathon Distance Festival bills itself as "the most beautiful 26 miles, 385 yards you’ll ever run!" The route circles the lake, bestowing views of nearby mountains, the rolling hills, and the whispering shade of forest crowding close to the runners.
It's also one of the most accommodating, since they offer a full marathon, half marathon, and two-person marathon relay on Sunday, September 22, 2017. Or choose from a 10K, 5K, and Children’s 1K Fun Run, on Saturday, September 23, 2017.
This event was voted best race of 2012, and is always fondly spoken off by competitors and spectators alike. It can seem like the whole town turns out to cheer, have picnics, and catch the spirit of gorgeous nature — at whatever speed.
Whether you have run the course, or cheered the ones who did, don't miss the post-race party at Sticks & Stones Bistro.
Most talented
Every Thursday, enjoy our joint Adirondack Artists & Crafters Expo and Farmers Market for 2017. September 7 will be the final Thursday.
This event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the grounds of the Schroon Lake town hall. All kinds of beautiful crafts, with quilts, baskets, and ceramics from our local artisans. There are jewelry boxes, balsam items, maple syrup, honey, crochet, and knitted items, catnip (think of the kitties!), key chains, scented soap, and yes, fresh produce.
If you aspire to your own craft — of writing — there's a Fiction Writing Weekend Workshop at Great Camp Sagamore from September 15-17, 2017.
This is definitely an atmosphere of inspiration.
Most interactive
The Adirondack Interpretive Center runs a fascinating series of tours and workshops in late summer and into the fall.
On Saturday, August 26, 2017, make your own journal with Artist-in-Residence, Emma Percy, using the exposed-spine coptic binding method. The next Saturday, September 2, 2017, there's a Guided Nature Hike with Peter O'Shea.
A wonderful leaf viewing option is their Huntington Wildlife Forest Bicycle Tour, on Saturday, September 9, 2017. This is a 3- to 4-hour bicycling tour of the Huntington Wildlife Forest.
One of their Science Sundays will be Sunday, September 17, 2017 with a Mushroom ID Foray. Join mushroom expert Susan Hopkins for a morning of mushroom hunting along the AIC trails.
However you like to enjoy this most precious and fleeting of all the Adirondack seasons, there's probably a wonderful option to combine two or more of your favorite things.
Choose your favorite kind of lodging. Indulge in our delightful dining. See all of our events.
