Balsam Traditions

Enjoy this festive throwback episode of our “ADKX-tra Credit” podcast series where we discuss the history of balsam in the Adirondacks and its various uses around the holidays and throughout the rest of the year. This two-part podcast is a delight!

“Balsam Traditions” is one of ADKX’s most beloved school programs. The superstar of the program is the balsam fir. Balsam is an evergreen tree that grows naturally in the Adirondack mountain region and other cold climate areas. It’s treasured for its wonderful scent and soft needles.

Balsam is used for a wide variety of purposes. It is logged for use in papermaking and light construction. Campers of the past used to use balsam boughs to make a bed in lean-tos and tents. The needles are used in souvenir pillows. Its asymmetrical design makes it a popular choice as a Christmas tree. The resin has been used in the past in medicines.

Listen HERE.

Image below: From the ADKX collection: 7 Cords;Spruce & Balsam (ca. 1900). Print, copy. 1990.001.1488

ACW + NCPR’s Howl Story Slam closes its 6th season with a showdown at the Harrietstown Town Hall in Saranac Lake

The Adirondack Center for Writing (ACW) and North Country Public Radio (NCPR) will celebrate the end of the Howl Story Slam’s sixth season with the Howl Grand Slam, held at the Harrietstown Town Hall on Saturday, January 7th, 2023 at 7 pm. Admission is a $10 donation to be split among the nonprofit organizations. Drinks will be sold by Hex & Hop Brewing.

The Howl Grand Slam brings together ten winning storytellers from previous Howl Story Slams held over the last three years in bars all over the North Country. These winning storytellers will go head-to-head to be named the grand champion and receive a trophy. The lineup includes storytellers who were victorious in Bolton Landing, Canton, Dickinson Center, Keeseville, North Creek, Saranac Lake, and Tupper Lake, as well as various online/virtual story slams held during the initial waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The theme for the Grand Slam is Heroes and Villains. The Grand Slam also allows contestants to tell 8-minute stories, as opposed to the 5-minute limit of regular season story slams. The other Howl Story Slam rules remain intact: stories must be true, and no notes are allowed.

The evening will begin at 6 pm with a pre-show happy hour, refreshments for sale by Hex & Hop Brewing. Before 7 pm attendees will be asked to take their seats; the show begins at 7 pm.

More info and purchase tickets HERE.

Harrietstown Town Hall, 39 Main St, Saranac Lake

North Country Jazz Project

Thursday, December 29, 2022, 7:30 pm

Enjoy an evening of groovin’ jazz with this 18 piece, big-band jazz ensemble!

With tunes ranging from holiday favorites to toe-tapping standards and high-energy jazz, you’ll enjoy a memorable evening of top-notch music.

Get tickets HERE.

Tannery Pond Community Center, 228 Main Street, North Creek

“Winter Games,” January exhibit at Adirondack Artists Guild

In celebration of the 2023 World University Games, the Adirondack Artists Guild is hosting a special exhibit, “Winter Games”. Several artists have been invited to participate, including photographers who have photographed Olympic Games and World Cup events in the past.

Artists include photographers Nancie Battaglia, Rick Godin, Lou Reuter and Mark Kurtz as well as pastel artist Ingrid VanSlyke and painter Sandra Hildreth.

This special winter sport exhibit will run for for the full month of January 2023, so it will be on display during the time of the FISU Games (Jan 12-22).

There will be an opening reception at the Artists Guild on Friday, January 6 from 5 – 8 pm, just before the Games open.

Adirondack Artists Guild Gallery, 52 Main St, Saranac Lake

Music over the Marsh: Andy Walkow

Saturday, January 7, 2023, 2 – 4 pm

Enjoy FREE Live music in the Great Room of the Frank M. Hutchins Lodge at the VIC every SaturdayJanuary 7th through March 26th (except for February 11th—Happy Carnival) and every week day during the World University Games (1/16-1/20)

Take a break after skiing and enjoy some tunes from local and regional musicians.

Paul Smith’s VIC, 8023 State Route 30, Paul Smiths