Updated info added!

John Brown Day 2025 

Saturday, May 10, 2 -4 pm

At this year’s John Brown Day, the Spirit of John Brown Freedom Award will be presented to local and national environmental justice, climate justice and human rights leaders.

Peggy Shepard, Co-Founder and Executive Director of We Act for Environmental Justice, will be honored alongside Kelly Metzgar, Founder/Director of the Adirondack/North Country Gender Alliance, and Diane Noiseux, North Country Immigrant Resource Coordinator for the Office of New Americans. 

The day will feature the presentation of awards and remarks from our honorees and musical performances by Anna Forsman, INDË with their three-person band from Northampton, MA, and a John Brown Day “people’s choir” all will be invited to join.

In addition, the Brown and Raiders’ families will reunite, the first time since the 1859 raid. 

Also at John Brown Day, John Brown Lives! will announce its newest initiative, Loving Our Country, a non-partisan listening project.

Get the full details on the day’s activities HERE.

John Brown Farm State Historic Site, 115 John Brown Rd, Lake Placid

Bell Fire Arts Collective Presents

SpeakEazy Storytelling Open Mic at Old Soul Taproom

Wednesday, May 14, 7 pm

Hoist your favorite beverage in the cozy comfort of Plattsburgh’s Old Soul Taproom with host Alex Clark for an evening of storytelling.

Sign Up list opens at 6:45 (if you want to tell a story). 

Come and share your story or just listen as community members and visitors from all walks of life, backgrounds and orientations come together and connect through the sharing of personal stories in a safe, supportive environment free from pressure or judgment. No experience necessary.

Any story is perfect: from your life story to what you saw in town last week. Family stories, funny stories, heartbreaking stories – anything you want to share. You are welcome to tell from the head and heart or to read your story.

When your name is called, the stage is yours for seven minutes.

Tellers and would-be tellers learn more HERE.

Old Soul’s Tap Room, 124 Margaret St, Plattsburgh

Blacksmith Shop Expansion Ribbon Cutting

Wednesday, May 14, 1:30 pm

Join us for a ribbon cutting ceremony and help us celebrate the generous donors who helped make this project possible including the New York Council on the Arts with support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Our AFS instructors will offer blacksmithing demonstrations and we will be giving away one FREE blacksmithing class.We will also be servingartisan pizzafrom our wood-fired oven—you don’t want to miss it!

This event is free and everyone is welcome, but please RSVP HERE so we can plan for the event.

Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne

The Strand Center for the Arts Presents

Mother’s Day Artisan Market

Saturday, May 10, 10 – 3 

Join us for a SOLD OUT Artisan Market on our front lawn! Our campus is going to be packed with 40 talented artists, makers, bakers, and crafters!

The Strand Center for the Arts is proud to host Artisan Markets on our campus to showcase the wonderful talents of area artisans. Works for sale include pottery, paintings, woodwork, fiber arts, jewelry, baked goods and much more!

The Strand Center for the Arts, 23 Brinkerhoff St, Plattsburgh

The Elizabethtown Social Center Presents

All Ages Western Saloon Night: A Night of Fun for Everyone

Friday, May 16, 6 – 9 pm

Join us for a unique all ages “Western” night out at the Elizabethtown Social Center – with something for everyone. Live music by Gab n Dad, a talent show by local teens, a kiddy corner for toddlers, pool tournaments and more. This is a rare chance to bring the whole family out for a free night on the town, make new friends and chat with old ones… and what better way to kick off the evening than at our mocktail saloon?

Dress to impress! Dust off your best western wear and show off your cowboy/cowgirl style! A special prize awaits the best-dressed attendee at the end of the night!

The Western Lounge Night is proudly supported by our local teens. They will transform the Social Center into a western saloon, become mocktail mixologists, photobooth operators and judges for the “Best Dressed” costume contest. Admission is free. Donations welcome and will support our Teen Rec program.

For more info go HERE.

Elizabethtown Social Center, 7626 US Route 9, Elizabethtown

Chapman Museum’s Conversations with the Past Presents

The Grand Canal and the Rise of the Empire State, by Patrick Stenshorn, Education Program Manager at the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor

The Erie Canal, one of the most transformative transportation routes in American history, marks its 200th anniversary this year. When the canal opened in 1825, its effects on New York and the United States were immediate.

This Zoom presentation will provide an overview of the canal’s history from its origins to today, including connections to 19th-century industrial growth, population booms, social movements, and more.

Join us to explore how the canal has evolved from a driving force of New York State’s commercial activity to a historic waterway used for recreation and heritage tourism today.

This program is free but requires registration. Register HERE.

A Celebration of Young Artists! 

Middle & High School Exhibit at Plattsburgh State Art Museum

SUNY Plattsburgh Art Museum, 101 Broad Street, Plattsburgh 

Twolined Studio Presents 

Saranac Lake Art & Science Series

Thursday, May 15, 6:30 – 9 pm

Our May 15 event will feature artists and scientists who will dive into the worlds of creating art in Antarctica alongside research scientists; the mysterious worlds of protozoa; and the informative beauty of photographic microscopy. Our speakers include Brian Weinrick, Laura Von Rosk, Samuel Bowser, and Charlie Reinertsen.

After the speakers, get excited for the return of the Saranac Lake Hootenanny with Hoot host and producer Charlie Reinertsen.

Tickets are HERE.

Hotel Saranac, 100 Main Street, Saranac Lake