Whether you’re looking for a shift in thinking, strategies for your arts/creative business, or peer networks to connect with, this program provides dynamic planning tools for building a blueprint for your creative practice or arts project.  Program highlights include:

• Diving into such topics as financial literacy, fundraising, marketing, strategic planning, writing about your work, and/or art law

• Accessing arts-industry experts

• Joining a peer cohort & engaging with your creative community

• Developing an artist action plan

• Participating in work-sample reviews

Artists of all disciplines who live in the Adirondack (ADK) Quad-County region of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, and Hamilton counties and the Haudenosaunee tribal community of Akwesasne or, if outside the region, within a commuting distance of Blue Mountain Lake, NY (e.g., in Warren County) are encouraged to apply to participate in this FREE entrepreneurial program presented by and at the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts (ALCA), 8897 State Route 30, Blue Mountain Lake from Thursday to Sunday, September 18-21, 2025.

25% discount provided at ALCA Lodging for those who need overnight accommodations. Email frank@adirondackarts.org for more information.

Apply HERE.

Deadline is TODAY, Monday, August 25, 5 pm

The Waterhole presents

Northern Current: A Community Music Festival

Sunday, August 31, 2025, 12 – 10 pm

Northern Current: A Community Music Festival, a free, family-friendly celebration of music, is set to return for its 2025 edition on Sunday of Labor Day Weekend.

Taking place at the picturesque Riverside Park with its beautiful backdrop of Lake Flower and Scarface Mountain, Northern Current offers a unique chance to experience world-class music in the heart of the Adirondacks. Along with an eclectic and diverse mix of bands, this year’s event will also feature stunning visual projections by The Station, transforming the festival space into a mesmerizing visual experience.

Northern Current is a celebration of music, culture, and community. The festival will showcase a broad array of musical styles, ranging from Afrobeat and rock to Americana and soul, ensuring there’s something for everyone. The event is designed to be an inclusive, family-friendly experience that brings people together to enjoy the very best of live music.

With local food vendors on hand to satisfy your cravings and a Kid Zone full of fun activities, this will be a day for the whole family. This is a rain or shine event, with a large tent available to ensure everyone stays dry, if needed.

Riverside Park, Saranac Lake

Essex Theatre Company presents

Clown Improv Workshop with Michael Galligan

Saturday and Sunday, August 30 and 31, 11 am – 5 pm

Performance Sunday, August 31, 6:30 pm

Join us for this two-day intensive Clown workshop about trusting your instincts and developing a Clown Act that will culminate in an informal performance on Sunday evening.

Explore improvisational clown with guest artist Michael Galligan. Clown is a form of theater training that places physical expression over words, honesty over wit, and being brave over being funny. In this workshop, unlock your vulnerability, silliness, and courage onstage in pursuit of creating a 5-minute solo or small group act.

Tickets are HERE.

Essex Theatre Company, 2756 Essex Road, Essex

The Circular Jazz Trio, Adirondack Edition 

Saturday August 30, 4 – 7 pm

The Circular Jazz Trio, Adirondack Edition includes Luke Franco, Guitar 

Bryan Copeland, Bass, and  Bob Meyer, Drums and Cymbals.

The Hub, 27 Market St, Brant Lake

The Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts (ALCA) presents

American Brass Quintet

Saturday, August 30, 7:30 pm 

The American Brass Quintet (ABQ) is internationally acclaimed as one of the premier chamber music ensembles of our era. Celebrated for its masterful performances, groundbreaking commissions, and dedication to music education, ABQ has shaped the modern brass-quintet repertoire and inspired generations of musicians. 

The American Brass Quintet concert will feature Tiago Linck and Brandon Ridenour on trumpet, Eric Reed on horn, Hillary Simms on trombone, and John D. Rojak on bass trombone. Founded in 1960, the ABQ serves as an ensemble-in-residence at The Juilliard School and the Aspen Music Festival, nurturing the next generation of brass musicians. Their innovative mini-residency program provides intensive chamber music experiences to young musicians worldwide.

Tickets are available HERE.

Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts (ALCA), 8897 State Route 30, Blue Mountain Lake

The Mill presents

Stephan Crump’s Otherlands

Saturday, August 30, 7:30 – 9 pm

“A massive veteran trio…bassist Stephan Crump and alto saxophonist Darius Jones are not just immense players, they’re also two of the city’s great creative music composers, pushing it into wondrous, unexpected but also inviting spaces.”—DadaStrain. The trio will be joined by special guest drummer Keyvon Gordon.

More info and tickets HERE

The Mill, 6679 Main Street, Westport

Great Camp Sagamore Summer Concert Series presents

Quickstep

Wednesday, September 3, 2025, 7:15  – 8:30 pm, free

Fiddle tunes, folksongs and fancy footwork will be featured from this acoustic duet called Quickstep. John Kirk is the primary vocalist and instrumental wizard on fiddle mandolin & more. Trish Miller plays banjo, guitar and provides percussive dance steps. Together, this married couple has been working and teaching in upstate New York for over three decades. They present traditional tunes and witty songs with unique arrangements and warm clear vocals. 

Old time music is the basis for their repertoire, but they also like to mix in some originals, Celtic, early country songs, humorous selections, and Appalachian clog dancing. Many songs and tunes are rooted in the local lore of the northeast woodlands. Their story-telling songs and poetic pieces make their shows fine entertainment for all ages.

Find out more and how ou can add dinner to your visit HERE.

Great Camp Sagamore, 1105 Sagamore Road, Raquette Lake

Old Forge Library presents

Author’s Talk with Marilyn Higgins

Thursday, September 4, 2025, 5 pm

The Old Forge Library will host author Marilyn Higgins for a special presentation and discussion of her debut novel, Dreams of Freedom.

Set in the years leading up to the American Civil War, Dreams of Freedom tells the story of twenty-year-old Irish immigrant Aileen O’Malley. In a time of social upheaval and unrest along the Erie Canal, Aileen sets out to find her indentured father and kidnapped siblings. Along the way, she encounters real-life historical figures such as Frederick Douglass, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Gerrit Smith, and Stephen Myers. The novel combines history and mystery to portray a deeply human story of courage, resilience, and the fight for justice.

In addition to discussing the novel, Ms. Higgins will introduce attendees to the concept of “novel tourism.” This initiative encourages readers to visit the real places featured in Dreams of Freedom, using a free Novel Tourist Guide that will be available at the event. Book clubs and individual readers are invited to explore the settings in the novel through this enriching literary travel experience.

Old Forge Library, 220 Crosby Blvd, Old Forge