Schroon Lake’s 4th of July Celebration is Back

After months of  careful planning and multiple meetings with various stakeholders, the Schroon Lake Chamber of Commerce has announced the return of the July 4th Celebration for 2021.

The 66th festivities will look a lot different this year. The Chamber has opted to “deconstruct” the celebration. Rather than folks lining the streets, various crowd favorites will be available to visit at locations around town, said Chamber Director Sue Palisano.

The idea is for folks to be able to visit different brands bands and musicians at different times so some folks will be in one place and others elsewhere, thus spreading out crowds.

Sue said when organizers began planning the event months ago, the Chamber, Town officials -- with guidance from the County and the Department of Health -- believed this was the best plan. One big difference this year – Main Street will not be closed.

More from Sue:

“Once again, please see current information regarding THIS YEAR'S Fourth of July below. More details will be coming over the next several weeks, but here is the explanation for why the decision was made not to close Main Street and hold a traditional parade.

The Fourth of July Celebration in Schroon Lake takes months of planning that begins in March. At that time, there were still questions about crowd size restrictions (and we are still operating for the foreseeable future under some limits for outdoor gatherings). Working together and in consultation with both Essex County Board of Supervisors and Essex County Health, given the anticipated attendance both the Chamber and Town Boards agreed that holding a traditional parade - with crowds gathering on sidewalks along our fairly short parade route - was ill-advised, and a decision was made not to submit the required Rt. 9 road closure permits to the State DOT.

Instead, we chose to move forward with an alternative plan we were confident we'd be able to execute without the risk of having to cancel and that we expect will draw far fewer people to town than come for our regular parade. Multiple bands/performers will be playing at different times in different places over a two hour period, so some folks will be at one location while others are somewhere else, with people walking around instead of gathering in tight groups for several hours.

This is NOT a permanent situation, nor should the decision made be politicized. The Chamber and Town Board made a decision we felt was in the best interests of our community. Given what goes into making the entire day of activities on the Fourth happen, instead of making this negative we would hope folks would appreciate we're doing our best to hold a celebration”.

What are you most looking forward to this year? Let us know in comments.

The State of Schroon Lake 2020

Many folks we’ve spoken to over the summer have commented how busy Schroon and Paradox Lakes have been this season.

On some weekends we’ve witnessed day long water craft induced wakes on Schroon. To get a spot at Dog Beach arrive early. The Dock Street boat trailer lot fills up quickly, with the Town Hall parking lot absorbing the overflow. The Schroon Lake Marina has moved a ton of inventory, according to co-owner Craig Kennedy. And we’ve seen a lot more smiling faces  on stand up paddle boards, kayaks and canoes than in previous years.  Maybe this is  due to the pandemic, with folks staying local.

The fact is our lakes and gorgeous Schroon town beach continue to be a huge draw, and the number one attraction pulling in tourists dollars to our local towns. And the reason our lakes are  so popular are the pristine waters, the result of three  organizations working together. Volunteers from The Paradox Lake Association, The East Shore Schroon Lake Association and The Schroon Lake Association (SLA)  are tireless in their efforts to protect our bodies of water.

Filmmaker and Lake Steward Christian Gratto

Recently the Schroon Lake Association hosted a virtual  educational presentation on the state of the lake, hosted by SLA president Marg Granger.

You can watch the presentation above by clicking the video above or click here.

Mark reminds us of the origins of why the SLA was formed in 1911. That’s when the government planned to turn Schroon, Paradox, the hamlet of Adirondack, Horicon and Severance into a gigantic reservoir. Citizens fought hard and won to stop the plan. Years later the fight continues. The enemies today are invasive species and pollutants getting into the lake.

Even during this pandemic, the work of the SLA continues: water sampling, stewards manning boat launches and boat washing stations, the mapping of the lake bottom to detect areas of invasives and monitoring sand and silt levels washing into the lake from the Schroon River.

The video is well worth watching. Christian Gratto did a fine job editing multiple interview and graphic elements. He also makes a cameo talking about his duties as a lake steward at the Schroon Lake Boat Launch

Paradox Lake Steward Wilden Bruce

You’ll also hear from several experts and volunteers, including Neil Chippendale, who gives a very informative and easy to understand demo on the technology used to “bottom map”  Schroon Lake.  Paradox Lake steward Wilden Bruce talks about boat inspections and two milfoil harvesters from the Invasive Solutions Dive Company explain why they remove this invasive by hand. You’ll come away with a greater understanding of just how important our lake associations are to the well-being of Paradox and Schroon Lakes.

Neil Chippendale demonstrates technology used to “bottom map” Schroon Lake

The SLA  is always looking for volunteers. If you don’t have the time, your donations will go a long way to help preserve our lake for generations to come.

Check out these SLA links for information on  Volunteers, new Members, and their  Fundraising activities. Please visit these pages to see what YOU can do to help!

Experts from the Invasive Solutions Dive Company are interviewed by SLA’s Roger Friedman

Invest in Your Future Adventures in Schroon By Supporting Businesses Now From Far Away

New Graphic designed by the Schroon Lake Area Chamber of Commerce

No matter where you are, your dollars can help Schroon Area businesses stay afloat during this time of staying in place, thanks to novel gift certificate purchase program. It’s the brain child of Sue Palisano and the folks at the Schroon Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.

By simply clicking here, you’ll be taken to a Chamber webpage  where you can buy gift certificates for the businesses list below.

Think of it this way. When we are given the all clear to return to Schroon, we’ll all be going about the activities we’d always be doing: looking for a place to stay, being healthy, eating, drinking and shopping. So you are just investing in your future adventures in Schroon. Once your order is processed your Gift Certificates  — sequentially numbered to assure one-time use. — will be sent to you via the the US Postal Service. Contact the Chamber at 518-532-7675 with any questions or issues with ordering.

Schroon’s July 4th Week 2019 : What You Need To Know

Updated July, 2 with new Witherbee’s Open Mic information*

Schroon’s July 4th Week: What you need To Know.

Sun, sand, music, beer, great grub: Welcome to Schroon and our July 4th week of fun and celebration. (Click bolded text below for the story link)

Saturday it was Big Time Kitty, rocking out the crowd at the Paradox Brewery Beer tent, where the new Weather series dropped.

Other folks got to experience first hand what life is like on the World of Life Island and it was also the Schroon-North Hudson’s Historical Society opening day.

Sunday: Get out and enjoy the day: Take a stroll down Main Street and check out all that’s new. From the Town Pavilion, the gardens in our Town Park and Town Beach. Grab a hotdog and catch the great view and check out the new menu at Vine and Barely, atop the Town Store.

For those already missing their bagels, click here to learn how you can get your fix.

Mark Piper leads the Thursday Night Mic at Witherbee’s! Mark is also playing the Dock Street Stage on July 4th from 2pm - 3pm.

Check out New York's newest campground: Frontier Town Campground and Equestrian and Day Use Area. The park features 91 equestrian, RV, trailer and tent camping areas along the Schroon River!

Monday, July 1, it’s the acoustic music jam at the boat house, on Dock Street, proudly sponsored by the Schroon Lake Arts Council.

At the Strand Theatre there’s a live pianist accompanying a selection of Buster Keaton films, starting at 8pm.

On July 2 at the Schroon Lake Library there’s “A Universe of Stories Summer Reading Program” for kids. CLICK HERE FR DETAILS. Also, their Mah Jong Group meets every Tuesday from 1-4 p.m. during the summer months. The club is for anyone who loves the game, wants to meet new people and have some fun.

And from July 2nd to August 30, every Tuesday there are guided paddling Tours.

On Wednesday, July 3, it’s the opening night of the Seagle Music Colony Production of Evita. Click here for tickets. THEY ARE SELLING FAST.

The Friends of Schroon Lake Library start their summer hours on Wednesday and Saturday, beginning at 10 am - 2pm. (The basement of the Hudson Headwaters Health Building.

And Wednesday night, July3, it’s Square Damning Time!

Here is the link for the official the 65th Annual Schroon Lake July 4th Celebration. A new event this year is the mile dash, starting at 5.30. Details here.

Thursday — there’s an early Open Mic night at Witherbee’s Carriage House, hosted by Mark Piper. (5pm - 9 pm)

Friday is the last day to sign up for the Town’s Swimming Lessons.