It has been touted that listening to classical music makes children smarter (though I'm pretty sure playing video games or watching TV cancels that out) and "music soothes the savage beast." Therefore it would only make sense to partake in the Lake Placid Sinfonietta's free Wednesday evening Mid's Park concert series in downtown Lake Placid.

Watching a taped performance may be fine but it's no substitute when a live one is available, so the video issue is solved. We see a peaceful change come over our children when we join other patrons during the Wednesday evening Park Series so the beastie issue is also temporarily pacified.

The Lake Placid Sinfonietta will be celebrating its centennial year in 2017. According to Executive Director Deborah Fitts this year the Lake Placid Sinfonietta's ensemble chamber orchestra has gathered professional musicians from as far reaching as Alabama, Maryland, Arizona and Iowa with a concertmaster originally from Romania. The Lake Placid Sinfonietta gathers some of the best musicians in the country to diverge on the Adirondack shores of Mirror Lake. 

The free Wednesday Park concert series is not the only way to experience the Lake Placid Sinfonietta. Each Sunday at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts, the Lake Placid Sinfonietta highlights featured guest artists along with this ensemble orchestra of the Adirondacks. The single price of a ticket is $22 (with discounts for the series) Fitts understands that the ticket price can be expensive with the addition of children or grandchildren so once again students 18 and under are free if seating is available. As reservations are required to the Sunday series it is best to inquire at the box office.

The Adirondack Park Sinfonietta Series allows other Adirondack communities to experience this professional orchestra. From a free outside concert on July 16th at Riverside Park in Saranac Lake to ticketed performances on July 22nd at the Amos and Julia Ward Theatre in Jay and at the Tupper Lake Wild Center July 28th, the Lake Placid Sinfonietta continues to cast a wide net since its inception in 1917.

For the free 7:00 p.m. Wednesday concerts at the Paul White Memorial Bandshell at Mid's Park, bring at the very least a blanket for the grass but most people seem to bring their own lawn chairs.

My children appreciate music very differently. My son will watch each musician play his/her instrument and will later dissect the show. Yes, all the questions require a bit of research on the part of his parents. My daughter just gets up and dances. In her case it is definitely "to the tune of a different drummer."

For those that love music and love a bargain, the Lake Placid Sinfonietta concerts are a great place to meet. Bring your own children, borrow mine or opt to come alone and just sit back and enjoy the orchestra of the Adirondacks.

Adirondack Family Time Tip: On July 27 at 10:30 a.m., sponsored by Stewart's Shops and the Mirror Lake Inn Young and Fun Series, the Lake Placid Sinfonietta will host a free performance of the classic tale "Peter and the Wolf." 

all content and photos are © Diane Chase, this post is a listing from Chase's guidebook Adirondack Family Time Tri-Lakes & High Peaks Region: Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities (with GPS coordinates)  available in Lake Placid at The Bookstore Plus, High Peaks Guide House, Adirondack Mountain Club's High Peaks Information Center and Green Goddess Foods as well other bookstores, sporting good shops and museums around the Adirondack Park or online. Diane Chase is the author of the Adirondack Family Time guidebook series and co-owner of the the young adult wilderness adventure program, Adirondack Outdoor Expeditions.