Shhh... Don't Tell Anyone
Except for maybe all your friends - you will want to bring them! Now is a great time to plan a Lake Placid getaway. It’s still a few weeks before the summer season officially begins, but spring has sprung and people are out boating, hiking, biking, and riding motorcycles, there are so many things to do here. If you’re a music fan, kicking off Lake Placid’s summer season is the Blues & Heritage Music Festival, June 19-21. This may be the first time you’ve heard of this festival, but don’t let that be a deterrent as this is only the 2nd year of this intimate event. My friend, Julia, and I planned a last minute girls' night last year to check the Blues Fest out and were so, so, glad we did! We had a blast! The venues were cozy and intimate, and the music one-of-a-kind. There were a variety of venues and performances to choose from and the sound quality from the entertainers was fantastic.
Picking Event Passes
I suggest visiting the Blues & Heritage Festival event page on LakePlacid.com for a list of participating lodging properties offering packages for the event. Tickets are available for each day, or the full event, plus there's a fantastic VIP option. Julia and I decided on the full event pass because the price was so reasonable and we didn’t want to put any limitations on our weekend. When we arrived to pick up our passes the staff helped us pick out some of the must-see acts and also helped us pick a range of music, since we were new to the blues scene.
What I loved about this Festival
I was really impressed with all that this event had to offer. A beautiful backdrop with the venues, hotels, food & shopping all downtown and within walking distance. It was the type of weekend where you could park your car when you arrived and just leave it, no designated drivers necessary, although Lake Placid has taxis if the need arises. With the exception of the church, all the venues are restaurants so you can get great apps and food, not to mention ordering drinks from a real bar (instead of beer tents).
Night out on the town
After getting our passes and outlining out a rough idea of what we wanted to see, we grabbed a drink and an appetizer at Delta Blue's outside seating area as we listened to Roxy Perry perform on the stage inside. The sun was out and the weather was perfect, jeans and a t-shirt was all you needed. We met up with a couple of friends, grabbed a bite on Main Street, then made our way down to hear Rhett Tyler and Early Warning play at the Cottage. It felt like a private concert at the Cottage and the sound was amazing, they did a great job setting up for the space. We listened for a couple hours and then headed back to the other end of Main Street to bounce between Delta Blue, Zig Zags, The Cabin Grill and back to Delta Blue.
The bars were alive with the sound of music
There was music playing up and down Main Street. Each venue had its own special treat and our passes got us in the door wherever we wanted to be. There was something very raw and real listening to Jerry Dugger sitting relaxed on stage, singing stories to the audience, it was just mesmerizing. The whole experience was intimate and you felt like part of the performance.
Moving onto Zig Zags, the George Boone Blues Band provided an entirely different experience. It kicked up a notch with George playing his guitar and shimmying around the fans (we all took turns getting a photo with him), he even got himself up on the bar to dance and play a few tunes. We were having a blast! The evening pinnacle was the late-night Blues Jams which were not to be missed and is definitely a must-see for this year’s festival!
Don’t miss the action this June 19-21 (2015)
Check out the Lake Placid Blues & Heritage Festival page for schedule, ticket information and participating lodging. It’s a great event for true blues fans as well as for the blues newbies. With the festival set downtown you can catch shows and also enjoy the rest of what Lake Placid has to offer. You can make it a Blues Festival getaway or the perfect Lake Placid getaway with great blues music, the choice is yours. Check out other events and happenings in Lake Placid, and view some suggestions of things to do while you're here.
The ADKs rock this summer:
