Earth, Wind and Fire

 

Adirondack entertainment is as varied as the elements. For warm-weather revels, look to the land and waters—and even the sky.

 

Get a bird’s-eye view with a helicopter ride at North Creek’s Adirondack Adventure Festival May 1–2. On the ground, check out canoeing, biking and fly-fishing demonstrations, or sample live music. Call (518) 251-2612 for times and venues.

 

On May 2 Seventh Lake House’s Fire and Spice Festival, a competition for amateur and professional chefs, heats up the Thendara Golf Club. The cook-off, with public tastings, begins at 2:00 p.m. For details call (315) 357-6028 or see www.seventhlakehouse.com.

 

Celebrating Family Farms of the Tug Hill Region, a traveling exhibit of wa­tercolor-and-pastel paintings by Loretta Lepkowski, digs in at the Lowville Free Library May 24–28; opening reception at the Lowville Fire Hall, May 23, at 2:00 p.m. Visit www.tughilltomorrowlandtrust.org or call (315) 779-2239 for information.

 

Give your own garden a boost at the Green Thumb Perennial Swap sponsored by the Warrensburg Beautification Committee (518-466-5497). Trading begins at 8:00 a.m. on May 29, at the Warrensburg Riverfront Farmers’ Market.

 

Long Lake Fish & Game Club offers a day on the water at the Bass/Pike Fishing Derby on June 19. Registration starts at 6:00 a.m. at the town beach in Long Lake. Call (518) 624-3077 or visit www.longlake-ny.com for details.

 

Cyclists can reach new heights—3,500 feet, to be exact—at the Whiteface Mountain Uphill Bike Race on June 19. The slog to the top of the veterans memorial highway starts at the junction of Routes 86 and 431, in Wilmington, at 5:30 p.m. For details call (518) 946-2255; to register see www.whitefacerace.com.

 

Have some high-flying fun at the East Branch Friends of the Arts Kite Fest. This year’s sail starts at 10:00 a.m. on Father’s Day, June 20, at Keene Valley’s Marcy Field. For details call (518) 576-4769 or see www.eastbrancharts.org.

 

OPEN FOR THE SEASON

May 20: Fort Ticonderoga. Ticonderoga. 9:30 a.m. The King’s Garden opens June 1. (518) 585-2821. www.fort-ticonderoga.org

 

May 28: Adirondack Museum. Featuring “Let’s Eat! Adirondack Food Traditions.” Blue Mountain Lake. 10 a.m. (518) 352-7311. www.adkmuseum.org

 

May 29: Adirondack History Center Museum. Elizabethtown. 9 a.m. (518) 873-6466. www.adkhistorycenter.org

 

May 29: Adirondack Scenic Railroad. Stations in Utica, Thendara, Saranac Lake and Lake Placid. Check for times. (800) 819-2291. www.adirondackrr.com

 

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

May 1–2: Hudson River Whitewater Derby. Canoe and kayak races for novices and experts. Register in advance. North River, North Creek and Riparius. Check for times. (518) 251-2612. www.whitewaterderby.com

 

May 22: Ausable River Two-Fly Challenge. Catch and release on the West Branch of the Ausable River. Whiteface Mountain Regional Visitors Bureau, Wilmington. 6:30 a.m. (518) 946-2255

 

June 12: Black Fly Challenge. Forty-mile mountain-biking race to Indian Lake. Register in advance. Arrowhead Park, Inlet. 10:30 a.m. (315) 357-3281. www.blackflychallenge.com

 

June 19: Great Adirondack Trail Run. 11.5- and 3.5-mile runs. Register in advance. Shuttle to trailheads from the Mountaineer, Keene Valley. Start times at 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., respectively. (518) 576-2281

 

FAIRS & FESTIVALS

June 3–6: Lake George Elvis Festival. Tribute shows, cruises and more. Townwide. Check for times. (518) 681-7452. www.lakegeorgeelvisfest.com

 

June 20: Father’s Day Frog Jump. Prizes for largest, smallest and longest jumpers. Old Forge lakefront. Noon. (315) 369-6983. www.oldforgeny.com

 

MUSIC & THEATER

May 9–June 20: Jungle Book opens the season at the Pendragon Theatre, in Saranac Lake. Check for times. (518) 891-1854. www.pendragontheatre.org

 

May 22: Spike Wilner Jazz Trio. Sponsored by Upper Hudson Musical Arts. Tannery Pond Community Center, North Creek. 7:30 p.m. (518) 681-1715. www.upperhudsonmusic.org

 

May 30: Memorial Day USO Show. Barbecue and 1940s-style United Service Organizations show. Presented by the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts. Woods Inn, In­let. 5 p.m. (877) 752-7715. www.adirondackarts.org

 

June 29: Singin’ in the Rain. Classic film at the Depot Theatre, in Westport. 7:30 p.m. (518) 962-8680. www.depottheatre.org

 

LECTURES & WORKSHOPS

May 7: Interactive Astronomy Program. Sponsored by the Friends of the Lake Pleasant Library. Lake Pleasant Central School, Speculator. 7 p.m. (518) 548-4521. www.speculatorchamber.com

 

May 11: Feasting in the Wild Country. Backpacking cooking lecture sponsored by the Adirondack Mountain Club. Register in advance. Member Services Center, Lake George. 7 p.m. (518) 668-4447

 

June 16: Reception and Tea Tasting. Talk, book signing and tea sampling with Michael Harney, of Harney & Sons Fine Teas. Marcella Sembrich Opera Museum, Bolton Landing. 1:30 p.m. (518) 644-2431

 

EXHIBITIONS

May 8–June 12: Adirondack Life Cover and Calendar Show. Photographs by Carl Heilman II, Mark Bowie and more. Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts, Blue Mountain Lake. Reception June 12, 5 p.m. (518) 352-7715

 

Editors’ Note: Because Inside & Out must be prepared so far in advance of publication, telephone numbers are included for the confirmation of dates and times of events.