The village of Lake Placid will be celebrating its long Olympic history throughout the month of February with  Olympic themed food and drink specials, village decorations, and a Jumbotron on near the Olympic Center showing Olympic competitions daily.

From February 1-4, the 38th Empire State Winter Games come to Lake Placid with 2,500 athletes expected to compete in more than 30 events across 17 sports. The Opening Ceremony on February 1 at 6 pm is free and open to the public. It will be held in the Herb Brooks Arena in the Lake Placid Olympic Center. The outdoor spectator village, located on Lake Placid’s Main Street, will be the site of the ESWG cauldron, a Jumbotron with live-streaming ESWG TV event coverage, live music, spectator speed-tubing, a zip line, samples of soups and chili prepared by local chefs for Taste of the Games, and the 2018 ESWG winter bike competitions.

On February 9 the cauldron used in the 1980 Olympic Winter Games will be relit after a torch run from the Olympic Ski Jumps to the Lake Placid Horse Show Grounds.

On February 17 and 18th, Lake Placid will host the Freestyle and Biathlon Nor-Ams. The event is used to qualify skiers to start in Nor-Am competitions and possible starts in U.S. World Cups. More information can be found here.

On February 24, is Winterfest, a Team USA event which includes meet and greets with Olympians such as ice dancers Meryl David and Charlie White, 1980 Olympic gold medalist Jim Craig (goalie for the Miracle on Ice team), freestyle skier Jeremy Bloom, bobsledder Vonetta Flowers, and five-time Olympian speed skater Eric Heiden. There will also be sports demos and a free concert at the Olympic Jumping Complex featuring the band Third Eye Blind.

When not in use for competitions, the public is welcome to take a bobsled ride with a professional driver and brakeman. Riders bob and weave as they wind through sharp turns at about 55 mph. Both the 1932 Olympic rink and the 400-meter speed skating oval where the American Eric Heiden won five Olympic gold medals will be open to amateur skaters. Whiteface Mountain and Mt. Van Hoevenberg welcome skiers for downhill and cross-country skiing.

Visitors can purchase an Olympic passport that allows access to the venues for one price.

For more information, click here.

Photo of the village of Lake Placid provided by ROOST.