Almanack Contributor Diane Chase

Diane Chase is the author of the Adirondack Family Activities guidebook series, Adirondack Family Time. She writes about ways to foster imaginative play through fun-filled events and activities in the Adirondack region.

From her home in Saranac Lake, Diane also writes a weekly family-oriented newspaper column for the Adirondack Daily Enterprise and keeps her own blog Adirondack Family Time. Her writing and photography has appeared in numerous newspapers, magazines, marketing companies and advertising agencies.

She even finds time to assist her husband with Adirondack Expeditions guiding families and young adults in the High Peaks.


Thursday, May 28, 2020

Not Us Versus Them; It needs to be WE

I was driving to an appointment with my family and we had to make a few scheduled stops.  I saw many people not wearing masks. (Now, keep in mind people do not need to wear masks while practicing social distancing. I know you all know, but I digress.) The gas station even had a sign on their front entrance requiring all patrons to only enter if wearing masks. It was difficult to miss since you have to push on the sign to get through the door. Yes, there were people inside not wearing masks. Yes, some of those people mocked those of us wearing masks.

I found it ironic on Memorial Day weekend, a time to remember people who have died–not served– but died for our country there are people still putting their individual rights before the collective whole. You can wear a poppy on your lapel for a person who lost his/her life, but you can’t wear a mask to protect someone from actually dying? That doesn’t even make sense.

» Continue Reading.


Friday, April 17, 2020

Virtual Adirondack Art Activities

I live in the Adirondacks and with a stay at home order, even locals need to find ways to be able to celebrate art and community.

Though there are plenty of nationwide organizations sharing their talents,  Adirondack artists and art organizations are representing and celebrating ways to be creative in a pandemic.

Here are five options to make sure that Adirondack art is always part of your life.

» Continue Reading.


Friday, March 13, 2020

14th Annual Indian Lake Irish Road Bowling

Irish Road BowlingI’m not sure if it’s the Irish in me or the fact that I’m intrigued by old-fashioned games, but Irish Road Bowling hits the mark.

Though it has a bit of a convoluted history on whether the game originated with the Dutch in Ireland or Irish patriots, road bowling has been a rural sport in Ireland since the 1600s. It remains somewhat popular in Ireland with an internationally recognized governing body. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, March 5, 2020

Third Annual Adirondack Global Festival Comes to Lake Placid

Coming off the heels of the successful Petrova Elementary School Cultural Fair, The Adirondack Global Festival continues to use the arts as a way to introduce different cultures through entertaining activities.

Adirondack Global Festival supports cultural experiences at area schools.  This year school groups are invited to attend a showing of the movie Harriet at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts, the home base of the festival. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Vt Director Screening ‘Wetware’ in Placid Friday

The Adirondack Film Society (AFS) continues to bring thought-provoking films to the Adirondacks as part of the winter AFS Screening Series.

Wetware, a sci-fi film from Vermont Director Jay Craven, will make its Adirondack debut at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts this Friday, February 28th. Craven will be on hand to answer questions about his latest collaboration and why making films grounded in the North Country is an important part of his process. » Continue Reading.


Friday, February 21, 2020

Leap Day Frozen Fire and Lights in Inlet

February may be the shortest month on the calendar, but it is a month full of Adirondack festivals and winter celebrations. One place to finish the season off February is the 18th annual Frozen Fire and Lights in Inlet.

It is the perfect place to celebrate the best of the winter season. Always held on the last Saturday in February, this year Inlet’s town-wide celebration lands on Leap Day. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, February 13, 2020

6th Annual Adirondack WhiteOut Weekend

The 6th Annual Adirondack WhiteOut Weekend kicks off this weekend. Visitors and locals alike can walk through the luminary lanterns lining the Wanakena Bridge.  The weekend full of fun may begin at the bridge but continues through the three communities of Star Lake, Wanakena, and Cranberry Lake. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Raquette Lake Winter Carnival This Presidents’ Weekend

Since 1956 Raquette Lake has been celebrating winter with its hometown charm. High on community involvement, the 64th Raquette Lake Winter Carnival is the place to be for two days filled with winter fun and strangers and neighbors all welcomed into the fold.

According to The Town of Long Lake Director of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Alexandra Roalsvig,  the annual winter celebration does not attract masses of people. It is a throwback to “olden days” where kids play outside while parents sit near a bonfire overlooking the lake. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, January 30, 2020

Saranac Lake Winter Carnival – Ten Days of Winter Fun

There is no time for the winter doldrums with the Saranac Lake’s Winter Carnival just around the corner. This festival of fun, January 31-February 9, is a must for Adirondack residents and visitors alike.  First started in 1897, the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival history is as vast and varied as the community that has shaped it. Originally a one-day event, this celebration of winter has evolved to include an expansive ice palace and over 100 events and activities.

According to Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Committee Public Relations Chair Colleen O’Neill, the festival is a special time for everyone. The Carnival provides entertainment for visitors and locals alike and pulls the surrounding communities together. » Continue Reading.


Friday, January 24, 2020

ADKX Offering A Range Of Winter Events

View of Blue Mountain Lake From the Adirondack MuseumEach winter  Adirondack Experience (ADKX), the museum on Blue Mountain Lake, offers Cabin Fever Sundays to bring us out of our winter retreats. The Sunday Cabin Fever lectures offer a variety of topics.

For the first time, ADKX is offering a Cabin Fever FUNday just for children. The free monthly program focusing on elementary-aged children, but all ages are welcome. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, January 16, 2020

Cock-A-Doodle Shoe at Saranac’s New Land Trust

rooster on showshoesWe just had a warm spell, but it looks like winter is back on track for this weekend with some colder temperatures and new snow.

It’s just in time too. The New Land Trust in Saranac has once again teamed with Dion Snowshoes to host the annual Cock-A-Doodle Shoe on Sunday, January 19 at 10 am. There are 5k/10K options and no charge for the ½-mile Kids’ Snowshoe Scramble. » Continue Reading.


Friday, January 10, 2020

It’s Time for Great Camp Santanoni Winter Weekends

Newcomb’s Camp Santanoni hosts three winter weekends each year, which provide an opportunity for people to have access to the Great Camp buildings that are not open year-round. The first winter weekend is January 18-20, with the next two set for February 15-17, March 14-15.

Don’t forget the Great Camp Santanoni is always open to the public, but these Winter Weekends provide public access to the interior of the remaining historic buildings on the property as well as historical educational information. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, December 26, 2019

Skate Into the New Year in Lake Placid

I’ve never been a huge fan of the celebrating New Year’s Eve, until moving to the Adirondacks where my children have grown up attending Saranac Lake’s First Night celebrations. With magic acts and live music, First Night Saranac Lake provides a central location to catch up with old friends and meet new ones.

We are also an outside family, so when Christie Sausa of Lake Placid Skate Shop organized Skate into The New Year, it was a natural fit. From 10:30 pm – 12:30 am you can lace up and Skate into the New Year at the Olympic Oval. It’s a great outside alternative for families and raises funds for the local food pantry. » Continue Reading.


Friday, December 20, 2019

Giving More When We Need Less

One of the things I like the most about the holidays, besides the fact that I get to decorate my house with Victorian gaudiness, is that people don’t question other people’s need for food and gifts.

We give to Toys for Tots, Holiday Helpers, Tri-Lakes Humane Society, and “run” Turkey Trots for food pantries. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, December 12, 2019

Lake Placid Holiday Stroll 2019

There are plenty of holiday festivals and opportunities to find the perfect Adirondack gift. One of my family’s favorite places to go is Lake Placid’s Holiday Village Stroll. Yes, there are deals, tastings, and crafts to make. In addition, we have two opportunities to put the Santa suit to good use.

From Friday – Sunday, December 13-15, Lake Placid has a packed schedule of events. Visits from Santa, free ice skating at the 1932 Olympic Arena and even an Ugly Sweater Contest are just a few ways to ease into a weekend full of holiday fun. » Continue Reading.



Wait! Before you go:

Catch up on all your Adirondack
news, delivered weekly to your inbox