“Festive Fun Around the Holidays: Exploring Seasonal Delights and Activities in CNY”

Story by Mitchell Smith

Hello everybody. Today I’m kicking off December taking a look at some fun activities and attractions I grew up doing around holiday time. I celibate Christmas, but whatever you may be celebrating this season these are fun for the whole family. The season in CNY kicks off with our tree lighting where there is a band, the mayor, and crowds of people having hot cocoa.

Once the tree is lite one can enjoy some outdoor ice skating on a portion of the Erie Canal that used to run through downtown and was filled in when modern transportation became a more efficient way to transport goods. It’s a unique spot and I think it would have been really cool attraction if there were a longer stretch of the canal to skate on in the winter and boat on in the summer. Highland Forest is one of our fun holiday spots. Cross country skiing, snow shoeing, and sledding are all fun activities but the main attraction is their horse drawn sleigh rides through the forest. It’s loads of fun and they have a beautiful building to warm up in along side the fireplace.

Sledding is always great and growing up we used to go to the toboggan shut in Lake Placid, home of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. This was always fun as you see who can shoot out the farthest onto frozen Mirror Lake. Finally one of the big attraction in my old stomping grounds is Santa’s Workshop located on the back side of Whiteface Mountain in North Pole NY. Complete with rides, reindeer, and Santa himself, it was one of my highlights growing up where you had to wear a snowsuit to stay warm and enjoy the rides and attractions. These are all things I have enjoyed this time of year and appreciate being able to do these winter holiday activities. What fun holiday activities do you do in your area? Have a great week everyone.