“Fête” – with its hat-like accent over the “e” – is a French word that evokes joy and good cheer. That’s because a fête is a party, a celebration, or a festival. Used as both a noun and verb, the French regularly fête people, places, and events of all kinds.
And now, this January into February, our Olympic Region is taking part in an especially grand fête. One being celebrated globally, in fact, as nations and cities around the world, celebrate the first Olympic Winter Games, held in Chamonix, France in 1924. Every four years for the last 100 years, athletes, coaches, teams, media, and spectators have come together from all corners of the globe for the world’s greatest fête on snow and ice, and now we celebrate that splendid international tradition.
Here in Lake Placid, we are eager to celebrate the Winter Olympic legacy because the connections to our remarkable little corner of the globe run so wide and deep. They are connections that began to take hold in the very first moments of those first Winter Games in Chamonix, when Lake Placid speedskater Charles Jewtraw crossed the line of the 500-meter speed skating race ahead of all others, winning the first gold medal ever awarded in the Winter Olympics.
Being among just three places on Earth who have hosted two Olympic Winter Games and having sent a local athlete to every Winter Games ever held, Lake Placid’s place in this history looms large. As the guardian of that history, the Lake Placid Olympic Museum is commemorating this monumental milestone as well as the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympic Games with a very special fête of its own.
See You in Paris
Everyone is invited to their “See You in Paris” Wine and Chocolate Benefit inside the Lake Placid Olympic Museum on Saturday, February 17 beginning at 5:30 pm.
Located in the Miracle Plaza of the historic Olympic Center in the heart of the village, the museum is an immersive experience that inspires awe in everyone. With one of the world’s largest collections of artifacts and memorabilia, its exhibits offer astonishing insights into Olympic history, stories of individual athletes, stirring video footage, interactive displays, and more, all of which serve to ignite in everyone who visits the courage to dream and do.
See You in Paris will be a once-in-a-lifetime gathering at which guests can enjoy all the museum has to offer, engage with others attending, as well as indulge in the sumptuous chocolates and a selection of delightful wines from Adirondack vendors. Pairings of wines and chocolates will be professionally curated by certified sommelier and luge athlete Justin Wachowski.
It’s a most extraordinary way to commemorate the 100 years of the Olympic Winter Games while also supporting the non-profit mission, vision, and educational programming of our local museum, a vital and prolific guardian of the Winter Olympic history of Lake Placid and the world. And a treasure unto itself.
Tickets for this unique, one-time event are $60 each and can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 518-523-3330 or online here. When purchasing tickets, you’ll get to select a time for your wine tasting most convenient for you.
And when you arrive, you’ll have a rare chance to not only take in the inspirational museum exhibits that bring into sharp relief the incredible arc of winter sports history but also meet and chat with Olympians and other attendees who value this history as much as you do.
All who attend will surely walk away with a sense of gratitude for our local museum and this rare opportunity, for although this unique party and the exhibits in the museum are both designed to look back on the 100 years of Olympic history, the event also provides us the chance to look forward to the impact of our participation on the museum and the future of Lake Placid. Though we will gather to fête a remarkable past, we also cast our gaze on the future and all that is yet to come in this little village, which is in many ways the world’s most remarkable Olympic Winter Games location. Because with its renewed and modernized venues of today, Lake Placid is once again as much a place of possibilities as ever.
Please Note: Because alcohol is served, attendees of this event must be 21 or older. Please bring a valid ID to your tasting.
For additional event or museum information or to learn about other sponsorship opportunities, contact Courtney Bastian, Museum Director, at 518-302-5326 or email [email protected].