Smoke billowed from Shepard Park yesterday evening, rising from fires stoked by the Lake George Volunteer Fire Department. It was the Department’s Chicken Barbecue Fundraiser, the first of what they plan to make an annual event. Despite a pop-up storm that threatened to put out the coals with a heavy downpour, the fundraiser was a success. Nearly 400 chicken dinners were sold; the smell of roasting chicken, which spread throughout the Village, was perhaps the best advertising.
The $10 a plate dinner included a roasted marinated ½ chicken, ear of sweet corn, macaroni salad, baked beans, rolls and a can of soda. Earlier in the day, Village workers had set up several picnic tables in the park, which provided ample seating for diners. Advanced tickets were available online and from members of the Lake George Fire Department and the Auxiliary. Curbside pickup service was offered for those who wished to take their meals home.
Fridays evenings in the summer usually bring a crowd to Shepard Park for the Bands and Brews free concert series. Last night, Bobby Dick and Suzy Q, local favorites, opened the show at 6 p.m. performing pop hits with their signature harmonies. Headliner West End Blend, a Hartford, Connecticut-based funk/soul band took the stage at 7:30.
The Lake George Volunteer Fire Department, with its firehouse on Ottawa Street, serves both the Town and the Village of Lake George. It was formed 126 years ago, originally as the Lake George Hose Company. The Department hosts two craft shows in Shepard Park each year, the Summer Festival in June and the Family Festival in August. The 2017 Family Festival is scheduled for Aug. 18 – 20 and will include arts and craft vendors, food vendors, games of chance and live music.