The brilliant sunshine on New Year’s Day 2026 did little to raise the air temperature, which hovered around 15 degrees, but the bathing suit-clad crowd gathered on Shepard Park Beach this Thursday seemed unbothered by the arctic air. Promptly at 1 p.m., as DJ and emcee Chas Giknis blasted Ozzie Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” from his audio system, the first wave of polar plungers ran into Lake George, splashed around and took selfies in the frigid water.
The Lake George New Year’s Day Polar Plunge is a decades-old tradition that tests the fortitude of participants while raising money for non-profit organizations. Duffy’s Tavern organizes the event, and according to Linda Duffy, 609 people registered for the 2026 plunge. The funds raised benefit Springfield Shriners Hospitals and the local volunteer fire departments that help with the plunge.
Heather Adam-Cerri of Frankfort, New York, said this was her third year taking the plunge. “I’ve always wanted to do this,” She said, “and I’m 70 years old.” She took her first plunge at age 68, loved it, and says she will return next year and every year after.
The Lake George, North Queensbury, and Bay Ridge Fire Departments, along with Warren County Sheriff’s deputies and State Police divers, stood chest-deep in the lake, forming a line to mark the edge of the swimming area. Plungers galloped through the water to reach the line and gave the first responders high-fives before returning to shore.
The next opportunity to join a Lake George Polar Plunge comes in February with the Lake George Winter Carnival. For five weekends, beginning February 7, the Winter Carnival will hold polar plunges at Shepard Park Beach.
Photos: Lake George 2026 New Year’s Day Polar Plunge
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