More than 130 vendors filled the Lake George Festival Commons this past weekend for the 10th Annual Adirondack Wine & Food Festival. Thousands of attendees sampled wines, spirits, ciders, meads, and specialty non-alcoholic craft beverages at the try-before-you-buy market.
Craft beverages were only part of the festival; artisan food producers were offering samples of their cheeses, roasted nuts, jerky, artisan breads, cakes, sauces and spice mixes. Outside the festival gates, a dozen food trucks lined up along Betty Little Boulevard selling crab cakes, lobster rolls, brussel sprouts, gyros, mac and cheese, and more.
Interspersed among the sweet and savory flavors were crafters offering their unique goods: woodworking, handmade jewelry, artwork, soaps and lotions, candles, pet treats, and, new for the 2026 Adirondack Wine & Food Festival, scented slime.
Shelbie Handville of Oswego, New York, launched Smile Slime Co. last year, selling a product she originally created to use in her work as a family photographer. “I needed a way for kids to smile during photo shoots,” Handville says.
Slime is a squishy substance, somewhere between a liquid and a solid, that can be stretched and molded. The concept of using this malleable material as a plaything was popularized in the 70s by toymaker Mattel. Handville’s brand adds scents and colors. She also offers a Build Your Own Squishy, and children were at her booth Sunday afternoon customizing their slime with scents and glitter.
Adults were slime shopping as well. “It’s good for stress,” said Allyn, who was working at the Smile Slime booth. The feel and scent help with sensory processing for relaxation, and slime serves as a fidget toy.
Also new at this year’s Festival was The Last Chapter Books & Trinkets. Operated by Diamond Point resident Darlene Roveto, The Last Chapter featured an eclectic assortment of jewelry, trinkets, and books. Roveto was doing a brisk business when this reporter stopped by her booth.
Under the Culinary and Cocktail tent, festival goers were treated to cooking and mixology competitions and demonstrations. Food Network Chef Sakari Smithwick chatted with his audience as he prepared his flavorful Summer Corn & Crab Salad. Between cooking tips, he told family stories and explained how his background influenced his cooking and how cooking influenced his outlook on life.
Smithwick is the author of “Savor Your Journey: 3 Simple Steps to Find Your Secret Sauce in Life.” The book is a combination of memoir, reflections, and cookbook. It tells the story of “…how a Black kid from Long Island ended up cooking for one of the world’s most famous chefs…”
He grew up on Long Island, surrounded by water, which he says gave him a love for fresh seafood. His cooking is inspired by his roots — his mother’s Southern upbringing, and the Caribbean Flavors of his father’s family. “Flavor isn’t just taste,” he writes, “It’s memory. It’s identity. It’s where you’re from.”
As he completes his recipe, swirling sautéed corn and crab in a blender, and plating it in sample cups with a popcorn garnish, he surprises his audience by telling them his first job was at McDonald’s. He says he even considered making McDonald’s his career but instead chose culinary school. From there, his passion for food became his purpose. He works to grow as a chef and has a mission to educate people about nutrition and provide nourishing meals to children living in “Food Apartheids,” communities that do not have access to affordable, fresh, healthy food.
Following his cooking demonstration, Smithwick treated his audience to samples of Corn and Crab Salad and sent each away with a signed copy of his book.
The Adirondack Wine & Food Festival is held on the last weekend of June each year at the Festival Commons in Lake George, New York. The festival was founded by Adirondack Winery to showcase the products of New York State craft beverage producers and, since launching in 2015, has become one of the most celebrated wine festivals in the Northeast.
Featured image: Aerialist Jessica Black performs at the 10th Adirondack Wine & Food Festival in Lake George.
Photos: Adirondack Wine & Food Festival 2026
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