Carl Mattison has an entrepreneurial spirit and a lot of energy. He has spent his professional career in law enforcement, and now – thanks to listening to his son – has a new business: “My son came to us about a year and a half ago and asked us to try this.” Carl said… Carl’s son wanted his parents to start a bounce house party rental business. So… They did! “A Jump Above” was born. The company provides inflatable rentals, including waterslides, bounce-houses, and bounce-house and slide combos.
Carl saw the upside of investing in his son’s idea: “It’s hard for kids to get jobs. So, our kids could work and see what it’s like to build a business.” Carl said. The family started out with five bounce houses, and now with 12, their home garage is at capacity.!The Mattison’s started getting bookings in the middle of last summer, and learned as they went along.
“Last year, we did better than expected. We changed our entire website over the winter and now use the website Event Hawk. The clients can choose everything from the website” Carl said. Through the website, the client can make a deposit on the rentals, or pay in full. There is also the option to finance the rentals: “Our largest inflatable is 700 pounds, and is $600 for a daily rental. There is a lot that goes into these rentals – the rentals leave the house at 5:30 in the morning, then we have to pick them up in the evening and start prepping for the next day,” Carl said.
Carl is excited for the season ahead. As the weather begins to improve, more parties are being panned, so the traffic on the website increases!
For more information, visit ajumpabovellc.com, or call (518) 920-2448.
During a week that featured a late winter snowstorm, The Shirt Factory held the “Winter Meltdown Spicy Food Festival”. This blustery Saturday afternoon was speckled with sunlight, and temperatures were comfortable for those with a heavy sweatshirt or a light jacket. From 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, food trucks and picnic tables were set up outside of the Shirt Factory in the Cooper Street parking lot to showcase a wide range of flavors. This was a hybrid event, with some vendors and shops inside the building and others set up in the Cooper Street parking lot.
Winter Meltdown Spicy Food Fest
People sat outside enjoying the fare… Some huddled close to the heat lamps, while others spread out using the ample number of picnic tables that were available. Families meandered through the crowds, and events goers came and went throughout the afternoon. Some were attracted by the wide array of food, and some were interested in the Shirt Factory. Jeff Rocas and his son Zack traveled from Gloversville to attend: “As a tourist, it was nice to see a good turnout for the event. The variety of food vendors was great. It offered something for everyone,” he said as he finished a spicy empanada in the picnic area. “The Shirt Factory was impressive with all of the different artists and shops. Definitely a place worth exploring,” Rocas said. He had seen the event advertised on Facebook weeks ago, and thought it would be a nice event that both he and his son could enjoy.
Coming up in April, the Shirt Factory is hosting “Spring is Sweet: Maple in April”. This event is on Saturday, April 15th, 2023, from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. This celebration of the maple trees features specialty dishes, using anything from maple wood to maple syrup and beyond! The event will benefit High Peaks Hospice, whose mission is to provide end of life care that “listens with respect, cares with compassion, supports with choice, and comforts with understanding”. High Peaks Hospice has been serving the Adirondack region for over 35 years. It is located at 454 Glen Street in Glens Falls, and focuses on the individual and his or her choices, wherein decisions are based on the wishes and desires of the individual and their family.
The “Spring is Sweet: Maple in April” event is a hybrid event at the Shirt Factory, which will have vendors set up inside the building, as well as vendors and food trucks in the Cooper Street parking lot. For more information, visit shirtfactorygf.com
Who’s ready for Spring? The Car Shoppe – located at 1110 US-9 in Queensbury – will be hosting their First Annual Spring Fling Festival on Saturday, May 20th (with a rain date of May 21st), from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The proceeds from this event will go to the Adirondack Vets House Incorporated, which is a longer term facility for homeless Veterans located at 26 Pine Street, Glens Falls. Statistics show that Veterans make up as much as 40% of the homeless population in the United States… The Adirondack Vets House can accommodate up to nine residents, whose stay can range from one month to years. This is a working program ,which means that most of the Veterans find gainful employment to aid in their goal of finding permanent housing.
100% of the money raised will go to the Adirondack Vets House! To create this day of fun that benefits such a worthy cause, general admission will be free to the public! Attractions will include pony rides, farm animals, a bounce-house, vendors, live music, raffles, and carnival games! The goal of this event is to maximize attendance, support local businesses, and raise critical funds for the Adirondack Vets Home Inc.
For more information about the event, contact Kiera Zmitrovitch by phone at (518) 742-0301, or by email at Kiera@518EXfinance.com. There is also a Facebook event page at https://fb.me/e/40iW9Is5K. For more information regarding the Adirondack Vets House, visit adirondackvetshouse.com.
Official poster for the Retro Nerd Fest, designed by SUNY Adirondack’s Media Arts Club
Billed as “The coolest thing to hit the Adirondacks since the Ice Age,” several student clubs and organizations at SUNY Adirondack are partnering together to host the first ever Adirondack Retro Nerd Fest this spring.
The Nerd Fest will take place on April 15th from 10am to 4pm, located in the Northwest Bay Conference Center in Adirondack Hall on the college’s Queensbury campus. Admission is open to the public–free for ADK students with a valid college ID and $5 for nonstudents.
The event is described as a Comic Con-style experience featuring pinball machines and arcade games, live DJs playing music from vinyl records, a Smash Brothers video game tournament, cosplay costume contest and an array of vendors selling records, comic books, tabletop games, action figures, trading cards and other retro pop culture items.
The event is being planned and hosted by the Adirondack Broadcast Association (ABA) with additional help from the college’s Media Arts Club (MAC) in designing the cosplay contest. The Gaming Club will operate the Smash Brothers tournament, and snacks and refreshments will be prepared and sold by the Culinary Arts Club.
ABA members hear a proposal from club President Gary “Trig” Scott [Left]
As current ABA President, I asked some of my fellow club members what they were most excited to see or do at the Nerdfest. Tyler Hendrickson expressed his intent to try his hand in the Smash Brothers tournament, while Data Murdie said, “I heard there’s gonna be records, and I’m really excited for records.”
ABA Secretary Carson Costine said he was most looking forward to the cosplay contest, for the chance to see everyone’s creative sides on display. Aiden Moulton also declared excitement for the cosplay contest–albeit for a slightly different reason.
“I’m anticipating at least five different Kurt Russells to show up,” he said. As a fan of Kurt Russell, Aiden has been attempting to get several others to join him in dressing as iconic characters portrayed by the actor.
The Adirondack Retro Nerdfest will also be produced with the help of Cooper’s Cave Games, Sweet Side Records and SUNY Adirondack’s college radio station, WGFR.
“It’s a throwback to the days of analog and early digital entertainment,” said ABA faculty advisor Kevin Ankeny. “Old-school stuff is trendy and it’s being driven by the resurgence of music on vinyl records. This event combines these retro aspects with the pop culture convention atmosphere that’s been happening for a decade or so.”
Updates and details are available at wgfr.org. Vendor space is available by contacting the organizers through the webpage.
On Wednesday, December 28, 2022, the City of Glens Falls announced that Cole’s Woods is closed until further notice, after high winds damaged lights and left the system of cross country ski trails in poor condition.
Cole’s Woods is supported by The Friends of Cole’s Woods, a group that have been the stewards of Cole’s Woods since 1978; they support a wide range of seasonal recreational outdoor activities within Cole’s Woods, and are committed to the free and public use of the park. The members of this organization recognize the value of having a trail system and woodlands accessible to local communities, and are committed to ensuring that the trails remain safe, groomed for nordic skiing, and maintained for other recreational activities.
Cole’s Woods is the home of the first lighted cross country ski trails in North America. In December of 1971, a budget of $3,000 was used to cut back brush and illuminate two kilometers of trails. The City of Glens Falls will provide notification when the trails re-open.
Looking for a way to ring in 2023? The Queensbury Hotel has events for you! On Saturday, December 31st, 2022, The Queensbury Hotel is offering two ways to ring in the New Year!
The First Option: A four-course dinner & New Year’s Eve Party is $175 per ticket.
This includes:
Cocktail reception in Gold Room
Four-Course Dinner in The Queen’s Ballroom
A Six-hour Open Bar (6:00 PM to Midnight)
Admission to NYE Party with Soul Session in Adirondack Ballroom (9:00 PM to 1:00 AM)
20% service charge applied at check out includes staff gratuity.
The Reception and Four-Course Dinner Menu includes:
The Tasting Table:
Chef’s curated display of artisan cheeses, salumi and appetizers
The second option, The New Year’s Eve Party, is $75 per ticket which includes:
Admission to the NYE Party with Soul Session in the Adirondack Ballroom(9:00 PM to 1:00 AM)
Live entertainment from Garland Nelson & Soul Session
Open bar (9 p.m.-midnight)
Lite snacks
Photo Booth
20% service charge applied at checkout includes staff gratuity.
To make the most of your evening, book a room and stay overnight; when you purchase your ticket, you will receive a promo code to receive a discount on an overnight stay.
Kiwanis Club of Glens Falls hosted the opening of “Spirits In the Trees” on Sunday night at Crandall Park. The lighting of the trees took place at just after 5:00 PM; of the 100 trees on display, 94 of them were decorated. Patricia Van Buren, coordinator of the event, was on hand in the late morning on Sunday to help set up.
She was very pleased with the number of trees that were decorated: “Yesterday, it was so nice to see people talking and laughing as they decorated the trees. They were intermingling and introducing themselves to one another. It was wonderful to see the community together” she said, as we wandered from tree to tree, admiring each one. Van Buren decorated her own tree: “Celebrating People and The Cats they Love…and a few dogs.”
Patricia Van Buren and her tree
Just after 4:30, cars streamed into Crandall Park as the daylight faded into a gray snowy evening. People wandered around the trees, admiring each one and greeting neighbors and friends. There were heaters near the stage, and the boy scouts were raising money by offering hot chocolate for a donation.
The event included remarks from Kiwanis Club President Doug Shaver, and Mayor Bill Collins; these remarks were followed by an invocation by Pastor Chris Jewell of Queensbury United Methodist Church. After these remarks, there was a reading of the themes for each of the trees, and the program for the event had a listing of the trees and the people involved in donating it.
Doug Shaver credited past president and current club secretary Patricia Van Buren with advocating for the event: Shaver said from the band stand, “Spirits in the Trees was the vision of one of our past presidents and current club secretary, Pat Van Buren. Pat felt that families and friends, working together to plan and design a tree theme should gather to decorate those trees in remembering a lost loved one, honoring an individual or group dear to them, or celebrating the importance of something in their lives, would be a wonderful event to share with our community.”
Glens Falls Mayor Bill Collins
Mayor Collins gave the crowd a warm welcome and received cheers from the crowd. “This is an amazing thing that we’ve got here; and I hate to make predictions as Mayor, but I predict that after you see these lights lighting up, that you’ll all wish that I do that I got a tree. You know both my father and my sister passed away years ago right before Christmas, and it makes Christmas both more meaningful and a little more difficult every year. But as I walked out tonight looking at all of these trees I grew with regret that I didn’t take the time to do this. And I bet there’s a few others as you walk through tonight that would think the same thing. And I’ll bet you there will be double the number next year. Great ideas catch on and this is a great idea.”
The Abraham Wing Elementary School donated a tree, celebrating the Abraham Wing Community; second-grader Quentin Straight was on hand to show off the ornament that he had made in art class. When asked about the most exciting part of the event, Quentin said, “Seeing my artwork on the tree and seeing the tree light up.” Quentin was accompanied by his father Eric Straight, his mother Tori Phillips, and his aunt Johna Ferry.
Second Grader Quentin Straight & Family
After the trees were lit, there was seasonal music played by the Queensbury High School Madrigals. Trees will be lit every evening throughout the New Year.
On Thursday, December 8th, The Glens Falls Collaborative is hosting Glens Falls Ladies Night from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Participating businesses will stay open late, offering a variety of discounts; and bars, restaurants & eateries will have special offerings as well.
The Glens Falls Collaborative is a membership organization whose mission is to band together and support Glens Falls. This group organizes festivals, creates advertisements and holds mixers, along with working with the city of Glens Falls on hospitality efforts.
Amongst the shops and stores that are participating in this event, there will also be a pop up party at The WorkSmart Coworking & Meeting Space. This shared workspace concept is a locally owned and certified NYS women-owned business, which is owned by Christy Alexander. The workspace is scaled to individual needs, and utilizes membership plans with different tiers: the four tier system ranges from a $25 per day drop in pass, $159 per month shared workspace, $309 per month dedicated desk, & $409 and up per private office.
Christy Alexander owner of WorkSmart
The WorkSmart concept helps people who work remotely create a dedicated workspace. There are some challenges to working from home, including distractions, and the blurred lines between home life and work life… WorkSmart creates an environment where people can better concentrate on their work, and also collaborate with other professionals. For people interested in trying out the workspace, there are $25 “Drop-In Passes” available. These passes can be purchased online, and offer a choice of using the shared workspace or a private office; or a meeting room can also be booked. WorkSmart is located at 237 Glen Street, in Glens Falls, NY. For more information, visit worksmartgf.com.
The Glens Falls Collaborative has hosted events that are synonymous with Glens Falls Festivals, including the Adirondack Christkindlmarket, Wing Fest, and Take a Bite. For more information about Glens Falls Ladies’ Night and The Glens Falls Collaborative, visit https://glensfallscollaborative.com/.
On November 30th, New Yorker locals and visitors alike gathered at the world-famous Rockefeller Christmas Tree to watch it light up at 9:57 PM on Wednesday night. The tree was lit by Tishman Speyer (President and CEO), Rob Speyer, & Chairman Jerry Speyer.
More than 50,000 multi-colored, energy efficient lights were strung on five miles of wire to adorn the 14-ton, 82 foot tall & 50 foot wide Norway Spruce. The Swaroski Star dazzled from the top of the tree. The star was designed by Daniel Libeskind, and this is the 19th year that a Swaroski Star has topped the Rockefeller Christmas Tree. This spectacular star is made up of 70 spikes, covered in 3 million crystals, 9 ½ feet in diameter, and weighs 900 pounds.
This star-studded event included the Radio City Rockettes. It was hosted by Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Craig Melvin, and ACCESS Hollywood Host Mario Lopez. There was a special appearance by Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph; and, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani sang a special duet of “You Make It Feel Like Christmas”.
This tree is one of our own local beauties; it was donated by the Lebowitz family of Glens Falls. The tree was harvested on November 10th, and arrived in New York City on November 12th. The Lebowitz family attended the tree lighting ceremony.
Spectators can view the lit tree each day from 6:00 AM – 12:00 AM: All day (24 Hours) on Christmas, and from 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM on New Year’s Eve. For more holiday images, please visit: Twitter @rockcenternyc , Instagram @rockefellercenter and Facebook @rockefellercenternyc
Andrew Percetti – owner of Adirondack Safari – has a vision and expertise in the field of the Adirondack experience that keeps people coming back. He understands that the enjoyment of camping can be enhanced with modern comforts: The concept of “Glamping” is just that: a combination of camping, and luxury. To that effect, Adirondack Safari offers a camping experience with all the comforts of home… So, instead of the traditional “roughing it”, there is now an option to maintain comfort, while still enjoying the outdoors.
Adirondack Safari offers an upscale glamping experience. Fully furnished tents are provided – there are mattresses for comfortable sleeping, rugs, bedside tables, fan, a power strip, a fire pit, zero gravity chairs, a charcoal grill, and a picnic table with a canopy; all along the banks of the beautiful Schroon River.
A new addition to the 2023 Glamping season at Adirondack Safari will be themed tents; Adirondack Safari can take you any place you want to go with their destination-styled tented abodes, which include:
The island-themed tent creates ambiance and comfort with a fun and beachy decor.
The India-themed tent has vibrant colors and exotic decor.
For a true feeling of the Adirondacks, the Adirondack-themed tent compliments the Adirondack experience with appropriate furnishings.
The Native-American-themed tent comes with an authentic lean-to instead of the traditional canopy at your site.
The Luxe tent lets you camp like royalty while still in the great outdoors. This package includes luxurious niceties: complimentary Prosecco, two bundles of firewood, and two four hour Kayak rentals.
No matter which tent you choose, after a day on the river or exploring Lake George, a luxurious and relaxing tent will await.
The Adirondack Safari facilities also provide on-site bathrooms and showers, and outdoor sinks for cleaning dishes and cutlery. Everyone has a different expectation and experience with camping; however, Adirondack Safari makes it easy for everyone to enjoy. This type of camping spans generations, and the activities that are offered fit any and all age groups. There are Native-American performances, outdoor movies, bingo, the “silent disco”, river tubing, volleyball, giant Jenga, and rotating live entertainment. The goal of Adirondack Safari is to create an outdoor experience where families and friends can enjoy a variety of outdoor activities and each other’s company.
Adirondack Safari checks all of the boxes for fun in the great outdoors; not to mention, being close to all of the amazing attractions in Lake George! Adirondack Safari combines the best glamping experience with the best location for guaranteed summer-time fun.
Adirondack Safari will be open from June 16, 2023, until September 4, 2023. Plan your Safari now! It could make a wonderful holiday gift. Adirondack Safari has 59 Tents available, but they book up quickly: Ensure your summer fun and book now at adirondacksafari.com
