Winter Realms not returning to Lake George this winter

LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Winter Realms, an event produced by Ice Castles, is not returning to Lake George for the upcoming winter. Warren County Public Affairs Director Don Lehman said Ice Castles cited warm weather as the reason for not returning.

Ice Castles as an event was at the Charles Wood Park Festival Space in Lake George for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 season. For the 2023-24 season, Ice Castles was replaced with Winter Realms, a winter event with ice skating, lights, igloos, and a sculpture park.

Both Ice Castles and Winter Realms had to close early over the past years due to warm temperatures which made the ice melt. Lehman said the management of the Festival Space is looking for another winter event to fill the space. Anyone who is interested can email info@festivalcommons.com.

Brad Buehlhorn, who is the East Coast Operations Director for Ice Castles, said a lot of factor went into the decision of not returning to Lake George for the upcoming season. While mild weather was a factor, he said they received a lot of feedback from guests and want to make Winter Realms the best it can be.

"Our experience in Lake George has been wonderful," said Buehlhorn. "We definitely want to go back."

For this upcoming season, Buehlhorn said they are taking a break from New York entirely and are focusing on Ice Castles rather than Winter Realms. Ice Castles makes location decisions on a year-to-year basis, said Buehlhorn, and would definitely want to return to New York in the future.

However, Winter's Dream, which is produced by Moment Factory, is set to return to Lake George's Fort William Henry for the upcoming winter season. Winter's Dream uses light and projection technology to transform the inside of Fort William Henry into themed winter experiences.

Sam Luciano, the general manager of the Fort William Henry, said Winter's Dream is set to return on November 28 and run through March. He said those months are critical for Lake George.

"With Ice Castles going out, Winter's Dream becomes the winter attraction for the area, other than skiing and the Winter Carnival," said Luciano.