LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Christmas is just around the corner, and a whole lot of winter around the next corner after that. In the village of Lake George, that means time to enjoy a whole range of festivities, set to start the Monday after Christmas with Lake George Winterfest.

First held at the start of 2021 to fill in the hole left by the Lake George Winter Carnival, Winterfest returns and will continue into the start of 2022, even as the carnival is now planned to resume in a COVID-compliant capacity. Unlike the carnival, it’s only partly about events tied to a schedule. It’s also a lot longer than its elder event’s month of festivities.

From Dec. 27, 2021 to March 11, 2022, Winterfest attendees can buy wristbands to take part in everything the village has to offer. It works like this: A $20 wristband purchase means 15% discounts at participating hotels, as well as 10% off at restaurants and access to special horse-drawn carriage rides and hot chocolate stations. For an upgrade to a $30 wristband, you get all of that, plus a winter activity like sleigh riding, snowmobiling or cross-country skiing.

Winterfest was started by Christian Dutcher, who has plenty of stake in Lake George as the organizer of the Americade motorcycle festival. The previous festival saw over 2,000 wristbands sold – double what he had expected at the time.

Wristbands can be purchased online. Orders must be submitted at least the Sunday ahead of when they’ll be used.

The full Winterfest activity list includes sleigh rides, dog sled rides, snowmobile tours, snow tubing, axe throwing, cross-country and alpine skiing, and snowshoeing.

The Lake George Winter Carnival is set for February 2022, after a year dormant. The carnival’s schedule went public last week.