(Credit: Courtesy NBC's Today Show, 2023)
NBC television network’s “Today Show” will conduct a live broadcast Monday Feb. 20 from the veranda at Fort William Henry in Lake George Village, and the public is invited to participate in the event, Lake George Chamber of Commerce officials announced Feb. 16.
Normally, the show’s “Today’s Winter Escape” series focuses on get-aways to warm-weather locations across the U.S. The Feb. 20 broadcast will be touting the cold-weather activities that Lake George offers, and it will be the series’ sole winter destination showcased to date, according to Lake George Chamber marketing director Amanda Metzger.
“Oh my gosh, we are so thrilled and excited about this broadcast,” said Gina Mintzer, the president of the Lake George Chamber of Commerce and CVB, noting that two local residents had reached out to the show’s producers and suggested that Lake George be featured on the Today Show.
“We can’t buy this type of publicity,” Mintzer continued. “This will be a huge source of excitement and pride for the people who live in the Lake George area.”
The segment is to be broadcast live from the veranda of Fort William Henry Resort, and it will show the "Queen of American Lakes" in the background.
At the request of Today Show producers, the chamber has asked for area residents to be present in the background for the segment, to be aired live at 8:30 a.m. Monday.
People must arrive at the hotel by 7:30 a.m. to participate, Metzger said, noting that the Lake George Winter Carnival’s chocolate bar will be set up on site.
Thursday afternoon, Chamber executive director Gina Mintzer said her staff was busy making signs for the upcoming event.
Metzger said outgoing village Mayor Bob Blais will be interviewed by WNYT’s Chris Onorato, who will co-anchor the segment.
Blais said he was pleased the Today Show was promoting Lake George Village.
“Any time you get this type of publicity, particularly from a nationally broadcast program, it has tremendous effect,” he said, adding that the positive consequences were impossible to measure.
This is not the first trip to the North Country for the popular morning show.
A visit on July 27, 2009 was a substantial boon for the area’s tourism that summer: in the 30 days following the broadcast, room bookings at The Sagamore Resort jumped by 1,100. This increase was determined to be a direct result of the broadcast, as the hotel staff had interviewed guests upon arrival.
Ray Perry, likely to be the village’s new Mayor beginning in March, said: “The positive publicity resulting from the show’s segment will absolutely boost tourism here,” he said.
The temperatures are unseasonably warm, and the high temperatures through the weekend and on Monday are expected to remain above freezing. The National Weather Service says we may see some snow this afternoon. Although the lake has not frozen over, the annual Winter Carnival is running on the weekends through February.
The carnival features the annual "Glacier Golfing" tournament at Battlefield Park on Saturday. The motorcycle ice races have been cancelled due to lack of ice. The Outhouse Races are still scheduled and set for Feb. 25.