BLUE MOUNTAIN LAKE — Welcome fall at the Adirondack Experience third annual Xperience for All event today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Blue Mountain Lake.
A celebration of outdoor activities, the event is designed to introduce outdoor opportunities to those who are new or not comfortable exploring the region’s woods and waterways on their own.
“We’re really excited to be bringing this event back,” Cheryl Braunstein, director of interpretation, said.
“We have more organizations than we’ve ever had before. We are really excited this year to feature a few new organizations and individuals, especially Inyene Bell, a 12th grader. She’s an alumni from North Country School, and she started an inclusive camp in the Adirondacks while she was a student up here. Then, we also have a group of young birders. I think they’re middle school students. We have the reality star Melanie Sawyer coming this year. She was in the show, “Alone”, which is about survival skills. Another new addition this year is that we have several artists that will be demonstrating how to appreciate the creative aspect of being out in nature.”
Visitors of all backgrounds and abilities are invited to join workshops, games, hands-on demonstrations, and presentations, all designed to provide a foundation for safely enjoying outdoor recreation—whether through adaptive sports, bird watching, or simply relaxing in nature.
More than 30 individuals and organizations will be present with resources and demonstrations that cover the basics of being in the Adirondack outdoors, such as how to safely get into a canoe and how to center yourself in nature.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Reality TV star Melanie Sawyer who appeared on The History Channel’s series “Alone” demonstrating fire-starting and foraged foods
• BIPOC Nature Artists Takeyce Walter, Emma Brittain-Hardy, and Ken Wilson showcase works inspired by the beauty of the outdoors.
• Cooking demonstrations with Christiaan King
• Visitors engaging with programming and demonstrations.
Xperience for All embodies ADKX’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion.
The event’s advisors have included regional BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ leaders as well as representatives from the Adirondack Diversity Initiative, SUNY-Potsdam, the Adirondack Mountain Club, Outdoor Afro, and the Olympic Regional Development Authority.