Highmark Blue Shield Plays Host to the Final Stop of the 2026 Empire State Winter Games Torch Tour
LATHAM, N.Y. – The 2026 Empire State Winter Games (ESWG) Torch Tour makes its final stop on Wednesday, Feb. 4, at 10 a.m., with a high‑energy parade down Century Hill Dr. in Latham, culminating at the Highmark Blue Shield offices. As a presenting sponsor, Highmark will rally current and former Empire State Winter Games athletes, organizers, community members, employees, and the Games’ official mascot, Adirondack Mac, for a spirited kickoff to the Games, which begin on Thursday, Feb. 5, in Lake Placid and the surrounding north country region.
Wednesday’s event is part of a 13-stop tour that has carried the torch throughout New York State. The nine-day-long torch tour launched on January 27 and has traveled to Poughkeepsie, Saugerties, Syracuse, Buffalo, Gowanda, Lockport, Pittsford, Utica, Schenectady, and Amsterdam as it makes its return home to Lake Placid in time for the Games’ opening ceremony.
At each stop on the torch tour, the Games’ iconic LED flame and Adirondack Mac have been joined by past and current Empire State Winter Games athletes, local dignitaries, representatives from sponsoring organizations, and athletes and mascots from area teams and clubs, creating an unforgettable community celebration.
The 46th annual ESWG is the largest and longest-running amateur winter multi-sport festival in the United States. The Feb. 5-8 event is expected to attract winter athletes from ages eight to 80 who will compete in more than 20 winter sports, including curling, Alpine skiing, sliding sports, figure skating, sled hockey, winter triathlon, and more. In addition to Lake Placid, Tupper Lake, Saranac Lake, Utica, Malone, and Wilmington will also host events.
The Games officially kick off on Thursday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m., when more than 2,300 athletes participate in Opening Ceremony being held in the Olympic Center’s Herb Brooks Arena. This year’s ESWG event theme is “Where Chill Meets Will.” This powerful message embodies the determination, resilience, and spirit that define winter athletes, while also capturing the unique blend of challenge and celebration that makes the Games a premier multi-sport winter festival. The theme will be woven throughout the four-day event, uniting competitors, spectators, and the community in honoring the grit and passion that drive winter sports.
For more information about the 46th Annual Empire State Winter Games, go to https://empirestatewintergames.com/.
Fans and athletes can also follow on Facebook, Instagram, and X, using @ESWGames and #ESWGames.