46TH Annual Empire State Winter Games Scheduled for February 5-8, 2026
46th Annual Empire State Winter Games Theme, “Where Chill Meets Will”
AMSTERDAM, N.Y. – The 46th Annual Empire State Winter Games (ESWG) Torch Tour brings its excitement to hundreds of students when it visits the William Barkley Elementary School and R.J. McNulty Academy, both in Amsterdam, on Tuesday, Feb. 3,
The iconic LED flame and the official mascot of the Games, Adirondack Mac, will visit with William Barkley Elementary School students at 10 a.m. and R.J. McNulty Academy at 1:45 p.m. During these assemblies, students will learn about the Games and the winter sports featured in the state’s premier multi-sport festival. They will also have the chance to take photos with the torch and Mac, who will be on hand to sign autographs. Students will also come away with coloring sheets. One side features Adirondack Mac, and the other has Roni, the raccoon, the official mascot for the 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid.
These events are part of a 13-stop tour across New York State that carries the flame toward its final destination in Lake Placid. The journey concludes on Thursday, Feb. 5, when it arrives at the Olympic Center just in time for the 7 p.m. Opening Ceremony.
With title sponsor Community Bank, along with supporting sponsors Highmark Blue Shield of Northeastern New York, Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC, Della Auto Group, Stewart Shops, Lake Placid Pub & Brewery, and Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort, the nine-day long torch tour, is making visits to Community Bank branches, local skating clubs, area schools, clubs, and other local businesses before arriving to Lake Placid where it will light the ESWG Cauldron, officially kicking off the four-day multi- sports event and festival.
The 46th annual ESWG is the largest and longest-running amateur winter multi-sport event in the United States. This winter’s 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, ice hockey, winter biking, and more. In addition to Lake Placid, Tupper Lake, Saranac Lake, Malone, Utica, and Wilmington will also host events.
The Games officially kick off on Thursday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m., when more than 2,500 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 Empire State Winter Games. 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.
2026 Empire State Winter Games Torch Tour stops also include: Feb. 3; Highmark Blue Shield of Northeastern New York, 40 Century Hill Dr., Latam, Feb. 4; and Community Bank Branches in Tupper Lake, 75 Park St., Tupper Lake, Saranac Lake, 46 Broadway, Saranac Lake, and Lake Placid, 2166 Saranac Ave., Feb. 5.
Fans can follow the torch tour by visiting https://empirestatewintergames.com/games/torch-tour/.
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.