“Junction Function” planned Sunday to celebrate Downtown Tupper Lake
Dan McClelland
Downtown Tupper Lake will be hosting a community celebration, dubbed the “Junction Function,” at the Tupper Lake Train Station on Sunday, October 16 from 1p.m. to 3 p.m. The free community event features local businesses, vendors, attractions, live music and artists.
“Junction Function” has been organized by the community of Tupper Lake, in partnership with the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST), to showcase Tupper Lake’s downtown area, businesses and local attractions. The event also coincides with the arrival of the first passenger train at the Tupper Lake Train Station in more than 40 years.
Community members and visitors are invited to the free event where they can welcome the train to Tupper Lake, take part in the festivities, learn more about upcoming regional events and area attractions and learn more about development plans for downtown Tupper Lake.
Among the many organizations participating in Junction Function include The Wild Center, Adirondack Sky Center and Observatory, ROOST, and Adirondack Rail Trail Association (ARTA). 2023 Lake Placid FISU World University Games representatives will also take part in the event and Tupper Arts will present a pop-up Art Show featuring works from the recent Tupper Lake Plein Air Festival. The event will feature live music by Josh Weise; and our local craft brewery, Raquette River Brewing, will be offering tastings.
Adirondack Mac, the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games mascot and Ollie, The Wild Center otter mascot, will be on-hand to welcome attendees. Games, prizes and giveaways will round out the family-friendly event.
One highlight of the event will be the arrival of the first passenger train since 1981. Adirondack Railroad is making its inaugural journey along a scenic route through the Adirondacks from Utica to Tupper Lake. The 11-hour round-trip includes a one-and-a-half-hour stop in Tupper Lake beginning around 1:30 p.m. As passengers disembark they will be met with the local celebration where they can become acquainted with the community and its attractions, meet business and elected leaders, learn about future developments, and visit downtown businesses.
ROOST has created a map of the downtown Tupper Lake so that train passengers and visitors to the community can explore the area during their visit. The map indicates local businesses and restaurants that are a short walk from the train station. Some of the downtown businesses have adjusted their hours of operation to coincide with the event and visitors and local residents are encouraged to visit the downtown area before and after the festival.
Community members and those who travel to Tupper Lake for the event will also have the opportunity to board and explore the train while it is at the station.
According to Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism’s Tupper Lake Regional Manager, Katie Lalonde, “Junction Function “is an opportunity for the community of Tupper Lake to celebrate all that the village has to offer, along with sharing information about its ongoing revitalization. “Between the village’s recent submission of a NY Forward Grant for the downtown area, the revival of train service, construction of the highly anticipated Adirondack Rail Trail, coupled with the area’s thriving businesses, attractions and events, Tupper Lake is truly at the junction of a really exciting time.”
In September, the village applied to the NY Forward program to gain support for 18 transformative projects in its downtown area, positioning it as a vibrant connector of community and business at the junction of the Adirondack Rail Trail and the scenic rail line. NY Forward was established to support and encourage revitalization of small and rural communities, especially villages, hamlets and other small, neighborhood-scale municipal centers.
Tickets are still available for the Adirondack Railroad’s High Peaks Limited inaugural journey. Those interested should visit Adirondack Railroad for information and pricing. Regular trips from Utica to Tupper Lake will begin in 2023. Businesses and organizations that wish to take part in the Junction Function event should visit the Tupper Lake website to sign up.