I Love Barbecue & Music Festival organizer Dmitry Feld, left, poses with Shipman Youth Center board member Adam Wilde during the 2023 festival. (Enterprise photo — Andy Flynn)
LAKE PLACID — The Shipman Youth Center Board of Directors met Tuesday, June 4, to discuss changing the long-running three-day “I Love BBQ and Music Festival” into a scaled-down, one-day event this summer, while still featuring food and music.
They also decided to rename the event in memory of festival organizer Dmitry Feld, former chairman of the Shipman Youth Center board of directors, who passed away in January at age 68.
“We're not going to have a barbecue festival this year,” Michael Durham, current president of the Shipman Youth Center, said at the meeting. “We're going to have an event that's a little more local.”
In the past, the barbecue festival was organized by USA Luge officials, specifically Feld, the marketing manager, and Gordie Sear, the sponsorship and marketing director. Sear was in charge of the music, while Feld was in charge of pretty much everything else, especially the food.
Last year marked the barbecue festival's 17th annual. It was originally held around the Fourth of July at the Olympic Speed Skating Track on Main Street but moved to the North Elba Showgrounds over Labor Day weekend after the coronavirus pandemic.
Barbecue teams from the United States and Canada came to Lake Placid to compete at the I Love Barbecue & Music Festival, because the event was sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Association. At one time, there was also a contest by the Northeast Barbecue Association. Teams competed for titles in the four main categories of KCBS (chicken, pork ribs, pork and beef brisket) and the Barbecue & Hot Sauce contest. KCBS judges also came from all over the United States and Canada, and for them, the event was part of their summer vacation. Visitors could sample the teams' barbecue in the back rib and pulled pork contests. Last year, Feld said he wanted to change the pulled pork contest to a chicken wing contest between teams, because he thought it would draw more people to the event that way.
For many years, musicians from the area performed under a large tent over three days, where visitors could enjoy music while eating.
Each year, Feld added more attractions to draw residents and tourists to the festival. The more people came, the more money was raised to support local children. The I Love BBQ and Music Festival became the largest annual fundraiser for the Shipman Youth Centre. Over the years, Feld added BMX bike performances by the Canadian Crusher Team, professional wrestling, children's activities, cornhole tournaments, demonstrations by the Paul Smith's College Woodmen's Team, and top chef demonstrations by barbecue pit masters. At one time, there was even a cooking contest for children.
Shipman Youth Center officials renamed the event “Dmitry's Mountaintop Feast and Music Festival” in Feld's honor. They hope to raise as much money as possible while still having food, music and special attractions. On Tuesday, they set a date of Saturday, Aug. 31, Labor Day weekend, but were considering rescheduling to another weekend in August.
“I'm voting for Labor Day[weekend]because that's what everyone expects it to be on Labor Day,” said Jim Cushman, a longtime sound engineer who helps produce the music for the festival. “It won't be a[barbecue]festival, but the event will still be going on.”
The event is scheduled to take place at the North Elba Show Grounds from 11am to 7pm, and musicians will not be performing in a large tent but rather in the show grounds pavilion.
“We're very positive about this,” Durham said Wednesday. “We're hopeful this will work out.”
There will be no barbecue competition, but local restaurants will compete in three culinary categories: appetizers, main courses and desserts. Restaurants will sell samples to attendees, who will then vote for their favorite dishes. Area brewers will also be asked to enter a “Best Beer” competition.
Organizers are looking for food and drink vendors, games and activities for children and people to provide tables for local nonprofits, and they also hope to see wrestling, cornhole and the Paul Smith's College Woodsmen teams return to the one-day event.
A raffle will be held again to raise funds for the Shipman Youth Center. There will be no admission fee as in previous years, but instead visitors will be asked to pay a donation per vehicle and vendors will be asked to contribute a percentage of their profits to the fund.
While many of the details are still being finalized, Shear said he is looking forward to helping out with musical acts again.
“USA Luge is here and ready to serve,” he said Wednesday.
Durham told the Lake Placid News in February that it costs about $100,000 annually to operate the Shipman Youth Center. The barbecue festival brings in about $20,000 annually and has raised more than $350,000 in 17 years.
To donate or volunteer, contact Durham at 518-524-5657 or Youth Center Executive Director Jason Hooker at 518-523-8786. For more information, visit www.shipmanyouthcenter.org
The Youth Center is located on Cummings Road near Lake Placid Junior and Senior High School. The center is named after Thomas Shipman, the first juvenile officer for the Lake Placid Police Department. After Shipman passed away in 1995, community members raised funds to build the building in his honor. “Established to provide a safe place for the children of the community to grow up in a stable environment and to provide direct and indirect guidance in youth activities,” the center serves students ages 10 to 18.
Because the youth center was established in memory of Thomas Shipman, Durham said it's time to honor Feld's contributions to Lake Placid's youth by continuing to host summer fundraising events.
“We need to ensure that we succeed in Dmitry's name and carry his legacy into the future,” he said.
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