This weekend, we'll see more evidence of Plattsburgh's versatility as a year-round tourist attraction.
The Akwesasne Mohawk Casino East Coast Snocross snowmobile event will have the Plattsburgh City Beach area in what is becoming an annual frenzy of activity in mid-January. Who'd have thought, in decades past, that winter would be a big time for the City Beach?
But apparently local brains hadn't been opened wide enough to take in the entire range of opportunities available to a venue such as this. The fact that it's a beach does not preclude its appropriateness as a winter sports arena.
With the redoubtable Mike Parrotte of Airborne Speedway renown at the helm, a snow course has been set up to challenge professional snowmobilers from across this country and Canada — people who have grown up in an environment of snow and speed.
The event will be a favorite among the participants, with a $7,000 purse augmented by Liquor and Wine Warehouse in Plattsburgh.
Exhibitors are set up and ready to go inside the Crete Memorial Civic Center. They will feature equipment, clothing, souvenirs and concessions.
The people attending the Snocross will be treated to the excitement and suspense of expert snowmobile operators doing what they do best. The racers will amaze spectators with their stunts and sheer speed over a course laid out specifically to highlight their skills.
Plattsburgh has been identified as a mecca for history, scenery and sports in all seasons. Its summer is highlighted by a July 4 extravaganza and a Battle of Plattsburgh commemoration in September.
At these events, attendees come from all over the region and beyond to catch the goings-on.
Fishing derbies attract thousands to the shores of Lake Champlain to win money and fame hooking the lake's bountiful crop. Those contests collectively add substantial dollars to local businesses and taxing authorities.
Now, the winter is being seized, too, as a chance to exploit our assets. Snowmobiling is an extraordinary pastime for thousands of local people. It is also a wonderful spectator sport to draw tourists.
And don't overlook this aspect of it: It is a new offering for all of us local residents who are aching for something unusual and exciting to do on a chilly January weekend. It gives us one more reason to be glad we live in an area that can entertain us 12 months a year.
If you're able, get out to the City Beach this weekend and see what the Snocross is all about. It is destined to be a winter staple, as much anticipated as the Fourth of July, the Battle of Plattsburgh commemoration and all those spring, summer and fall weekends.
