The games will include more than 2,500 athletes from around the state, as well as the Northeastern United States and Canada. They will compete in 24 winter sports, including a number of adaptive sports. The games begin today and continue through Sunday.

The opening ceremony will be at 6:20 p.m. tonight at the 1980 rink. The event is free and open to the public. This year’s theme is “Chasing Dreams on Snow and Ice.”

“Athletes are chasing dreams, whether it be the Empire State Winter Games where this could be the pinnacle of their athletic achievements, or this could be a stepping stone to something even greater, something further,” ESWB Communications Director Jon Lundin said. “Everybody is chasing dreams when it comes to sports.”

The annual 700-mile journey of the torch relay began Jan. 22 in Utica and will conclude with three more relays in the Tri-Lakes. Tupper Lake High School athletes will carry the torch from the Tupper Lake Civic Center to the Tupper Lake Community Bank branch at 75 Park St. starting at 10 a.m. today.

Lake Placid Olympian Andrew Weibrecht, left, and Colton LaPlant hold the torch during the Empire State Winter Games opening ceremony in 2024. (Enterprise photo — Parker O’Brien)

Then, at 2 p.m., Saranac Lake High School cross country and track athletes will carry the torch from the high school to the Saranac Lake Community Bank branch at 46 Broadway. Finally, in Lake Placid, youth hockey players will carry the torch from Lake Placid’s Community Bank to the Golden Arrow Lakeside resort at 3 p.m.

Venues included in the weekend’s events are: Mount Van Hoevenberg Sliding Center and Olympic Center in Lake Placid, Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington, Mount Pisgah in Saranac Lake, Paul Smith’s College, the Tupper Lake Civic Center, and the James C. Frenette Sr. Recreation trails in Tupper Lake. Curling, a new event this year, will take place at the Utica Curling Club in Whitesboro.

The sports included are: Junior bobsled, adaptive bobsled, Alpine (U16 and U19), adaptive Alpine, hockey (U10, Girls U12 and Girls U14), sled hockey, cross-country, adaptive cross-country, curling, figure skating, freestyle moguls, ski orienteering, biathlon, adaptive biathlon, skeleton, adaptive skeleton, luge, Kombi skiing (U10 and U12), short track speed skating, snowshoe, ski and snowboard cross, winter biking and winter triathlon.

Winter triathlon and winter biking were new events added last year. Winter triathlon involves snowshoeing, biking and cross-country skiing. Lundin said the sport is relatively new and has been taking off in the Northeast.

“It went as well (last year) as we expected it to, and we want to continue to find new and engaging sports for athletes of all ages,” he said. “It’s a great venue in Tupper Lake, so it’s a good chance for all of us to have some fun and engage more athletes.”

Massena River Queens girls hockey players walk out onto the ice during the Empire State Winter Games opening ceremony in Lake Placid in 2024. (Enterprise photo — Parker O’Brien)

Similar to last year, the games will not include ski jumping and Nordic combined. Lundin said the Olympic Jumping Complex will be busy getting ready to host the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup the following weekend. However, he still hopes these events will return to the games in the future.

Lundin is excited for the ESWG to return for the 45th year.

“It’s a legacy event for Lake Placid and the North Country region. It’s a great way to celebrate sport and a great way to celebrate winter,” he said.

Saugerties Fillies girls hockey players chant while walking onto the ice during the Empire State Winter Games opening ceremony in Lake Placid in 2024. (Enterprise photo — Parker O’Brien)

Alpine skiers walks onto the ice during the Empire State Winter Games opening ceremony on Feb. 1, 2024 in Lake Placid. (Enterprise photo — Parker O’Brien)