06/15/2026
CAA to host 3rd Annual Dad Fest in Old Forge on June 20 —
The Central Adirondack Association invites families, visitors, classic car lovers, and frog-jumping champions to celebrate Father’s Day weekend at the 3rd Annual Dad Fest on Saturday, June 20, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the George T. Hiltebrant Recreation Center in Old Forge.
Dad Fest is a family-friendly community event filled with music, games, food, vendors, classic cars, raffles, and plenty of fun for all ages. This year’s event will feature live music by Brian Alexander, along with bounce houses, yard games, vendors, dad competitions, and more throughout the afternoon.
Food will be available from the Old Forge Fire Department, with beverages provided by Duffy’s Glenmore and Montezuma Winery.
Guests will also have the chance to enter exciting raffles, including a canoe donated by Mountain Man Outdoor Supply Company, a YETI cooler donated by ACE Hardware, and a tabletop propane heater donated by Wagging It In the ADK.
One of the highlights of the day will be the Classic Car Show. Guests are invited to stroll through the show, check out the vehicles, and vote for their favorite cars to win 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place Spectator’s Choice Best in Show. Classic car owners who would like to enter the show may register at the gate for $20. Cars must be on the field by noon to be included in judging.
Spectator’s Choice Best in Show awards will take place at 3:30 p.m. Following the awards, classic car parade line-up will begin at 3:30 p.m. on North Street, with the parade kicking off at 4 p.m.
Dad Fest will also bring back a long-standing Old Forge tradition: the annual Frog Jumping Competition. Families are encouraged to bring their own frog and compete for trophies in categories including biggest frog, smallest frog, fastest frog, longest jump, and more. The frog jumping contest has been part of Old Forge tradition since the 1980s and continues to be one of the most fun, unpredictable, and crowd-favorite events of the day.
Additional activities will include ongoing field games and dad competitions, including Pin the Tie on the Kid, Tug-of-War, Limbo, and other lighthearted contests designed to get the whole family laughing.
The festival will end with the Classic Car Parade rolling through town. Participation in the parade is free, and all classic cars are welcome to join, even if they are not registered in the car show. Only cars registered in the Dad Fest Classic Car Show are eligible to be voted on for awards. However, after the show, all classic cars are welcome to join the parade with no registration required.
If you are coming just for the parade and would like to participate with your classic car, please meet on North Street at 3:30 p.m. and follow the instructions from the volunteers helping with line-up.
The parade will start on North Street, travel through Old Forge, continue to Thendara, and end at North Country Market. Spectators are encouraged to line the streets, cheer on the cars, and celebrate Father’s Day Weekend in Old Forge.
A chicken BBQ will be taking place at North Country Market for parade-goers and participants directly after the parade, so be sure to stop by after the cars roll through.
Donations from Dad Fest help support the Central Adirondack Association, which works to bring events, activities, and community support to the area. Donations help keep community events like this going and can be made at www.caany.com.
For more information, follow Old Forge Events on Facebook or visit www.caany.com.
— Photo courtesy of the Central Adirondack Association
— by Camry Liddle, For the Express
