For the culture vultures, this week is for you. There are a lot of artsy things going on in the area this coming week, and to start it off there is the Friday night show in Shepard Park this week with Capital Zen – 7 PM and free, as per usual. Bring a chair, bring a blanket, sit back and enjoy. If you’re in a more historical mood, of course, as I’ve mentioned, the Last of the Mohicans is playing at 8PM at the Wild West Ranch through the 20^th of this month.

Or down in Saratoga the Philadelphia Orchestra is still around, and tonight it’s a circus. Well – not really. The performance is called Cirque de la Symphonie and is at SPAC at 8 PM tonight. If you want to go – unless you already have tickets, your best bet is probably lawn seats.

Tomorrow night down at the Sembrich if you’re in for some spooky stories the Lake George Theater Lab is having a nice fireside chat with some ghostly tales. Tickets are $12 for the 8 PM show, reservations are recommended. But tomorrow is made of a bit more serious stuff, as it’s everyone’s chance to keep the Queen clean and clean up Lake George – snorkelers and divers are welcome.  It’s from 9 AM to 6 PM, and special trash bags will be available at all town halls in the Lake George watershed.

Saturday brings entertainment of a more local flavor to Lake George. It’s the Adirondack Homegrown Music Festival over at Shepard Park, from 6:00 to 9:30 PM. And it’s free! Free is always good.  If you missed the cooler-than-a-circus performance at SPAC tonight, you’ll get another chance tomorrow evening, 8 PM. See the contortionists and jugglers and all that – though Friday and Saturday are different programs. Friday night there is free ice cream from Stewarts! I’d totally go to that one.

Burn off all that ice cream you devoured Friday evening on Sunday – from Bolton Landing – the Sweet Pea Farm and Art Gallery on Federal Hill Road – at 8:30 AM. What’s there? The Christine Nicole Perry Memorial Bike ride, a leisurely 25 – 30 mile ride round-trip. But you know how I feel about bike rides – ‘leisurely’ translates to ‘excruciating’ after more than a half-hour.

If you want to learn a little bit about the lake that you helped clean up on Saturday, there will be a floating classroom on Wednesday mid-morning by the Adirondack Museum – for details. Reservations are required, though, so plan ahead.

To continue the Summer Concert Series here in Lake George, Chatham County Line – an acoustic American bluegrass group – will be performing in Shepard Park at 7:30 PM on Wednesday.

If water isn’t your thing, the LGLC will be doing another guided hike on Thursday in Putnam at the last great shoreline preserve. Registration is required, and get more details if you’re interested in going at 9 AM on Thursday.

As per usual, wrap up your Thursday nights watching the fireworks at Shepard Park after the Lake George Community Band performs at 8 PM.  Or if you’d rather not have ringing ears, the Philadelphia Orchestra will be performing at SPAC at 8 as well – and they’re going to be playing some great Russian composers.

To round out the week, head back to the Sagamore and enjoy ‘Love Letters’ at 8 PM, maybe with a person you love? Anyway, that is some of what is going on this week in the Lake George area and I hope you get the chance to get out and enjoy it.