No sledding at Ballston Spa winter fest this year

A sledding hill constructed on Bath Street in Ballston Spa is part of the 20th Annual Winter Fun Festival on Saturday, February 21, 2015.

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There will be no suspense about the Ballston Spa Winter Fun Festival this year.

It’s signature sledding feature is already canceled, thanks to the dry winter.

In other years, uncertainty has often surrounded whether there would be enough snow to create the sledding run down Bath Street hill.

In several recent years, the festival was canceled at the last minute because of a lack of snow. But that uncertainty is missing as the Feb. 20 event date approaches.

For the first time in 20 years, village officials have simply given up on the sledding. The festival will instead go on in modified form, with no outdoor activities during the day, but a family-oriented party indoors in the evening.

The sledding event has in the past closed a steep street in the village, with village workers covering the street in a thick layer of snow.

“Given no snow, it is apparent there will not be a sledding hill this year,” said Mayor John P. Romano, who is among the organizers.

Instead, the Elks Lodge on Hamilton Street will be open from 5 to 8 p.m., with a disc jockey, children’s games and crafts, a dance contest, and an “indoor snowball fight.” Free pizza and soda are also part of the game plan.

“It will be a fun time. The Elks do a great job,” Romano said.

The evening party was added as a post-sledding event several years ago.

The town of Milton sponsors the Winter Fun Festival, along with the village and the Elks Lodge.

Other communities including Lake George and Saratoga Springs have had to rethink their winter events because of this winter’s unusually warm weather.

Reach Gazette reporter Stephen Williams at 395-3086, [email protected] or @gazettesteve on Twitter.