Empire State Games Cancelled

The 2021 Empire State Winter Games have been canceled because of safety concerns posed by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Scheduled to take place January 28 to 31, 2021 in the Lake Placid region, in recent years, the Games have attracted more than 2,000 athletes from across New York and beyond — including 15 states and three countries — to compete in more than 30 winter sports events. 

The challenges and uncertainty presented in appropriately planning, organizing, and producing events safely for the athletes of all ages and the nearly 20,000 spectators that the Games could draw proved insurmountable. 

The first Winter Games were held in 1981 and have continued annually since. For its 41st year, organizers hope to instead host a virtual or social media-based event for the Games participants.