Well there are many ways to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and it doesn't have to start with morning mass.

The New York Ski Education Foundation (NYSEF) will be celebrating its annual Kids' Fest at the Lake Placid Olympic Ski Jumps. This one-day event will allow participants a glimpse into the world of Biathlon. There will be a paintball biathlon and leprechaun relay obstacle course (wearing green is, of course, encouraged)

If your (under 13) child is interested in skate skiing, paintball and biathlon, this venue is a great place to be able to view the action. He or she can even participate, though it is free to watch. Keep in mind that all the other Olympic activities such as riding the ski lift or going to the top of the observation tower, require admission. After the awards there will be an ice cream social, a perfect segue into spring.

Whiteface Mountain offers all sorts of activities whether you are a ticket holder or not. So St. Patrick's Day can be celebrated in a variety of ways with clowns and balloon animals at the Main Base Lodge or on a MountainTour.

Every Saturday through the end of March Whiteface Mountain will be offering its Kids Crafts and Fun Zone from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. with an art activity such as mask or sticker making. Special for St. Patrick's Day will be the debut of the new Lean-to with a party at the Kids' Kampus with free hot chocolate and cookies for the wee ones.

There are also free workshops at the Main Base Lodge such as Tuning Awareness and Know Your Technical Apparel so stop by Guest Service Desk to sign up for any and all activities. If you still have the energy stop at the Cloudspin Lounge for a bit o' jousting at the inflatable ring from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. on March 17.

At 8:00 p.m., The Adirondack Mountain Club is finishing its Winter Cabin Fever Series with the musical talents of the Adirondack acoustic group, The Rustic Riders at the Heart Lake High Peaks Information Center. Thisfree March 17th event is open to the public so bring your dancing shoes andenjoy the original music of Lisa Meissner with her husband Klaus on percussion. 

So have a safe, fun and very Adirondack St. Patrick's weekend. 

Diane Chase is a writer and author of the Adirondack Family Activities guidebook Adirondack Family Time Lake Placid and the High Peaks: Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities. Her second book for the Champlain Valley will be in stores summer 2012.