Shown here, from left, in the back row are Sara Diehl, Adam Wild, Michael Durham and Ambrose Serrano. In the front is Bachana Tsiklauri. (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

Dmitry Feld is a tough act to follow, yet the connections, goodwill, and example he set resulted in many people working together to continue his legacy. That collective can-do spirit was fully in bloom at the Shipman Youth Center’s Dmitry’s Feast of the Peaks and Music Festival, aka Dmitry Day, held at the North Elba Show Grounds on Saturday, Aug. 31.

Dmitry died in January at the age of 68 and had created and co-organized the I Love BBQ and Music Festival for 17 years, raising more than $350,000 for the youth center.

Reducing a three-day festival into a one-day community celebration was challenging enough, and pulling it off between rain showers was even harder. Yet the turnout was good, the fun was ever-present and the love was in abundance. Though reduced, most of the core elements were there: music; activities for all ages, food; and a cook-off.

One of the big features of the old barbecue festival was the cook-off, which in the past featured a panel of Kansas City Barbeque Society-certified judges as well as a People’s Choice Award for best ribs. This year, the focus was on the People’s Choice Award, and instead of ribs, the lineup was appetizers (aka chili), chicken wings and mac and cheese. Seven teams were pitted against each other, with one of the seven stepping in for a restaurant that couldn’t make it.

There was no charge for admission, but people were asked to donate per car, and there was no charge for the children’s activities. There was a $20 charge for tickets to the food taste-off. All contributions benefited the Shipman Youth Center, which included a percentage of sales by the vendors. Youth activities included a bouncy house sponsored by Hannaford, participatory activities led by balloon artist Scott Eichholz, caricature artist Joe Farris and having your face painted by face Sue Delamarter, all funded by a local family. Almy Bartis created the new logo.

Molly Melendez, left, and Alison Helm and her kids (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

“After 28 years of cooking, I think our lemon chicken wings are the right way to cook them,” said Evan Karagiammoboulos, owner and head chef of the Greek ADK Restaurant in Lake Placid. “The Miracle on Ice inspired me to move to Lake Placid. Ten years ago, my friend George and I visited this wonderful town for the first time. On our way back to Queens, where we lived then, I said we should move up there, and in time we did.”

Dmitry inspired them to support the Shipman Center and to do whatever they could to support this community, and thus, they were glad to be asked to participate in the festival and cook-off.

“Whatever we can do for the community, we will do,” said Evan. “Without question.”

“The chili is our mother Alisson Levesey’s recipe,” said Astrid Saint-Pierre of Rudy’s Scar Bar and Grill of Wilmington. “She’s been making it our entire lives; the recipe’s been in our family since the 1940s. I don’t help my mom cook, but my younger sister Adiss does. I mostly bartend and serve. We opened in 2019. We are here because of Dmitry. When I was 15, some friends and I started a nonprofit composting business through the Lake Placid High School. Dmitry was a big help and supporter of that effort. In addition, my boyfriend Hunter Harris is on the luge team, so we have a lot of reasons for being here.”

Ricky Canny, who welcomes people and sells tickets to the food taste-off, has been volunteering for the Shipman Center for at least 18 years. She said that while people are very happy when they arrive, their smiles are even bigger after they taste the food.

Volunteers Kyle Woodlief and Ricky Canny (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

“Dmitry and I have been friends for over 30 years,” said Kyle Woodlief, volunteering with Canny. “I have volunteered at the BBQ since the first year and certainly wanted to help honor him by helping out now. His death was a tough loss for the community.”

“The transition following our loss of Dmitry has been extremely tough,” said Michael Durham, who took over as president of the Shipman Center. “We’ve had to make adjustments as to how we do everything. How do we honor Dmitry? How do we generate crucial funding for the youth center, the fundraising, because he did much of it himself.”

In February, the board listed the pros and cons of the festival, noting that over the years, there had been a steady decline in teams. Therefore, they decided not to have the barbecue competition but to continue the tastings and People’s Choice Award through a competition by local restaurants. They shortened the event to one day, kept the music, raffle and youth activities, and renamed the event Dmitry’s Feast of the Peaks and Music Festival.

“We changed it all around to what Dmitry wanted,” said Durham. “His passion was food, music and people gathering and having a great time making new friends. Everybody on the board, including USA Luge, UPS, the parks district and other friends like Matt St. Louis, has come together to make this happen. I didn’t know Thomas Shipman. I did know Dmitry. I aim to keep Dmitry’s mission of raising money for the youth center going and strong. He spent 25 years doing this.”

Molly Melendez, Alison Helm, and their kids enjoyed the taste-off, eyeing the plates full of chicken wings, macaroni and cheese and other goodies to taste.

Kai McKinnon, Adiss Livesey-Serry and Astrid Saint-Pierre (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

“I am so excited,” said Melendez. “I think I will be in this tasting tent for most of the day. My sister-in-law, niece and nephew, who live up here, got me to attend the festival today. I’m visiting from Connecticut. They and I have never been to this, but it sounded like a great way to spend the day.”

Not all the fun was in the tasting tent, for many watching Paul Smith’s College forestry team whip through logs with the greatest of ease using a wide array of high-end axes and saws. Two of the more entertaining were the axe throw, handily won by Taylor Sirois, and the water boiling contest, where two teams had to start by splitting up a cedar log and then starting a fire under a pot of water. The women’s team of Mere Valley and McKenna Verhagen won that contest.

“I took up forestry because it looked very cool, something I have never done before,” said Verhagen. “It’s taught me so much.”

“You get to use chainsaws and throw axes, yea I’ll try it,” said Valley. “It’s been all good in every sense.”

Dmitry’s wife, Linda, was very appreciative of everyone’s effort to keep her husband’s spirit alive and his support for the Shipman Center ongoing.

Dave and Nita Holley (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

“I thought the day went well,” she said. “At the beginning, they played the U.S. and Ukrainian national anthems. That was very nice. The volunteers put their heart and soul into it.”

(Naj Wikoff lives in Keene Valley and has been writing his column for the Lake Placid News since 2005.)

–

People’s Choice Award Winners

–

Agnes Fuhambojo, George Phailippakos and Evan Karagiammoboulos (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

Wings

1st Lisa Gs

2nd Cambria Hotel

3rd Greek Adk Restaurant

–

Mac and cheese

1st Wyatts

2nd Redneck Bistro

3rd Eleanor Pasta Restaurant

–

Appetizer-Chili

1st Lisa Gs

2nd Rudy’s Scar Bar & Grill