TUPPER LAKE — When the Tupper Lake Chamber of Commerce unofficially dissolved last September, the Tupper Lake Town Board voted unanimously to explore the idea that its recreation department take over its events. Over a year later, lawmakers say the transition has been successful, but challenging.

“While the transition hasn’t been perfect, it’s a work in progress,” Councilman John Gillis said. “Luckily, we have a fantastic person in Laura (LaBarge), who is gifted at putting those events on.”

LaBarge is the recreation director for the town of Tupper Lake. At the time of the transition, LaBarge was largely on her own, with only part-time help, as she sought to organize these events on top of the town’s other programs. Now, as part of the town’s effort to expand the recreation department, LaBarge is starting to get the help she needs. Youth Activities Director Christielee Geiger helps LaBarge — LaBarges’s father, Bill Cote, also helps part-time.

The events the town took over include Trick-or-Treat on Park Street, OkTUPPERfest, Brew-Ski and the Tinman triathlon.

“It was important to us to keep these legacy events,” Gillis said. “These events are passion events. You sell them off to a corporation and they’re not the same.”

Brewski, which invites cross-country skiers to take to the trails on the Tupper Lake Golf course while enjoying beers from different breweries, saw an uptick in attendance this year — 1,500 people attended, 300 more than a 1,200-person cap. Gillis said the event is a great money maker.

Brewski profits go right back into funding the other events. February’s Brewski sold 1,100 pre-sale tickets. At $26.50 each, that’s just over $29,000 for future events.

Some events, like OkTUPPERfest and the Tinman, have been community staples for decades. Out of respect for families and locals that have been attending for the same, LaBarge said the town “had to keep them going.” She thinks the town board did the right thing.

“They saw a problem and they jumped on it,” she said.

The Tinman’s inaugural race was in 1983 and will see its 41st year in 2024. Gillis reported that a restructuring of Tinman is “definite,” and that LaBarge will be submitting various proposals at upcoming meetings.

“Tinman is a lot of work,” LaBarge said.

She’s gotten advice from organizers of the Lake Placid Ironman triathlon and is working with the Tinman’s run and swim, finish line and transition captains to run the triathlon smoothly. LaBarge cited a continuous, town-wide lack of volunteers as a particularly vexing piece of the challenge.

“There’s a severe lack of volunteers in Tupper, period,” she said.

She went on to say that only a small group of dedicated locals are working to run these events and to change what she describes as the public perception of Tupper Lake, that nothing really goes on here.

“I really love this job, but I’m frustrated with the image Tupper has,” she said.

The chamber, which had transitioned from a traditional chamber of commerce to more of an event group, chose to dissolve in September last year because it could not attract and retain members. While not yet officially dissolved, the legal processes are underway.

“You can’t successfully run a board with five people,” former chamber president Jocelyn Law said.

Law, who moved from Saranac Lake to Tupper Lake five years ago, fell into the role of president after Sonny Young stepped down. She had previously held an untitled position on the board for just one year when she took the president’s chair. With too few board members, a family and a business, the unpaid workload of the chamber became too great.

“It was unfortunate that the chamber wasn’t working out,” Law said. “I felt it was time.”

Now, a year later, things seem to be going well.

“I think the town’s doing a great job,” Law said.