1932 Winter Olympics Celebrated

Diamond Dinner Dance in Lake Placid, NY, celebrates the 1932 Winter Olympic Games’ 75th anniversary on Feb. 11, 2007

Jan 21, 2007

An evening of swing, sentiment and song will benefit the Lake Placid Winter Olympic Museum as the first American Winter Olympics are feted.

Seventy-five years ago, the Lake Placid community came together to host an event that would change the small village forever.

Despite the hard times of the Great Depression, organizers such as Godfrey Dewey went ahead with his vision in bringing the III Olympic Winter Games to Lake Placid.

This winter, on February 11, the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) will bring a unique event to the 1932 Rink Jack Shea Arena to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the 1932 Olympic Winter Games—the Diamond Dinner Dance.

The event is a benefit for the 1932 & 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Museum to preserve New York State's Olympic history.

The evening begins with a reception starting at 6 p.m. with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and historical film footage from the 1932 Olympic Winter Games set to a musical theme played by a five-piece combo from the Georgie Wonders Orchestra.

At 7 p.m. an identical replication of the dinner menu from the banquet Governor Franklin Roosevelt attended in 1932 will be served, including filet mignon and lobster patties.

Dessert will conclude with the ice dancers, starring Switzerland's Nora Von Bergen and David DeFazio, Canadians Laura Csumrik and Kevin Gallagher and Kim Navarro and Brent

Bommentre of the United States. These skaters will perform ballroom style dances on the uncovered portion of the 1932 Rink.

The lively sounds of the Georgie Wonders Orchestra start again at 9 p.m., playing songs from Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and many more ‘30s favorites for people to dance the night away on a black and white dance floor.

To add to the evening's exclusivity, part of the ice surface will be open for public skating while listening to the sounds of a live Big Band. Skate rentals will be available or partygoers may bring their own.

Regularly priced tickets are $100 per person. Or, invite friends, co-workers and business associates and reserve a table of 10 for $1,000.

Tickets for just the dancing/skating portion of the event, starting at 9 p.m., are $32 per person and include dessert, beverages and dancing/skating.

To purchase tickets, visit or call the ORDA Store at 2412 Main Street, Lake Placid, (518) 523-1420, the 1932 & 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Museum at (518) 523-1655 x226, or the Olympic Center Box Office (518) 523-3330.

Check out www.whitefacelakeplacid.com for information updates, including info from the 1930s, such as hairstyles, music, dresses and dances that may be featured at the Diamond Dinner Dance.

The copyright of the article 1932 Winter Olympics Celebrated in Winter Sports is owned by Mitch Kaplan. Permission to republish 1932 Winter Olympics Celebrated in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.