Saranac Lake gears up for 129th annual Winter Carnival

SARANAC LAKE | Planning for this year's Winter Carnival, which is slated for Feb. 6 to 15, is now well underway. The theme — "Cartoonival" — has been announced; the royal court has been chosen; and work has already begun on the famous Winter Carnival Ice Palace. "Right now, we're getting the ice cleared so that it grows thick enough to build the actual Ice Palace," said Jeffrey Branch, chair of the Winter Carnival Committee. "The goal is to start cutting out blocks and constructing the palace itself by Jan. 21." With how cold it's been so far and the amount of snow that has already fallen on the village, Branch is confident that Ice Palace construction will be successful. However, unlike in previous years, including last year, when the Ice Palace remained open until the end of February, the Ice Palace will be dismantled immediately after the festivities. "I know a lot of people like to make plans to come up and visit the Ice Palace after the Winter Carnival is over, but we unfortunately just can't do that anymore," said Branch about the structure that is constructed and maintained by a group of dedicated volunteers. "We just don't have the people to go down and maintain it." Despite this change, locals and visitors alike will still be able to enjoy the Ice Palace 24/7 during the festival. Accessibility Day, which offers free accessible transportation, is scheduled for Feb. 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Ice Palace parking lot will be reserved for handicapped parking, and an additional number of Ice Palace hosts will be on hand to assist. There will also be a special Family Night on Feb. 11 from 5 to 7 p.m., where guests can meet carnival royalty and characters while exploring the palace. Locals and visitors alike can enjoy a variety of outdoor activities and sports competitions over 10 days, including curling, downhill skiing, tug-of-war, ultimate frisbee, snowshoeing, ice skating, rugby, cross-country skiing, and more. Iconic events, such as the Fry Pan Toss, FlowerBall, and Firefighter's Broom Ball, will also return, as well as the festival staples, like the opening fireworks display on Feb. 7 and Gala Parade on Feb. 14. The schedule of events is still being finalized, and the King and Queen will be chosen sometime by mid-January. At the time this article was written, the Winter Carnival Committee was gearing up to start collecting nominations. Referring to the iconic work of Cartoonist Garry Trudeau, who began designing the multi-day festival's memorabilia in 1981 to benefit Winter Carnival activities, Posters are now available for purchase, and, at the time this article was written, buttons were still being produced. Once complete, they'll be available for sale at various shops around Saranac Lake, as well as at the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. For more information or updates, visit saranaclakewintercarnival.com or check out the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival official Facebook page.

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Saranac Lake gears up for 129th annual Winter Carnival

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