The 2023 Saranac Lake Winter Carnival is underway with a wide array of events for the whole family planned through Sunday, February 12. The carnival theme this year is “Roman around Carnival.” The Winter Carnival has grown into a 10-day festival that includes sports, performances, two parades and three sets of fireworks. The Carnival, organized by an all-volunteer group called the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Committee, is a community-driven festival made possible by the efforts of several volunteers and sponsors.

Traditional winter sport activities include snowshoeing and nordic ski racing at the Dewey Mountain Cross-Country Ski Center, innertube and alpine ski races at the Mount Pisgah Ski Center, skating races and hockey games. Non-traditional winter sports include Snowflake Volleyball played in knee-deep snow at the Civic Center, Snowshoe Softball played at the Elks Field, Ultimate Frisbee Games in the snow at the Petrova athletic fields, Firemen’s Broomball at the Civic Center, a curling exhibition on Pontiac Bay, and an exhibition of woodsmen’s logging skills with Paul Smith’s College students at Riverside Park.

Cultural activities are also part of the schedule, including concerts, theatrical performances, a chocolate festival, indoor and outdoor movie nights, and the annual Rotary Club Variety Show. The event began as a one-day Winter Carnival held in 1897 by the Pontiac Club. The centerpiece of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival is the Ice Palace, which is built by volunteers on the shore of Lake Flower’s Pontiac Bay at the state boat launch, where carnival events have been traditionally held for generations.

See below for this weekend’s schedule of events. For a full schedule, please visit: https://www.saranaclakewintercarnival.com/schedule

An exhibition of woodsmen’s logging skills with Paul Smith’s College students. Saranac Lake Winter Carnival website photo.

Saturday, February 4:

All Day “Roman Around Space” Clue Hunt–Can you solve the clues to navigate your way through town and past all the Roman Gods and Godesses of Space? (Available 24/7 outside the History Hut and Gift Shop near the Ice Palace)

10:00 am – 6:00 pm Winter Carnival History Hut and Gift Shop–Learn about Winter Carnival, Shop for Official Merchandise (Winter Carnival History Hut near the Ice Palace)

10:00 am NBT Bank Ice Palace Fun Run – 4 miles (Ice Palace, State Boat Launch)

10:00 am – 3:00 pm Edward Jones Arctic Golf Build-an-Obstacle Contest (Prescott Park next to the State Boat Launch)

10:00 am – 2:00 pm *Lutheran Church Bake and Craft Sale (Harrietstown Town Hall, 39 Main Street)

10:00 am – 4:00 pm *Paul Smith’s Booster Club Chocolate Festival (Romano’s Saranac Bowling Lanes, 11 Bloomingdale Ave)

10:00 am – 5:00 pm *Cure Porch on Wheels–History exhibit and Roman Health Trivia (at Lake Flower Boat Launch near the Ice Palace)

10:00 am – 5:00 pm *Make Your Own Winter Carnival Button ($1.00, Saranac Laboratory Museum, 89 Church St.)

11:00 am – 12:30 pm *Book Signing–Saranac Lake’s Ice Palace, A History of Winter Carnival’s Crown by Caperton Tissot (History Hut near the Ice Palace)

11:00 am **CANCELLED, due to ice conditions** Long Run Wealth Advisors Curling Exhibition (Lake Flower near the Ice Palace)

11:00 am *Paul Smiths College Woodsmen Exhibition (Riverside Park)

12:00 pm Heat Keepers Icicle Contest — prizes for longest natural icicle (Riverside Park, icicle check-in at 11:30 am)

12:00 pm **CANCELLED, due to ice conditions** Lake Placid Curling Club “Hit the Button” Curling Competition — Open to all ($, Lake Flower near the Ice Palace)

12:30 pm Saranac Teachers Association Little Ladies Fry Pan Toss — For Girls 6-17 (Riverside Park, Registration 11:00-12:00)

1:00 pm *Women’s Civic Second Corn-a-ment Cornhole Tournament (On the ice in front of Saranac Waterfront Lodge, $42 registration fee per 2-player team. Contact Deb Reilly at debreilly6@gmail.com for information. Register at https://linktr.ee/wintercarnivalcornament)

1:00 pm Taylor Rental Ladies Fry Pan Toss — For Ladies 18 and Up (Riverside Park, Registration 11:00-12:30)

3:00 pm *Honky Tonk Angels–A Hit-Country Musical at Pendragon Theatre ($, Pendragon Theatre, 15 Brandy Brook Ave, info and tickets here)

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm *Spaghetti Dinner at St Bernard’s School Cafeteria presented by Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court 787 and Knights of Columbus Council 599, Take Out available ($, St. Bernard’s School, 63 River St, Orders taken 4:30 to 6:30 at 518-354-0825)

7:00 p.m. (roads closing at 6:15 pm) Lighting of the Ice Palace and Hotel Saranac Opening Fireworks Display (Ice Palace, State Boat Launch)

8:30 pm *Live Music–Underground System wsg TBA, doors open 7:30 ($, The Waterhole, 48 Main St)

9:00 pm – 1:00 am *Past Theme Prom–Retire your past Carnival outfits for good at this Banger, Music with DJ Big Clam, doors open at 8 (The Garagery, behind Grizle-T’s on Dorsey Street)

Ultimate frisbee at the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival. Saranac Lake Winter Carnival website photo.

Sunday, February 5:

All Day “Roman Around Space” Clue Hunt–Can you solve the clues to navigate your way through town and past all the Roman Gods and Godesses of Space? (Available 24/7 outside the History Hut and Gift Shop near the Ice Palace)

10:00 am – 6:00 pm Winter Carnival History Hut and Gift Shop–Learn about Winter Carnival, Shop for Official Merchandise (Winter Carnival History Hut near the Ice Palace)

10:00 am – 3:00 pm Edward Jones Arctic Golf (Prescott Park next to the State Boat Launch)

10:00 am – 4:00 pm *–BACK THIS YEAR– Skate Lake Colby sponsored by Adirondack Health — Demos, Free Skate, Straight Line Drag Races for Ice Skates and Kick Sleds 2 pm to 3 pm. (Beach at Lake Colby)

10:00 am – 5:00 pm *Cure Porch on Wheels–History exhibit and Roman Health Trivia (at Lake Flower Boat Launch near the Ice Palace)

10:00 am *White Stag Downhill Ski Races (Mt. Pisgah Ski Center, 92 Mt. Pisgah Lane, $)

11:30 am *Arctic Bar-B-Que — Friends of Mt. Pisgah (Mt. Pisgah Ski Center, Mt. Pisgah Lane, $)

1:00 pm –NEW– The Blue Buns Wheel-a-Palooza, a bathing suit-clad round-the-town bike ride (Ice Palace, State Boat Launch)

1:00 pm LifePower Chiropractic Ultimate Frisbee Games (Saranac Lake High School Football Field, 79 Canaras Ave, Call 518-637-3238 for details)

2:30 pm Adirondack Lakes and Trails Outfitters FlowerBall (Lake Flower near the Ice Palace)

3:00 pm *Honky Tonk Angels–A Hit-Country Musical at Pendragon Theatre ($, Pendragon Theatre, 15 Brandy Brook Ave, info and tickets here)

Tubing at the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival. Saranac Lake Winter Carnival website photo.

For more information, visit the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival website at www.SaranaclakeWinterCarnival.info.

Photo at top: Fireworks at the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival. Saranac Lake Winter Carnival website photo.

Note: Most photography on the aforementioned website is produced by Mark Kurtz Photography, official photographer for the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival.