Saranac Lake Winter Carnival 2020
Get ready for some cold weather fun as you gear up for the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival! The Ice Palace is the cornerstone to the event, but tons of activities and events take place - get all the details below.
Note: The 2020 Saranac Lake Winter Carnival has passed, but if you scroll down to the end of the schedule you'll find after-carnival happenings in late February and early March. The 2021 Saranac Lake Winter Carnival is scheduled for February 5 to 14, 2021.
When is the Winter Carnival?
The 2020 Saranac Lake Winter Carnival will run from Friday, January 31, 2020 to Sunday, February 9, 2020. The 2020 theme is Myths & Legends.
Where Do the Events Take Place?
The Winter Carnival takes place at various locations throughout Saranac Lake, NY. The iconic Saranac Lake Ice Palace, shown below, can be found on the shores of Lake Flower at Pontiac Bay.
What Events Will be Happening in 2020?
Browse the 2020 Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Schedule
An asterisk (*) indicates an event not run by the Winter Carnival Committee, and the dollar sign ($) indicates a cost associated with an event.
Monday, January 6, 2020
- 4:30pm to 7:30pm: High School Court Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser (Belvedere Restaurant, 102 Bloomingdale Avenue, $)
Thursday, January 10, 2020
- 6pm: High School Court Trivia Night Fundraiser (6pm team selection, 7pm game start) (Elks Club, 30 Bloomingdale Avenue, food and drinks available, $)
Thursday, January 30, 2020
- *5:30pm: 19th Annual Past Royalty Mixer and Dinner, open to past royalty only (Red Fox Restaurant, 5034 NYS Route 3, contact Marilyn Bigelow at 518.891.1286, $)
Friday, January 31, 2020 - First Day
- 7:30pm: *Women's Civic Chamber Coronation of Winter Carnival Royalty (Harrietstown Town Hall)
- TBD: *Post-Coronation Winter Royalty Reception presented by the Elk's Club (immediately following Coronation) (Elk's Club, 30 Bloomingdale Avenue)
Saturday, February 1, 2020
- 10am: NBT Bank Ice Palace Fun Run (4 miles) (Ice Palace, State Boat Launch)
- 10am to 4pm: Arctic Golf Build-an-Obstacle Contest, register before 2/1 (Prescott Park next to the State Boat Launch)
- 10am to 4pm: *Lutheran Church Women's Bake and Craft Sale (Harrietstown Town Hall)
- 10am to 4pm: *27th Annual Chocolate Festival by the Paul Smith's College Boosters without Borders (Harrietstown Town Hall)
- 11am: Long Run Wealth Advisors Curling Exhibition (Lake Flower near the Ice Palace)
- 11am: *Paul Smith's College Woodsmen's Exhibition (Riverside Park)
- 11am to 2pm: *Petrova Winter Carnival for Kids (Petrova Elementary School Cafeteria, $)
- 11:30am: Icicle Drop-Off Begins for Icicle Contest (Riverside Park)
- 12pm: Judging for the Icicle Contest
- 12pm: Hit the Button Curling Competition (Lake Flower near the Ice Palace)
- 12:30pm: Saranac Lake Teachers Association Little Ladies' Fry Pan Toss, for girls ages 6 to 8, 9 to 12, and 13 to 17 (Riverside Park, $), Registration is 11am to 12pm at the event
- 1pm: Taylor Rental Ladies' Fry Pan Toss. (Riverside Park, $), Registration is 11am to 12:30pm at the event
- 2:30pm: ANCA Flower Ball (Lake Flower near the Ice Palace)
- 5pm to 7pm: *Annual Winter Carnival Spaghetti Dinner, Catholic Daughters and Knights of Columbus (St. Bernard's School Cafeteria, 63 River Street, $)
- 6:30pm: *The Story Ending, Elk's Club Murder Mystery (6:32pm Open Bar, 7:04pm Play, 7:55pm Dinner) (Elk's Club, 30 Bloomingdale Avenue, $)
- 7pm: Lighting of the Ice Palace and Cape Air Opening Fireworks Display (Ice Palace, State Boat Launch)
Sunday, February 2, 2020
- 10am to 5pm: Blue Line Brewery Arctic Golf (Prescott Park next to the State Boat Launch)
- 10am: *White Stag Downhill Ski Races (Mt. Pisgah Ski Center, $)
- 11am to 2:30pm: *Arctic Bar-B-Que (Mt. Pisgah Ski Center, $), presented by the Friends of Mt. Pisgah
- 12pm to 5pm: Adirondack Health Skate Lake Colby and Ice Sport Demos (Lake Colby Beach, bring your ice skates)
- 1pm: H&R Block Ultimate Frisbee Games (Saranac Lake High School Football Field), call 518.637.3238 for details
- 1pm: *Adirondack Wind Ensemble Concert: All music composed for AWE, including the second performance of Wm Plaff's Suite of Incidental Music to Fuddy Meers (Saranac Lake High School Auditorium, 79 Canaras Avenue, $)
Monday, February 3, 2020
- 7pm: *Community Celebration Service (St. Luke's Church)
- 7:30pm: *Life, Love & Legends - A Rock 'n Roll Memoir, produced by Joe Dockery featuring over 20 musicians and actors (Pendragon Theatre, 15 Brandy Brook Avenue, $)
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
- 3:30pm: *Scavenger Hunt for Middle School Students (Saranac Lake Youth Center)
- 5pm: Grand Marshal Reception (TBD, cash bar)
- 6pm: Royalty Dinner (TBD, $) (RSVP by 02/01 at 518.891.4367)
- 7:30pm: *Life, Love & Legends - A Rock 'n Roll Memoir, produced by Joe Dockery featuring over 20 musicians and actors (Pendragon Theatre, 15 Brandy Brook Avenue, $)
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
- 6pm: Curtis Lumber Snowshoe Races (all ages) (Dewey Mountain, $), call 518.891.2697
- 7:30pm: *Life, Love & Legends - A Rock 'n Roll Memoir, produced by Joe Dockery featuring over 20 musicians and actors (Pendragon Theatre, 15 Brandy Brook Avenue, $)
Thursday, February 6, 2020
- 2:30pm to 6:30pm: *31st Annual Winter Book Sale (Saranac Free Library, Thomas B. Cantwell Community Room, $)
- 6pm: American Management Association Torchlight Skiing and Fireworks (Mt. Pisgah Ski Center)
Friday, February 7, 2020
- 10am: Adirondack Bank Innertube Races (Mt. Pisgah Ski Center, $)
- 10am to 4pm: *31st Annual Winter Book Sale (Saranac Free Library, Thomas B. Cantwell Community Room, $)
- 12:30pm: Coakley Ace Hardware Children's Skating Races (Saranac Lake Civic Center)
- 5pm to 7pm: *Paul Smiths College Alumni Hockey Game; free admission with plenty of food, merchandise, and giveaways (Saranac Lake Civic Center, 213 Ampersand Avenue)
- 6pm to 7pm: *Comedian Justin Rupple, North Country Community College (NCCC, 23 Santanoni Avenue)
- 7pm to 9:30pm: *Firefighter's Broom Ball (Saranac Lake Civic Center)
- 7:30pm: *Rotary Club Variety Show (Harrietstown Town Hall, $), this event usually sells out - get your tickets ahead of time
Saturday, February 8, 2020
- 8am to 11am: *Mason's Pancake Breakfast (First United Methodist Church, 63 Church Street, $), sponsored by Whiteface Mountain Lodge 789 Masonic Temple
- 8:30am to 9:30am: *Breakfast With the Winter Carnival Characters at the Mason's Pancake Breakfast (First United Methodist Church, 63 Church Street)
- 10am to 11am: Stewart's Shops Meet the Winter Carnival Characters (Ice Palace, State Boat Launch)
- 10am: *Can-Am Snow Rugby Game (Saranac Lake High School Track Field), call 518.524.5841 for details
- 10am to 4pm: *31st Annual Winter Book Sale (Saranac Lake Free Library, Thomas B. Cantwell Community Room, $)
- 10am to 5pm: *Open House at the Loon Center, with cookies and hot chocolate to warm up before or after the parade (Loon Center, 15 Broadway)
- 10:30am to 3:30pm: *Lion's Club Chili Sale (Harrietstown Town Hall, $)
- 11am: *Paul Smith's College Woodsmen's Exhibition (Riverside Park)
- 12pm: Gala Parade Line-up (Register at Nice N Easy Mobil, line up on Upper Broadway)
- 1pm: Gala Parade (Broadway and Main Street from Ampersand Avenue to LaPan Highway)
- 6:30pm: *The Story Ending, Elk's Club Murder Mystery (6:32pm Open Bar, 7:04pm Play, 7:55pm Dinner) (Elk's Club, 30 Bloomingdale Avenue, $)
- Post-Parade Winter Carnival Parade Bands Sound-Off (Harrietstown Town Hall)
Sunday, February 9, 2020 - Last Day
- 10am: Community Bank Adult Cross-Country Ski Races (Dewey Mountain, $), call 518.891.2697 for details
- 11am: Casey McHigh Pond Hockey Tournament (Bloomingdale Fields, $)
- 11am: Bionique Testing Labs Snowflake Volleyball Tournament (Saranac Lake Civic Center, Rotary Field, $)
- 11am: Snowshoe Softball (Elks Field, John Munn Road, $)
- 11am: ANCA FlowerBall (Lake Flower near the Ice Palace)
- 12pm: Adirondack Health Youth Cross-Country Ski Races (Dewey Mountain, $), call 518.891.2697 for details
- 12pm to 1:45pm: *Lunch at the Carousel with the Stewart's Shop Carnival Characters (Adirondack Carousel, $)
- 12:30pm to 1:45pm: Snowy Owl Face Painting for Children (Harrietstown Town Hall)
- 2pm: Casella Waste Systems Kiddie Parade (Main Street)
- 2pm: Tops Friendly Markets Cookie Decorating Contest (Harrietstown Hall, immediately following the Kiddie Parade)
- 3pm: *25th Annual Saranac Lake Young Arts Association Winter Carnival Baroque & Beyond Concert (First United Methodist Church, donation requested)
- 7:30pm: Guide Boat Realty Winter Carnival Slide Show (Ice Palace, State Boat Launch)
- 8pm: Guide Boat Realty "Storming the Palace" Closing Fireworks Display (Ice Palace, State Boat Launch)
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
- 6pm: Post-Winter Carnival Committee Wrap-Up Meeting, 2020 Critique (LGI Lecture Room, Saranac Lake High School)
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
- 2pm: Post-Winter Carnival Slideshow (Saranac Village at Will Rogers)
- 7:30pm: Post-Winter Carnival Slideshow (Saranac Village at Will Rogers)
Wednesday, March 1, 2020
- 6pm: Winter Carnival Volunteer Recognition Dinner (TBD, 5pm to 6pm cocktails)
Tuesday, March TBD, 2020
- 6pm: Winter Carnival Committee Meeting - Theme Nominations (LGI Lecture Room, Saranac Lake High School)
Tuesday, April TBD, 2020
- 6pm: Winter Carnival Committee Annual Meeting - Elections and Theme Selection (LGI Lecture Room, Saranac Lake High School)
What is the Ice Palace?
- The centerpiece of the Winter Carnival
- Built on the shore of Lake Flower's Pontiac Bay at the NYS boat launch
- Still constructed in the same way as it was in 1898 (the first year it was built)
- The Ice Palace is open to the public throughout the duration of the carnival
- Ice is harvested in blocks from Lake Flower and stacked to form the Palace
See photos of the ice palace through the years »
Who is Responsible for the Winter Carnival?
The Carnival is organized by a group of volunteers called the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Committee.Need More Information?
Go to the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival website »