Home / Winter / Annual Events / SLWC

Saranac Lake Winter Carnival 2019

Get ready for some cold weather fun as you gear up for the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival! 2019 promises to be an action-packed year for this wintry celebration with a theme of "Prehistoric Park."

When Is The Winter Carnival?

fireworks at winter carnival

The 2019 Saranac Lake Winter Carnival will run from February 1-10.

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 2019?

full ice palace photo

Editor's Note: Although the 2019 Saranac Lake Winter Carnival schedule has not been released yet, you can still check out the schedule from last year for an idea of what to expect!

Please note that the information below is preliminary. An asterisk (*) indicates an event not run by the Winter Carnival Committee, and the dollar sign ($) indicates a cost associated with an event.

Friday, February 2

4:30 p.m. *Downtown Advisory Board Movie Night, "The Nut Job 2" animated movie (Berkeley Green, Free)
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. *Opening Reception, Lynn Manning - Winner of 2017 Juried Show (Adirondack Artist's Guild, 52 Main Street, exhibits on display entire month)
7:30 p.m. *16mm film screening of "The Olympic Spirit" (1980, Lake Placid) and cartoon shorts (Lake Flower Landing, 421 Lake Flower Ave, donation)
7:30 p.m. *Women's Civic Chamber Coronation of Winter Carnival Royalty (Harrietstown Town Hall)
Post-Coronation *Winter Carnival Royalty Reception (Remain at Harrietstown Town Hall)
9:00 p.m. *O'death with special guest Tigerman Woah & Arthur Buezo (Waterhole, 48 Main St, 8pm Doors, $)

Saturday, February 3

10:00 a.m. NBT Bank Ice Palace Fun Run (4 miles) (Ice Palace, State Boat Launch)
10:00 a.m. - Noon *Winter Forest Bathing Eco-Trip by Adirondack Riverwalking (Riverside Park, $)
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Arctic Golf Build-an-Obstacle Contest, Register before 1/27 (Prescott Park next to the State Boat Launch)
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. *Lutheran Church Women's Bake and Craft Sale (Harrietstown Town Hall)
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. *25th Annual Chocolate Festival by the Paul Smith's College Boosters/NYS WOMAN, Inc. (Harrietstown Town Hall)
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. *Make Your Winter Carnival Button (Saranac Laboratory Museum, 89 Church St, Free for children and for those wearing buttons)
11:00 a.m. Casella Waste Systems Curling Exhibition (Lake Flower near the Ice Palace)
11:00 a.m. *Paul Smith's College Woodsmen's Exhibition (Riverside Park)
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. *Petrova Winter Carnival (Petrova Elementary School Cafeteria, $)
12:00 p.m. "Hit the Button" Curling Competition (Lake Flower near the Ice Palace)
12:30 p.m. Saranac Lake Teachers Association Little Ladies' Fry Pan Toss For Girls 6-8, 9-12, and 13-17 (Riverside Park, $) Registration is 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at the event
1:00 p.m. Taylor Rental Ladies' Fry Pan Toss (Riverside Park, $) Registration is 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at the event
2:30 p.m. ANCA FlowerBall (Lake Flower near the Ice Palace)
5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. *Catholic Daughters Spaghetti Dinner (St. Bernard's Church cafeteria, $)
7:00 p.m. Lighting of the Ice Palace and Cape Air Opening Fireworks Display (Ice Palace, State Boat Launch)
8:00 p.m. *Figure to Ground, electro-acoustic performance (Lake Flower Landing, 421 Lake Flower Ave, $)
8:00 p.m. *Pendragon Theatre presents Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple: Female Version" (Pendragon Theatre, 15 Brandy Brook, $)
9:00 p.m. *Kung Fu with special guest The English Project (Waterhole, 48 Main St, 8pm Doors, $)

Sunday, February 4

10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Blue Line Brewery Arctic Golf (Prescott Park next to the State Boat Launch)
10:00 a.m. *White Stag Downhill Ski Races (Mt. Pisgah Ski Center, $)
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. *Winter Forest Bathing Eco-Trip by Adirondack Riverwalking (Riverside Park, $)
11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. *Arctic Bar-B-Que (Mt. Pisgah Ski Center, $) Presented by the Friends of Mt. Pisgah
12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. *Make Your Winter Carnival Button (Saranac Laboratory Museum, 89 Church St, Free for children and for those wearing buttons)
1:00 p.m. H & R Block Ultimate Frisbee Games (Saranac Lake High School Football Field, call 518-637-3238 for details)
2:00 p.m. *Pendragon Theatre presents "Neil Simon's The Odd Couple: Female Version" (Pendragon Theatre, 15 Brandy Brook, $)

Monday, February 5

6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. *Books and Brews - Bring a Book to Swap, Literacy Volunteers of Essex/Franklin Counties (Blue Line Brewery, 555 Lake Flower Ave, $)
7:00 p.m. *Interfaith Service Celebration (St. Luke's Church)
7:00 p.m. *Movie Monday: "The Great White Trail" presented by Historic Saranac Lake. Filmed in part in Saranac Lake (John Black Room, Saranac Lake Museum, 89 Church Street, $)

Tuesday, February 6

3:30 p.m. *Scavenger Hunt for Middle School Students (Saranac Lake Youth Center)
5:00 p.m. Grand Marshal Reception (Hotel Saranac, cash bar)
6:00 p.m. Royalty Dinner (Pages' dinners sponsored by the Adirondack Motel) (Hotel Saranac, $, RSVP and meal choice required by 1/26, call 518-891-4367)
9:00 p.m. *Swampcandy (Waterhole, 48 Main St, 8pm Doors, Free)

Wednesday, February 7

5:30 p.m. *St Bernard's School Family Trivia Night (St Bernard's School, 63 River St, Call Kelly at 518-569-4845 for details, $)
6:00 p.m. Curtis Lumber Snowshoe Races (all ages) (Dewey Mountain, $, call 891-2697)
9:00 p.m. *Sophistafunk with special guest Jiggawaltz (Waterhole, 48 Main St, 8pm Doors, $)

Thursday, February 8

2:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. *29th Annual Winter Book Sale (Saranac Lake Free Library, Thomas B Cantwell Community Room, $)
6:00 p.m. American Management Association Torchlight Skiing and Fireworks (Mt. Pisgah Ski Center)
8:30 p.m. *Donna the Buffalo with special guest The Old Main (Waterhole, 48 Main St, 7:30pm Doors, $)

Friday, February 9

10:00 a.m. Adirondack Bank Innertube Races (Mt. Pisgah Ski Center, $)
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. *29th Annual Winter Book Sale (Saranac Lake Free Library, Thomas B Cantwell Community Room, $)
12:30 p.m. Coakley Ace Hardware Children's Skating Races (Saranac Lake Civic Center)
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. *Knockerball hosted by Paul Smith's College Student Activities & Alumni Relations (Saranac Lake Middle School Gym)
5:15 p.m.- 6:45 p.m. *Paul Smith's College Student & Alumni Hockey Game (Saranac Lake Civic Center)
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. *Firefighter's Broom Ball (Saranac Lake Civic Center)
7:30 p.m. *Rotary Club Variety Show (Harrietstown Town Hall, $) This event usually sells out; Get your tickets ahead of time
9:00 p.m. *Lucid with special guest Bella's Bartok (Waterhole, 48 Main St, 8pm Doors, $)

Saturday, February 10

8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. *Mason's Pancake Breakfast (Saranac Lake Adult Center, $) Sponsored by Whiteface Mountain Lodge 789 Masonic Temple
8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. *Breakfast with the Winter Carnival Characters at the Mason's Pancake Breakfast (Saranac Lake Adult Center)
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Stewart's Shops Meet the Winter Carnival Characters (Ice Palace, State Boat Launch)
10:00 a.m. *Can-Am Snow Rugby Game (Saranac Lake High School Track Field. Call 524-5841 for details)
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. *29th Annual Winter Book Sale (Saranac Lake Free Library, Thomas B Cantwell Community Room, $)
10:00 a.m. - Noon *North Country Community College & Paul Smith's College Co-Host Alumni Reception (Hotel Saranac)
10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. *Lion's Club Chili Sale (Harrietstown Town Hall, $)
11:00 a.m. *Paul Smith's College Woodsmen's Exhibition (Riverside Park)
12:00 p.m. Gala Parade Line-up (Register at Nice N Easy Mobil; line up on Upper Broadway)
1:00 p.m. Gala Parade (Broadway and Main Street from Ampersand Avenue to LaPan Highway)
Post-Parade Winter Carnival Parade Bands Sound-Off (Harrietstown Town Hall)
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. *Make Your Winter Carnival Button (Saranac Laboratory Museum, 89 Church St, Free for children and for those wearing buttons)
2:00 p.m. *Post Parade Party with Raisinhead (Waterhole, 48 Main St, Free)
7:00 p.m. *Pendragon Theatre presents Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple: Female Version" (Pendragon Theatre, 15 Brandy Brook, $)
7:30 p.m. *Screening: "Vintage Vaudeville on Film," Brian Dewan's filmstrip shorts (Lake Flower Landing, 421 Lake Flower Ave, donation)
9:00 p.m. *West End Blend with guest The Big Takeover (Waterhole, 48 Main St, 8pm Doors, $)

Sunday, February 11

10:00 a.m. Community Bank Adult Cross-Country Ski Races (Dewey Mountain, $, Call 891-2697 for details)
11:00 a.m. Casey McHugh Pond Hockey Tournament (Bloomingdale Fields, $, Call 637-4669 for details)
11:00 a.m. Bionique Testing Labs Snowflake Volleyball Tournament (Saranac Lake Civic Center, Rotary Field, $)
11:00 a.m. Snowshoe Softball (Elks Field, John Munn Road, $)
11:00 a.m. ANCA FlowerBall, (Lake Flower near the Ice Palace)
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. *Winter Forest Bathing Eco-Trip by Adirondack Riverwalking (Riverside Park, $)
12:00 p.m. Key Bank Youth Cross-Country Ski Races (Dewey Mountain, $, Call 891-2697 for details)
12:00 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. *Lunch at the Carousel with the Stewart's Shop Carnival Characters (Adirondack Carousel, $)
12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. *Make Your Winter Carnival Button (Saranac Laboratory Museum, 89 Church St, Free for children and for those wearing buttons)
12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. Snowy Owl Face Painting for Children (Harrietstown Town Hall)
2:00 p.m. Casella Waste Systems Kiddie Parade (Main Street)
2:00 p.m. Tops Markets Cookie Decorating Contest (Harrietstown Town Hall) right after the Kiddie Parade
2:00 p.m. *Pendragon Theatre presents Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple: Female Version" (Pendragon Theatre, 15 Brandy Brook, $)
2:00 p.m. *The Plate Scrapers at Bloody Mary Sunday (Waterhole, 48 Main St, Free)
3:00 p.m. *23nd Annual Saranac Lake Young Arts Association Winter Carnival Baroque Concert (First United Methodist Church, donation requested)
7:30 p.m. Guide Boat Realty Winter Carnival Slide Show (Ice Palace, State Boat Launch)
8:00 p.m. Guide Boat Realty "Storming the Palace" Closing Fireworks Display (Ice Palace, State Boat Launch)

What Is The Ice Palace?

ice palace made of blocks

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 »

Find more Adirondack winter carnivals »