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Saranac Lake WInter Carnival by Hannah Trott
The Saranac Lake Winter Carnival http://www.saranaclake.com/ began in 1897, with the help of a World Famous health resort. Saranac Lake was a retreat for people suffering from tuberculosis. Patients became a part of their surroundings. They took to the outdoors to find peace in nature, and all that springs from it. To promote outdoor activities for those who were not tuberculosis patients, a Pontiac Club was formed, and this clubs sole task was to organize and sponsor an affair that has lasted for 108 years, a Mid-Winter Carnival. What was once a conventional, old-fashioned winter Carnival that only lasted 2 days and was limited to skating races, a parade, and every ice-princesses fantasy - an ice tower - has expanded into a ten-day celebration that still includes the ice tower. The events are engaging, exciting, and moderately eccentric. Shouts of “Sweep, Sweep!” echoes off snowdrifts on the pond beside Riverside Park where a friendly game of curling was being played. It was hard to tell if the screaming crowd was more entertained by the curling or by the uniforms the players wore: button-down yellow Hawaiian shirts, like splashes of sun and Hibiscus in full bloom. After watching a few cutthroat games of curling, it was time for people to turn their attention towards the variety of other activities, such as snow sculpture competitions, pee-wee hockey tournaments, figure skating, woodsmen expeditions, and a ladies fryng pan toss just to name a few. With activities scattered around the town and unusually warm weather turning sidewalks into splash water kingdoms, it made walking from event-to-event the least favorable solution. Fortunately, the town provided carnival goers with horse-drawn carriages- a charming way to get around.
An activity that will always endure as long as there is a tree in need of cutting is the Woodsmen Expedition. Men, axes, and really big logs in need of chopping, these are all the ingredients necessary to make what one on-looker, Aisling Taft, called “Odd, but unbelievably entertaining. I can’t decide what I like best: men sawing logs, or women throwing frying pans,” she chuckled then looked at her watch. It was almost time for the next event. “I’ve never heard of anything like this before, women allowed to throw around frying pans.” PULL QUOTE: “Odd but unbelievably entertaining. I can’t decide what I like best, men sawing logs or women throwing frying pans…” The frying pan toss is a dream come true for any woman who has ever made one omelet too many. All that is needed for this event was a frying pan large enough to fry an elephant’s egg and a woman willing to throw it as far as possible. There wasn’t a lack of competitors. One competitor joked with the judges asking, “Are we aloud to have our husbands standing in front of us when we are throwing these things?” An ongoing event centered on the Carnivals theme is the Snow Sculpture exhibit. It was open to anyone who wants to participate. A seven-foot seashell, straw huts, faces of volcano gods, and giant pineapples were some of the sculptures on display. This cold weather art form is no small task. The contestants are being judged on creativity, composition, emotion, meaning, proportion, precision, and presentation.Carol Vossler and her family pulled together to create the face of a volcano god. “We have been here for four hours, and we will need at least another three to finish it,” said Vossler. The family didn’t seem to mind; they worked together, shearing, scraping and creating a masterpiece of a different kind while wearing grass skirts. The entire town comes together to celebrate the carnival that now lasts ten days. The window displays all have a Hawaiian touch that mixes peculiarly with its natural setting in the Adirondacks. “It’s a quaint little place. The streets and all the shops have a lot of charm,” said Aisling Taft. If you weren’t able to make it to this years Winter Carnival you can make it to next years which will run from February 3rd-12th. Remember to bring you family, your friends, and an extra ax and frying pan. What is your favorite carnival event? Let us know! |
Winter Carnival Events: - Pee-wee Hockey tournament at the Civic Center - Business and Professional women chocolate Festival at the Harrietstown Town Hall - Ice Palace Fun Run(4 mile) at the Ice Palace - White Stag Downhill Ski Races at Mt. Pisgah - Classic Film showing (Ma and Pa Kettle in Waikiki) at the Hotel Saranac - Firemen Broomball at the Civic Center - Snowshoe Races at Dewey Mountain - Lighting of Ice Palace and fireworks display at the Ice Palace
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 woodsmen expedition |