Winter time is here, but instead of hibernating inside under a dozen blankets how about heading out and doing something fun and entertaining for the whole family?

Our suggestion is to pack up the snow pants and head to the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival.

The winter carnival is a 10-day festival complete with parades, games, exhibits, celebrations, concerts, and more, all with a focus on family fun.

The whole event begins the first weekend in February (Feb 3-12) with the construction of a huge ice castle made from blocks of ice cut from Lake Flower, using techniques from over a century ago.

Every year the Carnival features a different theme, 2016's theme was 'Superheroes and Villians,' and the theme for 2017 will be 'Adirondack Wildlife.'

Here's some of the activities you will find at the 2017 Winter Carnival:

Mini-golf like you've never played! Register early and you can even help build the obstacles for the mini-golf course!

Take a brisk 4 mile run through the local scenery. The race begins at the Ice Castle!

Watch local college lumberjacks show off their skills.

For women ages 16 and up. Whoever throws the frying pan the farthest wins!

Watch as the Ice Castle is lit for the first time then relax and enjoy fireworks.

That's not all either, here's a small sample of the tons of other events taking place:

  • Local Firefighters playing broom ball
  • Ultimate Frisbee competition
  • Cross-country ski races
  • Snowshoe softball
  • Gala Parade
  • Pond Hockey Tournament
  • Snow rugby

And lots more!

You can view a full list and schedule of 2017's events at the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival website.

Don't forget, Whiteface Mountain and beautiful Lake Placid are just a short trip from Saranac Lake, so you can do all the skiing and snowboarding you can handle in between awesome events at the Winter Carnival.


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