Sue Cameron

ABOVE: Saranac Lake's famous Lawn Chair Ladies perform at a past Winter Carnival Parade. The Lawn Chair Ladies are one of the most popular units in the parade each year!

First night saranac lake

As the old adage goes, a picture's worth thousand words. So here are some of Saranac Lake’s best of the best winter events images for this coming season!

First big winter event on the docket for Saranac Lake is our family friendly and alcohol free New Years Eve celebration, First Night Saranac Lake. These images say it all!

First Night takes place with entertainment all over town and one single button purchase is your admission ticket to all the fun.

For a complete schedule of entertainment and live performances, download the First Night Schedule.

And here's the First Night schedule of entertainment:

oldest winter carnival in america

So, Saranac Lake Winter Carnival means one thing: get your party pants on and join in the fun! There are a multitude of events that make up the fun of this annual 10 day celebration of winter. The early residents of Saranac Lake had a passion for outdoor activity and found the perfect way to honor the outdoors with the very first Winter Carnival - it was the winter of 1897. This year marks the 118th year since the very first carnival. (Mind you, there were a few years it wasn't held here and there, but no consequence as it's been going strong every single year since 1947). The Winter Carnival has grown into a 10-day festival that includes sports, performances, two parades, and three sets of spectacular fireworks.

There are family-friendly events stretching over the 10 days of Carnival. Most of the competitive events are open to one and all. Here's a sampling of the fun to be had at Winter Carnival - - like I always say, a picture's worth a thousand words...

For a complete schedule of Winter Carnival events visit the Winter Carnival page.

come stay and play

These two events are only the tip of the iceberg for events in Saranac Lake this coming winter. Check lodging options soon for either one of these events. The rooms fill up early as they are both so popular. Combine a winter ski vacation and ski at Mt. Pisgah, Saranac Lake's very own alpine ski mountain. Or if you are into XC skiing, Dewey Mountain Ski Touring Center has a brand new lodge and a great system of trails just a hop, skip and a jump outside of town.

A couple of holiday events in December will be lots of fun to both spectate and participate in as well:

Sparkle Holiday Craft Fair - Dec. 5 - 6
Snowman Building Contest - Dec. 20

Snowmobiling, winter hiking, snowshoeing, ice fishing and much more are virtually at your fingertips here in Saranac Lake. Check out all the activity options and also check our complete events calendar for your vacation dates, if you aren't here during First Night or Winter Carnival.

Check out some of our other events of the season: