A cool winter festival in Upstate New York has been named one of the best in the country.

The Winter Carnival in the Adirondacks, that's been held in Saranac Lake, New York since 1897 is among the best in the U.S. according to Thrillist. The 2022 carnival is scheduled for February 4 through 13 and goes back in time with a 'Totally 80s' theme.

The Saranac Lake Winter Carnival has everything: a Royal Court complete with coronation celebrations and courtly robes, arctic golf, an arctic BBQ, downhill ski races, snowshoe races, curling exhibitions, woodsman exhibitions, a ladies fry pan toss (why not!), "totally tubular"-themed parades, fireworks, and more.

The real highlight of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival is the annual Ice Palace made entirely out of thousands of ice blocks cut from the lake. See the palace and themes over the years.

Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Ice Palace Over the Years

Take a look back at the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Ice Palace over the last few years.

Get all the details when they are released, including dates, daily schedules, parking information, and everything else you need to know about the 2022 Winter Carnival at Saranaclakewintercarnival.com or on Facebook.

Ice Castles

Ice Castles also received recognition as the best of the best with locations in Minnesota, New Hampshire,  Utah, Wisconsin and for the first time - New York.

Perhaps best understood as immersive, ephemeral art installations, these large-scale creations are made by professional ice artists who use hundreds of thousands of hand-placed icicles (as well as some colorful LED lights) to create fantastical worlds of crystalline castles, caves, tunnels, and thrones.

Priority booking is underway until Sunday, December 12, or when the limited number of vouchers sells out.

What is Priority Booking

  • Pre-pay and get early access to reserve a date before tickets go on sale to the public and sell out.
  • Reserve priority booking vouchers at the general admission price.
  • Vouchers purchased are good for any age, day, and time this season - weekdays, weekends, or holidays.
  • You’ll receive an email 48 hours before tickets go on sale to the general public with a special VIP link and instructions on how to pick your dates before everyone else.

Get your priority booking voucher at Visitlakegeorge.com.

Ice Castles Activities

  • Crawl Tunnels: Squeeze through passageways just large enough for children and adults who are adventurous enough to crawl.
  • Ice Maze: Get lost in a maze of ice tunnels.
  • Ice Caverns: Immerse yourself in icy caverns and walk beneath archways of massive icicles dangling overhead like a winter chandelier.
  • Ice Slides: Race down one of the ice slides.
  • Arctic Alcove: Book a VIP experience in a private alcove within the castle, perfect for proposals or other special occasions.

Step into your own Frozen movie at Festival Commons in Lake George, New York beginning January 22. 

Magical LED-Lit Ice Castles Coming to Lake George For Cool Winter Walk Through

Take a virtual walk-thru of the Ice Castles and make plans to enjoy the magical experience when it opens in Lake George this winter. 

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