Cool New York Winter Festival Among Top 10 Worth Braving Cold For

One cool New York winter carnival is among the Top 10 in the country worth braving the cold for.

The Travel named Saranac Lake Winter Carnival the fifth coolest carnival in the country. The 10-day family-friendly event includes games, performances, two parades, and three sets of fireworks. The main attraction is the annual ice palace.

This palace has been part of the carnival since 1898, with a structure continuously built except during World War I and II and the Great Depression. Royalty, so to speak, occupies this palace, as locals are chosen to be part of a royal court linked to it.

Photo by Mark Kurtz Photography/Saranac Lake Winter Carnival

IPW 1010

Volunteers get together every January to put together the centerpiece of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival. Business owners, teachers, construction workers, elected officials, parents, and friends, known as the International Palace Workers (IPW 1010), work in frigid temperatures every year to create the annual Ice Palace.

It all starts with a meeting of the minds and a cocktail napkin. Some of the long-standing members of the IPW101 gather at The Belvedere Restaurant, where the initial plans for that year's palace are drawn up, often on nothing more than a cocktail napkin.

Photo Credit - Mark Kurtz/Saranac Lake Winter Carnival

Ice Palace

Crews work to turn the napkin idea into reality. From cutting ice blocks, and carrying buckets of icy cold water and snow to packing the slush between blocks, during the bitter January cold.

Saranac Lake is one of those places where we embrace the cold. But you’ve never met a warmer community.

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.

2023 Saranac Lake Winter Carnival

Gladiators, grab your togas. The theme for 2023 is 'Roman around Carnival.'

Dates for the 2023 Saranac Lake Winter Carnival have not been set yet but it typically is held in mid-February. Get all the details on the upcoming carnival when they are released at Saranacklakewintercarnival.com.

Photo Credit - Mark Kurtz/Saranac Lake Winter Carnival

National Recognition

This isn't the first time the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival received national attention. The 2022 Carnival, which went back to the 80s for a totally tubular event, was named among the best in the U.S. according to Thrillist.

The top winter carnival worth braving the cold for was the Fire & Ice Festival in Lititz, Pennsylvania. You can see all 10 epic festivals at The Travel.

There are several cool ways to enjoy the winter season in New York. From Ice Castles and mountain coasters to night tubing and ice volcanos, there's something for everyone.