SARANAC LAKE, N.Y. (WCAX) – It’s all hands on deck in Saranac Lake as volunteers work away on the 127th Winter Carnival’s crown jewel — the Ice Palace.
At Lake Flower, the world-famous Ice Palace is beginning to take shape, despite a January thaw.
“Mother Nature kind of got a little warm on us last night but we have contingencies in place to have the palace self-refrigerate itself,” said Rob Russell, chair of the Carnival Committee. He says the ice came in at roughly 10.5 inches thick. “It’s thicker than last year, okay, but certainly not as thick as it has been in other years. We have had some years where it has been averaging 18 inches and historical records there has been years where it’s been almost 30 inches.”
Russell says they had to start the ice-cutting process later than usual this year but that the massive volunteer turnout has accelerated their progress. “It has just been incredible. We have been able to erect more, a lot more than we normally would have at this point,” he said.
Something that is no surprise to former carnival chairman and volunteer Jeff Branch. “We always grew up seeing people do and hearing about ‘And when you get old enough, you jump in and kind of move the tradition forward,’” Branch said. “I mean, what else are we going to do in the wintertime?”
A mixing of generations is evident all around the Ice Palace. John “Doc” Ward is the head ice carver. He says some of his former students have been helping out with the surgical carving process for the last several years. “They do not look like they are teenagers but they act like it,” he said
This year, Ward and his fellow carvers will meet the challenge of creating ice sculptures that match the carnival’s “creepy” theme. “We do not want to give anything away but we are right there at creepy, let’s just say that,” he said.
A colossal community effort that Branch says runs deep. “It gets in your blood and it is just something that once you start it, you do not want to give it up,” he said.
Russell says workers will likely take the day off on Friday before resuming work on Saturday.
The event kicks off on February 2 and runs through the 11th.
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Volunteers gear up for ‘creepy’ Saranac Lake Winter Carnival
