2013 Theme “Under The Sea”
April 26th, 2012SARANAC LAKE – Members of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Committee April 25 picked “Under the Sea” as a theme for the 2013 Carnival.
The theme was chosen from a slate of the top five ideas generated at the Committee’s March meeting: Age of Aquarius (1960s), Celtic Carnival, Fiesta, Under the Big Top and Under the Sea.
“This was a difficult decision; all the themes had great merits,” said Winter Carnival Chairman Jeff Dickson. “But I think the entire community will be able to have a lot of fun with ‘Under the Sea’ as they did with this year’s theme of ‘Space Alien Invasion.’”
When making their decision, Committee members weighed a number of factors, including whether a theme could fit well in the parade and the construction of the Ice Palace and generate suitable music for the slide show and the myriad of festivities during the 10-day-long event. They also took into consideration several polls taken throughout the community, such as the online poll sponsored by the Adirondack Daily Enterprise.
“We appreciate the community’s input and the ongoing support of our local newspaper, the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, in helping us choose a fun and exciting theme for the 2013 Winter Carnival,” Dickson said.
The poll results were: Celtic Carnival, 33 percent; Age of Aquarius (1960s), 26 percent; Under the Sea, 14 percent; Under the Big Top, 13 percent; and Fiesta, 12 percent. Other informal polls – at the Committee’s volunteer recognition dinner, among the Ice Palace workers, and with students at St. Bernard’s Elementary School – showed more support for Under the Sea and Fiesta.
“We use all these polls as tools to help us make a decision,” Dickson said. “Unfortunately, we can only pick one a year, but we are fortunate to have such strong ideas for future years.”
In the end, Committee members chose “Under the Sea,” the No. 3 pick in the Enterprise poll but the No. 1 pick at St. Bernard’s School.
“We think the kids will be happy,” Dickson said. “They swayed our vote with Space Alien Invasion this past year, and it was a lot of fun.”
The Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Committee, Inc. is a not-for-profit group of volunteers dedicated to organizing an annual mid-winter festival during the first two weeks of February. This 10-day, communitywide event traces its roots to a one-day Carnival held in 1897 by the Pontiac Club. The Carnival honors its heritage every year by building an Ice Palace from blocks of ice harvested from Lake Flower’s Pontiac Bay, where Carnival events have been traditionally held for generations. For more information, visit the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival web site at www.saranaclakewintercarnival.com. The 2013 Carnival will take place Feb. 2-11.





















