Winter Carnival, 1921 through 1960 - Historic Saranac Lake

1921 - No Carnival. Skating races were held

1922 - No Carnival. Skating Races, Fancy skating and barrel jumping

1923 - January 30, 31, and February 1 (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday)

"Skating Carnival"
Adirondack Gold Cup Speed skating races
Barrel Jumping
Fancy Skating
Horse Racing

1924 - February 12 through 16 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday)

Parade with 80 floats
Skating Races
Fancy Skating, Ice Palace, etc.
Chamber of Commerce Trophy — Second Best Decorated Float was won by Ray Brook Sanatorium

1925 - February 4, 5 & 6 (Wednesday, Thursday & Friday) - No Carnival. There were skating Races, Barrel jumping, and fancy skating

Held February 4, 5 & 6
(There was a heavy snowfall on January 30, 1925)

1926 - February 6 & 8, 12-20 (Saturday and Monday, Friday-Saturday)

Skating picnic, Cross-Country ski Races
Horse Racing on Moody Pond
Invitational Skating Tournament
Patriotic Dinner
Barrel Jumping Curling Club Competition

It appears that there was no parade, and possibly no ice palace, but this is uncertain.

1927 - February 8, 9 & 10 (Tuesday & Wednesday) - No Carnival. There were Speeding Skating Championships held February 8, 9 & 10, along with Barrel Jumping.

1928 through 1935, inclusive - No Carnival for eight years.

1936 - Febuary 15 & 16 (Saturday & Sunday) - 1st Annual Northern New York “Skating Carnival"

Speed Skating Championship Races Northern New York Sled Dog Derby
Dog Sled Races
Hockey Games
Cross Country Ski Races
Skater's Ball

1937 through 1945, inclusive - No Carnival for nine years.

1946 - February 16 & 17

(Saturday & Sunday) - No Carnival. There were Northeastern Outdoor Speed Skating Championships on February 16 & 17.

1947 - December 31, January 1,2, 3 & 4, 1948 (Wednesday - Sunday). A newspaper articles states "Following a lapse of some 20 years, the Winter Carnival returns."

Parade Snow Sculpture
Town meeting of the Air
Movie Ski Chase
American Legion Sled Derby
1st New York State Men's Slalom Ski Race
Basketball
Speed Skating Championships
Carnival Ball
Program under the auspices of the Winter Sports Committee
King: Robert Sullivan
Queen: Jean Keating. Selected from the Senior Class at Saranac Lake High School and crowned by hermit Noah John Rondeau.

1948 - December 31, January 1 through 8, 1949 (Friday, Saturday - Saturday). The Parade was from Veteran's Memorial Home to Riverside Park. Because of rain, skating events were postponed to January 22 & 23.

Adirondack Speed Skating Championships
New York State Slalom
Sportsmen's Show
Carnival Ball
Sled Derby
Basketball Game
King: Ned Pendergast, Queen: Donalda Maple, Selected from the Saranac Lake High School Senior Class, crowned by Noah Rondeau.

Adirondack Daily Enterprise, July 10, 1975

Guild News 1949 — "Inclement weather just about ruined the Winter Carnival here. The bobsled and skating events had to be postponed and in their stead a sports show was held by the Fish and Game Club at the Town Hall. In the opening parade the Lake Colby Sports group took first prize for their float and at the Carnival Ball, Donalda Maple and Nat Pendergast were crowned King and Queen.

1950 - February 8-12 (Wednesday through Sunday - This was the beginning of tradition still in effect in 1993, when the winter Carnival is held on Lincoln's Birthday Weekend)

Coronation: King: Donald Manley, Queen: Kathleen Oberst, Crowned by Noah Rondeau
Parade
Sportsmen's Show
American Legion Sled Derby
Outdoor Speed Skating Championships
Snow Sculpture
Children's Costume Skating Party
Slalom Race
Carnival Ball

King and Queen Tom Fina and Natalie Bombard

1951 - February 10, 11 & 12 (Saturday, Sunday & Monday). The First Rotary Club Variety Show

Parade
Sled Derby
Speed Skating Championships
Barn Dance
Ski Movies
Slalom Ski Race
Torchlight Skiing
Snow Ball Dance
Carnival honored Edmund Lamy as Honorary Guest
James Bickford was Grand Marshal of Parade
Noah Rondeau was the Archbishop
King: Tom Fina, Queen: Natalie Bombard, crowned by Mayor Alton B. Anderson; They were chosen as the royalty because of their athletic honors:
- Tom Fina was an outstanding speed skater. He was killed the following year when an electric wire fell across him while he was fighting a fire.
- Natalie Bombard (Leduc) was the New York State slalom, Downhill and Cross Country Champ.

1952 - February 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday & Tuesday) Rotary Club Variety Show

Parade
Dog Sled Races
Sled Derby
New York State Slalom Championship
Parade was evening affair with torchlights
Woodsmen's Contests- Paul Smiths College
Skeet Shoot
Two Carnival Balls
Speed Skating Championships
Torchlight Skiing at Mount Pisgah
PTA Children's Skating Party
Edmund Lamy, Grand Marshal "of the entire program"
Coronation on the Hotel Saranac balcony: King: John LaPan, Queen: Shirley Homburger, both high school seniors, crowned by Alton B. Anderson (First indication King and Queen had a Court.)

1953 - February 12, 13 & 14 (Night Parade) (Thursday, Friday & Saturday) Rotary Club Variety Show ¹

Coronation: This year marked a definite change in choosing King and Queen (in some cases considered "paid royalty) King: Captain Video (Al Hodge), Queen: Princess Aurora (Margaret Johnson) Chamberlain: Alton B. Anderson, Archbishop: Video Ranger (Don Ranger)
Parade included magicians and clowns
Grand Marshal of Parade: Francis B. Cantwell, on horseback
Speed Skating Championships
Sled Derby
Woodmen's Exhibition
Broom Hockey
Teen Canteen Square Dance
St. Bernard's Card Party
Carnival Ball
Championship Slalom Ski Race
Skeet Shoot
Torchlight Skiing

1954 - February 9 through 14 (Tuesday through Sunday) Rotary Club Variety Show

Coronation: King: Singer Johnny Desmond, Queen: Singer Shirley Harmer, Archbishop: Honorable P. Horace Boivin, Mayor of Granby, Quebec, and Honorable Alton B. Anderson, Mayor of the Village of Saranac Lake; Chamberlain: John J. Pedroni
Parade
Skeet Shoot
Broom Hockey
Speed Skating Races
Sled Derby Race
Woodsmen's Exhibition
New York State Slalom Ski Race
Dance
Dog Sled Races
Snowmobile Races

During winter of 1953-54, temperatures dipped to 48 below zero.

1955 - February 11, 12 & 13 (Friday, Saturday & Sunday) Rotary Club Variety Show

Coronation: King: Singer Jeff Clark, Queen: Singer Juliette, Canadian TV star; Archbishop: Honorable James A. deLalanne; Chamberlain: John J. Pedroni
Ice Palace
Parade
Sled Derby
Dog Sled Races
New York State Slalom Race
Speeding Skating Races
Woodsmen's Exhibition
Children' Skating Party
Dance

Abraham Lincoln (Ralph Plumley)

1956 - February 10, 11 & 12 (Friday, Saturday & Sunday) Rotary Club Variety Show

Coronation: Archbishop: Honorable Alton B. Anderson, Chamberlain: John J. Pedroni, King: Jackie Rae, TV star and singer; Queen: Joyce Hahn, singer
Ice Palace
Parade
Golden Ski Race
Speed Skating Races
PTA Children's Skating Party
Broom Hockey
Sno-Ball
Woodsmen's Exhibition

George Washington (Ralph Plumley) and Martha Washington (Vera Feddick), 1957

1957 - February 9 through 16 (Saturday through Saturday) Rotary Show Theme: "Ron McSteal's Brunch Club"

See also 1957 Winter Carnival Program

Coronation: King: Don McNeill, Radio Personality; Queen: Fran Allison, Entertainer, Prince: Dick Noel and Princess: Betty Johnson, both of the Breakfast Club.
Parade
Ice Palace
Featured Don McNeill's Breakfast Club
Golden Ski Races
Adirondack Dog Sled Championship
Speed skating Races
Children's skating Party
Wrestling Match
Sled Derby
Archbishop Brig
General Kenneth O. Sanborn of Plattsburgh Air Force Base
Bands: ² Band Concert
ROTC Air Force Band (St. Michael's College, Winooski, Vermont), Tupper Lake High School, Edwards Central School, Peru Central School, Lake Placid High School, Immaculate Heart Academy (Watertown), Saranac Lake High School Band, Boy Scout Drum & Bugle Corps (Saranac Lake) and the 17th Adirondack Dog Sled Championship (16th and 17th) at the high school and Adirondack Golden Ski Championships at Mt. Pisgah
Court Jester: Sam Cowling
The Program also shows events on the 17th.

1958 - February 5 through 9 (Wednesday through Sunday) Rotary Minstrel Show, Theme: "Happy Benway's Minstrels"

Parade
Ice Palace
Featured a Paul Harvey Newscast broadcast live from Saranac Lake
Sled Derby
Golden Ski Race
Outdoor Speed Skating Races
Wrestling Match
Carnival Ball
Storming of Ice Palace
Fireworks
Archbishop: Honorable Sharon J. Mauhs, New York State Conservation Commissioner; Chamberlain: G. Fred Olsen; King: Paul Harvey, Queen: Denise Darcel, French singer and actress.

1959 - February 12 through 15 (Thursday through Sunday) Rotary Club Show Theme: "Addie Rondack Goes To Town"

1959 Ice Palace, TCR 298

Coronation: Archbishop: Chester L. Buxton; Chamberlain:John J. Pedroni; King: Dick Noel, Singer, and star of the breakfast Club; Queen: Jan Crockett, singer and entertainer; Prince: Earl Roudette, History teacher at Saranac Lake High School, Princess: Robbin Bain, Miss Rheingold, 1959
Parade - Peter Sayles says, "I was a little eskimo boy on the winning SL Fire Deptartment float in 1959. It was the year Alaska became a state. I remember Uncle Sam was on the float holding up a star to the Flag. The floats back then were amazing."
Ice Palace
Parade featured Cloverleaf String band from South Amboy, New Jersey
Sled Derby
Ski Race, Skating Races
Hockey Games
Sno Ball
Woodsmen's Exhibition

1960 - February 12, 13 & 14 (Friday through Sunday) Rotary Show Theme: Old Faces of 1960; Review of our Town

Coronation: Archbishop: Paul Harvey; Chamberlain: Lionell R. Driscoll; D.D.; King: John Fisher, Canadian tourist head, news broadcaster; Queen: Jill Corey, entertainer; Prince: Tom Condon, Physical Education Teacher and Coach; Princess: Emily Banks, Miss Rheingold

1960 Winter Carnival parade