Winterfest

Cardboard-sled contest the highlight of this annual winter celebration

North Country types know how to do the cold: There’s a joke that the Adirondacks have two seasons, winter and the Fourth of July. While the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival is the area’s longest running (and the longest-running in the eastern U.S.), Carthage’s entry is building some history, too - it turned 16 in 2014. The highlight is the cardboard-sled races, in which competitors build their (non) trustworthy vehicles using only cardboard, tape, paper and glue. No wood, no metal, no plastic, no glass. The sleds aren’t built to last, but the memories will.

At a glance
  • Contest has five categories, kids to adults. Prizes are awarded in each.
  • Psst – the flatter the bottom of your sled, the better it will run.
  • Other events in the past have included snow bowling, scavenger hunts, snowmobile rides, and more.