A great Winter Carnival, a brilliant place to live
I blogged earlier today about the center of gravity in American society shifting away from rural, northern places like ours.
That was sort of the wonky, intellectual take on things. The more gut-level aspect of seeing our nation transform into a sun-centered culture is that we hold-outs realize just how much they’re missing.
I’m thinking, of course, about Saranac Lake’s just-finished Winter Carnival, which was the best and most memorable of my thirteen years here.
This isn’t just a way of enduring winter. It is a celebration of it, a delight of ice and frost and companionship and music.
It didn’t hurt that we had brilliant weather this year, with the slush and rain holding off until the day after Carnival wrapped up.
It also didn’t hurt that we had a great theme — Medieval Madness — which meant knights on horseback riding in the parade and some of the coolest costumes ever.
Every so often as we watch the rest of America drifting off toward their beaches and their 120-degree summers, it feels good to be able to point to our traditions and say, On a lot of days, it really is better here.
Tags: adirondacks, winter
Cool costumes vs bigotry, gut level vs. wonky. Geewiz, thanks for the choice, I’m feeling better already.
I moved to the Tri-Lakes from sunny Northern California, with a few years between in my hometown of Syracuse. Though I do miss the sunshine at times, the community here continues to inspire me. All the sun in the world can’t make up for the spirit that exists in the North Country! It is indeed a fine place to live…
And the best thing about it is that it is a low budget, home made affair– it shows just what can be done by people who are willing to get off their butts and make something great happen. And of course, the history, going back 113 years. Great town, great celebration!
Never been to the winter carnival but driven through it. Seems really awesome!