Petrova Elementary School won the Louis Forbare Memorial Trophy for best in show this year, towing an active volcano down the parade route. Most floats played on this year’s Carnival theme, “Prehistoric Park.”

The paraders gathered at Hyde Mobil gas station around noon, staging for a 1 p.m. march down Broadway, to Main Street, to LaPan Highway. The air was thick with confetti, thrown candy and the occasional blast of musket fire from Adirondack Regiment of Tupper Lake.

Christian Jamal drummed in clown makeup with Funky Karnival, a group out of Montreal. He said this was his 15th trip down to the village for the parade.

“It’s always been a pleasure to come here,” Jamal said. “We always love it.”

Above, Winnie Pelleteri, dressed as Wilma Flintstone and toting a foot-mobile, marches down Broadway in the Saranac Lake Gala Parade Saturday. (Enterprise photo — Jesse Adcock)

The group travels all over with their eclectic mix of percussion instruments — he mentioned once traveling to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to drum in the annual Shopping Festival there.

The Briscoes, having just watched about a decade worth of Winter Carnival parades, said the Lawn Chair Ladies were their favorite. Ted said that’s because of the creative way the group dances with their matching lawn chairs — especially when they clap them together. Claudia said every year is good and fun, but Saturday’s temperature in the upper teens was much more enjoyable than the sub-zero air of last year’s parade.

“It was great,” Hannah Parker said. “A lot of good music. A lot of dinosaurs.”

She was born and raised here in the village, and watches the parade every year. She said the Ice Palace was incredible this year, and liked that so many groups had run in different directions with the prehistoric theme.

Cheryl Craft said her favorite act was the Northern Lights float — which was also a volcano, but with kids erupting out of the crater. Of all 17 parades she’s seen, Craft said her favorite year was the “Alien Invasion” themed event of 2012. Her daughter, Lena DiDivitis, said she thought the towering mammoth sculpture by the Rusty Nail was exceptional.

Wynde Kate Reese, a dancer with Soma Beats marches down Main Street to the percussion of Bucket Ruckus in the Winter Carnival Gala Parade Saturday. (Enterprise photo — Jesse Adcock)

“They did a great job,” Cheryl Craft said.

Sue Stevens said the Lawn Chair Ladies were probably her favorite because she’s watched the group grow larger over the years.

“We had so much fun,” said Theresa Hartford, a dancer with Soma Beats, who were joined by the drummers of Bucket Ruckus. “Our drummer started playing faster than we’re used to, and it made us put our game faces on and go into turbo gear.”

She said she’s been dancing with Soma Beats in the parade now for four years, and has been dancing with the group for nine years.

After the parade, the music and dance acts from the parade gathered in the Harrietstown Town Hall auditorium to perform once again before awards were handed out by Winter Carnival Committee Chairman Jeff Branch.

Soma Beats dancers perform in front the reviewing stand in Saturday’s Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Gala Parade. (Enterprise photo — Lou Reuter)

There were six groups, each split into two categories — float and walking.

In the Business group, the Rusty Nail bar won first place in the float category for their mammoth sculpture. St. Joseph’s Addiction Treatment and Recovery Centers took second place. In the walking category, Romano’s bowling alley won first place and BluSeed Studios took second.

In the Civic or Volunteer Group, Log-A-Load for Kids got first in the float category. In the walking category, the Adirondack Regiment out of Tupper Lake won first place and the Media Shriners out of Watertown took second.

In the School group, Petrova Elementary won first place in the float category, and Northern Lights School got second. In the walking category, St. Bernard’s School won first and Bloomingdale Elementary took second.

In the Independent group, the Cranker Family and Friends won first in the float category. Soma Beats and Bucket Ruckus won first in the walking category, with the Canoodlers taking second.

Ashley Tempo marches with Soma Beats and Bucket Ruckus in the Winter Carnival Gala Parade Saturday. (Enterprise photo — Jesse Adcock)

In the Animal Group, Sand Hill Stables won first place in the walking category.

There were no acts this year from the Youth group.

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Sue Abbot-Jones paddles down Broadway with the Canoodlers, spinning, tapping paddles and dancing all the way. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

A smoking volcano leads a procession of Petrova students in Saturday’s parade. The entry won the Louis Fobare Memorial as the parade’s Best In Show. (Enterprise photo — Lou Reuter)

A golden pterodactyl poses by the Rusty Nail on Broadway, staging for the Winter Carnival Gala Parade Saturday. (Enterprise photo — Jesse Adcock)

A woolly mammoth rides on the Rusty Nail float past the crowd in Saturday’s Gala Parade. (Enterprise photo — Lou Reuter)

Julie Cotter, a member of the annually returning Winter Carnival Gala Parade act the Lawn Chair Ladies, performs in front of the judges stand during the 2019 Saranac Lake Winter Carnival parade. (Enterprise photo — Jesse Adcock)

Members of the Prime Time Brass Band out of Rochester march down Main Street in the Winter Carnival Gala Parade Saturday. (Enterprise photo — Jesse Adcock)

Enterprise Circulation Manager Scott Patnode, dressed as Indiana Jones, rides a tiny bike on Broadway. (Enterprise photo — Catherine Moore)

A dancer joins the Quigley Highlanders Pipes and Drums band on a packed floor at the Waterhole following Saturday’s gala parade. (Enterprise photo — Lou Reuter)

The closing fireworks blast off over the Winter Carnival Ice Palace Sunday in Saranac Lake. (Enterprise photo — Lou Reuter)

Sarah Samperi, junior at Saranac Lake High School plays the flute with the Saranac Lake High School Marching Band in the Winter Carnival Gala Parade Saturday. (Enterprise photo — Jesse Adcock)

A prehistoric-themed Winter Carnival Gala Parade marcher distributes candy to the spectators crowding the sidewalks Saturday. (Enterprise photo — Jesse Adcock)

Enterprise columnist Bob Seidenstein marches with the Brothers of the Bush on Broadway in Saranac Lake during the Gala Parade Saturday. (Enterprise photo — Brittany Proulx)