Live Music At The Waterhole During Saranac Lake Winter Carnival 2025

There’s nothing quite like winter in Saranac Lake. From February’s glittering ice palace to nights spent under the lights at Mt. Pisgah, a trip to Saranac Lake promises to be fun and different. Start your morning on Main Street with a fresh baked croissant and coffee before exploring the cozy galleries of local artists that dot the town. Or maybe an invigorating cross-country ski at Dewey Mountain, followed by a hearty dinner and an evening of improv are more your speed. Whatever your adventure, we guarantee it’ll be fun if it’s in Saranac Lake!

The Waterhole Music Lounge is a central aspect to the 2025 Saranac Lake Winter Carnival, delivering the most celebrated acts in the venue’s history. This year, the Waterhole announced a Weekend One lineup that features five acts over three days and is separate from the complete lineup. The Weekend One lineup features the Blind Owl Band (BOB), which will mark their official reunion after a more than three year hiatus. 

BOB has a unique connection with the venue that stems back over 10 years. In 2011, they played their first Waterhole show in the downstairs barroom, and just a year later, at Winter Carnival 2012, BOB performed at eight different places in Saranac Lake. Lucid, the most notorious rock act to ever emerge from the Champlain Valley then asked BOB to open for their Winter Carnival set later that week, marking BOB’s first Winter Carnival at the Waterhole performance. Just six months later, in February of 2016, mandolin player and manager of BOB, Eric Munley, and his wife, Kiki Sarko, reopened the beloved bar and music venue after it had been closed for six months. The couple obtained a two-day temporary permit while they waited for their full liquor license to be approved and celebrated with two days of music. Until this year, 2016 was the last time Blind Owl Band performed during Winter Carnival, making their upcoming 2025 shows historical. 

The Mallet Brothers Band is another band with a long history of performing at the venue, and they will kick off Weekend One on Friday, January 31st. The Mallet Brothers Band is a rock & roll, alternative, country rock band from the woods of Maine, and paired with them are special guests Eastbound Jesus, who play self-proclaimed Northern Rock: a blend of country, bluegrass, Americana, and rock n roll, and hails from the Capital Region.

Blind Owl Band will perform to a sold-out crowd on Saturday, February 1st, with special guests Folkfaces opening the evening with their rowdy and raucous roots music. A second Blind Owl Band show was added on Sunday, February 2nd, to accommodate folks who couldn’t grab tickets for the first performance. Arthur Buezo is set to open the night with savage folk music.

The Waterhole Winter Carnival

The remainder of the lineup also reflects bands who have made a significant impact on the music community in the North Country. 

Wednesday, February 5th, Soggy Po’ Boys celebrate the music of New Orleans. The band comes from New England, but they play music that stems beyond NOLA jazz, including traditional Caribbean tunes, Meters funk, soul, brass band, and street-beat music.

Thursday, February 6th, Annie in the Water will serve up compassion and joy through their songwriting, led by guitars and synthesizers, overtop a ground-shaking rhythm section traversing through multiple genres. This show includes special guests What? A funk sextet hailing out of the Hudson Valley opening up the night with infectious melodies, thunderous grooves, and a powerhouse horn section that creates the undeniable urge to dance.

Weekend Two will kick off with Lucid, known as North Country Party Legends, regarded for their exciting performances that last for endless hours. The self-proclaimed “party rock” or “backwoods soul” group’s whirlwind of genres, tones, and sonic landscapes can only be described as “everything but the kitchen sink.” The show includes special guests, All Night Boogie Band, who come from the Mountains of Vermont. Listeners can expect soulful vocals, big horns, and a powerful rhythm section that creates an emotional blues sound to make you dance the night away. 

The Waterhole Winter Carnival

Saturday, February 8th, features two different shows. The first is the Post Parade Party, which has a reputation for being the biggest dance party in Saranac Lake. This daytime show takes place immediately after the parade ends and is a free show headlined by another fan favorite, The Big Takeover! Later that evening, a second show featuring Funk You will enchant the audience with an intoxicating blend of modern and vintage funk sounds. Listeners can expect their signature high-octane funk, driven by a hard-hitting rhythm section and glistening horns. The band has performed twice at Party on the Patio, and this will mark their Winter Carnival debut.

Rock and Roll band Chestnut Grove has recently reunited after their Ta Ta For Now Tour marked their recent hiatus. They will open up the night on Saturday, February 8th.

To wrap things up, Waterhole always throws one final party called Bloody Mary Sunday, featuring live music downstairs during the daytime and, of course, Bloody Marys! This year, The One-Man-Band performer Arthur Buezo will bring his self-titled genre, Savage Folk, to Bloody Mary Sunday on February 9th.

Due to the sold-out show, week pass tickets will not be available this year. It is highly
recommended to purchase tickets for all shows ahead of time to guarantee entry. Tickets are
available on the Waterhole website and in person at the bar. For more information please visit saranaclakewaterhole.com As always, The Waterhole is a 21+ venue.

Saranac lake winter Carnival waterhole schedule

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