The centerpiece of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival is the Ice Palace built near the shore of Lake Flower from ice blocks cut from Pontiac Bay. The blocks run from twelve to eighteen inches thick and weigh an average of 400 pounds each. The green buckets contain slush that is used for mortar. Labor is volunteer and use of equipment is donated. Depending on the weather, the structure may stand for less than a week to more than a month.