Carnival gets assist from Mother Nature

By Manor Ink Staff

Livingston Manor, NY – Sixty six years after its inception, this hamlet’s annual winter escapade returned on Saturday, Jan. 31, a day of brilliant sunshine and appropriately frigid temperatures, much to the delight of skaters of all ages. The Livingston Manor Rotary Club’s 67th Ice Carnival got underway at noon with the National Anthem while Tom Babich and other Rotarians fired up the warming shed’s outdoor grill, preparing to roast hot dogs for Carnival attendees.

Following opening ceremonies, Rockland Central School students Eli Feliciano and Lydia Devantier, voted the event’s King and Queen of the Ice, formally toured the rink in a sled drawn by members of their court. For the younger set, games were set up in the snow, and horse-drawn wagon rides down Pleasant Avenue were once again provided by Butch Peters and his team of big Belgian work horses.

A highlight of the afternoon were demonstrations by former Olympian skater Alexey Beletsky, gold medalist Jonathan Magalnick and his student Olga Bishop, and ice dancer Terry Blosser-Bernardo, who happens to also be the county’s District 9 legislator.

At 1:30 p.m., competitors took to the ice for races, taking multiple laps around the rink in hopes of winning one of the Carnival’s medals. The afternoon concluded with a free skating session for all, and everyone agreed that the Carnival was again a great success.

Moments from the Ice Carnival

Photos by Diana Fredenburg