SARANAC LAKE — This year’s Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Gala Parade will start off a little differently than previous years with an experiment of sorts.

The Winter Carnival Committee is planning a wave, similar to the ones at sporting events that go across a row of bleachers or, in some cases, a whole stadium.

The wave will start on the sidewalk outside the Harrietstown Town Hall, extend down Main Street and Broadway to Bloomingdale Avenue. It’ll then pick up on the other side of the street and finish at River Street, across from where it began.

The parade kicks off at 1 p.m. Saturday, and the wave is expected to start shortly before.

The parade is the most popular event during Carnival, and it attracts large crowds. It is recommended that parade-goers arrive early to find parking and to avoid road closures in Saranac Lake.

It takes place on Broadway and Main Street from Ampersand Avenue to River Street and LaPan Highway, and the public is invited to assemble along the route. The procession features many creative floats, quirky performers, community members and more.