Children ran around and danced in front of the stage. Adults cooked in the sun or chilled in the shade. And a flotilla of boats pulled up and clustered in the bay to listen to the music.

Festival co-organizer Chris Morris estimates that at the peak there were around 500 people in the park. It’s nearly impossible to get an accurate count for the whole event, he said, since people were coming in and out throughout the day. But, eyeballing it, he sensed this was the largest turnout Northern Current has had since the new committee picked up where Hobofest left off.

Fellow organizers Kiki Sarko and Eric Munley concurred with this estimate on the day of the festival.

Morris said he obviously loves the music, but he loved the overall vibe on the periphery of the dance floor this year, too, thanks to PlayADK and Adirondack ArtRise providing a kids area for the young ones. He said this created a family-friendly festival atmosphere.

Peter Seward and Ren Davidson Seward dance to the Soggy Po Boys at the Northern Current music festival in Saranac Lake on Sunday. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

Morris said the feedback they get from bands is that they love coming to Saranac Lake to play on the waterfront for a community that’s ready to get down and dance.

According to Morris, revenue for the event came from more than 30 businesses and foundations, and a grant from Statewide Community Regrant program, which is administered by the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts.

The festival costs around $20,000 to put on each year, mostly costs from booking the bands. On Monday he said they were still counting how much was raised throughout the day.

Next year, 2024, is going to be Northern Current’s fifth year. It started in 2019 after Hobofest ended, but missed one year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Morris said they plan to raise a bit more money this year to do something special to celebrate half a decade of Northern Current.

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Ismael Bangoura of the local Badenyah Drum and Dance group dances with a drum in Riverside Park at the Northern Current music festival in Saranac Lake on Sunday. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article inadvertently said 2024 would celebrate half a century of Northern Current; it’s half a decade. The Enterprise regrets the error.

Stu Dias of the Soggy Po Boys belts out a NOLA jazz tune at the Northern Current music festival in Saranac Lake on Sunday. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

Leon Ligan-Majek, stage name “Kaleta,” shreds and shouts as he leads Kaleta and Super Yamba Band at the Northern Current music festival in Saranac Lake on Sunday. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

Walter Fancourt rips a saxophone solo while playing with Kaleta and Super Yamba Band at the Northern Current music festival in Saranac Lake on Sunday. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

Dian Oury Bah of the local Badenyah Drum and Dance group dances with a drum in Riverside Park at the Northern Current music festival in Saranac Lake on Sunday. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

Tammy Loewy of the local Badenyah Drum and Dance group keeps the rhythm at the Northern Current music festival in Saranac Lake on Sunday. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

Nate Keaney dances at the Northern Current music festival in Saranac Lake on Sunday. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

Stu Dias grins as Eric Klaxton, left, and Josh Gagno of the Soggy Po Boys play at the Northern Current music festival in Saranac Lake on Sunday. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

Oladotun Amu sings and shakes while holding a bass and a shekere while playing with Kaleta and Super Yamba Band at the Northern Current music festival in Saranac Lake on Sunday. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

Leon Ligan-Majek, stage name “Kaleta,” shreds and shouts as he leads Kaleta and Super Yamba Band at the Northern Current music festival in Saranac Lake on Sunday. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)