Medford Lakes

Canoe Carnival Time — Lakers’ License to Chill!

Like so many in Medford Lakes, clients race to primp and coiff their homes. Our clients, with a black Marinace granite outdoor kitchen perched dockside, were no exception. Come August, it’s that time! A tradition of nearly a century, floats on canoes light up and parade before thousands of onlookers. The parade of canoe floats takes place on Lower Aetna — the crown jewel, the grand dame — all lake, all cabin, all pomp and circumstance!

A Little background…

This cedar-water-deep, tradition-rich version of “Carnivale” isn’t just a weekend fling. Although the main event takes place the first week of August, preparations begin months earlier. Medford Lakes, tucked in the Pine Barrens of South Jersey, transforms itself with Carnival energy. Cabins buzz with rivalry: whose party, whose float, whose cabin can outdo who? Add in lakeside shenanigans, fierce competition, and Lakers’ pride, and it’s almost anything goes — and definitely a license to chill!

There are kick-off galas, voting rituals, and a pre-event Mardi Gras night where floats and canoes parade in a free-for-all. For months, teams that span generations pour heart and soul into building elaborate creations.

From quiet pines to buzzed cabins and rowdy times!

People pour money, heart, and cabin soul into outshining one another. Cabins get spruced up like show ponies, preparing for Carnival to explode with thousands of Lakers and their friends. While floats take shape, lakefront homes get their own polish: cleaning, renovations, additions, landscaping, and even the occasional dockside wedding.

Team Sparkle takes on some dockside glitzin’

This particular cabin, polished inside and out with modern cabin charm, belongs to a family of local food fame. While our lady client kept at the helm of the family business, her husband prepped the lakefront for company — and that included calling us in to give their striking black Marinace granite kitchen island the sparkle it deserved.

Arriving the week before the big night, we found the granite looking a little pine-crusted from pollen and trees. In some areas, the stone’s rough texture peeked through the polish. Wishing for a smoother surface, they asked what could be done. We deep-cleaned, sealed, and polished the surface. Then, two days before the big event, we added our secret weapon: Finito — a silky coating that made the counter so smooth you could slide a cold beer bottle straight across to a friend in an Adirondack chair.

Sparklizing’s done: the counter’s now ripe for some bellying’ up to to bar, or maybe even a dip in the drink!

By the time the floats paraded down the lake, the granite gleamed like wet river rock in the sun — the perfect backdrop for lakeside laughter, a few cocktails, and maybe even a charcuterie board or two. As the floats passed with their spectacular lights, colors, and music — including the winning Scrub Pines creation, Can’t Hurry Love — guests enjoyed both the spectacle on the water and the sparkle on the dock.

Whether your outdoor stone needs to strut its stuff or simply sparkle in the sun, let us work some stone magic. Call us at 609.953.0472 or  CONTACT US ONLINE.