Paula Politi, Joan Barton, Pat Hofbauer, Pearl McCahill, Cheryl Morris and Gwen Williams were on a mission to deck the halls and were unphased by the fury that the Adirondack skies threw at them.

Their convoy — bearing approximately 100 holiday swags that club members made by hand the day before — arrived in downtown Lake Placid as the clouds darkened and precipitation picked up. Normally bustling with activity on a Friday afternoon, Main Street appeared empty, save for the occasional pedestrian darting between buildings in a frantic attempt to avoid the weather.

Under the leadership of Politi, who serves as the club’s Village Swag Committee chair, the ladies steadfastly zipped up their jackets and got to work. They formed three teams of two. Each duo focused on an area of downtown that will be seen by thousands this upcoming holiday season.

Despite the sleet, it was all smiles as the teams affixed the holiday swags to the railing around Brewster Park — near the intersection of Main Street and Mirror Lake Drive — Mid’s Park and along the other side of Main Street between Marcy Road and Hayes Street.

The swags were assembled the day before at the Uihlein greenhouse on Bear Cub Road by a larger squad of 14 club members. That effort took an additional six hours, according to Barton, who serves as the club’s president. The holiday swag production’s quality control — a crucial step of the process — was overseen by longtime club member and seasoned swag veteran Judy Shea.

“She started the swag-making years ago with the Garden Club, so she knows exactly whether the bows are tight enough so they won’t blow away and fall apart,” said Hofbauer. She added that the club was lucky to have her experience to ensure the swags were fit for Main Street.

Barton attributed much of the event’s success to Politi, citing her dedication and organizational abilities.

“(Paula) works incredibly hard at organizing: getting the pine greens, bow making, scheduling and arranging dates for hanging,” she said.

Pre-assembling the bows and pine cone decorations ahead of making the actual swags in the greenhouse took even more time: “many days and hours,” according to Barton.

She said the entire effort — from pre-assembly to eventual removal later this winter — is done each year on an all-volunteer basis. Barton added that the village of Lake Placid provided the club with ribbons and greenery, and the greenhouse space was volunteered by the Uihlein Farm for the group to use.

“As a community club, we are dedicated to volunteering our time to beautify and improve things throughout our village with pride,” she said. Barton added that the group is always happy to play a role in helping Lake Placid to look its best for the holidays, and thanked all of the club members who helped at each stage of the swag process.

For more information about the Garden Club of Lake Placid, visit gardencluboflakeplacid.org.