Fire and Ice fest capped with a fire show and fireworks

LAVA HOT SPRINGS, Idaho (KIFI)- A day full of celebration and discovering inner fire within the icy winter came to an end Saturday evening, after a long day of activities. People gathered together to watch a performance of fire dancers, after floating down the frigid water.

To start the fire show, skiers and snowboarders brought down torches from a nearby mountain as people gathered to not only watch the flames come down the mountain, but also see the performance of fire dancers.

The spectacle of the dancers performance made an impact on those watching, "It's awesome. They're kicking butt," said Tammy, who was in attendance at the show. She continued saying that the performance was easily her favorite part of the day. "We Really like watching quaffing that's pretty entertaining. And then the fire show for sure."

Tammy says she came up to the event from Utah and hopes to continue to come out to the event after the experience she has had at the festival.

Another person at the fire show Heather Nielsen says the show was very memorable. "That was absolutely amazing, they did a phenomenal job. I've never seen such amazing talent they were amazing."

Nielsen added that while the fire show capped off the night she had a fun time at the festival as well. "I also floated the river in a 1920s costume and it was actually awesome. This is my first time doing it. I had a lot of fun. It was cold, but I did it. I made it and hopped in the hot springs right after, and that was actually probably worse than floating in the river. So hot springs and jumping in in that cold temperature like froze my fingers."

Nielsen says the fire show was the cap that the fun day needed. "It's honestly my first time being at the festival. It's been amazing. The people have been great. The festivities, this is something I definitely want to come back to. Just seeing so many people having a ton of fun, a lot of different activities to participate in, it's an enjoyable event and everybody needs to come and check this out."

Collin Petrun preformed in the fire show as a dancer and says it's a thrill to preform. "It's really it's one of the most thrilling things that I've ever done in my life. And I think that's what really captures not only the crowd, but the performer and it's easy to get lost in the flames and in the performance.

And really the crowd just kind of disappears. But definitely kids, not something to try at home. It takes years of practice with no flames to get to the point where you're throwing it around your body and you're comfortable with it for sure."

Petrun is also the president of the Chamber of Commerce in Lava Hot Springs. He says watching the festival grow for the past few years has been an exciting thing to see. "I just got involved through the fire performance. I think I'm seven years in now. Fire performing and it just grew into adding events and adding fireworks. Add in a beer garden. The the finale is for sure the fire show and yeah, that's how it evolved from there."

He says providing the performance not only was a thrill but he is grateful people still came out to come out and see it. "It was a cool night. So kudos to the crowd for sticking around through it. It was icy. The performance area was a real icy cold, but it was a lot of fun. I mean, we can always add more fire, more fire to keep the crowd warm because the performers are hot. We're sweating out on the performance."

The thrill of the fire show, was capped off by a firework show and everyone is looking forward to next years festival.