Lava Hot Springs celebrates annual Fire and Ice Festival boosting winter tourism

LAVA HOT SPRINGS, Idaho (KIFI)-The first full weekend in February in Lava Hot Springs is a time for celebration.

The city lit up with blazing lights into the dark shadow of winter, through the annual Fire and Ice Festival.

The Festival started on Friday through a variety of events and continued into Saturday with the polar plunge, a costumed river float, and wraps up through a fire dance show that brings the fire into the Fire and Ice Festival, which also ended with fireworks lighting up the L mountain.

"We have a surprise with the fireworks this year where we've we've amped it up a little bit. And so definitely around dusk. So you look to the to the L mountain," Collin Petrun the president for the Chamber of Commerce and Event Coordinator for the City of Lava Hot Springs said.

The festival also brought in a lot of tourists to the area which boosted the town until the summer season.

"The purpose of the lava chamber of commerce, is to support the small businesses and the people that make this community what it is and keep us afloat. This is the event that in our slowest time of the year brings a bunch of people to town and kind of gives us that boost," Petrun said.

People who came to participate say its a blast and looks forward to the events.

"This is our fifth year going. Every year is more fun than the last. And we're here to just have a great time," Frank Rizzo said.

"We came last year kind of get the vibe of it. We knew it to come this year, so we're better prepared. But we have great friends here and it's good time," Ammon Serr said.

"This is our third time coming to Lava Hot Springs for the Fire and Ice Festival. It's our highlight of our winter," Anja Wadman said.

Many of the people were looking forward to participating in the polar plunge saying it would be the highlight of their visit.

"We all come down and just do the plunge and we like chili, have beers, it's great. Like we love it," Julie Colton said.

"The best way to beat the winter blues," Heather Jacobs said.

"Honestly, I'm excited just to go out and get my adrenaline running. Everybody here looks absolutely fantastic. So it's not only just the benefit of having fun for myself because I get to see other people having fun and enjoying themselves," Mylie Harrington said.

Others were enjoying their home away from home.

"I love it up here. It's my favorite place away from home. My other home. Our family's been coming here since I was a little kid. And this is fun and I love all the people. There's so many people that are having a good time," Amie said.

Others shared how they love the event but would like to see more.

"We're having a blast now. We hope they would change, like, some entertainment and stuff, but I feel like it's a wonderful time and we're just awesome," Kristina said.

Everyone attending the event encouraged others to come and see it for themselves.