The city of Ammon wants your Christmas tree for an upcoming bonfire event
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AMMON — Looking to get rid of your Christmas tree? One city wants you to dispose of it at a local park to help create a roaring bonfire.
This will be the city of Ammon’s fifth year of the “Icy Inferno Christmas Tree Bonfire and Fireworks” presented by Lookout Credit Union. The event includes music, food, and prizes.
The bonfire will be held on Saturday, Jan. 18, at McCowin Park. Vendors will open at 6 p.m., and the bonfire will begin at 6:30 p.m.
“The highlight of the night is the fire. You don’t have to haul (your tree) to the dump. Bring it on over and throw it onto the pile!” said Ammon Recreation Director Randal Miller.
People in the community can dispose of their live, undecorated Christmas trees starting now until the afternoon of Jan. 18. The trees can be dropped off at the southwest corner of McCowin Park at Targhee Street and Williams Street.
“We are off to a great start. There’s already a big pile,” Miller said. “The more trees we have, the bigger and better the fire is.”
Miller told EastIdahoNews.com that last year, the flames were about 50 to 60 feet in the air, and the pile of trees was around 25 feet high.
A question that gets asked frequently about the bonfire is whether the fire department is aware of the event.
“The answer is absolutely yes. The fire department is involved in every step of the process. The fire department will be out there all night. They start the fire and they supervise it the whole evening,” Miller said.
It’s set to be a fun night. Many prizes will be given away by different businesses, and Kneaders will have free chocolate chip cookies.
“Cabela’s is going to be out there with a portable heater. Ammon Arts Community Theatre will be giving tickets away, and Elite Comfort Systems will be out there with some Amazon cards,” he said.
Miller encourages people to get there early for the Icy Inferno, as parking is tight, and to be patient if they have to park a bit farther and walk. A couple thousand people are expected to attend.
“Just come out and enjoy a fun and very unique activity for this area,” he said.
