HOWARD — The cooler temperatures on Saturday, Dec. 8, did not distract people from attending the Knox County Park District’s Fire and Ice event held at the Honey Run Waterfall.

Close to 2,000 people attended the display of luminaria throughout the park and warmed to the roaring bonfire and hot chocolate that was served.

Twenty-six volunteers, including many from the Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist program, and the Knox County Park District staff worked numerous hours preparing for the event.

Volunteers helped with punching snowflakes into the luminary bags, filling the bags with sand and candles, and placing and lighting the 610 bags to astound the park visitors.

People traveled from locations across Ohio, including Cleveland, Canton, Wooster, Mansfield, Sandusky, Urbana, Columbus, Chillicothe, Lancaster, Newark, Zanesville, Cambridge and Dayton, to see the magical display of the illuminated waterfall and park. Out-of-state visitors included those from Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and Wisconsin. Some of the out-of-town visitors planned their trips to Ohio around the Fire and Ice event.

Although the wait for parking was lengthy at times, event-goers said the wait was well worth it as they stood in awe at the lighted display.

“It was the most beautiful event I have experienced. The sound of the running water and the sight of the candles were perfect,” said Janie Woodward, of Shreve in Wayne County.

The small amount of snow covering the ground was the perfect addition to a magical experience. Lighted trails provided a path that extended to the Kokosing State Scenic River, and photographers captured stunning images. The Honey Run waterfall was also lit.

The record attendance was definitely a result of the park district’s Facebook page event which had gone viral over social media as many people shared the event during the last few months. Park District Director Lori Totman was astounded at the number of people the event drew and the non-perishable food and monetary donations collected from attendees for the local Food for the Hungry drive.

Fire & Ice luminary

The Fire and Ice event was one of many drop-off locations in Knox County for the Food for the Hungry campaign. The collection included 1 1/2 truckloads (2,340 pounds) of canned and boxed food items.

The Knox County Park District has sponsored the Fire and Ice event for five years as something for people to enjoy as they prepare for the upcoming holiday season. The event is planned for the second Saturday of December, which coincides with the annual Food For The Hungry drive.

The past few years, Ohio Rental of Mount Vernon has been an event sponsor, providing light plants for the parking lot adjacent to the waterfall to allow for visitor safety during the event. The Knox County Sheriff’s Office provided two deputies and vehicles to assist with traffic control.

Honey Run Waterfall Park is located at 10855 Hazel Dell Road, Howard. The park features a 25-foot stunning waterfall named for the stream, Honey Run, that cascades over the waterfall. The park is open to the public 365 days a year.

The park district purchased an additional 19 acres in 2009 from the Millwood Sand Co., providing visitors the ability to hike from the waterfall to the Kokosing State Scenic River. Along the walk, visitors can view spectacular blackhand sandstone cliffs and boulders.

An additional 348 acres, known as Honey Run Highlands Park, was added to the site across the road from the waterfall. These two parks, in addition to six others, make up the park system that the Knox County Park District owns and manages.

Also included in management are 10 river accesses to the Mohican and Kokosing State Scenic Rivers and maintenance of three multi-use trails which include the Heart of Ohio, Kokosing Gap and Mohican Valley trails.

To learn more about Knox County Park District, visit its website at www.knoxcountyparks.org or follow it on Facebook and Instagram.