HOT SPRINGS – The annual Winter Solstice Festival took place Saturday in Hot Springs. The elaborate celebration included many unique festivities

The event kicked off with a Christmas-appropriate nativity scene. After the nativity scene was complete the anxious festival participants had to await nightfall for the luminous activities.

With the darkness came beautiful lights through the means of an illuminated labyrinth coupled with a bonfire and drum circle.

The labyrinth was meticulously set up by drum circle member Curt Kruse.

“We’ve been doing this for almost 10 years now,” Cruse said. “It started small but evolved over time.”

According to Kruse, the winter solstice is an “unclaimed holiday” that he and his friends like to celebrate.

In walking the labyrinth, one is overwhelmed by the beauty of the candlelight. This combined with the tribal drums creates an almost spiritual experience.

Many visitors danced around the bonfire feeling the rhythm of the drums.

The Luminous Labyrinth was not always paired with the drum circle. A few years back, when the tradition began, Kruse had not yet mastered the drums.

Since then, Kruse recognizes the festival has grown and evolved into something more elaborate each year.

Following the drum circle and Luminous Labyrinth was even more fire. Fire dancers took the field right in front of the Symes Hot Springs Hotel.

There were five spinners in total. This included mother and daughter duo Jamie and Jordyn Griffin, and troop leader Errol Clark, from the Sandpoint area.

The fire-spinners performed for the enthralled audience for over an hour. They danced to various songs from Prince music to Fall Out Boys Light Em Up.

“We always do three to five extra songs whenever we are here because [Hot Springs] is one of our favorite crowds,” Clark said.

The troop has a long-standing tradition of visiting Hot Springs. They perform there around four times each year and have been doing so for six or seven years.

The fire-spinners travel and do approximately eight shows a year together, but during the summer Clark said he performs almost every weekend.

Both Fire-spinning and performing became a passion for Clark several years ago.

“I started out as a drummer for a theater group. They hired some actors and the actors were trying to learn how to fire-spin,” Clark said. “I was like let me try that and it came naturally.”

Clark’s natural ability impressed the theater group.

“They were like you are no longer a drummer…you’re a performer,” Clark said.

Since then Clark has captivated audiences with his show stopping fire tricks. He spins, twirls and throws fire, captivating onlookers.

He even has a trick of breathing fire for which he uses a special kind of wax.

Clark’s fire-spinning has even inspired a new generation.

Jordyn Griffin, daughter of a long-time troop member, has taken to spinning.

“She started about a year and a half ago,” Jordyn’s mother said. “She enjoys doing it and has gotten really good at it.”

The mouth-dropping display of fire-dancing will live on for another generation to enjoy.