It’s being billed as the world’s largest snowball fight but realistically, Dustin Ainsworth would be thrilled to see a few hundred people show up to hurl clumps of snow at each other.

Set for Saturday, March 16 at 3 p.m. at McEuen Park in downtown Coeur d’Alene, the late-winter escapade is designed to let participants blow off a little steam as a lingering snowy season trudges toward spring.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love the snow,” said Ainsworth, who dreamed up the idea for a snowball fight as he was gazing out a window at heaps of snow during a recent Chamber of Commerce meeting. ”But everybody’s kind of been getting spring fever and this is a great opportunity to get outside and have some fun.”

McEuen Park is the perfect spot for a record-attempting snowball fight, Ainsworth said, “because there’s 20 inches of snow and nobody’s using it.” Forecasters are calling for warmer temperatures in the days leading to the event, making for great snowball-making conditions, he added.

The family-friendly affair is expected to last only 10 to 15 minutes and precede the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which starts at 4 p.m. on Sherman Avenue.

The parade has attracted dozens of Irish-themed entries and will be led by grand marshal Bill Greenwood, the city’s parks and recreation director. Greenwood is well known in the community for sporting a kilt, the dress of Gaelic men in the Scottish Highlands.

Parade-goers are encouraged to arrive downtown early for what Ainsworth hopes will be a well-attended snowball fight, although he concedes capturing the world record is a longshot. Even the U.S. record may be out of reach.

According to the Guiness Book of World Records, Seattle holds the national record with a snowball fight involving 5,834 people in 2013. The world record belongs to Saskatoon, Canada, with 7,681 people in 2016.

Regardless of the crowd size, Ainsworth is sure of this: “When it’s done, it will be North Idaho’s biggest snowball fight ever and we can build momentum for next year.”

Participants are encouraged to bring eye protection and a can of food for the local food bank.