STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Fireworks exploded over Dollar Mountain and red torchlights snaked down the mountain as Sun Valley Resort marked a return to Christmas Eve festivities after a year’s hiatus due to COVID.

About 2,000 people watched Sun Valley’s Christmas Eve Ice Show, as U.S. National Team skater Angela Wang thrilled the crowd with a soulful “Hallelujah” and backflips and Russian skater Natalia Zaitseva and U.S. Olympian Jeremy Barrett treated the crowd to the death spiral.

The resort charged $10 this year—the first time it’s ever charged for the show—to limit the number of people at a time when the Omicron variant is making inroads across much of the world. The money from ticket sales went to The Hunger Coalition and I Have a Dream Foundation-Idaho, which provides tutoring, scholarship money and more to set at-risk children on a path towards graduation and post-secondary education.

“Normally, there would be twice as many people—people elbow to elbow,” said Sun Valley spokesperson Jenna Vagias as she surveyed happy showgoers helping themselves to complimentary cocoa and cookies.

A light snow fell and a smidgeon of a breeze sent it swirling around the ice as the skaters began skating to “A Winter Wonderland.”

Children from the Sun Valley Figure Skating Cub skated with zest, some waving wands as the Sugar Plum Fairies.

It was 6-year-old Morgan Thomas’ first time skating in the ice show and she was psyched, said her father Doug Thomas. She apparently had no butterflies at all.

“She laced up her skates and said, ‘See you, Mom,” Doug Thomas recounted.

Santa did not attend the ice show this year, as he customarily does, in an effort to mitigate his chances of getting The Bug before embarking on his around-the-world Christmas Eve journey. But he did show up at the mountain shortly after 10 Christmas morning, sporting a black helmet and goggles over his curly white locks and green long johns under his red suit.

As the 45-minute ice show wound to a close, 150 Sun Valley ski instructors began snaking their way down Dollar Mountain, their torchlights casting a red glow on the snow. And what may have been the longest Christmas Eve fireworks show ever ensued.

“Best Christmas ever,” piped up one youngster.

NEXT UP:

Sun Valley Resort will offer night skiing on New Year’s Eve.

Night skiing will be offered from 5 to 9 p.m., capped with fireworks. Skiers and boarders also will be given glow sticks to light up the night.

Tickets are $45 for adults and $35 for children 12 and under. To learn more, visit https://www.sunvalley.com. Or, call 208-622-2135.