Bear and I love campfires. We like sitting around them at home with good friends, visiting and grilling sausages, setting marshmallows aflame as the sun sinks down through the trees and kookaburras cackle overhead. There’s nothing quite like the dance of flames and shower of sparks against the night sky to make everything feel cozy and peaceful.

With such a love for fires, there was only one possible answer when our friends Sue and Vincent invited us to attend the annual Killarney Bonfire Night. A resounding YES!!

We bundled up against the winter chill, grabbed a large flask of “coffee” – aka Sue’s Famous Spiced Wine – and headed out for a night of fires, artistry, and food.

It was marvelously fun! We jostled along merrily with the crowds, delighted to find an open table where we could tuck into dinner while listening to live music and watching the firefighters build a humdinger of a bonfire. The blokes ate steak sandwiches with fried onions, while Sue and I indulged in nachos piled high with all the fixings, and we all shared hot chips and glasses of spiced wine.

Thus fortified against the cold, we wandered off to see what we could see.

The Killarney Bonfire Night features a myriad of 44 gallon drums that have been cut, welded, sliced, and punched to create brilliant works of art that are lit from within by cheerily blazing fires. They perform double duty by keeping all the onlookers toasty warm.

There were flaming rocket ships and glowing insects, homages to trucks and engines, and a marvelous fire-breathing dragon.

We saw tractors and VW Kombis and a drum that looked like a glittering night sky with tiny holes punched through all the sides.

They were all clever and fun, showcasing the passions and skills of their makers.

There was also plenty of people watching and a dazzling fire show of twirling fiery batons.

After looking at everything, Bear and I found a comfortable perch to rest our bones and watch the festivities as we chatted, ate chocolate, and sipped hot mulled wine.

It was truly a fabulous night and we look forward to a repeat performance next year.

Where is your favorite place to sit by the fire? xo