One of the highlights of the annual Blowing Rock Winterfest is the Saturday morning Polar Plunge. Dozens of brave, cold-defying souls line up for their opportunity to be swallowed by the January-chilled waters of Chetola Lake. Many do so in costume. Others decide less is more. The colder the better!

In previous years the lake top has been frozen. That shouldn't be the case this weekend, thanks to moderate temperatures. But there should still be quite the party atmosphere when the plungers arrive.

"We are freezin’ for a reason," said Tracy Brown, the tourism director for the town of Blowing Rock. ...

"We usually have between 25 and 50 people jump into the lake," Brown said.

The audience festively agonizes with the participants, many of whom show up in costumes.

And when it’s all over?

Judges award the locally famous "Golden Plunge" award to the plunger sporting the best costume, Brown said.

Money raised at the event also goes to the participants’ favorite charity.

This year's charity recipient is Wine to Water. So plungers can feel good about raising money for a local cause, even when dripping wet with chills from an icy jump. Just another unique Saturday morning in the High Country of North Carolina.