Most common is the four-sided pyramid bonfire. Others are built to look like life-sized airplanes, buildings, sailing ships, and windmills. These bonfires can stand fifteen to twenty feet tall, and are big enough for children and adults to climb onto. Wooden logs, cut to various sizes, are the main materials used in the construction. The wooden structures require quite a lot of work to complete.
Volunteers complete the task in the afternoons, after work is done.
A simple, pyramid-shaped bonfire cab take a week for two adults to construct. Complex constructions, such as a tugboat made of logs, can take a crew of adults an entire month to complete. The bonfire tradition started over 100 years ago. Legends vary about how the tradition got started. Others say that the lights were there to guide ships on the Mississippi River through the dangerous December fog.