VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Many people welcomed the first day of 2026 by plunging into the water at DeLeon Springs.
The golden steam rising from the 72-degree water in the 40-degree air created a picturesque scene, perfect for a dunk.
“I’ve been swimming in the springs for 70 years. So this is a way to jump in and get rid of the old and start the new,” Adia Pavia said.
The Friends of DeLeon Springs State Park organize the dunk each year to help people kick-start their year.
“It’s definitely a good way to kind of reset your body,” said Sharon Pinder, president of the Friends of DeLeon Springs State Park. ”You kind of shock, shock it with the cold air and anyway, people always have a good time.”
Beyond the dunk, the event included a pancake eating contest, a hike and manatee watching, giving people a chance to connect with nature and each other.
“I think it’s such a good thing because I think so many people don’t know that this is like there are things that happen at the state parks and at the springs, like even at Blue Springs, like it’s such a good thing to come and do things like this and support our community,” Audrey Leiras told News 6 after her dunk.
This year’s dunk was extra special because of a historic wheel inside the Old Sugar Mill Pancake House. Park rangers and resident volunteers fixed it up to turn for the first time since the 1970s.
“I was in the water, and she said the wheel was turning. I turned around. I’m like that hasn’t turned for a long time. It’s a beautiful thing to have it working,” Pavia said.
If you want to start off your new year with a dip, you can always take a plunge at DeLeon Springs in 2027.
“If I’m 70 years old, and I can jump into this water, come on, let’s cleanse it out,” Pavia told potential attendees.