(Radio Iowa) – The annual University of Okoboji Winter Games begin today (Thursday) with thousands of people expected to take part through the weekend. Okoboji Director of Tourism Rebecca Peters estimates the games for the fictional university have a three-million-dollar economic impact on the area.

The games feature everything from a polar plunge, broom ball, snowmobiles, and a kite festival. Most of the tourism in the area happens when the lakes aren’t frozen and there’s no snow on the ground.

Peters says there’s another benefit to the winter games as she says finding ways for locals to enjoy Okoboji beyond the summer months has helped fuel population growth in Dickinson County.

(By Kendall Crawford, Iowa Public Radio)