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HOUGHTON -- The holiday season is finally in full swing, and that means for all of the residents at the Bluffs, it's time for a Frosty Festival.

This is the first year for the event, but that didn't stop anyone from filling up the room with laughter and holiday cheer. Hot chocolate and apple cider were just a few of the holiday treats the residents got a chance to enjoy.

"Well, it first just started out as me wanting to do something fun for the residents, and so I wanted to bring the dogs in, and it kind of just went from there," said activities director Sarah Rilei.

It wouldn't be the holiday season without someone to share it with, and the Humane Society brought in a few dogs for a meet-and-greet with the residents.

Studies have shown that even a short visit with dogs, like Rudy, can help enhance a resident's overall mood and give them the emotional support that they need.

During the event, visitors and residents brought in treats, toys, and other donations for the Humane Society. Some of the dogs brought in are rescue dogs, and they are trained to make them more adoptable, and volunteers say they enjoy bringing their dogs to spend time with the residents.

"Lots of the residents here have had animals and they weren't able to come here and had to maybe, in some cases, surrender them. The fact that we can bring animals in and they can have interaction with them is just great,” said Humane Society volunteer Jill Bernas.

The residents also got their very own Christmas concert with artist Courtney Clisch who sang some traditional holiday tunes.

"Lovely, they always have something nice going on up here for us. It's a nice social and I like to see the dogs," said resident Frankie Verville.

This Frosty Festival gives residents the opportunity to interact with each other and enjoy some time well spent a few four-legged friends.