BUCHANAN, Mich. — Winters in Michigan can be tough, especially around this time of year. The charm of the holiday season is gone and all that is left is that pesky lake-effect snow and staggeringly low temperatures.

Buchanan has found a way to inject a little ‘thrill’ into the monotony of winter. On Jan. 30 and 31, the City of Buchanan will be closing down the busiest street in town, icing it down (with the help of the fire department), and erecting a wooden ramp at the top — all in and attempt to create one of the most unique tubing experiences around.

The 2015 Thrill on the Hill event will be the fourth of its kind in Buchanan and organizers say it is setting up to be the best one yet.

City manager Bill Marx said last year’s event drew more than 2,000 people to the streets of downtown Buchanan for all kinds of winter fun and activities, headlined by tubing down the giant hill on Front Street.

Parents bringing children to the Thrill on the Hill will be happy to know that tubes will be provided for everyone, which means moms and dads won’t have to worry about carrying sleds all over town. The city provides tubes that have been inspected for safety, and organizers ask that no one bring their own tubes or sleds from home.

“We understand how our tubes handle,” said Marx. “We know that if someone happens to bump into someone else that the tube isn’t going to pop or harm anybody.”

The fourth annual Thrill on the Hill will see a couple of changes and improvements from previous years. One of the new additions will be a horse-drawn carriage ride around the city that will be operating from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday. Also, new this year is the fire ring that will be located just a couple yards from the bottom the hill, at McCoy Creek Pond. There will be hay bails situated around the fire for patrons to sit and warm up.

The preparation starts Wednesday night with the closing of the hill on Front Street and festivities kick off Friday night.

From 6 to 9 p.m. the hill will be open to people of all ages. After a quick grooming session, the hill reopens from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. for the adult midnight run.

Saturday, an all-day wristband can be purchased for $3 and the hill will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

“We also have the ‘little thrill,’ which is for parents with children who aren’t quite comfortable with the big hill,” Marx said. “Also, this year, we will have a DJ booth set up and playing music the whole time the hill is open.”

Smoke Family Vision Center will be having a snowman building contest on Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and will be passing out s’mores for the little ones.

The city expects to see little to no disruption in traffic, as the detour route only sends motorists about a half mile out of their way. Local restaurants and bars will be running “Thriller Specials” throughout the weekend. Information about the “Thriller Spec-ials” and more can be found on the Thrill on the Hill Facebook page.