PLYMOUTH, Mich. (WXYZ) — The Plymouth Ice Festival returns this weekend, and it's the coldest weather they've had in years for this festival. We're told that is a good thing for the sculptures and there are so many to check out if you want to get out the house and do something this weekend
"It's one of the original ice festivals in the United States especially in this weekend," Top Shelf Ice Owner and Operator Benjamin Goebel said.
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Below-freezing temperatures are fantastic for those working on the ice masterpieces.
"I started here actually 20 years ago and it's all kinda wrapped back around. This is like my biggest thing I do every year," Goebel said.
He's one of many whose ice sculpures will be featured in the annual Plymouth Ice Festival, where people turn 350 pounds blocks of ice into pieces of art.
"The carvers take those ideas back and they design something and they come up with things that we wouldn't even is possible in a median like ice," Plymouth Ice Festival Organizer Jason Gietzen said. "It really all just comes alive. You can interact with different ice carvings whether you're siting on them. We're got checkers boards we've got different things that you can take pictures with we'll have live ice carving going on all weekend and vendors "
In all, there will be more than 150 sculptures on display throughout Downtown Plymouthl.
"Every year we get about 60,000-80,000 visitors that come from outside Plymouth to downtown Plymouth . It really has a huge economic impact to our businesses down here," Plymouth Downtown Development Authority Director Sam Plymale said.
Coming here is a chance to step inside an ice arena, from an ice bar and party tent, to ice golf and new this year – zip-lining.
There are opportunities to heat back up with warming stations and hot cocoa, or participate in the DDA's game of Bingo, where 24 businesses are participating.
"We have 24 participating businesses so you can grab a bingo card from any of those participating businesses they will also be scattered around the festival itself. Get stickers from the businesses and you can win prizes from the Plymouth DDA," Plymale said.
