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Plymouth Ice Festival: A World Class Winter Spectacular For All Ages

Plymouth is located on the western edge of the Detroit Metro Area, and offers travelers a unique destination filled with shops, family-friendly attractions, and live entertainment venues. The town features over 100 different community events throughout the year that celebrate everything from craft beer to traditional holidays.

 

The Plymouth Ice Festival has been one of the top events in the Detroit Metro Area for 35 years. The three-day festival is family-friendly, and it’s the ideal event to introduce yourself to the community. More than 75,000 patrons will make their way to Plymouth to join in the festivities,  encountering a variety of activities including chainsaw carving demonstrations, an art market, music and dance performances, a three-mile run/walk, and the Ice Playground (which has great activities for kids). Attendees will also find a unique marketplace with over 50 vendors only selling items and foods made in Michigan. A variety of food and drinks will be available for purchase and the first two nights of the festival are capped off with a Fire & Ice display downtown. ResortsandLodges.com got the chance to interview James Gietzen, representative for the festival, to talk about this highly anticipated winter classic.

 

RAL: How long has the event been running?

JG: The Plymouth Ice Festival will celebrate its 35th anniversary this year. It runs from January 6th to the 8th.

 

RAL: How many annual participants do you draw?

JG: The Plymouth Ice Festival attracts between 75,000 to 100,000 people annually.

 

RAL: What is the typical demographic makeup of the event? Children? Families? Couples?

JG: We have opportunities for everyone to have fun at the Plymouth Ice Festival. Bring the kids, and plenty of film to an all-new attraction at the festival called The Ice Playground. It's packed full of interactive ice carvings, and there will be plenty of opportunities for pictures while the kids play with the ice. This is simply a “must-see” at this year's festival.

 

Patrons of age looking for the biggest party in downtown Plymouth can head over to the EG Nicks Party Lot for cold beer, drink specials, and live music. The Party Lot has become the place to be for the evening crowd, and there is always a good time to be had! Attendees can hang out on the front patio to catch some heat, see an awesome ice bar, and enjoy some Svedka Vodka specialties!

 

RAL: What makes this event unique?

JG: What makes the Plymouth Ice Festival Unique is that although there a lot of ice carvings to view, we also have a lot of carvings you can interact with which makes coming to the event a fun experience for everyone!

 

RAL: Take me through the activities of a day at the event.

JG: In the morning, local colleges bring out their ice carving clubs for exciting competitions. Vendors are open all day and the event comes alive during the evening with our fire and ice carvings and Dueling Chainsaws competition.

 

RAL: What dining options will attendees encounter?

JG: If you get chilly or hungry during all the excitement downtown, Plymouth has a ton of restaurants and bars with cuisine from all around the world.

 

RAL: What is the overall environment like?

JG: Excitement usually fills the air in downtown Plymouth, but even more so during the Plymouth Ice Festival. The festival is a big deal around town, so people are out walking around and taking pictures everywhere!

 

RAL: What can an attendee expect to find for local lodging?

JG: The Plymouth Area has lots of hotels, a complete list of hotels can be found online at Plymouthmich.org.

 

RAL: Does the event drive business to your local economy?

JG: The event is part of the community’s backbone, as it brings business to merchants and restaurants at the beginning of a slow time of year. Plymouth is also known for its events and activities, which are going on all year.

 

RAL: Does the event support a special cause in the community?

JG: The event helps local community colleges by giving students support and the opportunity to practice skills they can use in the workforce.

 

RAL: Why should people come to your event?

JG: People should come to the Plymouth Ice Festival because it is a unique festival that celebrates Michigan winters and is a great ending to the holidays.


For more information about the Plymouth Ice Festival, please visit their website.