Queen Elsa has nothing on the 38th Annual Plymouth Ice Festival returning this weekend

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click to enlarge Queen Elsa has nothing on the 38th Annual Plymouth Ice Festival returning this weekend
Robert Lovelace III

In the words of Vanilla Ice: Ice, ice baby. Though the ’90s hip-hop jam might be, well, mostly nonsensical, it’s fitting for the return of Plymouth’s Ice Festival.

The 38th annual celebration of what happens when water freezes will return for a weekend of winter fun in downtown Plymouth. Though southeast Michigan has been basically snowless this winter, when it comes to this annual family-friendly event, ice is always in the forecast. Per previous events, this year’s festival will welcome the DTE Energy Foundation tubing run, fire and ice tower display, and the dueling chainsaws competition. Both Saturday and Sunday will host the collegiate ice carving competition, in which competitors will be given just three hours to create an ice sculpture to be judged by an expert panel, followed by a team competition. Other events include cross-country ski zone and the interactive ice playground, where visitors can play games made from ice as well as snap photos of some of the area’s interactive sculptures.

Festival begins at 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 10, with the official ribbon-cutting at 7 p.m., and 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11, and Sunday, Jan., 12, in downtown Plymouth; 350 S. Main St., Plymouth; plymouthicefestival.com. Event is free and open to the public.

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