Basic HTML Version
Plymouth Ice Festival
Page 1
The thrill of the chill
Ice Festival will provide new, interactive displays, attractions
Sam Walton isn't shy about it. He
loves Plymouth.
He was raised in the city and his
entire family still lives there where
they have been members of the com-
munity formore than 35 years.
“It's really home for the entire
Walton clan,” he said.
That was one of the reasons he first
became involved with the community
festivals, starting with doing sound and
entertainment booking for the Fall
Festival through one of his entertain-
ment companies. That evolved into his
management of the Plymouth Ice
Festival under the direction of a city
committee for the past three years.
This year, his fourth at the helm, the
festival has evolved into a for-profit
venture for the first time, with the
approval of the city commission. The
responsibility is Walton's through his
Signature Professional Group compa-
ny.
After his past experiences with the
festival, Walton was especially deter-
mined this year to outwit Mother
Nature and provide interactive enter-
tainment and events no matter what
theweathermight be.
“Whether it is 80 degrees or 8
degrees, there are activities and things
for families to enjoy and do this year,”
Walton said. “We've got a good mix of
attractions. Not just things for people
to be looking at, but something for peo-
ple to do. This is an interactive event.”
To that end, Walton said he suspects
one of the most popular features this
year will the ice skating rink inKellogg
Park.
“It is the coolest thing. For years we
couldn't do it because of logistical con-
siderations. It is a ton of work.
Remember, we have to plan for 100,000
people to use this thing during the
weekend. It's not like freezing some
water in somebody's back yard.”
The rink is a synthetic surface that
replicates the feel and texture of ice.
Walton was working with the city to
ensure that the rink space could be as
large as possible to accommodate the
crowds he anticipates using the attrac-
tion.
He stressed that the skating would
be free and that skates would be pro-
vided at no cost to visitors at the Ice
See
Thrill,
page 2