Plymouth Ice Festival
Page 6
Business
from page 5
The Atkinson family has had the business, which sells
dog and cat treats, food, gift items, animal birthday cakes
and more, for six and a half of its 12 years. They track Ice
Festival sales and are pleased and looking forward to this
year's Jan. 12-14 festival inPlymouth.
Said Wes Graff, president of the Plymouth Community
Chamber of Commerce, “It's one of the best weekends for
thewinter.”
The Ice Festival, which brings ice carvers and many
activities to town each year, gives local businesses a boost
during a traditionally slower post-holiday time. Graff notes
restaurant evening parties are a big draw, such as the one at
E.G. Nickswhichhas a tent andbands.
“It also drives people into stores,” he said. “They go into
stores and do a little poking around. It makes January a bet-
termonth for everybody. I know it'smuch better than a regu-
larweekend could ever be.”
Graff noted the Sun & Snow store, which sells winter
merchandise from the corner of Ann Arbor Trail and Main,
doeswell, as do specialty food shops.
One such shop is U.P. Pasties/Plymouth General Store on
Forest, ownedbyKimKelp for around eight years.
“It does very well for the pastie business,” saidKelp. Her
business sells hot and frozen pasties during Ice Festival
both fromthe store and froma booth inKelloggPark.
“We do thousands and thousands of pasties out of here,
hot and cold,” she said of the festival. New this year for U.P.
Pasties/Plymouth General Store during the festival will be
smoked giant turkey legs at both locations.
Kelp does a warming station at the store location only
with s'mores for the festival. “It's really not a slow time of
year for us,” she noted. “The pastie business is doing great.
We love the IceFestival.”
She's from the Upper Peninsula Copper Harbor, and
really appreciates festival organizers and their hard work.
“It's a wonderful show,” said Kelp. “Everybody comes from
all over.”
Plymouth City Manager Paul Sincock is a veteran of
many festivals. “I think it's a huge economic boon. You see a
huge economic impact,” Sincock said.
That includes restaurants and area hotels, he added.
USAHockey events onBeckRoad at the arena alsohelp.
“That gets into the mix, not just the central core area but
the region,” the citymanager said. The event helps to take a
down season “and turn it into a boon season.”
Sincock enjoys the Ice Festival. “Even after all the years,
I'm amazed at the creativity. It's just an incredible thing. I
think this event has definitely put Plymouthon themap.”
He noted the festival draws from Ontario, including
Chatham-Kent, as well as Indiana, Ohio, western Michigan,
and theSaginawarea.
