At 31 years old, a bigger and better Plymouth Ice Festival is set to kick off at 3 p.m. today in downtown Plymouth.

The annual free ice-carving festival has always offered a visual feast with elaborate sculptures situated throughout Kellogg Park, but this year's event is as much about what there is to do as what there is to see.

On Thursday night, crews were busy setting up structures, making snow and carving displays ahead of today's big premiere. 

With a new downtown skating rink and snowboard trick apparatus, coupled with the return of last year's popular cross-country skiing course, downtown Plymouth will turn into a winter playground for both kids and adults over three days.

Of course, the sculptures are the backbone of the long-running festival, and this year offers a large slate of artists, including dueling chainsaw speed-carvers and collegiate teams from Henry Ford Community College and the University of Michigan.

Plymouth-Canton Patch will be providing updates from the festival throughout the weekend, but here's what you need to know before heading out this weekend:

• View the full list of Plymouth Ice Festival events
• Maps, parking and what to know before heading out
• Getting there: Downtown road closures and detours
• Get Ice Festival updates on your mobile device
• Plymouth-Canton Patch's Plymouth Ice Festival news hub

Weather forecast: Sunny and chilly

The weather forecast this weekend projects cold and dry climates—albeit with a slight chance of snow Saturday—with plenty of sun:

• Friday: High: 30°; Partly cloudy in the morning becoming mostly cloudy. Southwest winds 5 to 15 mph...increasing to 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Low: 27°; Breezy. Partly cloudy. Southwest winds 15 to 25 mph.
• Saturday: High: 40°; Breezy. Partly cloudy. Southwest winds 15 to 25 mph. Low: 19°; Breezy. Mostly cloudy in the evening becoming partly cloudy. A chance of light snow showers. West winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 35 mph. Chance of snow 30 percent.
• Sunday: High: 24°; Breezy. Partly cloudy. Low: 13°; Mostly cloudy. 

Share your Ice Festival photos

We'll be at the Plymouth Ice Festival throughout the weekend, but we also want to see photos from your Ice Fest exploits. Upload your photos throughout the weekend right here on Plymouth-Canton Patch!