Before long, Kellogg Park will be filled with ice sculptures of all different shapes and size. Wednesday night, carving teams were just getting started on their masterpieces for this weekend's Plymouth Ice Festival.

Jeff Wolf, a culinary instructor at Macomb Community College and the owner of Finesse Ice Sculpture in Shelby Township, was out with two of members of the Macomb Community College Ice Sculpting team, working on their biggest sculpture – a 12-foot tall ice princess.

"She's going to be beautiful," Wolf said. "She'll be holding a a snowflake and have a big, butterfly-type wingspan."

This is Wolf's 28th year of involvement with the Plymouth Ice Festival. He first competed in the festival in the second year of its existence, when he was fresh out of culinary school in New York.

"When I was in school, ice carving intrigued me so much, I would take ice back to my apartment to practice," Wolf said. "It's really fun and interesting what you can do with ice. It's a medium that's always changing, and it's temporary. When you create something out of ice, you have to seize the moment and capture it in your mind, because eventually it will melt."

Now, Wolf has made a career out of ice, teaching at Macomb and coaching the ice carving team. His business creates ice sculptures for weddings and other functions.

Richard Teeple, a culinary instructor at Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, was also out with his team on Wednesday night working on its big display piece – a 14-foot sculpture of a gargoyle fighting a lion.

Teeple has been involved with the festival since the beginning and always has students in the competitions.

"I made a commitment to the Plymouth Ice Festival because it enhances the art and student training," Teeple said. "I like the mission behind it."

Three of Teeple's students were out working with him Wednesday night – Dearborn residents Jeff Lao, 24, and Paul Nuznov, 26 and Greg Wallis, 58, of Dearborn Heights.

Their mission for the night was to stack all the ice for the sculpture. Teeple said they would come back on Thursday and Friday to do the sculpting.

"We've been here since 6 (p.m.), and they'll kick us out at midnight," Nuznov said, smiling. "But if we can get away with being here longer, Chef Teeple will make us."

The Plymouth Ice Festival officially opens Friday at 3 p.m. in Kellogg Park. Read more about the events and attractions taking place this weekend here.