Let this be the mantra for the next week: “Twenty degrees and overcast.”

“That’s the perfect weather for IceFest,” said IceFest Chairman Tim Naab. “It’s cold enough to keep the ice frozen but not so cold that people can’t enjoy themselves. And being overcast prevents the ice from cracking in the sunlight and keeps it pristine and clear.”

The City of Sculpture committee held an IceFest preview Friday morning at Miami Hamilton Downtown, revealing some of the details of weekend activities and giving Artic Diamond owner Brady Lantz a chance to show his chops by creating a Miami University logo in mere minutes while the crowd watched.

“We’re really excited about next weekend,” Naab said. “IceFest is one of Hamilton’s signature events, unique to this area. It was extremely successful in 2011 and we’ve been getting calls from Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, all over, with people really excited to come to Hamilton.”

The eighth IceFest will take place Jan. 18 and 19 along High Street in downtown Hamilton.

There will be approximately 75 sponsored sculptures lining the sidewalks and placed in the plaza at the Government Services Center. Many of them will be in keeping with the theme “Landmarks of the World,” and will include ice renditions of Mount Rushmore, Niagara Falls, the Disney Castle, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Eiffel Tower. Local and regional landmarks, such as Hamilton’s Lane-Hooven House and Lane Public Library and Cincinnati’s Union Terminal and Tyler Davidson Fountain, will also be represented.

The sculptures will be illuminated with colored lights for the Friday evening Technicolor Ice Walk, and Artic Diamond artists will create a special sculpture that will be set on fire for the Fire and Ice event at the Courtyard by Marriott. There is also a ticketed Fire and Ice Gala inside the Courtyard. Tickets are $25 per person and available at the front desk.

On Saturday, seven world-class ice sculptors from around the country will compete for cash prizes. There will also be three student competitors from Oakland Community College in Michigan, who will be qualifying for the National Collegiate Finals and special “speed carving” demonstrations.

IceFest is expected to draw between 25,000 and 30,000 people to downtown Hamilton. Except for the ticketed portion of the Fire and Ice event, everything is free, including admission to ArtFest in the Government Services Center and BookFest at Ryan’s Tavern.

IceFest is the major fundraising event for the City of Sculpture and will help pay for the installation of three new sculptures that will be installed in the new RiversEdge amphitheatre currently under construction in Hamilton’s German Village.