Residents in many states begin searching for facilities offering public ice skating near them as the holiday season approaches. The advent of winter makes snow sports feasible. Ice skating is one of the most popular recreational activities across the nation during this time.
Why People Frequent Public Ice Skating Facilities?
Public ice skating facilities primarily allow individuals to indulge in skating. However, they may offer additional services that are fun and engaging for children and adults.
Excellent Activity for Children
Most public ice skating rinks are open when schools are closed. They monitor local schools’ calendars and ensure that their facilities are available for extended hours during vacations. Children can skate during their breaks, and parents can join them too during holidays. Kids spend their time constructively while having fun. Most skating rinks have guards and instructors to assist skaters who are new to the sport. These rinks even host classes for teaching skating to children.
Themed Sessions
Many public ice skating rinks hold themed sessions. They generally have a musical theme or a character theme. In a music-themed session, music from a particular genre is played during the session, and participants may dress appropriately. Character-themed sessions have skaters dressed up as different characters or mascots like Santa Claus, Sponge Bob, and more. It can be fun and entertaining for children.
Recreational Activities
Public ice skating rinks may organize other recreational activities in addition to skating. They have food courts and restaurants for serving eatables to visitors. Cafes providing hot beverages like coffee, tea, or cocoa are present at most rinks. Many facilities offer free Wi-Fi that allows parents accompanying their children to access the Internet and finish their work. Some of them may organize birthdays or parties for children. Carnivals and fairs may be hosted on Christmas or new year. It makes them a fun place for the holiday season.
Affordable
Facilities offerings public ice skating near residential areas will be affordable. The entry tickets for public ice skating rinks are cheaper than movie tickets. They charge between $5 to $15 for a single session. Some may offer a monthly or seasonal pass. Skaters can rent skates as well if they don’t own a pair or forgot to bring their own. Students or teenagers who have limited funds can enjoy ice skating without splurging money.
Facilities for Public Ice Skating Near Me
If you are someone searching for “public ice skating near me”, here are a few popular rinks located across the USA.
Bank of America Winter Village, Bryant Park Rink, NY
Residents of New York who are searching for public ice skating near them may consider the Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park. It offers free admission as Bank of America sponsors it. You will have to pay for renting skates if you are not bringing any of your own. The 17,000-square-foot facility is outdoors and stays open from November to January, even on holidays in the season. The Rockefeller Center rink is another popular venue for public ice skating near you in New York. However, its capacity is fairly limited and only 150 skaters are allowed at a time. Skaters may also consider Riverbank State Park Ice Skating Rink that is an outdoor facility but has a roof to shield skaters from snow and showers.
LA Kings Holiday Ice, Los Angeles, California
LA residents who want to go public ice skating nearby can consider the LA Kings Holiday Ice carnival. There are three outdoor ice rink locations that skaters can frequent. These include the Westfield Valencia Town Center in Valencia, the Westfield Topanga in Woodland Hills, and the LA LIVE in downtown Los Angeles. They are open to the public from November to January. Aliso Viejo Ice Palace in Orange County of Aliso Viejo, Center Ice Arena in Ontario, Oakland Ice Center in Oakland, Iceoplex in Simi Valley, and Pickwick Ice Center in Burbank are other notable public ice skating rinks near individuals living in California.
National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Ice Rink, Washington, DC
The Garden Ice Rink at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture is one of the most popular public ice skating venues for Washington residents. It is located centrally and generally stays open from the mid of November to March. The rink has a lively atmosphere and is quite crowded. Other notable venues for public ice skating near residential areas of Washington include the Washington Harbor Ice Rink in Georgetown, Canal Park Ice Rink in Capitol Riverfront, and Color Burst Ice Rink in Merriweather.
Boston Common Frog Pond, Boston, Massachusetts
The Boston Common Frog Pond is one of the best facilities for public ice skating near you if you reside in Boston. It opens for skating in winters (November to March) and holds public sessions throughout the season. The Frog Lodge serves hot beverages to the customers. Other rinks for public ice skating near Boston residences include the Community Ice Skating Center at Kendall Square, Winter Skate at Gilette Stadium, Steriti Memorial Rink on Commercial Street, and Kelly Outdoor Rink in Jamaica Plain.
Roseville Skating Center, Roseville, Minnesota
Residents of Roseville looking for public ice skating near them can go to Roseville Skating Center. It has two facilities for ice sports. The first one is the indoor Roseville Ice Arena. The facility hosts figure skating tournaments and hockey leagues. It offers public sessions for hockey and different forms of skating. There is a separate senior skating session held as well. A free-to-use walking track surrounds the indoor ice arena and is 1/7-mile long. There is an outdoor recreation facility called the Guidant John Rose MN OVAL in addition to the indoor arena. It has 110,000 square feet of ice for sports, which includes a 400-meter speed skating track that encloses an ice area for hockey or bandy. It stays open from November to March for ice skating but is used for inline skating from May to September.
Big Bear Ice Arena, Denver, Colorado
Big Bear Ice Arena is a highly popular facility that allows public ice skating near Denver’s residential areas. It holds open sessions for the general public as well as permits figure skaters and hockey players to practice. Other prominent rinks for public ice skating across the state of Colorado include the Beaver Creek Village Ice Rink in Avon, Acacia Park in Colorado Springs, Copper Mountain West Lake Ice Rink in Copper Mountain, Keystone Dercum Square Ice Rink in Keystone, and Pagos Pavilion Ice Rink in Pagosa Springs.
Skaters must be aware that many public ice skating rinks near them may be temporarily closed or functioning at a limited capacity due to the ongoing pandemic crisis. Users may have to make advanced reservations for skating at the rink.
