Dublin opening temporary ice rink
Dublin will open a temporary ice rink Friday in Riverside Crossing Park.
The ice rink is situated in the lower plaza on the east side of the Dublin Link pedestrian bridge over the Scioto River at 6635 Riverside Dr.
The 3,200-square-foot rink's weekend hours will be 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Holiday hours will be noon to 9 p.m. Dec. 20-30, noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 24, noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 31 and 3 to 9 p.m. Jan. 1. It will be closed Christmas Day. Updates on hours will be provided on the city's website, dublinohiousa.gov.
The ice rink will operate until midmarch, said Shirley Blaine, a public information officer for Dublin.
Admission is $10 per person and includes skate rental.
Skaters are welcome to bring their own skates but must still pay admission, Blaine said.
The ice-skating rink is managed and maintained by Out of the Box Enterprises LLC and is outfitted with cooling equipment that allows for its operation at temperatures of up to 60 degrees, she said.
Crews will resurface the ice daily using a Zamboni, Blaine said.
The rink will be closed if skating conditions are unsafe. Those conditions include excessive rain, extremely warm temperatures or poor driving conditions.
Visitors can view in real-time if the ice skating rink will be open by visiting the city's website.
The ice rink is both functional and picturesque, said Matt Earman, director of Dublin Parks & Recreation.
“It wouldn't be winter without taking a spin on the ice," he said. "The new rink adds a touch of festive fun to the downtown Dublin area under the perfect backdrop of the Dublin Link.”
Dublin also manages an ice-skating rink at Coffman Park, 5200 Emerald Parkway.
That rink is more sensitive to the weather and needs consistent freezing temperatures to maintain an icy surface for skaters, Blaine said.
The Coffman Park ice rink is open weekdays from 3 to 8:30 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
If there is no school, the rink is open from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., weather permitting.
Skate rentals are not available, and playing hockey is not permitted, Blaine said. kcorvo@thisweeknews.com @Thisweekcorvo