Jacobson Plaza closes skating ribbon as park preps for ice

Get ready for ice skating downtown in a matter of weeks.

The skate ribbon at Jacobson Plaza temporarily closed today so the city’s Parks & Recreation Department staff can covert it into ice.

Assuming temperatures cooperate with the ice-making process, the skate ribbon is expected to open in conjunction with Winter Wonderland, the annual holiday lighting of Falls Park, at 4 p.m. Nov. 21. Lights for Winter Wonderland will turn on at 5 p.m.

“We’re excited to prepare the Jacobson Plaza skate ribbon for its very first winter season,” said Jackie Nelson, the city’s recreation manager. “Our team has been working hard to transform the space into a vibrant winter destination, and we can’t wait to see families and friends making memories on the ice. This type of project would not be possible without the fantastic support from our donors. We are grateful for their contributions and support of the park system.”

The 14,000-square-foot skate ribbon, which opened earlier this summer, was designed for year-round recreation and features a concrete surface for warm-weather seasons and refrigeration capabilities to convert the ribbon to ice during the winter months.

Various programs will take place at the Jacobson Plaza skate ribbon this winter, including Mascot Monday, Family Fun Skate and the Prince and Princess Skate Party.

Once the skate ribbon reopens, supervised skating will run from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Admission will be $5, and skate rentals will be available for $3. Online and walk-up reservations will be available closer to the skate ribbon reopening Nov. 21.

The hope is that ice skating will continue through St. Patrick’s Day.