by Noella Noelophile®
(Photo courtesy of Juan Carlos Chan/L.A. Dept. Rec and Parks, and used with permission.)
Downtown Los Angeles is getting icy. And that’s a good thing.
Pershing Square’s Holiday Ice Rink is now open for its seventeenth season, with programs that include: Thursday-night DJ’s, an early-December “Knotts Merry Farm” mini-showcase, a brand-new New Year’s Day tradition and–green ice?
Well, we are talking about L.A., after all.
The rink opened Thursday, with a special program that included live performances from “Wicked”, the musical, Snoopy from “Knott’s Merry Farm” and the City of Angels Ice Theater Ensemble. These were just the opening act for a celebration that’ll last from now through January 19th.
Pershing Square Ice Rink will be open daily. General admission, hours and skate rental information are available on the rink’s website. And they’ve planned ten different types of special events that’ll be happening from now through mid-January.
(Photo courtesy of Juan Carlos Chan/L.A. Dept. Rec and Parks, and used with permission.)
A few of those include Thursday-night “DJ Spotlights”, where you can glide to the sounds of L.A.’s hottest DJs every Thursday night from now till January 15th. Singles in the area are invited to skate by at 8:30 on Thursday evening, December 11th, for a one-hour “Single in the City” mixer with interactive games, refreshments and prizes.
On Tuesday, December 2, everyone’s favorite beagle takes to the ice with his pals, for a “Snoopy Skating Showcase” preview of Knott’s Merry Farm’s spectacular, “Merry Christmas Snoopy”. And starting on Wednesday, December 10, the ice turns “Wicked”-ly green every week, for “Wicked Wednesdays”, with songs from the musical soundtrack and contests with a chance for skaters to win tickets to “Wicked: the Musical”, currently at the Pantages Theatre.
Then, on Saturday and Sunday December 13th and 14th, plan on both snow and ice in downtown L.A., as L.A.’s Department of Recreation and Parks provides a weekend of free Christmastime family activities. Crafts, games, Santa and live entertainment–plus snow and sledding–will all be part of the schedule.
Additional programs–including glow-in-the-dark skating on December 19th–are planned, and listed on the rink’s website. But we don’t want to fail to tell you about (shiver) a brand-new tradition, for New Year’s Day in L.A. You may want to mark your calendar for this one.
Yes, Polar Bear Ice Skating is coming to Los Angeles.
From 2:30 to 3:30 pm on New Year’s Day, skaters are invited to put on their favorite bathing suit, sunglasses or other beach attire and come out to the rink for a brisk, invigorating welcome to 2015. The first twenty-five skaters to show up for this popular Canadian tradition will receive a “badge of honor”, of sorts: a plush polar bear hat.
Saying “BRRRRR!” was never so much fun.
The 17th annual Holiday Ice Rink at Pershing Square is located at 532 South Olive Street, between 5th and 6th streets in downtown Los Angeles. Hours are 11:30 am to 9:30 pm. Mondays through Thursdays, 11:30 am to 11:00 pm on Fridays, 10:00 am to 11:00 pm Saturdays and 10:00 am to 9:30 pm on Sundays. The rink will be open on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with shorter holiday hours, posted on their website.