Wednesday, November 15, 2023–10:14 a.m.
-David Crowder, WRGA News-
Ice skating returns to Rome for the holiday season, and it will be a little earlier than first anticipated.
The Rink at Ridgeferry was originally scheduled to open on Thanksgiving Day, but that plan has changed, according to Jim Alred with Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation.
“The ice is already very thick out there, and it’s looking great, knock on wood, and everything is in check,” he said. “On Tuesday, I got the approval to open ice skating to the public at 1 p.m. on Monday, November 20. On November 20, 21, and 22, we’re going to have hours from 1 – 9 p.m. out at Ridgeferry Park.”
According to Alred, the ice is holding up despite recent temperatures in the mid-60s.
“I’m inside there and there is no water on the ice—it is pristine,” he said.” We have two industrial-strength chillers. If you drive by Ridgeferry Park and see a giant, white tent in front of the Coca-Cola stage, that’s where the ice skating will be.”
The skating rink will be open on January 15, which is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. When school is in session, the rink will be closed on Mondays. You can view the hours of operation at rfpra.com.
“There is a button on the website that says “Ice Skating Info,” Alred added. “Click on that and you will find out everything you need to know.”
Armbands to skate are $12 for children 10 and under and $14 for adults. That includes skates. Skaters will want to bundle up and also make sure to bring socks. Rink admission includes skate rental and allows for skating the entire day as long as you keep your armband.
“If you have your own ice skates, you can bring those, and that’s perfectly fine,” Alred said. “They will have all sizes of skates available if you don’t have your own.”
There will also be food trucks and concessions on-site. There are also plans for possibly having Christmas crafts vendors coming out on some of the weekends. In addition, the annual candy cane hunt, usually held on the Town Green, will be held this year next to the ice skating rink. That event will be held on December 16 at noon. Playtime with Santa will also be held that same day from 2 until 4 p.m.
Rome and Floyd County’s last venture into ice skating was the Forum on Ice, which ran during the holidays from 2018 to 2020 at the Forum River Center. RFPRA is teaming up with Atlanta’s Event Specialists for the Rink at Ridgeferry.
