Say “Santa Monica” and many Angelenos may think of sand, not ice. But starting Nov. 1, there will be plenty of ice in Santa Monica.
That’s when the seasonal ice rink at Fifth Street and Arizona Avenue will open. And this year, the rink will be about 25% larger than past iterations.
Officially named Ice at Santa Monica, presented by Netflix, the skating rink is part of Downtown Santa Monica Inc.’s initiative to make the city festive for the holidays and boost traffic. This year, the organization partnered with Willy Bietak Productions to create the enhanced rink.
The Downtown Santa Monica organization said the rink will not only be larger but there will be new rink-side fire pits, s’mores kits, private party tent rentals, more concessions and a lineup of themed skate nights, such as an ABBA Disco Night on Nov. 15 and an ugly holiday sweater night on Dec. 6.
Admission is $22 for a 60-minute session on the rink, and that includes skate rental.
This is the second year for the downtown festivities since pandemic caused a two-year hiatus.
The ice rink is part of the overall initiative to make the area more festive during the holidays. The annual tree-lighting ceremony at the nearby Third Street Promenade will be Nov. 16 and a “Holiday Conscious Market” – featuring more than 40 local vendors with a focus on elevated and sustainable brands – will be Dec. 2. Nightly menorah lightings will be held Dec. 7 through Dec. 14 with the final ceremony occurring at the ice rink, which is a new touch this year.
And a New Year celebration will occur, of course, on Dec. 31, but with a family-friendly twist. The countdown will be synched to East Coast time, or three hours earlier than West Coast time.
The Downtown Santa Monica organization is a private nonprofit that works with the city to manage the property-based business assessment district there.
The goal of the ice rink and other holiday festivities is not only to increase foot traffic but to boost awareness of the area and promote community life in downtown Santa Monica.
