“Personally, I love the way that the Holidays on the River Ice Rink brings in the holiday season to Tuscaloosa,” said Christy Bobo, director of the Tuscaloosa River Market.
Skating rink hours are Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday from 2 to 10 p.m., Friday from 2 to 11 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. The rink is closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.
Tickets for children ages 12 and under are $12 and adult tickets are $15. A ticket is good for two hours of skating.
“I think now that we are giving them two hours of skate time, it’s going to help us out a lot as far as attendance,” said Patricia Pratt, box office manager for the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater.
Emily Meineke, a senior majoring in public relations, went to the ice skating rink last year.
“Most people there are not great at it. So go hang around the railing, get a friend that can help you, but don’t be embarrassed to go,” she said.
Bobo has advice for anyone apprehensive about ice skating for the first time.
“Come on over and ask for a skate aid,” Bobo said. “We have fun polar bear skate aids that you can hold onto and skate behind until you catch the hang of movement on the ice.”
Meineke said organizations would have a great time if they set up a private party there. She thinks a lot of people would attend that kind of activity.
“It’s something different, you know,” she said. “You don’t really go ice skating a lot here in Alabama, so it’s a fun, different thing to do on a random night.”
Pratt said UA student organizations can book private parties at the rink by contacting [email protected].
The ice skating rink started three years ago with support from Mayor Walt Maddox and the city council.
The company Ice Rink Events assists the skating rink setup. The ice rink is kept from melting by a large generator which keeps the coolant-filled coils beneath the ice chilled.
Dates and times for all events can be found at holidaysontheriver.com/calendar.
“It’s such a beautiful sight to see at night,” Pratt said. “All the lights and stuff, that’s very exciting. It makes the holiday season seem real.”
