EVENTS

Guide to outdoor ice skating rinks around Phoenix

Kellie Hwang

The Republic | azcentral.com

Nothing says holidays like ice skating in crisp weather.

Popular outdoor ice-skating rinks return to Phoenix, Scottsdale and Glendale this month for a fun winter wonderland experience. Make a day of it with your family and friends and sip hot chocolate after skating, or bring a date for an evening skate, dinner and drinks.

CitySkate

CityScape hosts this whimsical rink in the heart of downtown Phoenix for the sixth year, taking over Central Avenue and featuring a 36-foot-tall Christmas tree, nightly light shows and thousands of twinkling lights. The rink has real ice and measures about 7,000 square feet. Visitors in Patriots Park overlooking the rink will enjoy nightly "snow," and Santa will swing by for photo sessions from 4 to 8 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Check the calendar on the website for special events, including City Lights Movie Nights on Dec. 10 with a double feature: "Home Alone" and "Elf."

CitySkate will host a grand opening with live music, an appearance by Santa Claus, holiday performances, snowfall and a light show. Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and his family will lead the tree lighting. Hotel Palomar will feature a "Stay & Skate" package for $139 that includes a night's stay, two tickets to CitySkate and two Hotel Palomar beanies.

Details: Grand opening is 3-11 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28. Ice rink is open Saturday, Nov. 28-Monday, Jan. 11. 1 E. Washington St., Phoenix. $15 from 3-11 p.m. weekdays and all weekend. $12 from 11:30 a.m.-1:20 p.m. weekdays and for students with ID. $8 for ages 4-8, military members and seniors. Free for age 3 and younger. Admission fee includes skate rental. 602-772-3900, phxicerink.com.

Desert Ice Skating Rink

The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess is magical during the holidays, with seemingly every corner decked out with decorations. The 6,000-square-foot Desert Ice Skating Rink — with real ice and nightly snowfall — is a big draw. Reservations are available for rink-side fire pits with blankets so you can enjoy s'mores, hot chocolate and cocktails.

The resort also features Lagoon Lights with more than 2.8 million lights, rides on the Princess Express Train, a massive four-story musical Christmas tree and more. New this year is S'mores Land with a Christmas carousel, petting zoo, and visits by holiday characters.

Details: Tree lighting celebration is 5:30-8 p.m.Thursday, Nov. 19. Ice skating is during the evening Thursday, Nov. 19-Sunday, Jan. 3. Times vary; call or check the hotel website. Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, 7575 E. Princess Drive. $15 admission, $5 skate rental. 480-585-4848, scottsdaleprincess.com.

Ice Rink at City Plaza

Downtown Mesa hosts Merry Main Street, featuring its first ever outdoor ice rink.

After a 10-year hiatus, the City of Mesa will bring back its Merry Main Street holiday festival in downtown Mesa, kicking off on Nov. 27 with a tree lighting ceremony. One major highlight will be the 4,500-square foot ice rink made with real ice. The series will also feature Jack Frost's Food Truck Forest, live performances on Friday and Saturday evenings through Dec. 19, Santa's Market Place with visits from Santa Claus. Visitors can get discounts for the ice rink as customers of SRP and City of Mesa Utilities (coupons available on the websites), from purchasing items from a downtown Mesa business or for groups of 20 or larger.

Details: The tree lighting cereming is Friday, Nov. 27 starting at 5:45 p.m. Merry Main Street runs Nov. 27-Jan. 3. Ice rink runs 5-10 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. $10 for a one-hour session, includes skate rental. merrymainst.com.

Westgate Holiday Skate Rink

The Westgate Ice Rink is open during Thanksgiving weekend at Westgate Entertainment District.

This nearly 2,500-square foot rink at Fountain Park is only open during Thanksgiving weekend and it's popular: Last year it got more than 3,000 visitors on opening night. Throughout the holiday season, enjoy nightly snowfall, horse-drawn carriage rides and visits from Santa Claus. The series kicks off with a tree lighting and a performance by professional ice skaters on Tuesday, Nov. 24.

Details: Tree lighting is 6:30-9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 23. Public skating hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, and Sunday, Nov. 29; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27, and Saturday, Nov. 28. Westgate Entertainment District, 6751 N. Sunset Blvd., Glendale. Free skating and rental skates for age 5 and older. westgateaz.com.

Arizona Biltmore Skate Rink

The elegant Phoenix resort hosts an ice rink for the first time on Squaw Peak Lawn, featuring mountain views and a plethora of palm trees. The resort will also host a variety of activities throughout the holiday season, including yoga on the lawn, holiday high tea, and family bike rides and tours.

Details: Through Sunday, Jan. 3. 4-8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; noon-8 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Arizona Biltmore, 2400 E. Missouri Ave., Phoenix. $15 per person. 855-689-2878, arizonabiltmore.com.