MISSOULA — It's the holiday season which means it's not surprising to find Santa as the main attraction in stores or a parade — but how about on the ice?
The weather outside might not be as frightful, but there is one activity that is delightful.
Ice skating is a winter staple, whether that's skating with Santa or lessons at Glacier Ice Rink.
It’s the holiday season at Glacier Ice Rink, and on Friday, December 22, 2023, Santa took some time away from the last-minute preparations to come to the ice.
“Santa Claus always comes through Montana when he comes through the United States, so I like to stop at all the ice rinks to say hi to everybody before I bring you presents,” Santa said.
Skating with Santa has become a tradition the week before Christmas for young and old alike.
“This is I think the 10th year that we’ve done this and it’s just kind of a fun thing that we do to kick off the holidays typically…we will decorate the rink with the trees in the snow in the middle of the rink and Santa kinda kicked off every year for us,” Glacier Ice Rink executive director Laura Hedding said.
The lack of snow outside is forcing people inside for winter activities.
“I think the draw is skating is really for anybody of all ages and abilities,” Hedding explained. “We people that know how to skate and we have a lot of families who maybe there are beginners and it’s a fun way to hang out and spend some time together and do something active.
With the New Year coming up, learning a new skill could be on your 2024 bucket list. And luckily, Glacier Ice Rink has just the opportunities.
“We’ve got a lot of public skating coming up. This is really the time of year that families are in town, and we get a lot of families coming out of here skating so we try to decorate the outside rink and make it a little bit more festive for the holidays,” Hedding said.
So, if you are looking to skate into 2024 with something new, be sure to click here to check out what’s happening at Glacier Ice Rink.
