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The fee — which includes skate rentals — is $10 for adults and $7 for children 12 and under.

Hengstler said he tested the rink himself and called it “The newest innovation in synthetic ice.”

“It’s fairly comparable (to ice),” Hengstler said. “For those who know how to skate well, you can defi nitely do crossovers and stop pretty well. (The surface) is traditionally created for training for fi gure skaters and hockey players. Over the years, they’ve branched out and sold them to more downtowns.”

The Olde Town BID piloted a rink in 2020, but Hengstler called the new rink a “marked improvement over prior years” and cited the new rink’s larger size and more level ground. He said the BID will be operating the rink for a number of years going forward.

The rink is sponsored by Century Link, Lutheran Medical Center and Colorado Party Rentals.

Holiday Makers Market Nov. 25 to Dec. 18

The Holiday Makers Market returns this year every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Nov. 25 to Dec. 18. The market is free to the public and will feature a rotating roster of local vendors and makers — this year, a completely new list of vendors will rotate through the market every week.

The market will be held in Olde Town Square from 4 to 7 p.m. on Fridays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Local businesses will host pop-up bars each week, with New Image Brewing already on board.

“Over the last couple of years, we have really worked to grow this vendor list and word spread within the community that Olde Town was a great place for them to come and be successful,” Hengstler said.

Some of the vendors lined up for this year’s market include Sustainable Goods, Pet Ones Broomfi eld, Painted with Fire, Adults and Crafts and M2 Confections.

Small Business Saturday: Nov. 26

At 10:30 a.m. Nov. 26, Olde Town will celebrate Small Business Saturday; an annual event that aims to highlight local businesses.

Schoolhouse Kitchen and Libations and Hunter Bay Coffee Roasters will provide free coffee and breakfast tacos to the fi rst 100 people in attendance. The Olde Town BID will have enter-to-win raffl es for Olde Town gift cards and merchandise.

“It’s our way to celebrate small business Saturday, our favorite holiday of the year,” Hengstler said. “It is a really important day for our small retailers and they defi nitely fully embrace everyone coming out to support local.”

Olde Town tree lighting: Nov. 26

From 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 26, the tree in Olde Town Square will be lit up for the holidays. 57th Avenue will be closed to car traffi c for the occasion, which will begin with a march through Olde Town at 5 p.m. led by the Guerilla Fanfare Brass Band. At 6, the tree lighting countdown will be led by City Councilmembers John Marriott and Lauren Simpson.

Following the tree lighting, folks can get pictures with Santa and a holiday performance by the Elegant Plums will take place. The Olde Town BID will serve alcoholic beverages for the event, and the maker’s market will have expanded hours.

Saturdays with Santa: Dec. 3, 10, 17

On Dec. 3, 10 and 17, families can have breakfast with Santa at Schoolhouse from 11 a.m. to noon, followed by free pictures with Santa available from noon to 3 p.m. in Olde Town Square.

Lagniappe, Annual Eggnog and Cider Competition, and Arvada Fire Chili Cooko : Dec. 5

Dec. 5 will be a busy night in Olde Town, with three events running concurrently.

Lagniappe will feature local businesses, especially retailers, handing out small gifts with purchases throughout the evening.

“It’s a great night to come down and do additional holiday shopping,” Hengstler said.

The 7th Annual Eggnog and Cider Competition is also taking place the evening of Dec. 5, with shops around Olde Town serving their favorite seasonal beverage to patrons, who will then vote on the best sample.

Last year, the Arvada Tavern won `Best Eggnog’ honors and Flights Wine Cafe won the `Best Cider’ category. Hunter Bay Coffee Roasters won `Best Non-Alcoholic Eggnog,’ while Scrumptious took home `Best Non-Alcoholic Apple Cider’ for their apple cider sorbet.

Also, on Dec. 5, the Arvada Fire Protection District will host its 11th Annual Fire House Chilli Cookoff at the Arvada Elks Lodge. Last year, fi refi ghters and one board member from Arvada Fire entered homemade chili in the contest, with Station 5’s B shift winning “most delicious overall chili,” while Station 2’s green chili won that category.

This year’s chili cook off will take place between 6 and 8 p.m.