family activities
Get your skate on Slide onto an ice rink near you
K ATIE HARRIS
N
o winter is complete without the three “S’s”: sledding, skiing and skating. This month, we’re making it easy to check at least one of those items off your list, with a complete guide to ice skating in northern Colorado. The Edora Pool Ice Center (EPIC) at 1801 Riverside Ave. in Fort Collins has you covered rain or shine with its indoor skating rink. Open year round, EPIC offers a variety of skating classes along with daily public skating hours. In addition, skate rentals are available for $3 a pair. Rink admission costs $4/child, $5/adult and $4.50/ senior. Winter/spring public skate hours are as follows: M-F: 9-11am; M: 3:30-5pm; T/Th: 6:15-7:45pm; F: 5:457:15pm; Sa/Su: 12:15-2:15pm; and Sa: 5-7pm. Spring break hours (March 1216) are as follows: M-F: 9-11am, 1:153:15pm, and 6:15-7:45pm. The skating rink will be closed on the following dates: March 31 (5pm closure), April 1, April 5-8 and May 10-12. For more information visit www.fcgov.com/ recreation/programs/iceskating.php. Also in Fort Collins, located at 7900 Fairgrounds Ave., NoCo Ice Center offers open skate when not hosting the Northern Colorado Youth Hockey team, the Junior Eagles. Admission is $5 for skaters ages 4-64, and $4 for under 4 and over 65. Skate rentals are available for $5. Open skate times vary and are limited September through February due to hockey season. For a current schedule visit www.ncyh.org. For outdoor skating, the new Pond at Foothills Mall, located at 215 E. Foothills Pkwy. in Fort Collins, offers a rink right in the heart of the newest Fort Collins shopping and dining scene, so guests can make a day of their visit. The Pond is open W/Th: 4-8pm; F: 4-9pm; Sa: Noon-9pm; and Su: Noon-6pm.
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Admission is $4/age 4-12; $7/adult; $5/ ages 60 and over; and free for children 3 and under. Skate rentals are available for $3. More information can be found at www.shopfoothills.com/holidays/. The city of Fort Collins allows ice skating at two local parks when conditions are favorable. Sheldon Lake, located on Sheldon Dr. and W. Mulberry St. next to Fort Collins City Park, is open for ice skating when the ice is at least six inches thick. A banner on W. Mulberry St. indicates whether the ice is thick enough to skate on, and can change frequently. Skating is also permitted on the southwest corner of Merganser Pond in the Prospect Ponds Natural Area, located at 2025 Sharp Point Dr. For current conditions call 970-221-6660. When open, the lakes are free to skate on. Guests must bring their own skates. Visit www.fcgov.com/ parks/ for details. The Ice Rink at Centerra, located 5971 Sky Pond Dr. in Loveland, also offers outdoor skating in an outdoor mall area with several dining options nearby. The rink is open M-Th: 2-8pm;
F: 2-9pm; Sa: 10-9pm; Su: 11am-6pm through Feb. 25th. The $7/child under 12 and $8.50/adult admission prices include skate rentals, and are good for the entire day. A free skate night with the Colorado Eagles will be offered at the rink on Feb. 6th from 4-7pm, with Eagles players and Eagles Chicks, contests, giveaways and more. For details visit www.icerinkattheshops.com. The Greeley Ice Haus at 900 8th Ave. in Greeley offers indoor skating year-round, from figure skating lessons to youth hockey programs to open skating. Open skating is offered daily from noon-1:30pm and Wednesday evenings from 6:15-7:45pm. In addition, Cosmic Skating is available Fridays from 6:30-8pm and Saturdays from 7:15-8:45pm. Admission for public skating is $4 on weekdays and $5 on weekends, with ages 5 and under always $1.50. Skate rentals are available for $2. Family skate sessions are offered T/Th: Noon-1:30pm and W: 6:15-7:45pm for $14 per family up to two adults and four kids. For details visit www.greeleyrec. com/facilities/greeley-ice-haus/.