An outdoor ice rink returns to downtown’s City Plaza in December for Raleigh Winterfest, a two-month holiday celebration with carriage rides, sledding ramps, Victorian carolers and performances by local musicians and dancers.
The rink will open Saturday, Dec. 3 during an evening kickoff highlighted by Mayor Charles Meeker’s final tree-lighting as mayor and a concert by The Breakfast Club, a 1980s tribute band.
The festivities will be featured in a half-hour holiday special on WTVD ABC 11 on Saturday Dec. 10 at 7 p.m.
An estimated 15,000 people visited last year’s Winterfest, launched three years ago by the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, a nonprofit that manages and promotes downtown.
Visitors came from 50 North Carolina cities and towns, proving downtown’s status as a regional draw, president and CEO David Diaz said.
Winterfest, sponsored by AT&T, started near the beginning of the recession to boost downtown restaurants and other businesses in the winter months.
“If you look at where our economy was three years ago, our organization really took a big risk,” said Diaz. “And it paid off. Now we have an event that hopefully will be here for years to come.”
The 45-by-90 ice rink – which can hold up to 140 skaters – will operate six days a week from Dec. 3 to Jan. 29, with Mondays reserved for private group bookings. Admission to the rink is $8 for adults and children, including skate rentals.
Activities are planned throughout the week, including Rock Around The Rink Fridays with music from a DJ.
For more information, visit RaleighWinterfest.com.
