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Outdoor Ice Skating Rink Open All Weekend In Downtown San Antonio

The city’s only outdoor ice skating rink is now open at Travis Park for its first full weekend.

Rotary Club of San Antonio President Brandon Logan said the rink has been averaging 600 visitors a day since its opening on Nov. 29.

The Rotarians are the driving force behind the rink, which they hope to make a new winter tradition for the city.

Logan said there are some giant chillers underneath the 10 inches of ice to keep it from melting during San Antonio’s balmy winters.

“Once you get on the surface the temperature ranges between zero degrees and minus five degrees Fahrenheit, so that is the system that allows us to continue to operate in the 70s,” he said.

He said the rink has 6,000 square feet and can handle up to 125 skaters with plenty of elbow room left over.  Logan said the rink, entries, exits and skate rental booth take up about 10,000 square feet or 7% of the space of Travis Park.

The ice rink is open seven days a week through Jan. 31, but evenings-only during the week.

Monday-Thursdays: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sundays: Noon to 8 p.m.

Veterans and active duty military members can skate free on Mondays and for five dollars on “cheapskate” Tuesdays. Otherwise Logan said general admission and a pair of skates is $14.

Logan said as president of the organization, he wanted Rotarians to create a space where the community could come together.

“One of my objectives is to create a gathering place that did not create barriers for racial, cultural, or ethnic reasons, but rather allowed us to enable every human spirit that’s in this community to come together for a place for enjoyment,” he said.

According to its website, the Rotary Club of San Antonio was established in 1912 and among its first community projects was bringing a Christmas tree to Alamo Plaza every year.

Brian Kirkpatrick can be reached at Brian@TPR.org and on Twitter at @TPRBrian.