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The public ice rink will welcome skaters until January 19th.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Transitioning from slicing turkey on Thanksgiving to gliding on ice skates.
On Friday, the City of Jacksonville unveiled an ice skating rink located under the Fuller Warren Bridge.
This rink is now ready for visitors, complete with festive Christmas tunes, and it’s just one of several new attractions families can enjoy this holiday season.
“I liked it,” remarked Ashlynn Woodle after completing a circuit on the ice.
As a Florida kid, she hasn’t spent a ton of time on the ice.
“This is only my second time,” said Woodle.
It turns out Woodle had a hidden talent, because it came naturally to her.
But it didn’t come naturally to everyone, as she was surrounded by a wide range of skill levels at the new Jacksonville Artist Walk on Ice on Riverside Avenue – an outdoor rink open to the public for the holidays.
“I’m from New York, 50 years ago,” said Richard Cerielo. “I used to skate pretty good, but these skating legs have taken a little bit of getting used to.”
Although the rink opened on a cold day, there’s a plan to keep it frozen even if a Florida heat wave hits.
“The chiller will pump glycol through the system, through the lines,” said Rink Manager Jocelyn Jones. “Since it freezes below, the water will freeze over it while the glycol runs. It’s pretty big, and we build the layer every time it goes down.”
While they keep the ice cold at the new outdoor rink, the fences have melted away at Riverfront Plaza, revealing a new playground, lawn and cafe space where the Landing once stood.
It will be filled with Christmas spirit this weekend as a Christmas tree waits to be lit up during Holiday River Fest Saturday immediately followed by the Christmas Light Boat Parade.
Another new spot to check out the boat parade is where the boats turn around in front of RiversEdge Park on the Southbank, which just opened this week with plenty of space to find the perfect spot to pick out your favorite boat from.
Once the boats are through, there will still be plenty of time to carve up the ice.
“This is the best thing the parks department has done in a long time,” said Cerielo. “What a beautiful day to be on ice.”
The ice rink will be open until January 19th, so there’s plenty of time to work on a triple axel.
You can find more information on hours and pricing here.
