Downtown on Ice at Pershing Square Los Angeles Ice Skating

November 19, 2009 - January 18, 2010

Los Angeles --The biggest Los Angeles holiday outdoor ice skating rink with the smallest admission price, DOWNTOWN ON ICE, celebrating its 12th spectacular season at Pershing Square, 532 South Olive Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013, open everyday Thursday, November 19, 2009 through Monday, January 18, 2010. A spacious rink nestled amid skyscrapers and historical landmarks includes a winter concert series, Winter Holiday Festival, championships skating exhibitions, and more.

Sponsors aree: The LA City Department of Recreation & Parks, Councilmember Jan Perry (9th Dist.)
WHEN/WHERE: November 19, 2009 through January 18, 2010
Pershing Square, downtown at 532 South Olive, across from the Millennium Biltmore Hotel
HOURS OF OPERATION/ADMISSION: One hour session: $6 Skate rental: $2

*General schedule: Monday -Thursday 12:00p.m. - 10:00p.m. Fri/Sat/Sun 10:00a.m. - 10:00p.m.
*Special Extended Holiday Hours 10:00a.m. – 10:00p.m. (Dec. 18, 2009 – Jan. 10, 2010)
*Open every day, special hours apply on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Day, MLK Day

TRANSPORTATION: Easily accessible by bus or rail, exit at Pershing Square Station. Metro and Metrolink allows riders to receive a $1 skating session discount by showing a coupon available on all mass transit lines.
Pershing Square offers underground parking at a discount with ice skating validation.

FREE WINTER CONCERT SERIES: Wednesday nights “Spaceland on Ice” 8:00p.m. – 10:00p.m.; select Thursday nights “Rock Around the Rink” concerts 8:00p.m. – 10:00p.m.; Friday nights 8:00 p.m. – 10:00p.m. Rock ‘n’ Roll; Saturdays Youth Fun Series 1:00p.m.- 3:00p.m: Sunday Family Series 2:00p.m. – 4:00p.m. (Tuesday/Thursday lunchtime concerts during extended holiday hours) *Check website for updates
FREE WINTER HOLIDAY FESTIVAL (Weekend of December 12-13; 11:00am. - 6:00p.m.)

Snow party for sledding and romping, “make & take” children’s crafts, Community youth performances, miniature train village, puppet shows, photo mementos, and more. Rink available for holiday skating (admission required).

MOMMIE AND ME STROLLER SKATE SESSION: Moms and babies share outdoor fun Tuesdays 10:00am to 11:00am; Dec. 1, Dec. 8, Dec, 15, Jan. 12. (Moms skate and push babies in their strollers on the ice)
INFO: Pershing Square Hotline 213/ 847-4970 or visit  laparks.org (click on Pershing Square/Downtown on Ice)

Over the past decade, Pershing Square has become the number one winter destination for families, thanks to the sponsorship of the Downtown community, the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks and Councilmember Jan Perry (9th District).

Even a Grinch couldn’t help but enjoy skating under the sun and stars in the heart of Los Angeles. Now a holiday tradition for Southlanders, the vast bedeckled outdoor oasis is framed by towering skyscrapers, trees and stunning historic landmarks.

Pershing Square's annual holiday ice skating event returns each year with larger crowds and more fun. The annual downtown Los Angeles city event, Downtown on Ice, has become a success, and offers hope for bigger things to come.

Jon Jerde studied the Pershing Square situation to help put a positive spin on a spot that once experienced blight. In the heart of the downtown financial and work center in L.A. homeless once occupied Pershing Square, an LA Parks venue, in a not-so-tourist-friendly manner. Jerde has similarly turned city downtowns around. And while some lament the fact that the Downtown on Ice annual event does so well, yet seemingly not much else, the growing numbers of attendees make this event a great kick-start to help interest grow in a center plaza surrounded by high-rise buildings in the heart of downtown.

Constructed by an ice events management company contracted by the City of Los Angeles, the ice skating rink has grown in popularity during the 10+ years it has been around. Adding to the quality of this well-managed event is the free concert series that also attracts guests to explore. Just a jump off the Metro's Pershing Square exit, guests who take the Metro save $1 on their admission to an affordable ice attraction. Over 350,000 people attend annually.

 The approx. 40-by-60-foot open-air ice rink built on a 5-acre parcel next to the civic center is designed to bring residents and tourists together, giving them something special for the holidays.  The man-made ice is created with a wooden stage and metal refrigeration plates. Workers install special coils connected to a large refrigeration unit, and freeze gallons and gallons of water that are sprayed onto the plates and frozen, one layer at a time, until they form a 2-inch-thick sheet of ice. In recent years, the respected and well-known skate professional, Willy Bietak of Willy Bietak Productions, Inc., has taken the event up a few notches so that it offers even greater appeal.

With anticipation that the event will be produced for many years to come, the Parks Department has stated it looked forward to securing a long term contract with a management firm that would come in and build the temporary rink, then man and rent it with quality staff.

 

Where to stay: One of the most popular L.A. hotels near the venue is the Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles. Other hotels in the downtown region include the popular uniquely positioned glass building, the Westin Bonaventure hotel. Check out their weekend rates, which can drop over $70 per night, as this hotel excels in business travel, but when the business crowd goes homes, that leaves weekend generally better suited for vacation travelers.