Winter temperatures are on their way, paving the way for Chicago’s outdoor ice skating rinks to open this month.
The McCormick Tribune Ice Rink at Millennium Park will open Friday, coinciding with the 103rd annual Chicago Christmas Tree Lighting, according to the city. The ice rink will open at noon, the same time visits with Santa Claus begin. Meanwhile, the ceremony to light the city’s tree begins at 6 p.m.; the tree will shimmer for the second time in city history at Millennium Park after it was moved from its longtime home at Daley Plaza. The ice-skating season at Millennium goes through March 5.
The ice ribbon at Maggie Daley Park will welcome skaters Nov. 25 — weather permitting — a week later than originally scheduled. The opening was postponed because of warm weather, according to a Park District spokeswoman. The ice ribbon is scheduled to remain open through the first week of March.
Last winter, Millennium had a slightly longer season, saw more ice skaters and collected more revenue than Maggie Daley Park. Millennium drew 97,594 skaters compared with 92,703 at Maggie Daley.
Admission is free at both parks. Millennium Park charges $12 for skate rentals. This year, Maggie Daley Park has increased its price for skate rentals on the weekends to $14 from $12 Friday through Sunday. The price remains at $12 for Monday through Thursday rentals.
All seven of the other outdoor rinks run by the Park District are set to open the day after Thanksgiving, weather permitting, the Park District said online.
The Lincoln Park Zoo said its ice skating rink is set to be open on select days from Nov. 25 through Feb. 26 and costs $5 to enter and $5 to rent skates.
Next month, the outdoor rink at Wicker Park is set to return. The plan is to install the rink Dec. 3, open it when the ice freezes and remove it March 1, according to the Wicker Park Advisory Council.
Navy Pier is planning to unveil an outdoor winter ice skating rink in late 2017 around the Polk Bros. Park fountain and plaza, a spokesman said. An outdoor rink debuted over the summer at Navy Pier as part of its 100th anniversary. The tourist attraction will host its first holiday tree lighting Nov. 30.
lvivanco@chicagotribune.com
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