Holland Ice Park opens Nov. 20 for its second winter: $10 skate tickets, curling from $100, and Learn to Skate prices that rise after Oct. 26

HOLLAND, Mich. — The Holland Ice Park, downtown Holland’s outdoor skating ribbon, pond and curling sheet, is set to open for its second season on Friday, Nov. 20, and run through March 14, weather permitting, according to Holland Parks and Recreation.

Tickets are sold online only, in advance, and the first block is already on sale. The city says space in each session is limited, and last winter’s debut drew what it calls overwhelming community support.

The basics. The park is at 71 E. Sixth St., at the corner of Sixth Street and Central Avenue on the edge of Window on the Waterfront park. It is open Tuesday through Sunday and closed Mondays. An open skate ticket costs $10 for a 90-minute session and includes skate rental. Skaters who bring their own skates still pay $10. Spectators don’t need a ticket, and the park is cashless.

When tickets go on sale. The city releases skate tickets about a month at a time, at hollandrecreation.com, according to the city and the Ottawa News Network:

Oct. 16 (already open): Nov. 20–30, skating only
Nov. 16: December
Dec. 16: January
Jan. 16: February
Feb. 16: March 1 through the end of the season

Curling costs more than last year. The park’s curling sheet is a half-size version of a regulation sheet, meant for casual play. Reservations open Nov. 16 for play from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28 and cost $100 to $125 for a 90-minute session, for up to eight people, with stones, brooms and shoe grippers included. When the park opened last year, the city listed curling at $75 to $125, so the low end has gone up by $25. Staff give a five- to 10-minute how-to, but there is no formal instruction. Skates aren’t allowed on the curling sheet; flat shoes work best. Skating and curling are booked separately.

Learn to Skate: sign up by Oct. 26 for the lowest price. New this winter are instructor-led classes for kids, on three Saturdays per session at 9 a.m. for ages 6 to 8 and 9:45 a.m. for ages 9 to 11, with at most 15 skaters a class and helmets required. Session 1 runs Nov. 28 to Dec. 12. It costs $40 for city residents and $55 for nonresidents through Oct. 26, then $50 and $65 through Nov. 16, then $60 and $75. Later sessions run Jan. 9–23 and Feb. 6–20, with their own early deadlines.

Rules families should know. Skaters 15 and under must come with an adult 18 or older. Hockey, figure skating and jumps aren’t allowed. Strollers can’t go on the ice, and you can’t carry or wear a baby while skating; $5 skate assists are available first come, first served. A free wheelchair skating sled is new this year. Rental skates run from toddler 6 to men’s 16 in whole sizes only, so round down. Everyone signs a waiver each visit. Tickets are nonrefundable and can’t be moved to another session, but someone else may use yours. If the city cancels a session for weather, ticket holders are notified by email and text and refunded in full.

No outside food is allowed, though Social District drinks in the official cups are. Dogs aren’t allowed in the ice park. For parking, the city points to diagonal spaces on Sixth Street, two lots in Window on the Waterfront off Columbia Avenue and the public deck off Seventh Street.

Events on the ice. The ribbon becomes a Dutch canal for Dutch Winterfest, Dec. 1–5. Wednesdays from January through March are Character Skate nights, with free popcorn for skaters in costume. Fridays in those months are Glow Nights. Love on Ice runs Feb. 12–14, 2027, with a glow party, a soul and R&B night and a family day. All of them require a skate ticket.

The ice park was made possible in part by a $1 million gift from the late Frank Kraai, a Holland teacher, the city said last year. Questions go to the park at (616) 355-1131 or icepark@cityofholland.com.

Sources:
Holland Parks and Recreation, “Holland Ice Park” (opening date, season, hours, ticket and curling prices, address, contact), https://hollandrecreation.com/holland-ice-park/
Holland Parks and Recreation, “Holland Ice Park FAQ” (rules, refunds, curling sheet size, rentals, parking, Social District), https://hollandrecreation.com/holland-ice-park/holland-ice-park-faq/
Holland Parks and Recreation, “Seasonal Events at the Holland Ice Park,” https://hollandrecreation.com/holland-ice-park/seasonal-events-at-the-holland-ice-park/
Holland Parks and Recreation, “Youth Ice Skating” (Learn to Skate dates and fees), https://hollandrecreation.com/youth-programs/youth-ice-skating/
Ottawa News Network, “Holland Ice Park sets return date, ticket releases for new season,” Oct. 22, 2026 (monthly ticket release schedule), https://www.ottawanewsnetwork.org/holland-ice-park-sets-return-date-ticket-releases-for-new-season/
City of Holland news release, 2025 (first-season curling prices, location, Frank Kraai gift), https://www.cityofholland.com/DocumentCenter/View/8764
Photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maggie_Daley_Park_2014.JPG

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