Families can strap on their skates and enjoy some old-fashioned fun downtown for the next two months.
Every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. until Feb. 27, the landmark site, next to the Olde Towne Okotoks Plaza, will be host to a community skating party.
With hot chocolate flowing, a fire pit crackling and background music playing, families can enjoy an afternoon of winter fun every weekend.
“Kids can do a couple of rounds of skating, then sit by the fire and drink a hot chocolate to warm up, and then get back to it,” said Okotoks special events coordinator Mark Doherty. “It just creates that festival feel to the outdoor rink.”
This is the second year the landmark skating will take place. The idea originated after a visit by marketing and tourism consultant Roger Brooks, who suggested the Town animate its downtown by offering more programs and activities in the area, said Doherty.
Without an advertising budget for the inaugural year of skating, the Town relied on word-of-mouth and saw more than 50 people per Saturday between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m, he said.
Feedback from the public was so positive, the Town decided to run the program again in 2016, he said.
Not only did families enjoy the weekly skating event, bystanders and merchants also appreciated the Saturday afternoon festivities. He was approached by one particular group of senior ladies out for a walk last year, who were thrilled with the rink.
“They said it was so nice to see the skating rink with children and families skating and having the fire,” said Doherty. “They said it reminded them of their childhood.”
For downtown merchants, drawing families downtown every Saturday afternoon brings more exposure to their businesses, which Doherty said is always a goal of downtown events. Whether the event translates into increased foot traffic or sales is unknown, but he said more exposure is always a positive thing.
At the end of the day, he said, the weekly event is beneficial for the entire community, from bringing more activity downtown to getting families out and enjoying Okotoks together.
“We’re such an active community, and we like to encourage that activity,” said Doherty. “And skating is such a great Canadian tradition.”
The ice is also available for skating 24 hours per day, he said.
In case of bad weather or poor ice conditions, cancellation notices will be posted at www.okotoks.ca and on the Town’s social media sites.
All Town outdoor rinks have now been flooded and are ready for residents to use. Residents are reminded that skating is not permitted on storm ponds.
Approved skating rinks are located at Kinsmen Rink at the Okotoks Recreation Centre, outside of the Pason Centennial Arena, at the landmark site downtown, in Ardiel Park, at Cedar Grove on Lock Crescent, on Westridge Close, in Cimarron Park and in the pond area of Suntree Park.
