Rink Opening To Highlight Holiday Celebration

The ribbon cutting for the new skating rink on Parade Plaza will highlight a series of events this weekend for the annual .

The festival begins at 3 p.m. with a children's reindeer and elf costume parade down Bank Street, and will be followed immediately at 3:15 p.m. by the ribbon cutting at the rink. The ceremony will mark the culmination of downtown organization 's effort to establish the seasonal rink at Parade Plaza. In October, the City Council for the organization The rink and buildings for heating and skate rental were .

"We're really excited about it, now that it's here. It's a reality," said Tracy Tremblay, marketing and events coordinator at New London Main Street.

Tremblay said the rink has synthetic ice so it can be used even during warm temperatures. She said there has already been discussion about how to use it for fundraisers, and corporate sponsors have bought some time for free public skating. The rink is located on subflooring to protect the plaza, and the has offered space to store the rink after the season, set to run through the end of February with the possibility of an extension.

"It's an incredibly affordable family activity for this region," said Tremblay.

Alan Duggan and Alex Khoudyakov will manage the rink during the winter. The hours of operation are 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. However, these hours are subject to change.

The events at Celebration of Lights and Song Around the World will include figure skating performances, live music, and an appearance by Santa Claus at the . will host events including a reading of The Nutcracker as well as Japanese songs and stories, while ballet dancers from the Eastern Connecticut Ballet will appear on the glass side of the parking garage. The and will collect donations for their at the event.

The Christmas tree lighting will take place at 5:30 p.m., and will host an opening night dance party at the rink starting at 7:30 p.m. Public skate will continue until 10 p.m.