The Waterfront Partnership Ice Rink opened at McKeldin Square in the Inner Harbor on Nov. 21, and the rink will remain open for skaters until Jan. 19.
This is the first year in about a decade that a rink has been built in the Inner Harbor.
According to General Manager Justin Roy, the rink is already getting more patrons than the rink built in recent years at Rash Field.
“With all the foot traffic and with it being on the Harbor, we get a lot of new people coming [and] saying how much they love it here,” Roy said. “So far, to date, we’ve probably had about 2,000 people come by. We’re guesstimated to have about 30,000 more people come by.”
Shift Manager Brittany Herring said that although the rink is busiest on weekends, many skaters also come during the week.
“We get a lot of people that come on their lunch break,” Herring said. “Some of the nurses from the dental school [come]. We’ve had people come over from the offices. But generally a majority of our business is late afternoon to evening.”
Roy believes that the ice rink attracts such big crowds because people associate ice skating with celebrating the holiday season.
Freshman Daniela Barrio went to the rink with her boyfriend on the day it opened.
“We’d planned to explore around the Inner Harbor before dinner and to our surprise, we found that the ice skating rink was opened!” Barrio wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “We had no idea that there would be an ice skating rink and were delighted to have found such a unique, fun way to spend our Friday night!”
Barrio wrote that the rink had a very celebratory, Christmas-y atmosphere.
“It felt incredibly festive,” Barrio wrote. “The trees were filled with lights, Christmas music was playing, and the whole atmosphere just felt light and jovial.”
Juniors and seniors will head down to the rink Thursday, Dec. 4 for an ice skating event planned by the Junior and Senior Class Councils of the Student Government Association (SGA).
“The purpose of the event is to provide an opportunity for Hopkins students to enjoy the last week of classes and venture off Homewood campus to explore the city of Baltimore,” SGA Junior Class President Jahan Mirchandani wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “By partnering with the senior class, we hope to increase school unity and spirit as well.”
Mirchandani wrote that he expected the 150 tickets to sell out, because he thinks students will be excited to visit the new rink.
“It’s a festive holiday tradition,” Mirchandani wrote.
Roy said that people of all ages and skating abilities having been visiting the rink.
“We have a lot of families, a lot of couples coming. People that have never skated before were actually trying it out,” Roy said.
Herring explained that the ice rink staff is equipped to help inexperienced skaters.
“We always have people out on the ice. We at least have two to three at a time. They all know how to skate. They’re all great at instructing,” Herring said. “We do have a Learn to Skate day coming up.”
The first Learn to Skate day is this Saturday from 9 to 10 a.m. The class consists of 30 minutes of instruction followed by 30 minutes of practice. The classes will be held every Saturday until Jan. 10. The cost for all six sessions is $99.
Roy said that, regardless of patrons’ skating ability, safety is taken seriously at the rink. He also explained that the process of building the rink was long and arduous but was ultimately a worthwhile endeavor.
“Everybody that comes down here — they’re having a blast or laughing,” Roy said. “People are truly having a good time when they come down here.”
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