Toledo Ice Skating Ribbon Debuts
Metroparks Toledo just opened a new 1,000-foot-long ice skating ribbon — and it's too cool.
Imagine gliding along a ribbon of ice before taking a rest in your private cabana, where you can sip hot chocolate and warm up next to the fire pit.
That's the reality of The Ribbon at Glass City, the new 1,000-foot-long ice skating trail that will have a soft opening tomorrow, followed by special skating days this February and a grand opening next November.
"It’s awesome," says Downtown Toledo marketing coordinator Hannah Dearth. "They’re done great work. There’s a lot of thought into everything around it."
The Ribbon is a paved, loop trail that is refrigerated in winter to provide 25,000-square-feet of ice skating surface with rolling hills and soft curves. It includes a 5,000-square-foot ice skating rink called the Pond.
Fourteen miles of tubing under the pavement supplies refrigerant to the surface, while a Zamboni ice resurfacing machine will maintain a smooth skating surface. Other times of the year, The Ribbon will be a multi-purpose trail for walking, roller skating and scooters.
The Ribbon will be open this winter Tuesday through Sunday, Feb. 4 through Feb. 20. During these special preview days, attendance will be limited and reservations are recommended to book a 90-minute skating session. Preview prices, including skate rental, are $8 for adults and children 13 and older, $6 for children 4-12, and free for kids 3 and younger.
"We are in the process of making ice to test the equipment and operation, and we know people are anxious to see what it's all about," said Mike Keedy, director of enterprise development for Metroparks Toledo. "During the preview days, we will take notes and gather feedback that will help things go as smoothly as possible when we open for our inaugural season in November."
Perks like the cabanas and an on-site restaurant will not be open until The Ribbon officially opens next fall.
For reservations, go to metroparkstoledo.com/theribbon.
