Friday marked an unseasonably warm welcome for the season’s first ice skaters at Maggie Daley Park.
“I’m sweating right now,” said skater Kathy Xiang.
With sunshine and temperatures in the 60s, it didn’t feel quite like winter. But the ice remained intact, and dozens of skaters came to enjoy their first spin of the season, with hundreds more reserving spots later in the day.
The skating ribbon officially opened at 11 a.m. Last year, the ribbon had record attendance at close to 150,000 skaters.
“It’s been a challenge these last two weeks building ice. We started with 60 degrees and the snowstorm came and then we had to clear that out of the way. But right now we’ve got strong, thick ice,” said operations manager Kevin Klein.
For the 11th year, the quarter-mile-long ice ribbon welcomed skaters of all ages and skills level for its opening day.
“Every time I ice skate I fall once, but then I’m back up,” said Megan Terra, who was visiting from Boston.
Hockey player Blake Del Brocco took in the sunshine and the smooth ice.
“Normally I’m doing a little forecheck, backcheck, paycheck, but now we’re out here just having fun,” he said. “It’s kind of like the F1 of ice skating. Like you’re not going in a circle, you’re just buzzing around corners,” he said of the Ribbon’s unique shape and design.
The ribbon is open on weekdays, weekends and holidays like Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Rentals start at $17.
The ribbon is walking distance from the city’s official Christmas tree at Millennium Park, which will be lit up for the season at 6 p.m. on Nov. 26.
Seasonal offerings at the Maggie Daley Skating Ribbon, including igloos and smores, will be announced in the coming weeks.
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