Ice rink has unique European flair for holidays

One of the joys of the holiday season has begun in Folsom's Historic district with the opening of this year's ice rink. This year, the rink brings a rustic, European aesthetic, which you won't easily find anywhere else in the country. The rink is in the Historic Plaza, overlooked by the Roundhouse building, which is home to Scott's Seafood and Willamette Winery. Krissy Mangan with the Folsom Historic District Association says what makes this rink unique and charming is the materials it's made from and the design concept, which originated in Italy. Most skating rinks in the US are made of fiberglass … but not the one in Folsom. "In Europe, they have this design for all their ice rinks so it's the wood around it, and we thought we would bring it in this year and try something new instead of the regular fiberglass panels that we've done in the past," said Mangan. "And it just brings such a better ambience to it and it looks so perfect and rustic, like our historic district." This is not to say making the vision become a reality for this rink was an easy task. It was a long process, and then to get the rink assembled and ready for opening day took a great deal of hard work and elbow grease. "It's in pallets of just that wood right there and then they put everything together. So it's a big process. Last year, it shipped from overseas and took months to get here so it was a big process but we love the outcome," said Mangan. "It is so beautiful and especially at night when all the lights are on," said Gloria Cunningham with the Folsom Historic District Association and general manager of the ice rink. This is the 14th year for the ice rink. Cunningham said many of the staff they hired wanted to work the rink because they have fond memories of skating at the rink as children. Cunningham adds the rink is just a festive place to be, even if you don't skate. "There's hot cocoa and ciders to sip with your family, we have fire pits and smores so we have families coming to do that," said Cunningham. The key sponsor of the rink is Kaiser Permanente, and there are several merchant sponsors, including The Folsom Telegraph. This year, the rink managers decided to keep signage off the actual rink to give it less of a commercial feel and more of a family vibe. They also have brand new, sharp ice skates that come with the price of your ticket. Tickets are $20 each for a 90-minute session. Those who want to learn to skate can sign up for lessons offered Saturday mornings. The rink will become more festive as the days go by: On Dec. 6, there will be a tree lighting ceremony, where a beautiful 30-foot tree will be placed in the center of the rink. To purchase tickets, find out about skating classes or any other information, visit https://www.folsomicerink.com/tickets-session-info.