Looking for a fun family activity over the holiday break? If you haven't taken the kiddos ice skating, add it to your to-do list. Unless you're a transplanted Northerner (I still prefer to think that hailing from Louisville makes me a Southerner), ice skating probably isn't a part of your weekly—heck, make that yearly—schedule, but it is great exercise, a fun way to celebrate winter, and it will surely provide lots of laughs.
Think outdoor holiday ice skating is just for lucky New York tourists at Rockefeller Center [4]? Not this year. Fourth Street Live [5] and Light Up Louisville opened their first-ever outdoor ice skating rink this year, and even though it's synthetic ice, you'll feel like a character in a movie as you glide around downtown Louisville amidst the giant Christmas tree and the synchronized light shows that begin at 6:00 pm. (And, by the way, at $5/hour for adults and $3/hour for children plus $2 skate rental, your Louisville experience will be much cheaper than your Rockefeller Center experience [6]. Duh.) The rink will be open until Christmas Eve; Monday-Thursday 11:30 am to 9:00 pm, Friday and Saturday 11:30 am to midnight, and Sunday from 11:30 am to 8:00 pm.
Alpine Ice Arena [7] on Gardiner Lane was the go-to indoor rink in Louisville for decades; it's still in full swing and will provide your family a great experience. Admission is $6 per adult, $5 for children six and under, and skate rental is $3. Directions, schedule and printable coupons are available at www.alpineicearena.com [8].
If you're in the East End, Iceland Sports Complex [9] at 1701 UPS Drive might be a better fit. Public skating sessions are Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and a full calendar can be viewed at icelandlouisville.com [9]. Admission is $6. Figure skate rental is $2 and hockey skate rental is $3.
And head over to the Jeffersonville (IN) Outdoor Ice Rink [10] on December 27 from 6:00-7:30 pm for perhaps the greatest deal on ice. LouisvilleFamilyFun [11] is celebrating its third birthday by throwing an ice skating party [12] for the community while giving back to the community. Admission AND skate rental is $1 per person, and 100% goes directly to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana [13]. Cupcakes, prizes, and freebies will also be available, but rink capacity caps at 200, so get there early. Visit LouisvilleFamilyFun.net [12] for more information and a $3 off coupon.
Photo: courtesy of Shutterstock [14]